BULLETIN OF
THE BRITISH MUSEUM
(NATURAL HISTORY)
ENTOMOLOGY
VOL. XXI
1967—1968
BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) LONDON: 1968
DATES OF PUBLICATION OF THE PARTS
No. i 14 July, 1967
No. 2 . . 25 August, 1967
No. 3 ...... 12 January, 1968
No. 4 ...... 20 February, 1968
No. 5 . . . . . .23 February, 1968
No. 6 . . . . . . 19 April, 1968
No. 7 . . . . . .19 April, 1968
No. 8 26 April, 1968
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
BY ADLARD AND SON LIMITED
DORKING, SURREY
CONTENTS
ENTOMOLOGY VOLUME XXI
PAGE
No. i. The Indo- Australian species of Ultor-group of Apanteles Forster
(Hymenoptera : Braconidae). By G. E. J. NIXON i
No. 2. A revision of the Oriental species of Palexorista Townsend (Diptera:
Tachinidae, Sturmiini). By R. W. CROSSKEY 35
No. 3. A revision of the Holarctic genus Dikraneura (Homoptera: Cicadel-
lidae). ByW. J. KNIGHT 99
No. 4. Contributions towards a revision of Myrsidea Waterston III (Meno-
ponidae : Mallophaga). By T. CLAY 203
No. 5. Sphecidae des lies Canaries (Hymenoptera). By J. DE BEAUMONT 245
No. 6 A revision of the Ethiopian species of the Tribe Notiphilini (Diptera:
Ephydridae). ByB. H. COGAN 279
No. 7. The Aloeides thyra complex (Lepidoptera : Lycaenidae). By G. E.
TITE & C. G. C. DICKSON 367
No. 8. The types of Lepidoptera Heterocera described by P. Mabille. By
P. VIETTE & D. S. FLETCHER 389
Index to Volume XXI 427
<$W »»
12
THE INDO-AUSTRALIAN SPECIES ^ OF THE t/L TOR-GROUP OF
APANTELES FORSTER (HYMENOPTERA : BRACONIDAE)
G. E. J. NIXON
BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 21 No. i
LONDON: 1967
THE INDO-AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF \J2^i
THE £7LTO£-GROUP OF APANTELES FORSTER (HYMENOPTERA : BRACONIDAE)
BY
G. E.J.NIXON v
Commonwealth Institute of Entomology, London
Pp. 1-34 ; 29 Text-figures
BULLETIN OF
THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 21 No. i
LONDON: 1967
THE BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
(NATURAL HISTORY), instituted in 1949, is issued in five series corresponding to the Departments of the Museum, and an Historical series.
Parts will appear at irregular intervals as they become ready. Volumes will contain about three or four hundred pages, and will not necessarily be completed within one calendar year.
In 1965 a separate supplementary series of longer papers was instituted, numbered serially for each Department.
This paper is Vol. 21, No. i of the Entomological series. The abbreviated titles of periodicals cited follow those of the World List of Scientific Periodicals.
World List abbreviation: Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.).
Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) 1967
TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
Issued 14 July, 1967 Price Fifteen Shillings
THE INDO-AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF THE
ULTO.R-GROUP OF APANTELES FORSTER
(HYMENOPTERA : BRACONIDAE)
By G. E. J. NIXON
CONTENTS
Page THE Ultor-GROUP OF APANTELES ....... 3
KEY TO SPECIES (FEMALES) ........ 4
DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES ........ 12
REFERENCES ........... 33
SYNOPSIS
In this paper, the ultor-group of Apanteles is revised, a new key to the species is given, 22 described species are dealt with, of which 2 are placed in synonymy and 23 new species are described.
The main reason for the writing of this revision was a request by Dr. B. J. Wood of the Chemara Research Station, Johore, Malaysia for the identification of a species of Apanteles that he found to be an important parasite of the bag-worm, Metesa plana Walker.
Since the species in question is one of several known to be parasites of various lepidopterous pests in the Indo-australian region, I thought it would be much more useful to revise the whole group to which they belong rather than describe a single new species in isolation.
THE ULTOR-GROVP OF Apanteles
I HAVE already defined this group (1965 : 126) but, as usually happens when further species need to be accommodated within a category, modifications now become necessary.
The ultor-group is based on three characters; these concern the punctation of the mesoscutum, the shape of the posterolateral field of the propodeum and the general appearance of the vannal lobe of the hind wing. The original definitions and the changes required in them may be stated as follows:
(1) "A sharp, very well defined punctation on the mesoscutum without a trace of longitudinal striation at the posterior end of the imaginary course of the notaulices". This character holds for all the species in this paper with regard to the last remark but I have included two transitional species — lipsis and fakhmlhajiae — in which the mesoscutal punctation could be described neither as sharp nor well defined.
(2) "A postero-lateral propodeal field that is always distinctly a little transverse". This is true of the majority of the species, but one — cato — has this field as long as wide. In others, among them, platyedrae, the boundary of this field is obscured by coarse rugosities; and in one species, tasmanica, the area is indicated simply by a fading out of sculpture.
ENTOM. 21, I. I§
4 G. E. J. NIXON
(3) "A vannal lobe with an evenly convex edge that is fringed throughout with short hairs". The fringe of hairs remains constant, but in a few species, among them labaris, the edge is straight beyond the widest part of the lobe. In this respect there is an approach to the condition found in some species of the ater-group (Nixon,
1965 : 25).
I also mentioned that the first tergite is usually parallel-sided; this is essentially true. It is never wedge-shaped, i.e. narrowed behind, as in most of the species of the ater-group.
Concerning the species dealt with in this synopsis, the only character that I have found to have real significance in separating them is the shape of the ovipositor as seen in profile.
A few transitional species are included, for it is possible that they might be sought within the ultor-group as I have defined it.
KEY TO SPECIES FEMALES
Propodeum with only the merest trace of an areola and without trace of costulae; punctation of mesoscutum fine, dense and, towards front, obsolescent.
Antennal scape and hind femur yellow; stigma with pale, basal spot; gaster, apart from tergite i and the basal field of tergite (2 + 3), mainly reddish or reddish yellow; tergite i densely rugose; ovipositor sheath a little longer than the hind tibia ....... fakhrulhajiae Mahdihassan (p. 33)
Propodeum almost always with clearly denned areola and costulae; mesoscutum always with a very well denned, characteristic punctation (but cf . lipsis) ; in species in which the areola and costula are obscured by coarse rugosities, the punctures of the mesoscutum are particularly large and sharply denned with polished interstices (platyedvae, gentilis) ....... 2
Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) very much wider than the apical width of tergite i (Text-fig. 22).
Aberrant species with the ocelli in a high triangle, the posterior tangent to the anterior ocellus passing clearly in front of the posterior pair; hind femur reddish yellow; punctation of the mesoscutum fine, obsolescent; ovipositor sheath slightly longer than the hind tibia .... atnaris sp. n. (p. 32)
Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) at most slightly wider than the apical width of tergite i 3
Cheeks with a whitish blotch; propodeum without clearly defined areolation.
Ovipositor sheath considerably longer than the hind tibia; ovipositor thin . 4
Cheeks without a whitish blotch . . . . . . . '-.;. 6
Mesoscutum strongly shining, its punctation either fine or the punctures well
separated ............ 5
Mesoscutum dull, showing two, broad bands of coarse, more or less coalescent punctation along the imaginary course of the notaulices.
Hind tibia with apical infuscation that extends ventrally almost to middle
tasmanica Cameron (p. 17)
Apart from a hardly indicated areola, propodeum shiny, smooth-looking and with only vague traces of sculpture; pubescence of middle part of mesoscutum brushed inwards towards the middle line; hind tibia entirely yellow; ocelli in a high triangle, the posterior tangent to the anterior ocellus passing clearly in front of the posterior pair ........ lipsis sp. n. (p. 32)
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 5
Propodeum strongly, coarsely rugose almost everywhere but with clearly indicated costulae ; pubescence of mesoscutum normal ; hind tibia almost black except for a pale, basal ring; posterior tangent to the anterior ocellus virtually touching the posterior pair ........ ilione sp. n. (p. 18)
Ovipositor sheath distinctly longer than the hind tibia ..... 7
Ovipositor sheath not longer than the hind tibia . . . . . . 21
Gaster yellow, except tergite i which is reddish with narrow, darker lateral margin. Mesoscutum shiny, with large coarse punctures; propodeum rather long, its three posterior fields sharply defined and highly polished ; ovipositor rather thick, with down-curved, attenuated tip. .... numenes sp. n. (p. 31)
Gaster dark, except in one species — vernaliter — and in this species at least tergite i
is entirely blackened ........... 8
FIGS. 1-6. Apanteles, <j>: Ovipositor of i, aso sp. n. ; 2, parasae Rohwer; 3, hyposidrae Wilkinson; 4, cleo sp. n.; 5, stantoni Ashmead; 6, metesae sp. n.
6 G. E. J. NIXON
8 Gaster dusky yellow, except for tergite i, the basal field of tergite (2 + 3) and a
faint band on the following tergites.
Vertex to sides of posterior ocellus with rather coarse punctation
vernaliter Wilkinson (p. 21)
- Gaster entirely dark ........... 9
9 Mesoscutum highly polished, its punctures well separated on posterior half (one to
three diameters) and mid-posteriorly tending to disappear altogether.
Areola of propodeum, and sometimes costula, obscured by much rugosity; antenna rather short, somewhat shorter than the body ; ovipositor sheath about one and a half times longer than the hind tibia ; hind femur dark brown
platyedrae Wilkinson (p. 16)
- Mesoscutum appearing less polished because of closer punctation; where there is
an approach to the condition found in platyedrae the antenna is longer and the ovipositor sheath much shorter (gentilis) ....... 10
10 Costula of propodeum directed downwards in its lateral extension and terminating
at posterior extremity of lateral propodeal keel.
Large species, c. 3-5 mm. without ovipositor; stigma pale with darker border; hind wing glass-clear, very broad (Text-fig. 7) ; ovipositor straight, rather thick but abruptly downcurved at apex ..... labaris sp. n. (p. 19)
Costula of propodeum either reaching the lateral propodeal keel or ill-defined and
obscured by adjacent rugosities ......... n
1 1 Stigma colourless, with faintly darker border.
Scape and hind femur entirely dark; ovipositor thin; head less circular from in front than usual (Text-fig. 14) ...... lebene sp. n. (p. 20)
— Stigma dark, at most with a pale basal spot . . . . . . . 12
12 Tergite i polished all over and virtually without sculpture.
Punctures on posterior half of mesoscutum well separated, the interstices very shiny; scape entirely dark; wings distinctly brownish, both median and discoidal cell densely setose; apical attenuation of ovipositor abrupt, equal to about two thirds the length of the hind basitarsus (Text-fig. 21) lissos sp. n. (p. 21)
— Tergite i at most becoming polished and unsculptured towards apex . . . 13
13 Mesoscutum highly shining, its punctures rather large, sharply discrete, absent
along middle line but tending in places to be contiguous along the imaginary course of the notaulices
Scape mainly reddish yellow; antenna long, distinctly longer than the body; hind tibia blackened, except for whitish, basal ring; ovipositor weakly but evenly down-curved ........ gentilis sp. n. (p. 17)
— Mesoscutum rarely as shiny between its punctures and then either the ovipositor is
longer and straight, except at apex (coequatus), or the hind tibia is entirely yellow (cyamori) ........... 14
14 Scape of antenna entirely dark ......... 15
— Scape of antenna yellow, usually with darker, apical rim . . . . . 19
15 Ovipositor very thick, fully equal to the width of the hind basitarsus, as seen in
profile (Text-fig. 6) 16
— Ovipositor much less thick, not equal to the width of the hind basitarsus as seen in
profile ............ 17
1 6 First discoidal cell distinctly wider than high, 7:6; ovipositor strongly and
deeply curved (Text-fig. 6).
Antenna long, with the preapical segment fully one and a half times longer than wide; hairs of tergite 3 reduced almost to a single row tnetesae sp. n. (p. 15) First discoidal cell not distinctly wider than high; ovipositor almost straight. Preapical segment of the antenna only slightly longer than wide . •• , . •
hasorae Wilkinson (p. 14)
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES
14
15
FIGS. 7-15. Apanteles, <j>: Hind wing of 7, labaris sp. n.; 8, lebene sp. n.; 9, platyedrae Wilkinson; 10, caniae Wilkinson; n, maro sp. n.; 12, lipsis sp. n., head and nieso- scutum (dorsal); 13, baoris Wilkinson, part of fore wing; 14, lebene sp. n., head (from in front); 15, cato sp. n., head (from in front).
8 G. E. J. NIXON
17 Hind femur infuscate but with a yellowish flush along each side; mesoscutum
polished between its sharp punctures. ........
Ovipositor straight, except at apex, a little more than two and a half times longer than the hind tibia; spines of the outer side of the hind tibia dense and almost all of them thick ..... coequatus sp. n. (p. 20)
Hind femur dark brown to blackish throughout; mesoscutum lacking a polished
appearance ............ 18
1 8 Front part of the mesopleurum dull, rugose-punctate; setae of the median cell
tending to be widely absent along the medius side of the cell ; punctation of the mesoscutum contiguous and in places confluent, the surface having a somewhat roughened appearance; areolation of the propodeum very sharply denned, strong .......... iulis sp. n. (p. 16)
— Front part of the mesopleurum shiny and with weak punctation; setae of the
median cell tending to be evenly distributed; punctation of the mesoscutum, though tending to be contiguous along the imaginary course of the notaulices, sharper, the surface lacking the roughened confluent appearance of iulis ; areola- tion of the propodeum much weaker, poorly defined . . rniris sp. n. (p. 14)
19 Hind tibia yellow throughout; mesoscutum strongly shining between its rather
small, discrete punctures; wings brownish.
Scape yellow throughout; hind femur entirely yellow; flagellum fulvous, first discoidal cell distinctly wider than high .... cyamon sp. n. (p. 13)
— Hind tibia with at least the apex blackened; mesoscutum dull between its punc-
tures, with an oily lustre ; wings glass-clear ....... 20
20 Hind femur with a variable amount of infuscation . inquisitor Wilkinson (p. 13)
— Hind femur entirely yellow ...... stantoni Ashmead (p. 12)
21 Tergite (2 + 3) distal to the basal area almost as rugose as the basal area itself and
hardly longer than this.
Tergite i strongly widened to apex (Text-fig. 27) ; ovipositor sheath about as long as the hind basitarsus .... hetnitheae Wilkinson (p. 31)
— Tergite (2 + 3) distal to the basal area smooth, at most with a dull, satiny sheen and
usually considerably longer than the basal area itself; if not, then the ovipositor sheath almost concealed .......... 22
22 Ovipositor sheath not, or only slightly projecting beyond the apex of the gaster,
not longer than the hind basitarsus ........ 23
Ovipositor sheath always at least considerably longer than this and projecting
considerably beyond the apex of the gaster ....... 26
23 Apical segment of front tarsus without trace of a spine.
Hind femur yellow; setae of the median cell dark, evenly distributed over entire surface of cell; mesopleurum in front with large area of dull, coarse rugose-punctation ........ cleo sp. n. (p. 30)
Apical segment of front tarsus with at least a fine, but distinct spine (Text-fig. 24) 24
24 Apical attenuation of the ovipositor almost as long as the thickened, basal part
and as long as the hind basitarsus (Text-fig, i); hypopygium of powerful build and heavily sclerotized. .........
