Platycheirus rubrolateralis, R.Nielsen & Romig, 2010

R. Nielsen, Tore & Romig, Thomas, 2010, Two new species of the genus Platycheirus Le Peletier & Serville, 1828 and a description of female P. altotibeticus Nielsen, 2001 (Diptera, Syrphidae) from China., Norwegian Journal of Entomology 57, pp. 1-8 : 5-6

Platycheirus rubrolateralis sp. n.

Type material: Holotype, ♀ dated “ CHINA, NW Sichuan vicinity of Tuanjie (Serxu Co.) UTM 47S 0399984 3667047, 4100–4600 m a.s.l., 10.– 21.07.2002, leg. T. Romig, deposited in coll.

SMNS.

Diagnosis: A medium sized species, the female with a rather broad abdomen.Face much produced. Femora and tibiae orange red, the tarsi black. We should await to see the male, but when considering the protruding face profile, it is possible that the species belongs to the Platycheirus albimanus

group (manicatus subgroup) ( Vockeroth 1990).

Description

FEMALE ( Figures 4 A–B ).

Head: Face much produced, mouth edge more so than central prominence, shiny black with brassy reflections. Frons with a small greyish triangular dust spot on each side. Antennae black, 3 rd segment squarish. Face and occiput with greyish yellow dusting. All hairs of head yellow.

Thorax: Scutum and scutellum greyish green, dulled, yellow haired. Pleurae shiny bronzy black, yellow haired. – Legs: Orange red, only the tarsi black. – Wing: Stigma and the veins on about basal half orange, greyish brown on the apical half. Calypter white, the rim yellow. Haltere light orange.

Abdomen: Tergite 1 black. Tergites 2–5 orange, tergites 2–4 each with a hourglass black mark in the middle, tergite 5 with a median broad black streak. Sternite 1 orange, sternites 2–5 orange with a dark brown streak in the middle. The abdominal hairs follow the ground colours of the integument.

Body length (from frons till tip of abdomen) 6.3 mm. Wing length 5.5 mm.

MALE: unknown.

Etymology: The species name refers to the reddish sides of the female abdomen. Rufo (Latin) means red.

Ecology: The species was caught within tall herbaceous vegetation along rivers, figure 1. These small patches, which are interspersed within large stretches of short grassland, provide the only microenvironment which is reasonably sheltered from the incessant strong wind. It is highly probable also to provide the habitat for the larvae.

Figures

Figure 4. Platycheirus rubrolateralis sp. n., female. A: dorsal view, B: lateral view.