Euphranta goniothalami David & Hancock, 2025

David, Karamankodu Jacob, Hancock, David Lawrence, Reshma, Elizabeth Alex, Jothish, Padmanabhan Saroja, Ningthoujam, Kennedy, Niladri, Bihari Mohapatra, Abhishek, Venkateshaiah & Mahammed, N. R. Noor, 2025, Two new species of Euphranta Loew (Diptera, Tephritidae, Trypetinae, Adramini) from India, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 72 (2), pp. 367-375 : 367-375

Euphranta goniothalami David & Hancock sp. nov.

Figs 1–2 , 3-7 , 8-10 , 11–12

Type material.

Holotype: ♀, India: Kerala, Idukki, Valara 10°04'16.81"N, 76°49'04.71"E, 05. i. 2025, Reshma Elizabeth Alex ( NIM) . Paratype: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( NIM) .

Etymology.

The name of the species is derived from the host plant genus name Goniothalamus in genitive.

Differential diagnosis.

This species is similar to Euphranta flavothoracica David, Hancock & Sachin, 2021 and Euphranta laosica Hardy, 1973 in external morphology and wing pattern, but can be differentiated from the former by the presence of a continuous subcostal band, conical apex of aculeus with preapical flange; curved, rod-shaped spermathecae densely covered with fine hairs, and blunt apex of spicules / scales on distal end of eversible membrane. It can be easily distinguished from E. laosica by the shorter oviscape (smaller than the length of the abdomen), and aculeus with preapical steps.

Description.

Female (Figs 1 , 2 ). Medium sized ( 5.73-5.90 mm). Head (Fig. 3 ). Slightly higher than long (height: 1.50-1.51 mm; length: 0.98-1.12 mm; length measured from base of scape to occiput); frons light fuscous with medial dark brown longitudinal vitta, three pairs of frontal setae (first two pairs closely placed; third pair placed at twice distance between first two pairs); single reclinate orbital seta; ocellar seta reduced; ocellar tubercle glossy black; medial and lateral vertical setae present; postocellar seta developed; postocular setae thin and black; occiput fulvous; gena narrow. Scape, pedicel and postpedicel fulvous; combined length of antennal segments shorter than face, arista plumose. Face fulvous with medial concavity. Thorax (Figs 4 , 5 ). Scutum ( 2.48-2.65 mm long; 1.66-1.68 mm wide) light fuscous with a pair of narrow, postsutural dorsocentral stripes; postpronotal lobe and notopleuron fulvous, connected by fulvous / white band. Thorax with well-developed chaetotaxy: 2 scapular setae, 1 anterior notopleural, 1 posterior notopleural, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar, 1 dorsocentral placed little behind level of postsutural supra-alar seta, 1 intra-alar, and 1 prescutellar acrostichal. Scutellum dark fuscous with 2 pairs of scutellar setae. Anepisternum fulvous with 3 setae arranged in triangular pattern, 1 anterior to phragma; anepimeron fulvous with single seta; katepisternum fulvous with single seta; anatergite dark fuscous with fine, erect hairs; katatergite fulvous; subscutellum and mediotergite light fuscous. Legs (Fig. 5 ). Fulvous without any dark fuscous to black markings; forefemur with 5-6 ventral setae, two rows of 10 dorsal setae; apex of mid tibia with prominent black spine like seta. Wing (Fig. 7 ). Medium sized ( 5.51-5.67 mm long); basal half hyaline, except subcostal band continuous from pterostigma to apex of vein m 4; apical half fuscous with hyaline indentations: hyaline indentation in cell r 1 extending to vein R 4 + 5, cell r 2 + 3 with subhyaline preapical triangular patch, apex of cell r 4 + 5 with narrow lens-shaped hyaline mark, hyaline marking in cell m 4 extending into cell dm, apex of cell m 1 with subhyaline indentation. Abdomen (Fig. 6 ). Slender ( 2.29-2.43 mm long; 1.31-1.33 mm wide), predominantly fulvous and black apically; tergites 1-3 fulvous with irregular black markings medially, tergite 4 partly fulvous, tergites 5 and 6 entirely black.

Female genitalia. Oviscape black ( 1.82 mm), eversible membrane ( 1.05 mm long) shorter than oviscape with spicules on distal end flat with 5-6 projections (Fig. 9 ); aculeus distinctly shorter (0.5 times) than oviscape with conical apex and preapical steps (Fig. 8 a, b ). Spermathecae elongate curved, densely covered with fine hairs (Fig. 10 ).

Remarks.

This species was collected from infested fruits of Goniothalamus keralensis in Idukki district, Kerala during the studies on reproductive biology of the host plant by one of the coauthors. Goniothalamus keralensis is a rare endemic species of Annonaceae occurring in the Western Ghats. It is a medium-large sized shrub (Fig. 11 ), found along streams and riverbanks (Riverine / Riparian habitat). After pollination, the fruit development was recorded from May to June. Ripe fruits are observed by the end of August and beginning of September and fruiting season ends by November. Fruits are an aggregate of berries, spindle shaped, and greenish to orange-red in colour on maturation (Fig. 12 ). Being riverine, most of the seeds are dispersed through water. Seeds are endospermous and typical Annonaceous type. A high rate of seed feeding by larvae of Euphranta goniothalami sp. nov. was recorded in G. keralensis during fruiting seasons in 2022 and 2023 which severely affected the recovery of the species. In 2024, only two larvae were observed in 10 to 11 berries in an aggregate. However, a single larva was present in a single fruit. Two larvae from attacked fruits were collected on 19. 11. 2024 and two flies emerged on 05. 01. 2025. It took 42-45 days from the date of collection for the adults to emerge; egg, larval and pupal stage were not observed.

Figures

Figures 1, 2. Habitus of Holotype of Euphranta goniothalami David & Hancock, sp. nov. 1. Lateral habitus; 2. Dorsal habitus.

Figures 3–7. Holotype of Euphranta goniothalami David & Hancock, sp. nov. 3. Head (frontal view); 4. Thorax (dorsal view); 5. Thorax (lateral view & legs); 6. Abdomen; 7. Wing.

Figures 8–10. Female postabdominal strucures of Euphranta goniothalami David & Hancock, sp. nov. 8. Aculeus tip; 9. Spicules on distal end of eversible membrane; 10. Spermatheca.

Figures 11, 12. Host plant of Euphranta goniothalami. 11. Habitat of Goniothalamus keralensis; 12. Fruits of Goniothalamus keralensis.