Antenna long, thin, with the preapical segment about twice as long as wide
aso sp. n. (p. 30) Apical attenuation of the ovipositor much shorter than the basal, thickened part
and only about half as long as the hind basitarsus . . . . . 25
25 Hind femur infuscate; stigma without a pale, basal spot; scutellum convex,
markedly punctate, especially along sides; spine of the apical segment of the front tarsus inconspicuous (Text-fig. 24); basal field of tergite (2 + 3) about three quarters as long as that part of the segment beyond it
hyposidrae Wilkinson (p. 29)
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 9
— Hind femur yellow or almost so; stigma with a pale, basal spot; scutellum very
shiny and with much less evident punctation ; spine of the apical segment of the
front tarsus slightly better developed than in hyposidrae expulsus Turner (p. 27)
26 Ovipositor sheath much shorter than the hind tibia . . . . . . 27
— Ovipositor sheath at most only slightly shorter than the hind tibia ... 32
27 Posterior half of the mesoscutum polished and with sparse, discrete punctures, the
punctures widely absent along posterior margin and elsewhere separated by at least one diameter.
Hind leg blackish virtually throughout; scutellum polished, impunctate; front tarsus whitish, its apical segment without a spine . . . acratos sp. n. (p. 23)
— Posterior half of mesoscutum closely punctate, not polished between its punctures
even if these are separated by as much as one diameter . . . . 28
21
FIGS. 16-21. Apanteles, $: Ovipositor of 16, baoris Wilkinson; 17, caniae Wilkinson; 18, cato sp. n.; ig, priscus sp. n.; 20, prodeniae Viereck; 21, lissos sp. n.
io G. E. J. NIXON
28 Hypopygium short, heavily sclerotized, without lateral creases, though, in the
dead insect still tightly folded along the middle line ; ovipositor sheath, seen from the side, somewhat fusiform and, seen from above, clothed densely with short, even, not erect hairs.
Hind femur yellow ; scape infuscate ; stigma with pale, basal spot nydia sp. n. (p. 29)
— Hypopygium longer, less heavily sclerotized and with clear indication of lateral
creases in the dead insect; ovipositor sheath, seen from the side, lacking this fusiform appearance and, seen from above, with longer, more irregular hairs, many of which are more or less erect ........ 29
29 Tergite (2 -f 3) showing no differentiated basal area, the basal part of the segment
(tergite 2) being completely smooth and separated from the apical part (tergite 3) only by an indistinct suture; its lateral sulci also indistinct and in any case more or less longitudinally placed.
Tergite i shiny and virtually smooth; ovipositor more or less straight, very thick, with an abrupt apical attenuation equal to the second segment of the hind tarsus ....... tnendosae Wilkinson (p. 28)
— Tergite (2 + 3) showing a basal area (tergite 2) that is differentiated from the rest
of the segment (tergite 3) either by a well denned suture and limited laterally by
sulci or by being simply rugose ......... 30
30 Horizontal surface of tergite i in greater part smooth and polished; basal area of
tergite (2 -f 3) polished and smooth except for traces of sculpture towards sides. Apical segment of the front tarsus with an inconspicuous ( x 40), hardly differentiated spine ; basal area of tergite (2 + 3) only about half as long as the rest of the segment beyond it; setae of the median cell colourless; ovipositor very thick, curved, strongly tapering from base to apex but with an apical attenuation equal to the fourth segment of the hind tarsus (Text-fig. 20)
prodeniae Viereck (p. 27)
— Horizontal surface of tergite i rugose all over; basal area of tergite (2 + 3) rarely
as smooth as this and then it is more than half as long as the rest of the segment beyond it.
Species with the setae of the median cell dark ...... 31
31 Basal area of tergite (2 -f 3) strongly, evenly rugose, the sculpture like that of the
horizontal part of tergite i ; apical segment of the front tarsus with a strong spine ; ovipositor thick, tapering, curved ; setae of the median cell longer, sparser, tending to disappear along the medius side of the cell . expulsus Turner (p. 27)
— Basal area of tergite (2 + 3) with weaker sculpture that tends to fade out medially;
apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine; ovipositor thin, almost straight (Text-fig. 17); setae of the median cell shorter, evenly distributed over the surface of the cell ...... caniae Wilkinson (p. 26)
32 Ovipositor sheath about as long as the hind tibia . . . . . . 33
— Ovipositor sheath obviously shorter than the hind tibia ..... 40
33 Stigma almost colourless, except along wing edge.
Venation proximal to the areolet unpigmented; first discoidal cell not wider than high ......... acron sp. n. (p. 23)
— Stigma somewhat pale only in one species — baoris — and this species has the first
discoidal cell distinctly wider than high ....... 34
34 Ovipositor straight (Text-fig. 18).
Hind femur blackish; apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine; apical attenuation of the ovipositor as long as the second segment of the hind tarsus; posterior, lateral areas of the propodeum as long as wide; basal area of tergite (2 + 3) virtually smooth ...... cato sp. n. (p. 26)
— Ovipositor at most nearly straight and then the hind femur is yellow and the basal
area of tergite (2 + 3) is rugose ......... 35
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES n
35 Ovipositor weakly curved and with a weakly differentiated apical attenuation that
is about equal to the length of the hind basitarsus (Text-fig. 2).
Hind femur infuscate ; apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine ; setae of the median cell rather sparse and only weakly pigmented parasae Rohwer (p. 22) — If the ovipositor shows an apical attenuation as long as the hind basitarsus, then this attenuation is much more sharply differentiated and the hind femur is yellow ............. 36
36 Ovipositor with an apical attenuation equal to about the length of the hind basitarsus.
Hind femur yellow; horizontal surface of tergite i distinctly transverse, coarsely rugose, almost right-angled at its junction with the anterior, declivous
23
24
26
28
29
FIGS. 22-29. Apanteles, $: 22, amaris sp. n., basal tergites; 23, cato sp. n., propodeum; 24, hyposidrae Wilkinson; apical segment of front tarsus; 25, priscus sp. n., same; 26, orelia sp. n., basal tergites; 27, hemitheae Wilkinson, gaster (dorsal); 28, numenes sp. n., propodeum and basal tergites; 29, priscus sp. n., basal tergites.
ENTOM. 21, I. !§§
12 G. E. J. NIXON
surface; the two surfaces almost humped at their junction; apical segment of the front tarsus with a feeble spine; ovipositor almost straight
heterusiae Wilkinson (p. 25)
— If the ovipositor shows an abrupt apical attenuation, then this is clearly shorter
than the hind basitarsus.
Apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine . . . . . 37
37 Ovipositor thin and without an apical attenuation . . . . . . 38
— Ovipositor thick, strongly down-curved and with an abrupt, apical attenuation.
Hind femur infuscate; apical attenuation of the ovipositor about two thirds as long as the hind basitarsus (Text-fig. 16) . . . . . . . 39
38 Ovipositor almost straight; hind femur yellow, except for faint darkening above
at apex; first discoidal cell not wider than high.
Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) almost smooth . . . aluella sp. n. (p. 27) Ovipositor feebly curved throughout; hind femur infuscate; first discoidal cell slightly wider than high, 25 : 22.
Inner spur of the hind tibia fully half as long as the hind basitarsus; hori- zontal surface of tergite i fully as long as wide . . bambusae Wilkinson (p. 24)
39 First discoidal cell wider than high (Text-fig. 13); stigma pale, almost pellucid,
with darker border.
Hairs of the median cell dense, evenly distributed . baoris Wilkinson (p. 22)
— First discoidal cell not wider than high; stigma evenly dark.
Wings faintly brownish; horizontal surface of tergite i, at least mid-basally, becoming polished and almost without sculpture . . . agilis Ashmead (p. 22)
40 Ovipositor much thickened towards base and with a distinct apical attenuation.
First discoidal cell not wider than high; apical segment of the front tarsus with at least an inconspicuous spine (Text-fig. 25) . . . . . . 41
Ovipositor at most only weakly thickened towards apex; no apical attenuation
present; first discoidal cell distinctly a little wider than high, 25 : 22 . . 42
41 Stigma pellucid; venation proximal to the areolet unpigmented; hind femur
blackened; horizontal surface of tergite i slightly longer than wide; towards apex, its sculpture becomes very fine, almost longitudinally striate and with a satiny sheen; apical segment of the front tarsus with a small, inconspicuous spine .......... maro sp. n. (p. 25)
Stigma not pellucid; venation proximal to the areolet pigmented; hind femur yellow; horizontal surface of tergite i slightly transverse, with coarse striation towards apical corners; apical segment of the front tarsus with long, curved, very conspicuous spine ....... prisons sp. n. (p. 24)
42 Apical segment of the front tarsus with a distinct spine (Text-fig. 26) ; horizontal
surface of tergite i very slightly transverse and very coarsely rugose.
Punctures of the dorsal surface of the mesoscutum large, of even size and well separated; ovipositor thickened towards base . . . orelia sp. n. (p. 28)
— Apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine; horizontal surface of tergite i
slightly longer than wide, its sculpture finer and, towards apex, becoming fine striation ; ovipositor thin, feebly curved . . bambusae Wilkinson (p. 24)
DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES
Apanteles stantoni (Ashmead) (Text-fig. 5)
Urogaster stantoni Ashmead, 1904 : 20.
Apanteles stantoni (Ashmead) Wilkinson, 1928 : 131.
A panteles fistulae Wilkinson, 1928 : 134. Syn. n.
$. Hind femur yellow. Wings hyaline; venation proximal to the areolet almost colourless.
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 13
Areolation of propodeum on the whole sharp, distinct ; the three posterior fields polished and more or less smooth.
Horizontal part of tergite i varying from slightly transverse to fully as long as wide; rarely a little widened towards apex; often becoming markedly smoother towards apex. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) with only weak traces of sculpture, about half as long as the rest of the segment beyond it; in the two females of the type series of fistulae, tergite i is sculptured right to apex, the apical corners of the segment showing the striation common to many related species. Ovi- positor sheath about one and one third times longer than the hind tibia (Text-fig. 5).
Length: c. 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
CHINA. FIJI. INDIA (type locality of fistulae). MALAYSIA. PHILIPPINES: Manila (type locality of stantoni}.
Host. None known for type series of stantoni. Series in B.M. bred from the Pyralids : Glyphodis laticostalis Guenee, Margaronia glauculalis Guenee and Marga- ronia marginata Hampson. Argyroploce codonectis Meyrick (Eucosmidae) . Sylepta der ogata Fab. (Pyraustidae).
Wilkinson (1928 : 132) recorded stantoni as a solitary parasite but this was in error, I think. There are two batches of cocoons in the B.M., one from China (without host name) and the other from Malaysia (ex Sylepta der ogata on Hibiscus}.
My interpretation of stantoni, like Wilkinson's, is based on a paratype in the British Museum.
The legs of fistulae are as bright yellow as those of stantoni but the ovipositor sheaths are slightly longer. For this reason, these specimens of fistulae are inter- mediate between typical stantoni and inquisitor. Wilkinson records fistulae as having been bred from a Pyralid defoliating Cassia fistula.
Apanteles inquisitor Wilkinson
Apanteles inquisitor Wilkinson, 1928 : 134.
This species seems to be a fairly common parasite of Lamprosema diemenalis in S.E. Asia. Whether it is really distinct from stantoni I cannot be sure.
$. The hind femur is obscurely yellowish compared with that of stantoni, distinctly darkened towards base and often along upper surface; sometimes the entire femur is lightly infuscate.
Ovipositor sheath distinctly longer than that of stantoni, one and a half times longer than the hind tibia.
CHINA. FIJI. MALAYSIA.
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Lamprosema diemenalis Guerin (Pyraustidae) ; Maruca testulalis Geyer (Pyraustidae). A gregarious parasite.
Apart from the slight difference in the colour of the legs and a constantly longer ovipositor sheath, I have been unable to confirm any of the differences, given by Wilkinson, between this species and stantoni. The stantoni-complex, consisting as it does, of stantoni, inquisitor and fistulae is in much need of further study.
Apanteles cyamon sp. n.
In length of ovipositor and yellow scape, a species fairly close to stantoni, with which it may be compared as follows:
i4 G. E. J. NIXON
$. Hind tibia entirely yellow; hind tarsus almost as pale ; only first two segments darkened along outer side. Scape bright yellow, without a darkened, apical rim; flagellum brownish fulvous. Underside of thorax brownish. Wings faintly brownish, the venation proximal to the areolet pigmented and the setae dark.
Antenna rather short, a little thicker than in stantoni, the preapical segment hardly longer than wide.
Mesoscutum highly polished between its punctures, the punctures more sharply defined and more discrete than in stantoni. Setae of the first discoidal and median cells denser, shorter than in stantoni. Spines of the outer side of the hind tibia thicker, more numerous.
Tergite i sculptured right to apex. Ovipositor evenly curved as in stantoni but slightly thinner. Ovipositor sheath slightly longer.
Length: c. 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. NEW HEBRIDES: 1935 (M. Risbec), ex Batrachedra sp. Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). Host. Batrachedra sp.
This species is characterized by the shiny mesoscutum, and entirely pale scape and hind tibia. I am a little puzzled by the pale flagellum. If this is really a feature of the species and not the result of accident, it provides a colour character of considerable use in the recognition of the species.
Apanteles miris sp. n.
$. Differs mainly from stantoni in having a black scape and the hind femur deeply infuscate. The hind tibia is also infuscate but becomes dull reddish on about basal third. Wings very faintly tinted; venation proximal to the areolet pigmented and the setae of the median cell dark.
Thorax, seen from the side, slightly less deep. Areolation of propodeum less well defined; costula very poorly defined, situated distinctly a little posterior to middle. First discoidal cell more densely setose; hind wing a little narrower.
Tergite i rugose right to apex. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) as rugose as the apical part of tergite i. Ovipositor sheath very slightly longer.
Length: c. 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
Type ?. AUSTRALIA: F.C.T., Molonglo R., 8. ¥.1930 (L. F. Graham) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: same data, io.iv.i93o, i $; F.C.T., Blundell's, I5.iii.i930, i $ (both L. F. Graham).
On the whole, this is a poorly characterized species, clearly close to the stantoni- inquisitor complex and differing from it only by a very subtle combination of features, within which a general deepening of colour plays an important part. The dull, strongly rugose basal field of tergite (2 + 3) is probably diagnostic.
Apanteles hasorae Wilkinson
Apanteles hasorae Wilkinson, 1928 : 133.
This species and the next — metesae — are mainly characterized by the greatly thickened ovipositor.
$. In the type series, discoloured and shrivelled through having been initially preserved in fluid, the scape is entirely infuscate. Hind femur infuscate throughout; hind tibia weakly infuscate but paler towards base.
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 15
Antenna a little shorter than the body, with the three preapical segments very slightly longer than wide. Side of face distinctly, closely punctate.
Scutellum flat, polished, impunctate.
Horizontal part of tergite i about as long as wide, smooth and polished over most of its surface ; this may be merely a feature of the single series available. Ovipositor with an abrupt, apical attenuation equal to about the length of the second segment of the hind tarsus.
JAVA.
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Hasora mixta Mabille (Hesperiidae) on Denis.
Apart from the colour of the scape and the legs, and the much thicker ovipositor, there is virtually nothing to separate this species from stantoni. Certainly, the face of stantoni appears much less closely and distinctly punctate but it must be remem- bered that only one series of hasorae has been available for comparison.
Apanteles metesae sp. n.
(Text-fig. 6)
?. A very dark-legged species with the hind femur almost black; at least the apical half of the hind tibia and whole of the hind tarsus deeply infuscate. Scape blackish. Wings almost hyaline; venation proximal to the areolet faintly pigmented; setae of the median cell dark.
Face with the usual satiny sheen and with weak, obsolescent punctation more like that of stantoni than of hasorae. Antenna unusually thin; preapical segment fully one and a half times longer than wide.
Punctation of mesoscutum typical of group, not distinguishable from that of the stantoni- complex. Scutellum flat, with scattered punctures that become closer towards sides. Spiracle of propodeum separated from junction of costula and lateral propodeal keel by three times its own diameter; in hasorae, this distance is distinctly less; in the stantoni-complex, it is much less, hardly twice the diameter of the spiracle.
Horizontal part of tergite i varying from slightly transverse to being as long as wide ; towards apex, the coarse rugosity of the basal part of this area gives way to delicate longitudinal striation on a smooth surface with a satiny sheen ; sometimes the apical part of the tergite is as smooth and polished as in many examples of the stantoni-complex. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) virtually smooth, about two thirds as long as the rest of the segment. Ovipositor (Text-fig. 6).
