Ptilocera violacea Edwards, 1915

Mason, Franco & Rozkošný, Rudolf, 2011, A review of the Oriental and Australasian Ptilocera species (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), Zootaxa 3007, pp. 1-49 : 19-21

Ptilocera violacea Edwards, 1915

( Figs 72–73 , 154–161 ).

Ptilocera violacea Edwards, 1915: 394 .

Type material. The female holotype is deposited in BMNH and labelled: " Ptilocera violacea , Type Edw. /Dutch N. Guinea, Mimika River, viii.1910, A.P.R. Wollaston, 1911–229./ Holotype [circular label with a red circle], HOLOTYPE Ptilocera violacea Edwards , det. J. E. Chainey 1982/ HOLOTYPE Ƥ Ptilocera violacea Edwards 1915: 394 , F. Mason & R. Rozkošný det. 2009". Condition perfect, terminalia dissected and preserved in a microvial attached on the same pin. The original female paratype is provided with the same locality label.

Diagnosis. Pedicel and basal two flagellomeres reddish yellow to red in both sexes, female basal flagellomere usually broader than long, tip of female apical flagellomere whitish. Apical flagellomere about 4.0 times longer than preceding flagellomere in both sexes. Silverish hair patches on abdomen longitudinal on tergite 3 and transverse on tergite 5. Microtrichia on female wing at most slightly reduced on narrow longitudinal stripe in middle of posterior cubital cell, marginal fringe on female calypter white.

Description. Male ( Figs 72 , 154, 156, 158–60 ). Length (mm): body 8.3–0.1, (n=5), wing 5.9–8.0 (n=5). Head. Antenna ( Fig. 136 ) with scape brown to black, pedicel and basal two flagellomeres usually reddish yellow to red, apical flagellomere entirely black, about 4.0 times as long as preceding flagellomere. Basal flagellomere narrower than in female although only slightly longer than broad. Frons with two small subtriangular spots of silverish tomentum at inner eye margin. Face covered by fine erect silverish hairs except on medial tubercle. Proboscis brown, stout, with brownish pile. Second segment of palpus flattened, subtriangular.

Thorax ( Fig. 154 ) dark, densely and finely punctate, covered by very short black pile and moderately spaced metallic iridescent scales occupying presutural area of scutum except a broad medial stripe and distinct along whole notopleura to base of scutellum. Postpronotal callus brownish at top, postalar callus usually dark. Scutellar spines about as long as half length of scutellum, predominantly reddish yellow. Bare part of anepistenum confined to a spot at notopleural suture. Wing ( Fig. 72 ) with transverse yellowish stripe extending from costa to lower margin of discal cell, wing membrane beyond it paler than in basal half. Halter with yellowish stem and darkened knob. Calypter with narrow blackish margin and dense brown marginal fringe. Legs and coxae brown to black, only mid and hind tarsi entirely ochre yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig. 154 ) black with light bluish to violet reflections, finely punctate, with fine micropile. White longitudinal hair patches present on tergite 3, bow-shaped along lateral and posterior margin of tergite 4 and in shape of transverse stripe (or two transverse spots) along anterior half of tergite 5. Sternites black, covered by inconspicuous silverish brown appressed pile. Male terminalia ( Figs. 158–160 ): epandrium subquadrate ( Fig. 159 ), medial process of genital capsule markedly bilobate ( Fig. 158 ), bases of posterolateral papillae on aedeagal complex without transverse ridges but with numerous hyaline flat spines at bases, spines elongated on outer side ( Fig. 160 ).

