Pliomelaena zonogastra (Bezzi)

Singh, Maneesh Pal & Hancock, David Lawrence, 2025, Five new species of subfamily Tephritinae (Tephritidae: Diptera) from Himalayas and description of postabdominal structures in Chaetostomella completa (Kapoor, Malla & Ghosh), Pliomelaena spathuliniforma (Dirlbek & Dirlbek) and P. zonogastra (Bezzi), Zootaxa 5689 (2), pp. 299-332 : 313-315

Pliomelaena zonogastra (Bezzi)

(figs 8–9)

Tephritis zonogastra Bezzi, 1913: 164 ( Orissa, India).

Diagnosis: frons yellowish brown, face yellow, concave, lateral margins covered with yellowish setulae and 6–7 longer setulae near genal seta, scutum greyish, thoracic setae yellowish translucent with annular black base, wings predominantly black with many hyaline spots and indentations, generally larger in males than females, vein R 1 without setulae on dorsal side below Sc break, cell r 1 with 2 hyaline indentations and cell r 2+3 with a large hyaline spot below them forming an inverted hyaline triangle, cell r 1 without a hyaline subapical spot, abdomen reddish brown with transverse black bands on each tergite, narrower and shorter on tergites I and II. Oviscape setulose, shiny black and triangular, aculeus basally broader and tip sharp chisel shaped. Glans with two sharp apical spines with an L-shaped emargination dorsally and base of apical spines encircled by a broad membrane.

This species is sexually dimorphic, with the wing broader and the hyaline spots and indentations generally larger in males than in females. This is particularly noticeable in cell m, where the anterior basal spot and posterior indentation in females unite or almost unite to form an elongate indentation (at most faintly separated) in males. Pterostigma and cell br with or without a small circular hyaline spot in males, pterostigmal spot absent in females ( cf. Figs 8C & D , Bezzi 1913 [male], Munro 1947 [male], Wang 1998 [female]). It differs from P. spathuliniforma in lacking a second, small hyaline spot along side vein R 2+ 3 in cell r 2+3 below the indentations in cell r 1.

Female Genitalia: Oviscape 0.74 mm long, setulose, shiny black and triangular (fig. 8E), aculeus 1.01 mm long, basally broader and apically slightly curved (fig. 9A). Eversible membrane 0.97 mm long, spicules on distal part broad and keel shaped with 1–4 sharp projections at apex (fig. 9B). Two rows of elongated spicules medially on apical portion of aculeus (9C). Tip of aculeus chisel shaped, sharper at apex (fig. 9E). Spermatheca melon shaped, slightly broader at base (fig. 9D), with tubular projections apically.

Male Genitalia: Epandrium depressed keel shaped or roundish triangular in posterior view, with 10–15 setae on rim. Epandrium higher than proctiger, latter setose. Lateral surstylus longer than medial surstylus, the latter apically terminated with 2 brownish and blunt prensisetae. Anterior lobe of lateral surstylus shoe shaped and longer than posterior lobe (figs 9F & G), the latter broad and triangular with longer setae. Aedeagus 1.65 mm long excluding glans ( 0.15 mm), the latter with two sharp apical spines with L-shaped emargination dorsally (figs 9I & J). Base of apical spines encircled by broad preputial membrane (fig. 9I).

Material examined: 8 ♂ & 6 ♀, on Punica sp. , INDIA, Himachal Pradesh, Rajgarh, Sirmaur , 24.vi.2023, Maneesh Leg. Voucher specimens with the first author.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Pliomelaena zonogastra (Bezzi); A: Lateral Head, B: Lateral thorax, C: Male wing, D: Wing, E: Abdomen and F: Male Abdomen.