Length: c. 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
Type ?. MALAYSIA: Johore, 1963, ex Metesa plana (B. J. Wood) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, n. MALAYSIA: Selangor, Highland Estate, 4$, ex Crematopsyche pendula, 22 . xii . 1960 ; Perak, Ulu Bernam Estate, 3 $, ex C. pendula, 22.x. 1954 (/. /. Wyatt); 2 <j>, ex C. pendula, 15.11.1955 (Dept. Agriculture). VIET- NAM: Saigon, 2 <j>, ex C. pendula ?, 1934 (Inst. Agron. Colon).
Host. Crematospyche pendula Joannis; Metesa plana Walker (Psychidae).
In the twenty three examples examined, the scutellum is weakly shining and distinctly punctate at least towards sides; in this respect, there seems to be a constant difference between this species and the closely related hasorae.
It is curious that in none of the above series of metesae are males present. There are three males in the types series of hasorae.
16 G. E. J. NIXON
Apanteles lulls sp. n.
A very dark-looking species, closely related to stantoni with which it may be compared as follows:
$. Hind femur blackish; hind tibia becoming dull reddish yellow on about basal quarter. Scape entirely dark. Fore wing proximal to the areolet showing a slightly greater degree of pigmentation.
Punctation of the mesoscutum slightly less even; punctures of posterior part tending to be confluent in places. Front part of the mesopleurum densely rugose-punctate, dull; in stantoni, this sculpture is reduced to discrete, sometimes more or less contiguous punctation.
Horizontal part of tergite i slightly longer in relation to its apical width than in stantoni and sculptured right to apex, evenly rugose.
Length: c. 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. NEW GUINEA: Lae, vii.1957, ex larva on Ipomea leaf (R. W. Paine) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes ($). Same data: 3 ?, I <$.
Host. Unknown. Since both "larva" and "leaf" are singular, this is probably a gregarious parasite.
Although differing strikingly from stantoni in colour, this species, nevertheless, resembles it very closely. The possibility cannot be overlooked that iulis is perhaps only an extreme colour form of stantoni; the sculptural differences, based only on a small series of iulis, do not provide wholly satisfactory evidence of specific validity.
In colour, this species is exactly like gentilis though I do not doubt that gentilis is a good species.
Apanteles platyedrae Wilkinson (Text-fig. 9)
Apanteles platyedrae Wilkinson, 1928 : 133.
This species is essentially characterized by reduction of sculpture, the punctation of the mesoscutum being sparser than in any other species dealt with in this paper.
$. Scape entirely dark. Stigma almost black. Hind femur deeply infuscate; hind tibia infuscate but yellowish on about basal quarter; hind tarsus infuscate throughout.
Temples strongly shining, with hardly a trace of punctation. Antenna a little shorter than the body.
Scutellum smooth, highly polished. Setae of the median cell short, dark, widely absent along the medius side of the cell; first discoidal cell distinctly wider than high, 24 : 19; hind wing rather narrow (Text-fig. 9). Spines of the outer side of the hind tibia numerous, nearly all thick and, on proximal half of tibia, almost dense.
Ovipositor sheath almost twice as long as the hind tibia; ovipositor rather thin but still thick enough to show a distinct, though weak, apical attenuation.
Length: 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
Fiji.
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Platyedra (now Pectinophora] gossipiella Saunders (Gelechiidae) ; Decadar- chis heterogramma Meyrick (Lyonetiidae) . No information exists to show whether platyedrae is a gregarious or solitary parasite.
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 17
The head of this species is wider in comparison with the width of the thorax than in the stantoni-complex and the thorax, seen from the side, is more elongate and a little flattened.
Apanteles gentilis sp. n.
In darkness of leg colour and reduction of mesoscutal punctation, this species is much like platyedrae. It is, however, rather less elongate than that species and, having a pale scape, is perhaps more closely related to the species clustering around stantoni.
It may be compared with platyedrae as follows :
$. Hind tibia darker, almost black, with a sharply delimited, whitish yellow, basal band covering about basal fifth. Scape yellow, except for faint darkening around the apical rim.
Temples with slightly more distinct punctation. Antenna considerably longer with segment 15, fully one and a half times longer than wide; in platyedrae, this segment is hardly longer than wide.
Punctures of the mesoscutum large, occasionally confluent and, on each side of the middle line on posterior half, virtually contiguous. Propodeum more coarsely rugose, the costula hardly denned as such and the areola very poorly indicated. First discoidal cell less obviously wider than high. Spines of the outer side of the hind tibia slightly less thick and less dense.
As in platyedrae, tergite i is rugose right to apex but here rather more densely so than in platyedrae. Ovipositor sheath as long as the hind tibia; ovipositor thinner and with an apical attenuation; evenly curved.
Length: 2-4 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. NEW GUINEA: Lae, x.1957, ex larva of Agonoxena pyrogramma (R. W. Paine] B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes ($). Same data, 2$, 2 <$. NEW BRITAIN: Rabaul, 7$, 3^, ex Agonoxena Pyrogramma (R. W. Paine). SOLOMONS: Banika Is., i $, ex Agonoxena sp., 2.viii.i963 (R. W. Paine}.
Host. Agonoxena pyrogramma Meyrick ( Agonoxenidae) . Solitary parasite, making a very thin, white cocoon.
This species is largely characterized by the combination of colour of the hind legs and coarsely rugose propodeum. It should be mentioned that the definition of the costula of the propodeum is variable; it is more obscure in the type series from N. Guinea than in the longer series from New Britain.
Agonoxena Pyrogramma is also parasitized by Apanteles Pyrogrammae Nixon (1965) and A. painei Nixon (1965), both of which are very different from gentilis.
Apanteles tasmanica Cameron
Apanteles tasmanica Cameron, 1912 : 196.
Apanteles tasmanica Cameron; Wilkinson, 1928 : 120.
There are two specimens labelled "tasmanica type" in the B.M., a male and a female. Wilkinson (1928 : 121) expressed a doubt concerning the correct association of these two specimens. Having examined a large series of tasmanica, I am satisfied that both male and female belong to this species.
i8 G. E. J. NIXON
(J $. Cheeks with a conspicuous, whitish, transparent blotch. Tegula bright yellow. Wings hyaline. Hind femur entirely yellow. Basal half of gaster yellowish beneath.
$. Head between the posterior ocellus and the eye polished, virtually smooth. Antenna about as long as the body, with the preapical segment about one and a quarter times longer than wide.
The two dull, broad bands of densely crowded, large punctures are characteristic of the mesoscutal sculpture. Propodeum with a prevailing sculpture of coarse, rugose-punctation ; the posterior, lateral area represented by a small, transverse field that is almost smooth ; towards the dorsal areas, the surface becomes smoother, more shiny and with isolated punctures ; owing to the absence of clearly defined areolation, the area occupied by hairs is considerably greater than in typical species of the ultor-group with complete areolation; in such species (typified by the common stantoni), the hairs are restricted to the two, lateral, dorsal areas. Setae of the median cell dark, tending to be widely absent along the medius side of the cell; edge of vannal lobe evenly convex.
Ovipositor sheath about one and one third times longer than the hind tibia; ovipositor thin, evenly down-curved.
Length: c. 2-8 mm. without ovipositor.
TASMANIA (type locality). NEW ZEALAND: Nelson, long series in the B.M. (Nat. Hist.) bred from Tortrix postvittana on Apple. Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). Host. Tortrix postvittana Walker (Tortricidae) .
The colour of the hind tibia seems to be variable; it is always darkened at base but in some of the New Zealand specimens the infuscation spreads on the under-side of the tibia as far as middle. Sometimes tergite (2 -f 3) distal to the basal area shows a yellow mark on each side (type $ and some of the New Zealand examples) .
Two specimens from Australia vary in the colour of the hind femur; one of them (Queensland, Lockyer, "from Lucerne") has the hind femur infuscate throughout and the hind tibia yellowish only on about basal third but the infuscation more extensive below than above as in typical examples. The second specimen (F.C.T., Brindabella) has the hind femur infuscated mainly along upper surface and is thus intermediate.
The essential character for recognizing tasmanica is the sculpture of the meso- scutum.
Apanteles ilione sp. n.
This species is closely related to tasmanica in general facies, in having a white genal blotch and reduced propodeal areolation. It may be compared with tasmanica as follows:
$. Hind femur infuscate but with a paler flush along each side; hind tibia infuscate but sharply paler on about basal fifth; hind tarsus blackish throughout. Stigma with a pale mark at base, that cuts distally like a wedge into the darker part; venation proximal to the areolet less deeply pigmented.
Head slightly more transverse, even smoother above and with a slightly more evident satiny sheen.
Mesoscutum strongly shining and polished between its sharp punctures; these are slightly more crowded to form, broad, bands along the imaginary course of the notaulices but nowhere are the punctures confluent. Setae of the median cell very sparse as in tasmanica but even more widely absent along the medius side of the cell. Propodeum more coarsely rugose, the
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 19
rugosities occupying the whole of the dorsal areas; costulae distinctly indicated in the single female available. Anterior part of mesopleurum polished, with sharp, discrete punctation.
Gastral setae a little shorter and sparser, those on tergite (2 + 3) distal to basal area reduced almost to a single row. Ovipositor sheath longer, about one and two thirds times longer than the hind tibia.
Type $. FIJI: Koronivia, 19.1.1963, ex Phycita sp. (B. A. O'Connor) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Phycita sp. Presumably a solitary parasite.
Apanteles labaris sp. n.
(Text-fig. 7)
This is the largest of the species dealt with in the synopsis and is unlike any other on the structure of the propodeum.
$. Scape entirely blackened. Wings glass-clear; venation proximal to the areolet without pigmentation. Hind femur reddish yellow; in one female, (Viti Levu, not type), the hind femur is faintly darkened along the upper edge; hind tarsus deeply infuscate.
Temples shiny, with only a vague trace of punctation. Antenna long with segment 16 fully one and a half times longer than wide.
Mesoscutum shiny but with a faint oily lustre; on anterior half the punctures are fine but along the imaginary notaulic courses, the punctures are larger, contiguous and form dull bands ; posterior to middle, the course of the notaulices is lost and the punctures everywhere become larger and more widely spaced than on the front, middle part of the mesoscutum. Scutellum highly polished, flat, with only the merest trace of fine punctation along sides. Propodeum on the whole coarsely rugose ; areola ill-defined and filled with rugosities. Setae of the median cell and the first discoidal cell unusually sparse, those of the discoidal cell separated by a distance greater than the length of a seta; hind wing unusually broad (Text-fig. 7); basella of hind wing straight; vannal lobe very slightly convex beyond its widest part. Anterior part of mesopleurum shiny and with discrete punctation.
Horizontal part of tergite i slightly transverse, coarsely rugose but with a smoother, more shiny, median area. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) almost as long as the rest of the tergite beyond it and with a row of punctures along its posterior part ; the long, rather sparse hairs of the apical part of tergite (2 + 3) are distributed more or less evenly over its entire surface. Ovipositor sheath fully one and a half times longer than the hind tibia.
Length: c. 3-5 mm. without ovipositor.
cJ. Like the female but the hind femur entirely infuscate. In one of the two males, (the other has been damaged by a pin), the large, mid-basal area of the mesoscutum is polished and without punctures.
Type $. FIJI: Viti Levu, Verata, Tailevu, 17. ix. 1954, ex ? CryptophleUa pallifimbriana (B. A. O'Connor] B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes ($). Same data, i 9, 2 <$; FIJI: Suva, i $, 29.1.1938.
Host. ? Cryptophlebia pallifimbriana Bradley (Tortricidae) .
An interesting species and rather far removed from such typical species of the ultor-group as stantoni. Apart from size and propodeal structure, the shortness of the apical part of tergite (2 + 3) in relation to the length of the basal field is a decidedly characteristic feature of the species.
20 G. E. J. NIXON
Apanteles coequatus sp. n.
$. May be compared with labaris as follows : wings very faintly darkened ; venation proxi- mal to the areolet weakly pigmented; setae of the median cell dark. Hind femur darkened along both upper and under surface but yellowish along sides ; hind tibia deeply inf uscate except for basal third; examples with entirely dark or entirely pale hind femur are to be expected.
Antenna shorter, segment 16 being only about one and quarter times longer than wide. Punctation of mesoscutum typical of the group but shiny between the punctures ; the punctation is closer than that of platyedvae but hardly different from that of gentilis. Scutellum not so obviously flat and with a more obvious trace of punctation extending inwards from sides. Costula of propodeum hardly emphasized amid the adjacent rugosities but its position typical of the group. Setae of the median and first discoidal cells dense, more or less evenly distributed.
Horizontal part of tergite i as long as wide, less strongly rugose, more shiny and virtually indistinguishable from such species as platyedrae, iulis, gentilis and ilione. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) hardly more than half as long as the rest of the tergite beyond it and with a row of large, rather indistinct pits. Ovipositor sheaths a little shorter; ovipositor thinner, straight but abruptly down-curved right at apex.
Length: c. 2-4 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. TONGA-SAMOAN group, Niue Island, 28. ¥.1949 (B. A. O'Connor] B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
A. coequatus seems to be one of a small group of species that includes platyedrae. ilione and gentilis, characterized partly by reduced definition of propodeal areolation accompanied by a general increase in propodeal rugosity. The species have the hind tibia mainly deeply infuscated. Their distribution seems to be papuasian.
Apanteles lebene sp. n.
(Text-figs. 8, 14)
Distinct from all the other species in this paper because of a slight, but significant lengthening of the face as seen from in front.
9. Legs very dark, all the femora infuscate ; hind tibia becoming pale on about basal quarter. Stigma pellucid with faintly darker border ; venation proximal to the areolet without pigmenta- tion. Gaster mainly dark brown; tergite i more or less black.
Head in facial view (Text-fig. 14). Temples with a faint trace of punctation. Antenna thin, not longer than the body, with the preapical segment about one and a quarter times longer than wide.
Mesoscutum with the punctation typical of the group ; surface markedly dull, the punctation close and even. Areolation of the propodeum sharply defined but the general surface rather more rugose than in stantoni. Wings narrower than in stantoni ; setae of the median cell evenly distributed, more numerous than in stantoni ; basella of the hind wing strongly curved (Text-fig. 8). Inner spur of the hind tibia somewhat long for the group.
Horizontal part of tergite i slightly transverse, rugose all over; rest of gaster dull, with an oily lustre; basal field of tergite (2 + 3) almost as smooth as the apical part of the tergite; distal part of tergite (2 + 3) with numerous, adpressed hairs over its entire surface. Ovipositor sheath about one and a third times longer than the hind tibia; ovipositor thin, weakly down- curved towards apex.
Length: 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. INDIA: Pusa, 16.^.1931, ex Pectinophora gossipiella on cotton, B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, 2 $.
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES
Host. Pectinophora gossipiella Saunders (Gelechiidae) .
The pallid stigma is a useful secondary aid in the recognition of this species.
Apanteles lissos sp. n.
(Text-fig. 21)
A small species, characterized essentially by the smoothness of the first tergite, and the shape of the ovipositor (Text-fig. 21).
$. The main characters have been given in the key; there is little to add.
Scape entirely dark. Stigma somewhat pale and with a still paler, faintly indicated, basal spot. Hind femur weakly infuscate and paler along each side ; hind tibia obscurely yellow but darkened at apex.
Antenna thin, weak, not longer than the body. Head above with a satiny sheen; space between the posterior ocellus and the eye-margin with only a very faint trace of punctation. Face on each side with distinct punctation.
Areolation of propodeum very weak; areola not always sharply separated from the postero- lateral fields ; all three fields strongly shining and almost smooth. First discoidal cell distinctly a little wider than high, n : 10.
Gaster strongly shining, its setae very sparse. Ovipositor sheath very slightly longer than the hind tibia, c, 23 : 20.