Female ( Figs 73 , 155, 157, 161 ): Length (mm): body 8.5–10.5 (n=5), wing 5.8–8.4 (n = 5). Head. Antenna ( Fig. 157 ) predominantly dark brown, except snow white tip of apical flagellomere. Flagellomere 1–2 bright yellow to pale brown, both broader than long, all lateral antennal projections dark brown. Frons relatively deeply excavated in middle. Upper half of frons black, covered with short, erect and very dense black hairs. Lower half of frons shining black, paired, round or semicircular, silverish tomentose spots distinct on each side at eye margin below middle. Elevation above antennae with diffuse reddish patch. Face shining black, covered with silvery pile reduced on facial prominence. Proboscis short, brown, covered with brown pile. Basal segment of palpus sparsely whitish and brownish haired, apical segment rounded, velvety brown. Postocular area with appressed whitish velvety pile along eye margin. Thorax ( Fig. 155 ) black as in male, densely and finely punctate, entirely covered by very short and fine pile and with mainly green to violet shining scales covering mainly prescutellar area of scutum. Relatively broad longitudinal medial stripes and longitudinal band between postpronotal and postalar callus more or less distinct. Scutellum with silver to violet scales along broad margin. Four short and stout spines mainly dark brown to black, barely as long as one-fourth of scutellar length at middle ( Fig. 155 ). Wing ( Fig. 73 ) with more or less distinct pale transverse streak, covered with dense microtrichia, darker in basal radial and medial cells. Microtrichia in posterior cubital cell reduced along narrow longitudinal medial stripe. Marginal hair fringe of calypter white. Legs black with brownish pile, only basal 2 tarsomeres of mid and hind legs more brownish. Abdomen mainly black, with bluish reflections, finely punctate. Narrow whitish hair patches oriented longitudinally on sides of tergites 2–4, transverse, medianly divided hair patch distinct on tergite 5 ( Fig. 155 ). Genital furca ( Fig. 161 ) with a large median aperture.

Variation. The colour of the pedicel and basal two flagellomeres are usually bright red in both sexes but sometimes also the scape is reddish apically or the pedicel is darkened. A transverse yellowish stripe on the female wing can be slightly developed or quite absent. Microtrichia on the posterior cubital cell in the female are barely reduced, not nearly as extensively as in P. continua and P. smaragdina . Hair patches on the male tergites with a pale yellow to golden shade, those on tergite 4 confined to lateral markings or continuing along its posterior margin. The two transverse hair patches on female tergite 5 are sometimes reduced, and narrow.

Remarks. Edwards (1915) designated two females from Mimika River as the holotype and paratype. He also mentioned 2 males and 1 female from the Aru Islands but he did not include them in the original type series. We examined a male which was erroneously labelled as a “ paratype ” of Ptilocera violacea Edwards by J. E. Chainey in 1982 and we can confirm that it is conspecific with the holotype.

Edwards (1915) tried to distinguish the male of this species from P. smaragdifera (= P. smaragdina ) by the kink at the base of the last flagellomere. However, we found that such a kink may also occur in some males of other species (e.g. P. continua , P. quadridentata and P. smaragdina ) and apparently has no diagnostic value.

Material examined. 15 3 and 16 Ƥ (including female holotype and paratype). Indonesia: Maluku, Kepulauan Aru, 1 3, A. R. Wallace, in BMNH (labelled as “ paratype ” by J. E. Chainey, see Remarks); 1 Ƥ, O. Beccari, in MSNG. Bacan, Kamping Wayamiga, 27. vii.1981 1 Ƥ, A.C. Messer. Halmahera, Jailolo, Kampung Pasir Putih, 0°53´N, 127°41´E, 1. –14.i. 1981 1 3, 15.–31.i. 1981 1 3, A. C. Messer & P. M. Taylor; Pulau Tidore, Kampung Guaepaji, 5. –10. vii.1981 1 Ƥ, A. C. Messer; Irian Jaya: Dorey [= Dory near Manokwari], 1 Ƥ, A. R.Wallace, in BMNH. Hollandia [=Jayapura], January 1945 1 3, May 1945 1 Ƥ, B. Malkin; Maffin Bay, 10. vi.1944 1 Ƥ, E.S. Ross; all in USNM. Ifar Gunung, 15.xii. 1957 1 3, G. den Hoed; Meja Reserve near Manokwari, 0°52´S 134°06´E, 16. xii.1966 1 Ƥ, ZMAN Exp.; both in ZMAN. Papua New Guinea: Ramoi, 1873 1 3, 1 Ƥ, O. Beccari, in MSNG. Finschhafen, 13.xii. 1944 2 3, D. G. Hall, in USNM; 180 m, 16. iv.1963 1 m, J.Sedlacek, in BPBM. Kokoda, 200 ft, v. 1933 1 3, 1 Ƥ, ix.–x. 1933 1 3; Aitape, 10. ix.1936 1 Ƥ; all L. E. Cheesman; all in BMNH. Central Mts., Archbold Lake, 760 m, 26.xi. –3. xii.1961 1 f, S. Quate, in BPBM. Central District, Gaile Forest, 28 km SE of Port Moresby, 4.v. 1965 1 3, R. W. Crosskey, in BMNH. Avar bush, st. 1071, 11. v.1982 1 Ƥ, P. Grootaert, in IRSNB. Tikeling nr. Buso River, 20 km E Lae, lowland rainforest, 17. vii.1999 1 Ƥ, Yeates et al., in USNM. Tsenga, 1200 m, Upper Gimi Valley, 15.vii. 1955 1 3, J. L. Gressit; Wau, 1200, 15.x. 1965 1 3, 1 Ƥ, 15.xii. 1965 1 3, J. & M. Sedlacek, all in BPBM.

