Syritta aenigmatopatria Hardy, 1964

Figs 4F, 5 C–D, G–H

Syritta aenigmatopatria Hardy, 1964: 409

( holotype: ♂, BPBM; type locality: USA, Hawaii, Oahu).

Differential diagnosis

Species with vein R4+5 straight, metafemur without basoventral patch of black setulae, arista bare, face carinate (Fig. 4F) and metafemur greatly enlarged with a ctenidium on the posteroventral half. It is similar to S. oceanica, but differs by having the spurious vein well sclerotized (Fig. 5C), as distinct as the neighboring R and M veins (spurious vein not sclerotized in S. oceanica, only formed by microtrichia; Fig. 5B, E), the ventral surface of the metatibia with an anteroventral carina forming a prominent lamina in males, less evident in females (metatibia without lamina in S. oceanica) and a distinct abdominal coloration, as stated in the key.

Material examined

FRENCH POLYNESIA: Society Islands: 1♂, Tahiti, Plateau Te Tamanu, 17°38′7.41″ S, 149°33′0.28″ W, 590 m a.s.l., 6 Oct. 2012, T. Ramage leg. (ZFMK: ZFMK-DIP-00019746); 1 ♂, Tahiti, 17°38′0.40″ S, 149°33′12.57″ W, 560 m a.s.l., 6 Oct. 2012, T. Ramage leg. (ZFMK: ZFMK-DIP-00019731); 1 ♀, Tahiti, Papeete, Sainte-Amélie, Dec. 2013, F. Jacq leg. (ZFMK: ZFMK-DIP-00019739 ).

Geographical distribution

Widely distributed in the Oriental and Oceanic Regions: Vietnam, Sumatra, Java, Philippines, Palau Islands, Samoa, Mariana Islands, Hawaii and French Polynesia.

Status in French Polynesia

New species record; known from the Society Islands.

Flowers visited

No records.

Genetics

The GenBank accession numbers for this species are: 28S gene (MF446467, specimen ZFMK-DIP- 00019746; MF446470, specimen ZFMK-DIP-00019731), 18S gene (MF446422, specimen ZFMK-DIP- 00019746; MF446425, specimen ZFMK-DIP-00019731), protein-coding COI gene (MF446517, specimen ZFMK-DIP-00019746; MF446521, specimen ZFMK-DIP-00019731).

Remarks

This is a new species record, since this taxon has not previously been recorded from French Polynesia.