Length: c. 1-8 mm. without ovipositor, a small species.
Type $. CHINA: Canton (W. E. Ho/man) B.M. (Nat. Hist.). Paratypes ($). Same data, n $, I <$.
Apart from the highly polished first gastral segment, this species is interesting because of the well defined apical attenuation of the ovipositor. Such an attenuation is usually found correlated with a much shorter ovipositor. Where the ovipositor is much longer than the hind tibia, it can be thin and evenly curved as in stantoni, curved and much thickened as in metesae or straight with curved tip as in coequatus but never with a readily obvious apical attenuation.
Apanteles vernaliter Wilkinson
Apanteles vernaliter Wilkinson, 19320: 141; 193 26.: 338.
Very distinct among the species with long ovipositor because of the punctation of the temples and the rather brightly coloured gaster.
$. Scape yellow; flagellum paler towards base. Hind femur entirely yellow; hind tibia yellow throughout in type series but darkened at tip in a single female from the New Hebrides.
Vertex between the posterior ocellus and the eye-margin, and the temples, sharply and very distinctly punctate, dull.
Punctation of the mesoscutum like that of stantoni and allied species. Areolation of propo- deum sharp, distinct, the three posterior fields shining, almost polished.
Tergite i sculptured right to apex; basal field of tergite (2 + 3) almost as rugose as tergite i. Ovipositor sheath a little longer than the hind tibia; ovipositor evenly curved throughout.
Length: c. 2-2 mm., without ovipositor.
JAVA: Buitenzorg (type locality). NEW HEBRIDES: i $, 1935, ex larva of Tortrix on cocoa tree (Risbec).
22 G. E. J. NIXON
One of the more distinct species, characterized essentially by the punctation of the top of the head. In this synopsis, the only other species with pale-marked gaster is numenes but this species has the gaster mainly brilliant yellow. In vernaliter, the pale colour is a much less obvious feature.
Apanteles parasae Rohwer (Text-fig. 2)
Urogaster philippinensis Ashmead, 1904 : 19 (nee Apanteles philippinensis Ashmead, 1904 : 19),
[Wilkinson, 1932 : 129]. Apanteles parasae Rohwer, 1922 : 129. Apanteles parasae Rohwer; Wilkinson, 1928 : 129.
This is a poorly characterized species, most easily recognized by the long, but feebly differentiated, apical attenuation of the ovipositor (Text-fig. 2).
In most of the series examined, the hind femur is infuscate but in one (MALAYSIA : Rambau, without host data) it is yellow throughout.
JAVA : Buitenzorg (type locality of parasae) . PHILIPPINES : Manila (type locality of philippinensis). CEYLON.
Type in the U.S. National Museum.
Host. Setora nitens Walker (Limacodidae, in Malaysia). Limacodid sp. on Cinnamomum (Ceylon). Parasa lepida Cramer (Limacodidae, in Malaysia and Ceylon).
Apanteles baoris Wilkinson (Text-figs. 13, 1 6)
Apanteles baoris Wilkinson, 1930 : 280.
One of the smaller species, about 1-5 mm. without ovipositor of female.
The stigma tends to be pale but never so strikingly pellucid as in acron. Hind femur, apex of hind tibia and whole of hind tarsus infuscate.
Mesoscutum somewhat shiny, its punctation not sharp, and the punctures on posterior half well separated. Wing (Text-fig. 13).
Horizontal surface of tergite i polished and almost smooth.
MALAYSIA: Perak Province (type locality). CEYLON. INDIA. Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Parnara mathias Moore ; Parnara bada Moore (Hesperiidae) . A gregarious parasite with cocoons forming a narrow elongate mass, covered with rather loose silk.
This species is essentially characterized by the shape of the first discoidal cell in combination with the thick ovipositor and its long, abrupt, apical attenuation (Text-fig. 1 6).
Apanteles agilis Ashmead
Pseudapanteles agilis Ashmead, 1905 : 969.
Apanteles hidaridis Rohwer, 1922 : 54. [Wilkinson, 1928 : 131].
Apanteles agilis (Ashmead) Wilkinson, 1928 : 130.
Close to baoris but larger and differing chiefly in the shape of the first discoidal cell. Mesoscutum more distinctly and more closely punctate than in baoris. Spurs
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 23
of hind tibia longer and of more powerful build. Ovipositor as in baoris (cf . Text-fig. 16).
JAVA: Buitenzorg ($ paratype in B.M.). PHILIPPINES: Manila (type locality of agilis). SUMATRA: Padang (type locality of hidaridis}.
Type in the U.S. National Museum.
Host. Hidara irava Moore (Hesperiidae), recorded host of hidaridis. No host known for agilis.
Apanteles acron sp. n.
$. Scape entirely dark; flagellum yellowish brown on basal half, darkening towards apex. Wings milky hyaline. Hind femur weakly infuscate; hind tibia and hind tarsus entirely yellow, the tibia with faint, dark spot on inside at apex.
Temples with the faint roughness common to most species of group. Antenna not longer than the body, rather short; preapical segment about one and a third times longer than wide.
Mesoscutum with the punctation typical of the group. Spiracle of the propodeum separated from junction of costula and lateral, propodeal keel by about its longer diameter; the three posterior areas of the propodeum polished, almost smooth. Setae of the median cell colourless.
Horizontal surface of tergite i very slightly longer than wide ; apical half of this surface with a microsculpture superimposed on faint, longitudinal striation; the apical part of this tergite has thus a satin-like sheen. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) about two thirds as long as the rest of the segment. Ovipositor more tapered to apex than in baoris and with a much less abrupt apical attenuation (cf. Text-fig. 16).
<J. Like the female except for the sexual differences. Horizontal surface of tergite i with hardly a trace of raised rugosity towards apex, smooth-looking but with the same satin-like sheen shown by the female.
Length: <$ $, c. 2 mm. without ovipositor of female.
Type $. THAILAND ("Siam" on label): Bangkok, 1934-35, ex larva of Sesamia cretica (A. Manjikul) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, 2 $, 4 $.
Host. Sesamia cretica Leder (Phalaenidae).
This species is distinctive mainly on account of its pale stigma. A. baoris some- times has the stigma almost as pale but is smaller than acron, with the first discoidal cell obviously wider than high and the vannal lobe relatively smaller.
Apanteles acratos sp. n.
$. Wings distinctly brownish; stigma without a pale, basal spot; setae of the median cell dark. All the femora darkened, but the hind pair darkest; front and middle tarsi whitish.
Head above polished, impunctate, with a faint satin-like sheen. Antenna longer than the body, the preapical segment about one and a half times longer than wide.
Anterior part of the mesopleurum coarsely rugose. Propodeum posteriorly having a some- what flattened appearance; its spiracle separated from the junction of costula and lateral propodeal keel by about its longer diameter; posterolateral areas with a considerable amount of coarse rugosity. First discoidal cell very slightly wider than high.
Horizontal surface of tergite i about as long as wide, strongly rugose all over. Basal area of tergite (2 + 3) evenly rugose-striate and nearly as long as the rest of the segment posterior to it; hairs of the apical part of tergite (2 + 3) sparse and reduced almost to a single row. Hypo- pygium in profile acutely pointed. Ovipositor thick with a very abrupt, apical attenuation equal to about the second segment of the hind tarsus.
Length: §, c. 1-6 mm. without ovipositor.
24 G- E. J. NIXON
Type $. NEW GUINEA: Pater, 2,500 ft., 30. vi. 1957, from Zygaenid larva on Musa sp. (R. W. Paine) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, 2 $. Host. Zygaenid sp.
A small species, largely characterized by the blackened hind legs and sculpture of mesoscutum. The reduced punctation of the mesoscutum is reminiscent of what occurs in platyedrae and lissos.
Apanteles bambusae Wilkinson Apanteles bambusae Wilkinson, 1928 : 129.
$. Scape dark throughout. Stigma without a pale, basal spot; setae of the median cell dark. Hind femur infuscate.
Mesoscutum of the two available females (type and paratype) largely obscured by pin but anterior the surface is shiny between the clearly discrete punctures. Hind spurs rather long, the inner one fully half as long as the hind basitarsus. Hind wing rather narrow.
Horizontal surface of tergite i fully as long as wide, finely rugose-striate. Basal area of tergite (2 + 3) feebly rugose, slightly more than half as long as the rest of the segment beyond it.
Length: c. 2 mm. without ovipositor.
INDIA: Pusa (type locality).
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Cosmopteryx bambusae Meyrick (Cosmopterygidae) .
Unfortunately I know this species only from the original, partly damaged series, described by Wilkinson. The shape of the ovipositor seems to be its most distinctive feature.
Apanteles prisons sp. n.
(Text-figs. 19, 25, 29)
$. Scape entirely dark. Wings hyaline; stigma dark brown with at most a faint, basal spot; setae of the median cell almost colourless. Hind femur bright reddish yellow.
Temples shiny but with traces of shallow punctation. Antenna about as long as the body, with the preapical segment about one and a half times longer than wide.
Mesoscutum with the punctation typical of the group. Spiracle of the propodeum separated from junction of costula and lateral propodeal keel by about two to two and a half times its longer diameter. Apical segment of the hind tarsus with a weak indication of a modification similar to that which occurs on the apical segment of the front tarsus (Text-fig. 25) but here the modification takes the form of a straight bristle rather than a curved spine.
Basal area of tergite (2 + 3) almost as long as the rest of the segment beyond it (Text-fig. 29). Ovipositor (Text-fig. 19).
<$. Like the female except for the sexual differences.
Length: $ $, 2-3 mm. without ovipositor of female.
Type $. INDIA: W. Bengal, Kalimpong, 7.11.1966, ex Tiracola plagiata B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, 8$, 6^. CEYLON: Peradenya, n $, 4$, 28. vi. 1928, ex Achaea Janata on Ricinus. INDIA: Dehra Dun, 2 $, 2 ^, 7.ix.i933, ex Hypsa alciphron. MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur, i $, i g, 9.111.1944, ex Tiracola plagiata.
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 25
Host. Achaea Janata L. (Phalaenidae) . Hypsa alciphron (Hypsidae). Tiracola plagiata Walker (Phalaenidae). Evidently a solitary parasite, making a white cocoon covered with much loose silk.
The two females from Dehra Dun have the underside of the gaster entirely yellow and a yellowish suffusion towards the sides of tergite (2 -f 3) distal to the basal area.
This species is largely characterized by the strongly developed spine on the apical segment of the front tarsus (Text-fig. 25) and the position of the propodeal spiracle. This last character is not always easy to verify because the two relevant keels are sometimes ill defined at their junction and obscured here by additional rugosities.
Apanteles heterusiae Wilkinson
Apanteles heterusiae Wilkinson, 1928 : 127.
This species is very much like prisons, differing from it most obviously in having a longer and virtually straight ovipositor.
$. Wings faintly brownish; setae of the median cell darker than in priscus.
Antenna slightly shorter than in priscus, with the preapical segment one and one third times longer than wide.
Spiracle of propodeum separated from junction of costula and lateral, propodeal keel by about one and a half times its longer diameter. Hind wing rather narrow, very slightly wider than in platyedrae (cf. Text-fig. 9) but narrower than in maro (cf. Text-fig, n).
Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) relatively shorter than in priscus but slightly smaller in propor- tion to the total area of tergite (2 + 3). Ovipositor sheath hardly shorter than the hind tibia.
CEYLON: Madulsima (type locality). Two further series in the British Museum from Ceylon (Talawakele and Passara) both bred from host of type series — Heterusia cingala.
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Heterusia cingala Moore (Zygaenidae) .
The long apical attenuation of the ovipositor is a very characteristic feature of this species and alone will serve to distinguish it from priscus.
Apanteles maro sp. n.
(Text-fig, n)
cj $. The main differences between this species and priscus have been given in the key; there is little to add.
Pale parts of the legs much paler than in priscus.
Hind wing relatively as broad as in priscus (Text-fig, n); edge of vannal lobe beyond its widest part almost straight ; in priscus it shows normal convexity but the difference is extremely slight. Spiracle of propodeum separated from junction of costula and lateral propodeal keel by about its longer diameter.
Length: <$ $, 2-3 mm. without ovipositor of female.
Type $. INDIA: W. Bengal, Chinsurah, 1950, "on Diacrisia obliqua", (Jute Agricultural Research Institute) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, 3 $, I $.
Host. Presumably Diacrisia obliqua Walker (Arctiidae).
Distinctive on account of pale stigma, a rare feature of the ultor-group.
26 G. E. J. NIXON
Apanteles cato sp. n.
(Text-figs. 15, 18, 23)
°.. A very dark-looking species. Scape entirely black. Wings faintly brownish; venation fully pigmented; setae of the median cell dark. Hind leg blackened, except that the hind tibia becomes paler on proximal half (obscurely yellowish).
In a facial view of the head, the cheeks are less rounded than is usual in the group (Text-fig. 15). Ocelli close together; a lateral ocellus separated from the median ocellus by hardly more than half its own diameter. Antenna fully as long as the body; preapical segment about one and a half times longer than wide.
Punctures of the mesoscutum large, almost contiguous along the broad, imaginary notaulic courses. Scutellum rather coarsely rugose-punctate, especially along sides. Discoidal cell of fore wing slightly wider than high, 8:7; hind wing narrow, as in caniae (cf. Text-fig. 10) but the basella more obliquely placed than in that species; setae of median cell decidedly long.
Basal field of tergite (2 -f 3) almost as long as the rest of the segment beyond it and, being almost as smooth, hardly discrete ; apical part of segment highly polished, its hairs very sparse and restricted more or less to a single row. Ovipositor (Text-fig. 18).
cJ. Like the female except for the sexual differences; wings slightly less dark.
Length: $ £, c. 2-2 mm. without ovipositor of female.
Type ?. MALAYSIA: Johore, B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data: 14 $, 5 <$.
Somewhat aberrant on account of the non-transverse posterolateral fields of the propodeum (Text-fig. 23) and very distinct on combination of this and shape of ovipositor but cf. mendosae.
Apanteles caniae Wilkinson (Text-figs. 10, 17)
Apanteles caniae Wilkinson, 1928 : 126.
A pale-legged species; hind femur yellow; hind tibia usually yellow except for faint apical infuscation; rarely this infuscation extending to middle (one series in B.M. from Sumatra). Scape yellowish, with darker, apical rim. Wings distinctly brownish; stigma usually evenly brown but sometimes paler with darker border.
$. Antenna a little longer than the body; preapical segment fully one and a half times longer than wide. First discoidal cell very slightly wider than high, 1 1 : 10 ; hind wing decidedly narrow (Text-fig. 10). The thin, rather short ovipositor is feebly down-curved (Text-fig. 17).
Length: <$ $> c. 1-8 mm. without ovipositor of female — a rather small species.
MALAYSIA: Java (type locality). CEYLON. INDIA. N. CELEBES. CHINA. THAILAND.
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Cania bilinea Walker (Limacodidae) . Thosea cervina Moore; Thosea recta Hampson (Limacodidae). A gregarious parasite, spinning a tight mass of cocoons beneath the slug-like body of its host.
The short, thin ovipositor is the most important feature of this otherwise poorly characterized species.
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 27
Apanteles expulsus Turner
Apanteles expulsus Turner, 1918 : 346.
Apanteles expulsus Turner; Wilkinson, 1928 : 125.
Apanteles mendanae Wilkinson, 1928 : 126. Syn. n.
The main differences between this species and caniae have been given in the key. The most important of them are the presence of a strong spine on the apical segment of the front tarsus of expulsus and the strikingly different ovipositor of this species.
$. Wings virtually hyaline. Sculpture of posterior part of mesoscutum subtly distinctive, the surface between the punctures being slightly roughened. Hind wing as in caniae (cf. Text-fig. 10). All five panels of the propodeum tend to be highly polished and unsculptured.
Length: <$ $, 2 mm. without ovipositor of female.