Distribution. Apparently only found in the Australasian Region from Maluku to Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea. Described from Irian Jaya (Mimika River) and also recorded from Kepualan Aru [ Maluku] ( Edwards 1915) and Klamono Oil-Fields [Irian Jaya] ( Lindner 1957), both in Indonesia. P. v i o l a c e a was apparently misinterpreted as P. quadridentata in all papers concerning the Australasian Region published by F. Walker from Indonesia: Aru and Maluku ( Walker 1858), Amboina [= Ambon] ( Walker 1860), Batchian [=Bacan] and Kaisaa [=Kajoa Island] ( Walker 1861c); Gilolo [=Halmahera], Ceram [=Seram] ( Walker 1861b); Irian Jaya: Dorey [=Dory near Manokwari] ( Walker 1861a); Salwatty [=Salavati] ( Walker 1866). According to present information (e-mail from N. Wyatt, 20 November 2010) no specimens from the Australasian Region are placed under P. quadridentata in the BMNH. Some specimens from the Australasian Region identified originally by F. Walker were identified as P. violacea already by Edwards (1915). They all were collected by A. R. Wallace and partly also confirmed by our recent revision (see a male from Kepulauan Aru and a female from Dory in Irian Jaya). Data on P. smaragdina Snellen van Vollenhoven by Osten-Sacken (1881) from Maluku: Amboina (= Ambon), Ternate Island and New Guinea apparently belonged also to P. violacea (we found 3 specimens in the original collection [MSNG], see Material examined). Likewise, specimens recorded as P. quadridentata from Papua New Guinea by van der Wulp (1898) (Friedrich Wilhelmshafen [=Madang] and Erima in Astrolabe Bay) were evidently conspecific with P. violacea . Wulp´s original material had been deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest but was destroyed by fire in 1956.

A record from Manokwari (Irian Jaya) was published by de Meijere (1906) under P. fastuosa (= P. c o n t i n u a) and Lindner (1938) mentioned Wewak and Aitape in Papua New Guinea under the same name.

Figures

FIGURES 65 – 73. Ptilocera spp., wings: P. p a r a d i s e a, male holotype (65), P. quadridentata, male (66) and female (67), P. s i m - plex sp. nov., male holotype (68) and female (69), P. smaragdina, male (70) and female (71), P. violacea, male (72) and female (73).

FIGURES 154 – 161. Ptilocera violacea., male in dorsal view (154), female in dorsal view (155), male antenna (156), female antenna (157), genital capsule (158), proctiger, cerci and epandrium (159), aedeagal complex (160), genital furca (161).

FIGURES 136 – 141. Ptilocera smaragdina, male, dorsal view (136), antenna (137), tergites 6 – 8 (138), genital capsule (139), aedeagal complex (140), proctiger, cerci and epandrium (141).