FIJI (type locality of expulsus): several further series in the British Museum. SAMOAN Is.: one series in the British Museum. MARQUESAS Is. (type locality of mendanae} .
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Anticarsia irrorata Fab. (host of type series) (Phalaenidae) . Cosmophila (now Anomis) flava Fab. (Phalaenidae). No host known for type series of mendanae.
This small species is fairly easily recognized on the combination of the well de- veloped spine on the front tarsus and the strongly rugose basal area of tergite (2 +3).
Apanteles prodeniae Viereck (Text-fig. 20)
Apanteles (Apanteles) prodeniae Viereck, 1912 : 139. Apanteles prodeniae Viereck; Wilkinson, 1928 : 127.
?. Hind femur yellow. Antenna rather short, not longer than the body; preapical segment about one and one third times longer than wide.
Horizontal surface of tergite i fully as long as wide.
INDIA: Mysore, Bangalore (type locality). SIAM.
Type in the U.S. National Museum. A single "cotype" in the British Museum. Host. Prodenia litura Fab. (Phalaenidae). Euproctis fraterna Moore (Lyman- triidae) (two series from this host in B.M. (Nat. Hist.) from India, Coimbatore).
The spine on the apical segment of the front tarsus is so poorly developed that, in comparison with the spine occurring in expulsus, it might be considered as virtually non-existent.
This species is recognizable on the combination of very thick ovipositor (Text-fig. 20) and unsculptured apical surface of tergite i.
Apanteles aluella sp. n.
$. Scape more or less evenly brown. Hind femur yellow but with faint infuscation at apex above. Wings markedly brownish. Gaster brown, except for the black first tergite; the other tergites show a faint, darker band.
Temples with obsolescent rugose-punctation. Antenna rather short, shorter than the body, the preapical segment being about one and one third times longer than wide.
Punctation of mesoscutum typical of most of the species, uncharacteristic. Setae of the median cell dense, evenly distributed over the entire surface of the cell. Inner spur of the
28 G. E. J. NIXON
hind tibia fully half as long as the hind basitarsus; apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine.
Dorsal surface of tergite i distinctly transverse, the surface very shiny and its sculpture fading out beyond middle. Basal area of tergite (2 + 3) almost smooth and about two thirds as long as the rest of the segment beyond it.
Length: 2-4 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. INDONESIA: Sumatra, Pematang, Siantar, i6.ix.i932, ex larva of Belippa lohor (R. I. Net) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes (?). Same data, 8 ?, i g.
Host. Belippa (now Nemeta) lohor Moore (Limacodidae) .
Distinct on account of long, thin ovipositor but close to caniae; caniae has the ovipositor and its sheaths much shorter than in aluella, among other differences.
Apanteles orelia sp. n.
(Text-fig. 26)
$. Scape blackish. Venation proximal to the areolet weakly pigmented; stigma dark brown throughout; setae of the median cell dark. Hind femur infuscate.
Temples with only weak punctation, but the surface with a distinct satin-like sheen. Antenna about as long as the body, with segment 16 about one and one third times longer than wide.
Punctation of the mesoscutum characteristic in that the punctures are large and evenly spaced, and, on the disc at least, are separated by about half a diameter. Areolation of the propodeum very strongly denned in two of the four females (including type), with the three posterior fields polished and almost excavate ; in the other two females, the areola is filled with coarse rugae. Setae of the median cell rather long, sparse and widely absent along the medius side of the cell.
Gaster (Text -fig. 26). Basal area of tergite (2 + 3) almost as strongly rugose as tergite i. Ovipositor slightly but evenly thickened towards base; without trace of an apical attenuation at a magnification of ( x 40) .
Length: c. 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. FIJI: Viti Levu, Naduruloulou, 6.vi.i962, ex ? Agonoxena argaula (B. A. O'Connor) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, 3 $.
Host. Probably Agonoxena argaula Meyrick (Agonoxenidae) . A single cocoon spun in a fold of a leaf -fragment suggests a solitary parasite.
In general facies much like expulsus but differing from that species in the sculpture of the mesoscutum and the shape and length of the ovipositor.
Apanteles mendosae Wilkinson Apanteles mendosae Wilkinson, 1929 : 113.
Scape yellow except for darkened, apical rim. Hind femur yellow.
The anterior brow of the mesoscutum shows on each side of the middle line an elongate, more shiny, less closely punctate area. First discoidal cell distinctly wider than high, 14 : n ; setae of the median cell long, rather sparse. Apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine.
The smooth, almost unsculptured first tergite is distinctly widened towards apex.
Length: c. 2-5 mm. without ovipositor.
MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur (type locality).
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 29
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Dasychira mendosa Hiibner (Lymantriidae) .
Rather easily recognized by the absence of a differentiated basal field on tergite (2 + 3) and the straight ovipositor. A similar ovipositor occurs in cato but in this species, the posterolateral field of the propodeum is not transverse.
The sculpture of the anterior part of the mesoscutum is subtly distinctive but in no sense striking.
Apanteles nydia sp. n.
$. Except for the coxae, the legs are yellow virtually throughout; hind tibia faintly darkened at apex and the hind basitarsus with a dark streak beneath. Wings hyaline, the venation proxi- mal to the areolet colourless.
Antenna a little shorter than the body; preapical segment about one and one third times longer than wide.
Punctation of mesoscutum close but rather shallow over posterior half. Scutellum shining and almost impunctate. Hind spurs short, the inner one not reaching to middle of hind basi- tarsus. Setae of median cell sparse and widely absent along medius side of cell; hind wing rather broad, as in maro (cf. Text-fig, n).
Horizontal surface of tergite i slightly transverse and with a weak, striate sculpture towards sides. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) fully three quarters as long as the rest of the segment, weakly striate and much narrowed towards sides as in orelia (cf. Text-fig. 26). Ovipositor thick, tapering, with an abrupt, apical attenuation that is slightly shorter than the fourth segment of the hind tarsus.
Length: c. 3 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. INDIA: Dehra Dun, 17. xi. 1934, ex Selepa celtis (S. N. Chatter jee} B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes ($). Same data, but xi. 1934-!. 1935, 5 $, 2 ^; also 3 $, 2 <?, labelled as bred from Noctuid larva defoliating unidentified shrub (S. N. Chatter jee).
Host. Selepa celtis Moore (Phalaenidae), defoliating Stereospermum suaveolens.
Recognizable essentially on the heavily sclerotized hypopygium together with the details of the ovipositor and its sheaths.
Apanteles hyposidrae Wilkinson
(Text-figs. 3, 24) Apanteles hyposidrae Wilkinson, 1928 : 125.
?. Stigma without a pale, basal spot; setae of the median cell virtually colourless. Hind femur infuscate; hind tibia infuscate but paler on about basal third.
Punctation of mesoscutum dense and somewhat confluent along the broad, imaginary course of the notaulices. First discoidal cell not obviously wider than high, 23 : 22.
Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) smoother than the apical part of tergite i and distinctly a little shorter than the rest of the segment distal to it (about three quarters as long). Hypopygium very short, quite inconspicuous, falling far short of the apex of the gaster. Ovipositor (Text-
fig- 3).
Length: 2-0-2-2 mm.
JAVA: (type locality, series from Hyposidra sp. on Mimosa). INDIA: various series from lepidopterous larvae defoliating Tectona grandis, Bombay, Madras and
30 G. E. J. NIXON
S. Coorg; Dehra Dun, New Forest, series from cocoons found on leaf of Teak (Tec- tona grandis). BURMA: Mandalay, series from lepidopterous larva on Rosa. MALAY- SIA: Selangor, two series from Stictoptera cuculloides. NEW BRITAIN: Keravat, series from Anomis flava on Kenah. N. PAPUA: Girua, 2 ?, from Timcola plagiata (introduced?). AUSTRALIA: Queensland, series from Noctuid larva on Urena lobata. All in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Hyposidra sp. (Geometridae) . Anomis flava Fab. (Phalaenidae) . Stic- toptera cuculloides Guenee (Noctuidae). A gregarious parasite, but there is, in the British Museum, a single female (W. Bengal, Siligari-Kalimpong Road) bred from solitary cocoon found near hole made by Hypsipyla robusta Moore (Phycitidae) on twig of toon (Cedrela toona). Although this female has the setae of the median cell darker than in typical hyposidrae, I believe it, nevertheless, to be this species.
This species seems to vary considerably in the amount of rugosity shown by the basal tergites of the gaster, series from Malaysia having the basal field of tergite (2 + 3) much more rugose than typical series from India and the type series from Java. The species may be composite as I interpret it but all forms have the short, quite inconspicuous ovipositor shown in Text-fig. 3.
Apanteles cleo sp. n.
(Text-fig. 4)
?. The differences between this species and hyposidrae have been given in the key ; there is little to add. The most significant difference is the absence of a spine on the apical segment of the front tarsus and the most easy to recognize is the bright yellow hind femur of cleo.
The hypopygium is as poorly developed as in hyposidrae but the ovipositor is slightly less curved and the apical attenuation is relatively longer (Text-fig. 4).
Type <j>. INDIA: Assam, Sibsagar dist., xi.igsi, ex larva of Eriboea arja, B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratype (?). Same data, 8 <j>, I <$. Host. Eriboea arja Felder (Nymphalidae) .
Apanteles aso sp. n.
(Text-fig, i)
$. This species is essentially characterized by the long, apical attenuation of the ovipositor (Text-fig, i).
Scape infuscate. Hind femur infuscate. Setae of the median cell dark.
Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) weakly sculptured or sometimes almost smooth. Apical segment of the front tarsus without a spine. Hypopygium well developed, heavily and evenly sclero- tized.
Length: c. 2-5 mm.
Type <j>. INDIA: United Provinces, Mussoorie, Vincent Hill, bred I9.viii.i934 from Lasiocampid larva, B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes ($). Same data, 8 $, n <J.
Host. Lasiocampid sp. Evidently a gregarious parasite.
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 31
Readily separated from the other two species with short ovipositor — hyposidrae and cleo — on the shape of the ovipositor.
Apanteles hemitheae Wilkinson
(Text-fig. 27) Aapnteles hemitheae Wilkinson, 1928 : 124.
Having almost the whole of tergite (2 + 3) rugose, this is perhaps the most easily recognized of all the species included in this synopsis.
$. The temples and the vertex immediately behind the ocelli are densely, strongly punctate; the intensity of the punctation is characteristic and also reminiscent of the head punctation of vernaliter. Scape and hind femur reddish yellow.
Gaster (Text-fig. 27).
MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur (type locality). Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.).
Host. Hemithea costipunctata Moore (Geometridae) . Presumably a gregarious parasite though the evidence is not conclusive.
Apart from the type-series, comprising two females and three males, I have seen only one other specimen of this species — a single female (Malaysia, Selangor) taken on Hevea flower.
Apanteles numenes sp. n.
(Text-fig. 28)
9. Scape yellow. Hind tarsus infuscate; hind tibia very weakly infuscate at apex; legs otherwise, including all the coxae, bright reddish yellow. Stigma dark brown, with still slightly darker border; venation proximal to the areolet fully pigmented.
Temples with weak, but distinct punctation.
The large punctures of the mesoscutum tend to be contiguous along the broad, imaginary course of the notaulices. Posterolateral areas of propodeum only very weakly transverse. Median cell densely pubescent, the setae not obviously sparser along the medius side of the cell ; edge of vannal lobe virtually straight beyond the widest part.
Tergite i rather markedly narrowed towards base (Text-fig. 28), rugose all over. Basal field of tergite (2 + 3) polished, more or less smooth.
Length: c. 2-4 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. MALAYSIA: Java, Jelawa, 8.viii.i93i, "ex caterpillar on Glochidion sp." (L. G. E. Kalshoven) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes ($). Same data, 6 $, i <£.
Host. Unknown. The number of specimens in the series indicates a gregarious parasite.
A most distinctive species on colour alone. The punctation of the mesoscutum is subtly distinctive and this, in combination with colour and shape of propodeum, isolates the species from all others dealt with in this synopsis.
32 G. E. J. NIXON
Apanteles lipsis sp. n.
(Text-fig. 12)
An aberrant species, having perhaps almost as much in common with the laevi- gatus-group (Nixon, 1965 : 181) as with the ultor-group. Apart from a striking difference in the type of mesoscutal punctation and the virtually complete absence of propodeal areolation, the species differs from all other in this paper in the form of the ocellar triangle.
$. Cheeks with a conspicuous whitish blotch. Scape blackish. Front and middle legs entirely yellow; hind femur entirely yellow. Basal third of stigma obscurely yellowish.
Head rather large for the size of the insect, deep from back to front and very slightly wider than the thorax (Text-fig. 12). Face smooth, shiny. Temples smooth, virtually without a trace of punctation; space between the posterior ocellus and eye polished. Antenna broken but the segments discontinuously shorter after the isth; segment 14 about one and a third times longer than wide.
Mesoscutum strongly shining, its punctation very fine but distinct, tending to fade out posteri- orly in the type. Scutellum polished, impunctate. First abscissa of the radius and the trans- verse cubitus together forming a short vein, the radial abscissa being only slightly longer than the transverse cutibus; first discoidal cell distinctly wider than high, 4:3. Propodeum strongly shining, with some vague punctation marking the position of the dorsal areas; the postero-lateral areas indicated merely by a transverse, polished, dorsally unbounded space. Unlike all the other species in this synopsis, the inner spur of the hind tibia is distinctly shorter than the outer one and hardly more than one third as long as the hind basitarsus.
Horizontal part of tergite i parallel-sided, slightly transverse, polished (type) to slightly roughened (paratype) and with a few scattered punctures. Basal area of tergite (2 -f 3) about one third as long as the rest of the segment beyond and separated from this only by a very fine suture. Ovipositor sheath as long as the hind tibia; ovipositor thin, straight but with and abrupt, downward curve at apex.
Length: c. 2 mm. without ovipositor.
Type $. S.W. AUSTRALIA: Yallingup, xi.i9i3, (R. E. Turner) B.M. (Nat. Hist.). Paratype. Same data, i $.
I associate with this species two males (W. AUSTRALIA: Dongarra, 23.viii.- 5.ix.ig35, R. E. Turner) that I think are the same species. Both show a whitish blotch on the cheek, the same characteristic of mesoscutal pubescence and the same, curiously short, inner spur of the hind tibia. Tergite i is slightly narrowed behind, almost smooth; the basal area of tergite (2 + 3) is slightly longer in proportion to the rest of the segment beyond it than in the female.
Apanteles amaris sp. n.
(Text-fig. 22)
This is a highly aberrant species and, on the structure of the tergites, far removed from the other species included in this synopsis.
$. Scape dark; flagellum brown, the underside still paler. Hind coxa brown, becoming yellowish on apical half; hind femur entirely yellow; hind tibia yellow but with dark tip. Wings faintly brownish; venation proximal to the areolet pigmented; stigma somewhat pale, with faintly darker border.
Face dull, with a pronounced satiny sheen and an excessively fine punctation, just visible at a magnification of ( x 40). Vertex with a similar sheen but with slightly more distinct punctation
ON INDO-AUSTRALIAN APANTELES 33
on temples. Antenna thin, slightly longer than the body, with the preapical segment fully one and half times longer than wide and antennal segment 15 fully twice as long as wide.
Mesoscutum with the same dull, satiny sheen as the head; its punctation very fine, but the punctures larger along the broad, imaginary notaulic course. Areolation of the propodeum very ill-defined and obscured by much rugosity; the position of the costula indicates an obviously transverse, posterolateral area; in the type, the areola is virtually not indicated but is more distinct in the second female. Median cell densely, evenly setose all over; first discoidal cell distinctly wider than high.
Tergite i parallel-sided, its horizontal surface clearly longer than wide, densely, evenly rugose all over; at the side of this tergite is a large area of conspicuously yellow membrane (Text-fig. 22) ; rest of gaster densely, very finely pubescent, much more so than in the any of the other species treated in this synopsis. Tergite (2 + 3) faintly dull, with satiny sheen; its basal area slightly less rugose than tergite i. Ovipositor sheath slightly longer than the hind tibia; ovipositor thin, evenly curved throughout.
Length: c. 2-3 mm. without ovipositor.
<J. Like the female but tergite much narrower.
Type 9. THAILAND ("Siam" on label) : Bangkok, 1934-35, ex Nymphula stagnalis (A. Manjikul) B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Paratypes. Same data, 2 <$. THAILAND ("Siam"): i 9, i c£-
Apanteles fakhrulhajiae Mahdihassan
Apanteles fakhrulhajiae Mahdihassan, 1925 : 82.
Apanteles rufulus Wilkinson, 1930 : 154. [Syn. Wilkinson, 1935 : 72].
I include this species because in several respects it is transitional between the ultor-group and the laevigatus-group (Nixon, 1965 : 181). The apparent absence of propodeal areolation, the relatively fine punctation of the mesoscutum, the pale spot at the base of the stigma and the parallel-sided first tergite are all typical features of the laevigatus-group.
Between the feebly indicated arm of the areola and the lateral margin of the propodeum is a much smoother, transverse area, free from hairs, almost polished and undoubtedly corresponding to the postero-lateral area of the typical ultor-group. It is mainly on account of this feature that I include fakhrulhajiae in this synopsis.
INDIA.
Location of type unknown. Type of rufulus in the British Museum.
Host. Holcocera pulverea Meyrick (Blastobasidae), on lac.
REFERENCES
ASHMEAD, W. H. 1904. A list of the Hymenoptera of the Philippine Islands. // N. Y. ent.
Soc. 12 : 1-22. — 1905. Additions to the recorded hymenopterous fauna of the Philippine Islands, with
descriptions of new species. Proc. U.S. natn. Mus. 28 : 957-971. BHATNAGAR, S. P. 1900. Studies of Apanteles Forster (Vipionidae: Parasitic Hymenoptera)
from India. Indian J. Ent. 10 (2) : 134-203. CAMERON, P. 1912. On a collection of parasitic Hymenoptera (chiefly bred), made by Mr.
Walter W. Froggatt, F.L.S., in New South Wales, with descriptions of new genera and
species. Part 3. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 37 (i) : 172-216.
34 G. E. J. NIXON
GUPTA, V. K. 1957. Some species of Apanteles Forster and their hyperparasites from India
with descriptions of new species (Parasitic Hy menoptera) . Indian J. Ent. 19 (2) : 101-106. MAHDIHASSAN, S. 1925. Some insects associated with lac and a symbolic representation of
their interrelationship. /. Sci. Ass. Maharaj. Coll. Vizianagram 2 : 64-88. MUESEBECK, C. F. W. & RAO, B. R. SUBBA. 1958. A new braconid parasite of Hymenia
recurvalis (Fabricius). Indian J. Ent. 20 (i) : 27-28. NIXON, G. E. J. 1965. A reclassification of the tribe Microgasterini (Hymenoptera : Braconi-
dae). Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.). Suppl. 2 : 1-284. ROHWER, S. A. 1922. Descriptions of Javanese Braconidae (Hym.) received from S. Leefmans.
Treubia 3 : 53-55. RAO, S. N. 1953. Notes on some parasitic Hymenoptera from India with the description of
a new species, Apanteles epijarbi. Indian J. Ent. 15 (i) : 23-28. RAO, S. N. & KURIAN, CHANDRY. 1950. Descriptions of eleven new and records of fifteen
known species of Ichneumonoidea (Hymenoptera parasitica) from India. Indian J. Ent.
12 (2) : 167-190.
TURNER, R. E. 1918. The Hymenoptera of Fiji. Trans, ent. Soc. Lond. 1918 : 334-346. VIERECK, H. L. 1912. Descriptions of five new genera and twenty-three new species of
Ichneumon flies. Proc. U.S. natn. Mus. 42 : 139-153. WILKINSON, D. S. 1928. A revision of the Indo-australian species of the genus Apanteles
(Hym. Braconidae). Bull. ent. Res. 19 : 79-105: 109-146.
— 1929. New parasitic Hymenoptera and notes on other species. Bull. ent. Res. 20 : 103- 144.
1930. New Braconidae and other notes. Bull. ent. Res. 21 : 274-285.
19320. Four new Apanteles. Stylops 1 : 139-144.
— 19326. A revision of the Ethiopian species of the genus Apanteles (Hym. Bracon.). Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 80 : 301-344.
— !935- On some Braconids (Hym.). Stylops 4 : 71-72.
A LIST OF SUPPLEMENTS TO THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SERIES
OF THE BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
1. MASNER, L. The types of Proctotrupoidea (Hymenoptera) in the British Museum (Natural History) and in the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford. Pp. 143. February, 1965. £5.
2. NIXON, G. E. J. A reclassification of the tribe Microgasterini (Hymenoptera : Braconidae). Pp.284; 348 Text-figures. August, 1965. £6.
3. WATSON, A. A revision of the Ethiopian Drepanidae (Lepidoptera). Pp. 177 ; 18 plates, 270 Text-figures. August, 1965. £4 45.
4. SANDS, W. A. A revision of the Termite Subfamily Nasutitermitinae (Isoptera, Termitidae) from the Ethiopian Region. Pp. 172 ; 500 Text-figures. October,
1965- £355.
5. AHMAD, I. The Leptocorisinae (Heteroptera : Alydidae) of the World. Pp. 156 ; 475 Text-figures. November, 1965. £2 15$.
6. OKADA, T. Diptera from Nepal. Cryptochaetidae, Diastatidae & Drosophilidae. Pp. 129 ; 328 Text-figures. £3.
7. GILIOMEE, J. H. Morphology and Taxonomy of Adult Males of the Family Coccidae (Homoptera : Coccoidea). Pp. 168 ; 43 Text-figures. February, 1967.
£33s.
8. FLETCHER, D. S. A revision of the Ethiopian species and a check list of the world species of Cleora (Lepidoptera : Geometridae) . Pp. 119; 14 plates, 146 Text-figures, 9 maps. February, 1967. £3 los.
9. HEMMING, A. F. The Generic Names of the Butterflies and their type-species (Lepidoptera : Rhopalocera). In press.
10. STEMPFFER, H. The Genera of the African Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera : Rhopa- locera). In press.
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY ADLARD & SON LIMITED, BARTHOLOMEW PRESS, DORKING
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24 AUGWM
%. .0.^
A REVISION OF THE ORIENT. SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA
TOWNSEND (DIPTERA : TACHINIDAE, STURMIINI)
R. W. CROSSKEY
BULLETIN OF
THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 21 No. 2
LONDON: 1967
A REVISION OF THE ORIENTAL SPECIES
OF PALEXORISTA TOWNSEND (DIPTERA : TACHINIDAE, STURMIINI)
BY
R. W. CROSSKEY
Commonwealth Institute of Entomology
-Vwi-
, LondortO
PP- 35-97 i 79 Text-figs.
BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 21 No. 2
LONDON: 1967
THE BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
(NATURAL HISTORY), instituted in 1949, is issued in five series corresponding to the Departments of the Museum, and an Historical series.
Parts will appear at irregular intervals as they become ready. Volumes will contain about three or four hundred pages, and will not necessarily be completed within one calendar year.
In 1965 a separate supplementary series of longer papers was instituted, numbered serially for each Department.
This paper is Vol. 21, No. 2 of the Entomological series. The abbreviated titles of periodicals cited follow those of the World List of Scientific Periodicals.
World List abbreviation : Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.).
Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) 1967
TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
Issued 25 August, 1967 Price £i 5s.
A REVISION OF THE ORIENTAL SPECIES OF
PALEXORISTA TOWNSEND (DIPTERA : TACHINIDAE, STURMIINI)
By R. W. CROSSKEY
CONTENTS
Page
SYNOPSIS. ........... 37
INTRODUCTION ........... 37
MATERIAL EXAMINED ......... 39
TRIBAL DIAGNOSIS OF STURMIINI. ....... 39
KEY TO THE GENERA OF STURMIINI IN THE ORIENTAL REGION . . 39
SYNONYMY AND DIAGNOSIS OF Palexorista TOWNSEND .... 42
TAXONOMIC CHARACTERS AND SPECIES-GROUPING ..... 42
KEY TO THE ORIENTAL SPECIES OF Palexorista ..... 45
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES ........ 49
SYNOPSIS OF THE ORIENTAL SPECIES OF Palexorista AND THEIR KNOWN
HOSTS ............ 87
REVIEW OF LITERATURE HOST RECORDS OF ORIENTAL SPECIES OF Palexorista 89
NOTES ON MIDDLE EASTERN SPECIES OF Palexorista .... 93
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......... 95
REFERENCES ........... 96
SYNOPSIS
The Oriental species of the genus Palexorista Townsend are fully revised, together with their host records. Keys to, and descriptions of, all species are given. Two new species are described, six specific names newly placed in synonymy and eleven lectotypes are designated. The tribe Sturmiini is diagnosed, and a key presented to the Oriental genera. Notes are included on Middle Eastern species of Palexorista that are closely allied to Oriental forms.
INTRODUCTION
PALEXORISTA Townsend is one of the commonest genera of Tachinidae in the tropi- cal areas of the Old World, where many species are commonly reared parasites from lepidopterous pests of agricultural crops or timber-trees; some European species are parasites of Diprionid sawfly larvae and have been introduced to, and established in, North America for the biological control of spruce sawflies. Since the work of Mesnil (1949, 1951) the species of Palexorista have been placed in the subgenus Prosturmia Townsend of the genus Drino Robineau-Desvoidy, but it has now been shown (Crosskey, 1966) that Prosturmia is a synonym of Palexorista Townsend — which is based on a recent type-specimen in copal and not, as originally supposed, in Baltic amber. It is here preferred to treat Palexorista in generic status (not as a subgenus of Drino) for the reasons put forward in my earlier paper (Crosskey, 1966).
ENTOM. 21, 2. 2
38 R. W. CROSSKEY
The present revision of the Oriental species of Palexorista covers New Guinea and Queensland as well as the Oriental Region proper, but excludes species from the Pacific islands (except for P. solennis which is an Oriental species occurring widely in the Pacific islands also). In the past there has been much misidentifi cation of species from this area, and the literature of economic entomology therefore contains many erroneous host records, especially in the period 1932-40 : at this time Oriental Tachinidae were identified for the Commonwealth [then Imperial] Institute of Ento- mology by Baranov, and many of the misidentifications in the literature are trace- able to the fact that Baranov confused at least five species under the name Sturmia inconspicuoides Baranov. In a later section the existing host records are reviewed with a note of their validity.
The hosts of Palexorista species in the Oriental and Australasian regions are largely army-worm and boll-worm larvae of Noctuid moths, and to a lesser extent the larvae of Pyralidae, many of which are major or minor pests of sugar-cane, maize, rice, tapioca, castor-oil plant, tobacco and other agricultural crops, or defoliators of oil-palm and coconut and of forest- timbers (particularly teak) . No Hymenopterous hosts of Palexorista are known from the area. Baranov (1934^) recorded a specimen of Palexorista (identified by him as inconspicuoides} as " Ex Graeffea cocophaga Newp." in Fiji : I have not seen the specimen referred to by Baranov, but the British Museum collection contains two specimens of Palexorista, also from Fiji, reared from Graeffea crouanii (Le Guillou) (of which Graeffea cocophages (Newport) is a synonym) ; this is a surprising host record, apparently valid, since Palexorista and related genera have not previously been known to parasitize Phasmida or any other orthopteroid orders.
Knowledge of the habits and development of Oriento-Australasian species of Palexorista is scanty, but some information has been provided by Cherian and Kylasam (1939) for an Indian species (misidentified as inconspicuoides} and by Hoyt (1955) for Palexorista aequalis (Malloch) in Samoa.
As a result of the present revision nineteen species of Palexorista are recognized in the Oriental Region (including Queensland), of which two are new; twenty-five specific names, other than those of the new species, are involved in the revision and the holotypes or syntypes have been seen on which all but one of these names are based (the holotype of dilaticornis Mesnil is apparently lost: see discussion under this species).
It is possible that Crossocosmia biseriata Wulp, described by Wulp (1894) from a single specimen from India of doubtful sex, belongs in the genus Palexorista but I have been unable to confirm this: Dr. A. P. Kapur informs me that the holotype specimen is in the collection of the Zoological Survey of India in Calcutta, but that it cannot unfortunately be made available on loan because of its very poor condition. The type of biseriata, however, shows a single ad seta on the mid tibia, four sterno- pleural setae, some sparse hairs on the parafacials below the frontal setae, and no distinct ocellar setae (Kapur, personal communication), and these characters in combination leave little doubt that biseriata belongs in one of the Sturmiine genera of the Drino-group : it is impossible to infer sufficient from this and from Wulp's (1894) description and figures for reliable generic assignment.
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 39
MATERIAL EXAMINED
Types and other material have been studied from the following collections (abbre- viations given are those used throughout the text in the lists of material examined) :
Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu (Bishop Mus.); British Museum (Natural History), London (B.M. Nat. Hist.); Canadian National Collection, Ottawa (Can. Nat. Coll.) ; Naturwissenschaftlichen Museum der Coburger Landesstiftung, Coburg; Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Eberswalde (D. Ent. Inst.); Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic, Leiden (Rijksmus. Leiden); School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Sydney (S.P.H.T.M. Sydney) ; United States National Museum, Washington (U.S. Nat. Mus.); Universitetets Zoologiske Museum, Copenhagen; Zoologisch Museum, Amsterdam (Zool. Mus. Amsterdam).
TRIBAL DIAGNOSIS OF STURMIINI
At the present time no universally agreed classification exists for the higher Tachinidae (here meaning the Exoristinae plus Goniinae), but the work of Mesnil (1944-65) on the Palaearctic fauna undoubtedly indicates the lines on which a world classification can be evolved and renders order out of the chaos of supposed tribal groups created by Townsend and elaborated in his Manual of Myiology (Townsend, 1934-42). The definition of satisfactory tribes in the vast complex of exoristine-goniine forms is difficult and workable diagnoses will have to be based on aggregates of many characters taken together. The diagnosis here presented for the tribe Sturmiini has been drawn up after study of material from all regions, but there is little doubt that the diagnosis now given may need later modification.
Tribe STURMIINI Robineau-Desvoidy Sturmidae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863, Hist. nat. Dipt. Env. Paris 1 : 885.
Goniine Tachinidae with following combination of characters: Gena wider than profrons or at least subequal in width to profrons. Ocellar setae proclinate (sometimes absent). Upper frons with reclinate orbital setae, female never with outwardly-directed prevertical setae. Vibrissae almost always distinctly above mouth-margin. Parafacials usually bare, sometimes haired but without strong bristles. Arista only thickened basally. Humeral callus with four setae in a basal straight row of three with one set forward (rarely the single forward seta weak and hair-like). 3 + 4 dorsocentral setae. Pre-alar seta long and strong, longer than first posterior dorsocentral or intra-alar seta. Apical scutellar setae present, sometimes weak. First and fifth wing veins always bare. Cell R5 open. Mid tibia with a ventral submedian seta, sometimes small. Hind tibia with a well developed close-set antero-dorsal fringe, less developed in female. Barette bare or haired anteriorly. Abdominal tergite 1 + 2 excavate to hind mar- gin. Intermediate abdominal tergites almost always without discal setae. Female ovipositor not adapted for piercing. Male hypopygium with two pairs of parameres. Sixth abdominal tergite of male represented at most by two very weak dorsal sclerotizations. Inner margin of lower calypter closely abutting against scutellum.
KEY TO THE GENERA OF STURMIINI IN THE ORIENTAL REGION
Note: The following genera, placed by Mesnil (1949-52) in the Sturmiini, are here omitted as they do not belong in the tribe as here defined: Aneogmena Brauer & Bergenstamm, Dolicho- colon Brauer & Bergenstamm, Cadurcia Villeneuve and Mycteromyiella Mesnil. Also omitted are Tamaromyia Mesnil (the single species of which occurs in the Oriental Region in Szechwan)
4o R. W. CROSSKEY
and Koralliomyia Mesnil (with a single species from India), as both these genera are unknown to me: Tamaromyia will probably run in the key to near Calozenillia, and Koralliomyia differs from all other Oriental sturmiine genera by the obliteration of the interfrontal area.
1 Upper frons with two or three pairs of reclinate orbital setae . . . . 2
- Upper frons with one pair of reclinate orbital setae (in <$ well isolated, in $ sometimes
preceded by a pair of very small setae ventrad and mesad of main pair) . . 13
2 Eyes densely hairy ........... 3
- Eyes bare or at most very sparsely and inconspicuously short-haired ... 8
3 Entire parafacials strongly haired. Two or three sternopleural setae, if three as in
most females then arranged i + i + i . . . . STURMIOPSIS Townsend
- Parafacials bare. Four or three sternopleural setae, if three then arranged 2 + i . 4
4 Facial ridges bristled or haired on more than half their length. Ocellar setae usually
absent or very weak ........... 5
- Facial ridges bare (i.e. with only the usual few setulae immediately above the
vibrissae). Ocellar setae strong, subequal in size to upper pair of reclinate orbital setae .............. 7
5 Mid tibia with three or four ad setae. Sternopleural setae 2 + 1. Facial ridges
visible in profile and armed with very strong setae. Scutellum with strong spiniform discal setae preapically. Interfrontal area much narrower than para- frontal TAKANOMYIA Mesnil
- Mid tibia with one submedian ad seta. Sternopleural setae 2 + 2. Facial ridges
not visible in profile and at least uppermost setulae weak and hair-like. Scutellar
hair not at all spiniform. Interfrontal area subequal in width to parafrontal . 6
6 Basal node of R4 + 5 with one long strong curved seta. Facial ridges unusually flat
and with long fine hair. Abdomen of Q* thickly silvery white pollinose on most of T3-T5 ISOCHAE TINA Mesnil
- Basal node of R4 + 6 with two to four small setulae, occasionally only one but if so
small and inconspicuous. Facial ridges not unusually flat, with strong setulae on most of lower half and fine hairs only on upper part. Abdomen of $ not thickly and evenly silvery grey pollinose . PSEUDOPERICHAETA Brauer & Bergenstamm
7 Three sternopleural setae, 2 + 1. Apical scutellar setae strong and crossed but
almost horizontal. Second aristal segment not noticeably elongate. Intermediate abdominal tergites usually with small discal setae distinguishable from the hair. Dorsum of thorax yellow pollinose with bold black vittae and black basal half of scutellum sharply demarcated from yellow apical half . CALOZENILLIA Townsend
- Four sternopleural setae, 2 + 2. Apical scutellar setae strong and directed upwards,
crossing usually in apical halves. Second aristal segment conspicuously elongate, three or four times as long as broad. Intermediate abdominal tergites without discal setae. Thoracic pattern normal, not unusually boldly black and yellow
PARADRINO Mesnil
8 Prosternum bare. Facial ridges strongly bristled. Mid tibia with three or four ad
setae. Three sternopleural setae BLEPHARELLA Macquart
- Prosternum setulose. Facial ridges bare. Mid tibia usually with a single ad seta.
Four sternopleural setae (except in Thelairosoma) ...... 9
Q Three sternopleural setae, 2 + 1. Basal node of R4 + 5 with several small setulae. Fourth abdominal tergite of $ without secondary sexual hair-patches
THELAIROSOMA Villeneuve
- Four sternopleural setae, 2 + 2. Basal node of R4 + 5 usually with a single setula
(not in Isosturmia}. Fourth abdominal tergite of $ usually with secondary sexual hair-patches or with hair of sides and venter of tergite in some way modified 10 10 Basal node of R4 + 5 with three or four small fine setulae. Vibrissae slightly above mouth-margin in $, about level with mouth-margin in $. Ocellar setae absent or
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 41
minute. Apical scutellar setae directed conspicuously upwards. Venter of fourth abdominal tergite of <J with very dense hair-patches of long convergent hair
ISOSTURMIA Townsend
— Basal node of R4 + 5 with one strong setula (very rarely accompanied by a minute
supernumerary hair). Vibrissae usually well above mouth-margin in both sexes. Ocellar setae variable. Apical scutellar setae usually more or less horizontal or directed only slightly upwards ......... n
1 1 Ocellar setae very strong, subequal in size to reclinate orbital setae, inserted slightly
in front of anterior ocellus. Mid tibia with two or one ad setae, if with one then hair of venter of fourth abdominal tergite of $ unmodified. Parafacials totally bare ZYGOBOTHRIA Mik
— Ocellar setae absent or very weak and much smaller than reclinate orbital setae,
when present not inserted at all forwards of the anterior ocellus. Mid tibia always with one submedian ad seta in Oriental forms (more in European Drino] . Para- facials bare or finely haired on upper parts . . . . . . . 12
12 Parafacials completely bare. Ocellar setae absent. Each side of venter of fourth
abdominal tergite of $ with unmodified hair or with a large area of short fine close-set hair not formed into a definite fascicle . . DRINO Robineau-Desvoidy
— Parafacials finely haired on upper parts, hair sometimes extending on to lower parts,
occasionally only a very few minute hairs immediately below lowest frontal setae but parafacials never entirely bare. Ocellar setae present, weak and wiry (P. laetifica exceptional and ocellar setae absent). Each side of venter of fourth abdominal tergite of $ with well defined hair-patch, usually large and dense with hairs very long and converging into distinct fascicle . . PALEXORISTA Townsend
13 Scutellum with two or three pairs of preapical setae
TRIXOMORPHA Brauer & Bergenstamm
— Scutellum with the normal single pair of preapical setae . . . . . 14
14 Eyes densely hairy ........... 15
— Eyes bare ............. 16
15 Facial ridges strongly bristled up most of their length . PALES Robineau-Desvoidy
— Facial ridges bare except for the usual few setulae immediately above vibrissae
SISYROPA Brauer & Bergenstamm [part]
16 Subapical scutellar setae exceptionally widely separated, distance between their
bases much greater than that between subapical seta and basal seta of same side of scutellum. Apical scutellar setae very strong, as large as or almost as large as lateral scutellar setae. Four sternopleural setae. Parafacials totally bare. Sides of fourth abdominal tergite of $ with long dense hair
STURMIA Robineau-Desvoidy
— Subapical scutellar setae not exceptionally widely separated, distance between bases
at most only slightly exceeding and usually less than distance between subapical seta and basal seta. Apical scutellar setae usually much weaker than lateral setae. Three or four sternopleural setae, if $ with four then fourth abdominal tergite without dense hair laterally. Parafacials usually with at least a few hairs immediately below lowest frontal setae. Sides of fourth abdominal tergite of <J with or without dense hair .......... 17
17 Sides of fourth abdominal tergite of <$ with long dense hair which extends on to
venter. Two or three sternopleural setae, $ occasionally with four. Vibrissae well above mouth- margin. Parafacial usually conspicuously haired immediately below frontal setae. Large forms, length 10-20 mm. . . BLEPHARIPA Rondani
Sides and venter of fourth abdominal tergite of Q* without long dense hair. Usually four sternopleural setae in both sexes. Vibrissae only a little above mouth-margin. Parafacial almost bare, at most only a very few inconspicuous hairs immediately below frontal setae. Smaller forms, length 5-10 mm.
SISYROPA Brauer & Bergenstamm [part]
42 R. W. CROSSKEY
SYNONYMY AND DIAGNOSIS OF PALEXORISTA TOWNSEND
Genus PALEXORISTA Townsend, 1921
Palexorista Townsend, 1921 : 134. Type-species: Tachina succini Giebel, 1862 \=M.asicera
solennis Walker, 1859], by original designation. Sumatrodoria Townsend, 1927 : 64. Type-species: Sumatrodoria summaria Townsend, 1927,
by original designation. (Synonymy by Crosskey, 1966 : 134) Prosturmi a Townsend, 1927 : 69. Type-species: Prosturmia profana Townsend, 1927 \_=Masi-
cera solennis Walker, 1859], by original designation. (Synonymy by Crosskey, 1966 : 134)
Genus of Sturmiini with combination of following characters: Eyes bare. Facial ridges bare. Interf rental area well developed. Two pairs of reclinate orbital setae. Ocellar setae weak and wiry, much smaller than reclinate orbital setae, very rarely absent altogether. Parafacials finely haired on upper parts, at least near lowest frontal setae, sometimes sparsely haired on whole length. $ without proclinate orbital setae. Vibrissae well above mouth-margin (rare exceptions). Basal aristal segments not elongate, second aristal segment not exceeding twice as long as broad. Four sternopleural setae arranged 2 + 2. Two pairs of lateral scutellar setae. One pair of preapical scutellar setae. Apical scutellar setae not directed strongly upwards. Basal node of R4 + 5 with one strong setula (very rarely an additional supernumerary hair). Mid tibia with one submedian ad seta in most forms. Intermediate abdominal segments without discal setae. Venter of fourth abdominal tergite of <$ on each side with secondary sexual hair-patch of long dense hair, usually forming a large tight fascicle.
Distribution. Widespread in most of the Old World, particularly in the tropical areas: absent from British Isles and New Zealand. (The closely similar and related genus Zygosturmia Townsend occurs in the New World and differs from Palexorista by having the parafacials entirely bare and only a single pair of lateral scutellar setae.) The European species Palexorista bohemica (Mesnil) is established in Canada, from Ontario to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, by introduction.
TAXONOMIC CHARACTERS AND SPECIES-GROUPING
The species of Palexorista are superficially much alike, especially in the female, and few can be reliably identified on external characters ; the identity of most species must be confirmed on characters of the male genitalia, although several head charac- ters and some abdominal characters are also useful (the only slightly useful characters on the thorax and its appendages are the colour of the mesonotal pollinosity and the length of the tarsal claws of the male) .
The relative proportions of different head structures provide useful characters and the measurement points used for determining these are shown in Text-figs. 1-3. The following terms are used in descriptions of the head : frontal length, the distance measured in direct line with the head seen in profile from the base of the inner vertical seta to the lower basal point of the first antennal segment (measurement A in Text-fig, i) ; facial length, the distance measured in direct line with the head seen in profile from the lower basal point of the first antennal segment to the base of the vibrissa (measurement B in Text-fig, i) ; antennal axis, an imagined horizontal line through the head profile level with the lower basal point of the first antennal segment (i.e. the intersection point of the frontal and facial lengths); ocular axis, an imagined
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA
43
horizontal line through the head in profile at the level of the eye-middle. In species of Palexorista the frontal length is always longer than the facial length when measured but it is important to note that the character is deceptive if not measured since in many species the facial length appears to be longer than the frontal length: the antennal axis is always above or at most level with the ocular axis, never below it. Some species have the frons conspicuously wider than others, and frons-vertex width is remarkably constant within a species : the width of the vertex (D in Text-fig. 2) as a proportion of the total head- width (C in Text-fig. 2) provides a valuable charac- ter and one of the few of any use for recognizing the females of some species. Other head characters of some taxonomic value include the length of the third antennal segment relative to the second with the head seen in facial view (Text-fig. 3), the
FIGS. 1-4. 1-3, outline drawings of head and antennae of Palexorista in i, profile, 2, dorsal view and 3, facial view showing measurement points used for determining proportions of head structures: (A) frontal length, from inner vertical seta to first antennal segment; (B) facial length, from first antennal segment to vibrissa; (c) head-width; (D) width of vertex; (E) length of second antennal segment; (F) length of third antennal segment. 4, Head of female of Palexorista in profile showing fine hairing of upper parafacial.
44 R- W. CROSSKEY
parafrontal colour, width of interfrontal area, extent of hairing on the parafacials, and the presence or absence of a row of black occipital setulae behind the postocular row (this last character requires caution as species normally possessing such setulae may occasionally have only one or two haphazard setulae or even none at all in some specimens).
Apart from the male genitalia, the most useful abdominal character is the size and form of the dense paired secondary sexual hair-patches on the venter of the fourth abdominal tergite (T4) ; some species are at once identifiable in the male if the hair- patches are exceptionally large or small, or the hairs less bunched than usual. Dis- tribution of the abdominal pollinosity and the abundance of recumbent hair dorsally on T4 are of minor taxonomic value.
The male genitalia provide the most useful of all characters, the form of the apical part of the aedeagus (distiphallus) distinguishing the species into two main groups (see below), and the exact shape of the paralobes and mesolobes when seen exactly in profile or posterior view providing excellent specific characters; in some species the normal short fine hairs towards the apices of the paralobes are developed into short stubby black setulae (referred to in the descriptions as apical spinules), the development of which appears to be constant for the species. No useful characters have been discerned in the hypopygial parameres, although such may exist if these structures are later examined in more detail.
The species of Palexorista fall into two main groups on the basis of the aedeagus : in some species the distiphallus is distinctly bilobed when seen in profile (Text-figs. 29-31), but in others there is no largely membranous posterior lobe or only a very weakly developed trace of one (Text-figs. 32-36) ; in the descriptions that follow the two types of aedeagus have been referred to as " bifurcate " or " non-bifurcate " respectively. The differences in the aedeagus are associated with other reasonably constant features and two groups of species can be moderately well defined as follows :
Group I : distiphallus of aedeagus of bifurcate type (Text-figs. 29-31). Paralobes of male hypopygium usually with apical spinules. Frontal length (<£) I-04-I-I2 times as great as facial length (except inconspicuoides, about 1-22). Antennal axis much above ocular axis. Male abdomen almost always with a pair of strong setae apically on sternite 4 and with a long strong seta on each lobe of sternite 5.
Group II: distiphallus of aedeagus of non-bifurcate type (Text-figs. 32-36). Paralobes of male hypopygium without apical spinules. Frontal length ((£) 1-19-1-30 times as great as facial length. Antennal axis usually not much above ocular axis or even level with it. Male abdo- men usually without strong apical setae on sternite 4 and usually only with hairs on lateral lobes of sternite 5.
Group I includes P. inconspicuoides (Baranov), P. laetifica (Mesnil), P. laxa (Curran), P. lucagus (Walker), P. munda (Wiedemann),P. solennis (Walker) and P. subanajama (Townsend) from the Oriental Region: it undoubtedly includes also P. aequalis (Malloch) from Samoa, P. imberbis (Wiedemann) and P. zonata (Curran) from Africa and several other African species.
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 45
Group II is less uniform than Group I and the species fall into some rather weakly defined sub-groups :
Mesolobes and paralobes of male hypopygium unusually short and broad, meso- lobes in posterior view subtruncate: sub-group including P. immersa (Walker), P. summaria (Townsend) and P. ophirica (Walker). P. bisetosa (Baranov) perhaps belongs in this sub-group.
Mesolobes tapering in profile and with rounded apices in posterior view, paralobes slender and narrower than mesolobes in profile. Tarsal claws of male very small, shorter than last tarsal segment. Palpi more or less entirely yellow: sub-group including P. painei (Baranov), P. sororcula (Mesnil) and P. parachrysops (Bezzi).
Mesolobes in posterior view acuminate or rounded at the tips. Tarsal claws of male long. Palpi not entirely yellow. Antennae of male short : sub-group including P. curvipalpis (Wulp) and P. deducens (Walker).
Mesolobes in profile very much longer than paralobes (Text-fig. 54), in posterior view shaped as in Text-fig. 70. Tarsal claws of male long. Antennal axis con- spicuously above ocular axis: sub-group including P. bancrofti sp. n.
The affinities of P. dilaticornis (Mesnil) and P. reclinata sp. n. are very uncertain and these species are not assignable to any of the groups or sub-groups outlined above.
KEY TO THE ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA (a) MALES
The following key includes all known Oriental species except P. dilaticornis (Mesnil), of which the male holotype is apparently lost and no other male material is known.
1 Frons without reclinate setae in addition to the two normal pairs of reclinate orbital
setae. Gena slightly wider than or subequal in width to profrons. Vibrissae inserted well above mouth margin. Paralobes of hypopygium in posterior view not strongly convex ............ 2
- Frons with a pair of strong reclinate setae below the normal two pan's of reclinate
orbital setae (Text-fig. 78). Gena slightly narrower than profrons. Vibrissae inserted only very slightly above mouth margin. Paralobes of hypopygium in posterior view strongly convex (Text-fig. 79). [southern India]
P. reclinata sp. n. (p. 86)
2 Aedeagus in profile distinctly bifurcate (Text-figs. 29-31), with a posterior lobe
strengthened by sclerotization. Mesolobes of hypopygium pointed-acuminate apically (Text-figs. 55-61). Head profile with antennal axis conspicuously above ocular axis and frontal length 1-04-1-12 times as great as facial length (about 1-22 in inconspicuoides) ........... 3
- Aedeagus in profile not bifurcate (Text-figs. 32-36), if with slightly developed
posterior lobe this almost entirely membranous. Mesolobes of hypopygium less acuminate (except in curvipalpis), tips usually rounded or subtruncate (Text-figs. 64-71). Head profile with antennal axis only slightly above ocular axis and frontal length 1-19-1-30 times as great as facial length ...... 9
3 Hair-patch of T4 unusually small (Text-fig. 23), sometimes almost obliterated, only
about half as long as tergite and area of tergite basad of patch with normal hairing. Paralobes without apical spinules. Paralobes and mesolobes as in Text-figs. 43 and 60. [widespread from India to Tonga] . . P. solennis (Walker) (p. 57)
- Hair-patch of T4 large, more than half as long as tergite and area of tergite basad of
patch devoid of normal hairing. Paralobes with small stubby apical spinules (except in laxa). Paralobes and mesolobes not as in Text-figs. 43 and 60 . . 4
46 R. W. CROSSKEY
4 Frons unusually wide, vertex 0-32-0-34 of head-width. Paralobes without apical
spinules (Text-fig. 44). [Eastern Africa, India] . . .P. laxa (Curran) (p. 62) Frons narrower, vertex 0-24-0-28 of head-width. Paralobes with apical spinules
(Text-figs. 37-42) 5
5 Hair-patch of T4 enormous, covering most of ventral surface of tergite (Text-fig. 24).
Second antennal segment unusually long and third segment only about 2-4 times as long as second. Paralobes and mesolobes as in Text-figs. 38 and 56. [West Pakistan to New Guinea] . . . . . .P. lucagus (Walker) (p. 53)
- Hair-patch of T4 of usual size (Text-fig. 28). Third antennal segment 2-4-3-8 times
as long as second segment. Paralobes and mesolobes not as in Text-figs. 38 and 56 6
6 Ocellar setae absent or at most minute hair-like. Abdominal ground colour con-
spicuously red antero-laterally. Parafacial wider than third antennal segment. Paralobes and mesolobes as in Text-figs. 42 and 59, paralobes in profile very broad basally. Vertex wider, 0-27-0-28 of head-width. [Ceylon]
P. laetiflca (Mesnil) (p. 49)
- Ocellar setae present. Abdominal ground colour not noticeably reddish basally.
Parafacial subequal in width to or narrower than third antennal segment. Para- lobes and mesolobes not as in Text-figs. 42 and 59, paralobes in profile more slender. Vertex usually narrower, 0-24-0-27 of head-width. ...... 7
7 Facial profile long, frontal length about i -04 times the facial length. Antennae long,
third segment 3-0-3-8 times as long as second segment. Paralobes and mesolobes elongate, as in Text-figs. 37 and 55. [Malaya to Queensland and Solomon Islands]
P. subanajama (Townsend) (p. 55)
- Facial profile shorter, frontal length 1-12-1-22 times the facial length. Antennae
short, third segment 2-4-2-7 times as long as second segment. Paralobes and mesolobes shorter, not as in Text-figs. 37 and 55 . . . . . 8
8 Upper occiput with an irregular row of black setulae. Distinctly yellowish pollinose
on thorax and abdomen. Hypopygium with mesolobes rather broad in profile and paralobes not noticeably angled and tapering (Text-fig. 41). [Formosa]
P. inconspicuoid.es (Baranov) (p. 50)
- Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row. Greyish or pale
yellowish grey pollinose on thorax and abdomen. Hypopygium in profile with mesolobes more slender, paralobes distinctly angled medially and more tapering on terminal part (Text-fig. 40). [India] ... P. munda (Wiedemann) (p. 52)
9 Outer vertical setae well developed. Claws very small and much shorter than fifth
tarsal segment. [Formosa] ..... P. bisetosa (Baranov) (p. 67)
- Outer vertical setae undeveloped, hair-like and hardly distinguishable from upper-
most setulae of postocular row. Tarsal claws long, subequal to or longer than last tarsal segment (except in painei and sororcula) . . . . . . 10
10 Mesolobes shaped as in Text-figs. 48 and 71 . Frons narrow, vertex 0-23-0-25 of head-
width. Antennae very short, third segment 2-0-2-2 times as long as second segment. Puparium with strongly serpentine spiracular slits. [Celebes, Buru]
P. deducens (Walker) (p. 76)
— Mesolobes differently shaped. Frons wider, vertex 0-26-0-33 °f head-width. Antennae longer, third segment 2-6-3-3 times as long as second segment (except in curvipalpis, 2-1-2-4). Puparium with simple or at most slightly sinuous spiracular slits (not known for all species) ......... 1 1
11 Paralobes of hypopygium much shorter than mesolobes (Text-fig. 54), mesolobes of
unusual shape in posterior view as in Text-fig. 70. Head profile as in Text-fig. 22. Hairing of T4 and T5 unusually long and fine. [Queensland]
P. bancrofti sp. n. (p. 85)
Paralobes of hypopygium subequal in length to mesolobes (Text-figs. 49-52), at most only slightly shorter (Text-fig. 53). Hairing of T4 and TS not unusually long and fine 12
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 47
12 Paralobes slender, narrower than mesolobes in profile (Text-figs. 51-53). Mesolobes
with rounded or slightly pointed tips (Text-figs. 67-69). Tarsal claws small, shorter than or subequal to last tarsal segment. Palpi yellow, at most slightly darkened at extreme base. Third antennal segment 2-6-2-8 times as long as second segment, and extensively reddish orange basally and on inner edge . . 13 — Paralobes broad, subequal in width to or wider than mesolobes in profile (Text-figs. 46-47, 49-50). Mesolobes subtruncate apically (Text-figs. 64-66), except in curvipalpis. Tarsal claws long, length exceeding that of last tarsal segment. Palpi brownish with pale tawny apices. Third antennal segment either relatively shorter (2-1-2-4 times second segment) or longer (3-0-3-3 times second segment), usually entirely blackish brown, at most only narrowly reddish orange at extreme base .............. 15
13 Paralobes and mesolobes as in Text-figs. 52 and 68. Parafrontals pale golden to
golden orange pollinose against interfrontal and pale silvery yellowish towards eyes. Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row. About five or six pairs of cruciate frontal setae. T4 with sparse long strong hair in only about three or four series. Hair-patch of venter of T4 large and loose with tips of hairs overlapping edge of tergite (Text-fig. 25). [India, Ceylon, Malaya]
P. parachrysops (Bezzi) (p. 78)
Paralobes and mesolobes differently shaped. Parafrontals unicolorous or more golden on upper parts only, not yellow or golden just along the rows of frontal setae. Upper occiput with black setulae behind the postocular row. About seven to ten pairs of cruciate frontal setae. T4 with shorter more dense and fine hair in about five to seven series. Hair-patch compact as in Text-figs. 27 and 28 . . 14
14 Mesolobes long, in posterior view open slit between tips much shorter than fused part
(Text-fig. 67). Paralobes longer and more slender (Text-fig. 53). Vertex 0-32 of head-width. Parafrontals all greyish pollinose. Greyish pollinose species with mainly dark abdominal ground colour. Hair-patch of T4 very similar to that of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). [Queensland] . . P. sororcula (Mesnil) (p. 83)
Mesolobes short, in posterior view open slit between tips subequal in length to fused part (Text-fig. 69). Paralobes shorter and relatively broader (Text-fig. 51). Vertex 0-27—0-29 of head-width. Parafrontals pale yellow to golden on upper two-fifths and contrasting with more silvery lower parts. Golden pollinose species with mainly reddish orange abdominal ground colour. Hair-patch of T4 smaller (Text-fig. 27), less than half width of tergite venter. [Java]
P. painei (Baranov) (p. 81)
15 Mesolobes pointed-acuminate in posterior view (Text-fig. 63). Upper occiput
without black setulae behind postocular row. Parafacial nearly bare, usually only one or two very minute hairs immediately below lowest frontal seta. An- tennae short, third segment 2-1-2-4 times as long as second segment. Head profile with unusually strongly convex frons (Text-fig. 15). Head almost always entirely silvery grey pollinose. [Ceylon to Queensland] . P. curvipalpis (Wulp) (p. 68)
Mesolobes subtruncate apically in posterior view (Text-figs. 64-66). Upper occiput with black setulae behind postocular row, sometimes very few. Parafacial distinctly haired on uppermost fifth or quarter, sometimes more. Third antennal segment 3-0-3-3 times as long as second segment (except in ophirica). Frons less strikingly convex. Head sometimes pale yellowish pollinose, at least parafacials usually silvery ............. 16
1 6 Antennae short, third segment 2-3-2-4 times as long as second segment. Mesolobes
very long and narrower in profile (Text-fig. 47). Vertex 0-26-0-28 of head-width. [Malaya and Java] . . . . . . .P. ophirica (Walker) (p. 70)
Antennae long, third segment 3-1-3-3 times as long as second segment. Mesolobes short and very broad in profile (Text-figs. 49 and 50). Vertex 0-28-0-31 of head- width ............. 17
48 R. W. CROSSKEY
17 Mesolobes in posterior view as in Text-fig. 65. Hair-patch of T4 larger, similar to that of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). [Formosa, Celebes, New Guinea]
P. itnmersa (Walker) (p. 72) Mesolobes in posterior view as in Text-fig. 66. Hair-patch of T4 smaller and very
compact (Text-fig. 26). [Sumatra] . . .P. sumtnaria (Townsend) (p. 74)
(b) FEMALES
Females of the species of Palexorista are often very alike and offer few really satisfactory key characters; the following key should help in distinguishing the species for which the females are known, but must be used with caution. The female is not yet known of P. bisetosa, P. deducens, P. ophirica, P. reclinata, P. sororcula.
1 Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row, rarely with one or two
isolated dark setulae ........... 2
- Upper occiput with a distinct irregular row of black setulae behind the postocular
row .............. 8
2 Head in facial view with inner margins of eyes strikingly concave (Text-fig. 76), area
between eyes widest at about mid height. Interfrontal area much narrower than a parafrontal. Palpi yellow. Base of third antennal segment extensively reddish orange. Fourth abdominal tergite with only about four series of hairs
P. parachrysops (Bezzi) (p. 78)
- Head in facial view with inner margins of eyes not distinctly bowed medially, area
between eyes widest near vibrissal level (Text-fig. 77). Interfrontal area subequal in width to parafrontal or only slightly narrower. Palpi brownish basally and tawny on expanded tips. Third antennal segment usually all blackish brown. Fourth abdominal tergite usually with about six to eight hair series ... 3
3 Frons exceptionally wide, vertex 0-35-0-37 of head-width. Parafacial wider than
third antennal segment. [Eastern Africa, India: parasite on Heliothis]
P. laxa (Curran) (p. 62)
- Frons not strikingly wide, vertex 0-28-0-33 of head-width. Parafacial narrower than
or subequal in width to third antennal segment, sometimes very slightly wider.
[not African, not known ex Heliothis] ........ 4
4 Second antennal segment unusually long relative to third, third segment only
i -9-2-2 times as long as second segment. Small species, length usually about 6 mm. [Ceylon to New Guinea] . . . . . .P. lucagus (Walker) (p. 53)
- Second antennal segment not noticeably long compared to third, third segment
2-2-2-8 times as long as second segment. Larger species, usually 7-5-10 mm. . 5
5 Vertex 0-28-0-29 of head-width. Parafrontals pale yellowish to golden pollinose
and contrasting with silvery parafacials. Noticeably yellowish pollinose species. [Sumatra to New Guinea and Queensland] . P. subanajama (Townsend) (p. 55)
- Vertex 0-30-0-32 of head-width. Parafrontals and parafacials more or less uni-
colorous pollinose, or if parafrontals more yellowish than parafacials then usually
not noticeably contrasting .......... 6
6 Parafacials yellowish white and parafrontals pale yellowish pollinose, head pollinosity
not noticeably silvery. Antennal axis far above ocular axis, [southern India]
P. munda (Wiedemann) (p. 52)
- Parafacials and parafrontals, especially the former, silver or silvery grey pollinose,
parafrontals rarely slightly yellowish. Antennal axis not obviously far above ocular axis ............. 7
7 Antennae shorter, third segment only 2-2—2-4 times as long as second segment.
[Ceylon to Queensland] ...... P. curvipalpis (Wulp) (p. 68)
- Antennae longer, third segment 2-6-2-8 times as long as second segment, [known
from Formosa, Celebes, New Guinea] ... P. immersa (Walker) (p. 72)
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 49
8 Parafrontal about 1-6 times as wide as interfrontal area at level of lower proclinate
orbital seta. Most of abdomen with reddish orange ground colour, especially T5, the pollinose areas bright golden. Thoracic pollinosity distinctly golden yellowish. Upper parts of parafrontals pale yellow to golden and contrasting with more silvery pollinose lower parts of parafrontals. Palpi yellow, indistinctly darkened at extreme base. [Java] . . . . . .P. painei (Baranov) (p. 81)
- Parafrontal at level of lower proclinate orbital seta subequal in width to or only a
little wider than interfrontal area. Abdomen with mainly blackish ground colour, sometimes reddish antero-laterally, pollinosity not bright golden. Thoracic pollinosity greyish to pale yellowish, usually not conspicuously golden. Para- frontals more or less unicolorous. Palpi dark brownish basally and paler tawny on expanded tips ........... 9
9 T5 with the usual well developed discal setae. Third antennal segment blackish
brown. T4 dorsally with about eight or nine hair series . . . . . 10
- T5 with discals represented by long fine hairing, without strongly developed discal
setae. Third antennal segment extensively reddish orange. T4 dorsally with about eight or nine hair series, the hair finer than usual. [Queensland]
P. bancrofti sp. n. (p. 85)
10 Antennae very heavy, third segment 3-6 times as long as second segment and con-
spicuously broader than parafacial. [India]. . . P. dilaticornis (Mesnil) (p. 65) Antennae not unusually heavy, third segment 2-2-3-2 times as long as second segment
and not noticeably wider than parafacial . . . . . . . 1 1
11 Ocellar setae absent, occasionally a minute seta on one or both sides. Abdomen
with distinct reddish ground colour antero-laterally. Third antennal segment 2-4-2-7 times as long as second segment. [Ceylon] . . P. laetifica (Mesnil) (p. 49) Ocellar setae present. Abdominal ground colour entirely blackish. Third antennal
segment usually either relatively longer or shorter . . . . . . 12
12 Antennae short, third segment about 2-2 times as long as second segment. Vertex
0-32 of head -width. Parafacial with only very few hairs confined to uppermost fifth or quarter. Antennal axis not obviously well above ocular axis. [Formosa]
P. inconspicuoid.es (Baranov) (p. 50)
— Antennae longer, third segment 2-6-3-2 times as long as second segment. Vertex narrower, usually 0-29-0-30 of head-width (range 0-28-0-31). Parafacial with the fine hairs on uppermost third or half. Antennal axis conspicuously above ocular axis, [widespread in Oriental Region to Queensland and Pacific islands]
P. solennis (Walker) (p. 57)
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES
Palexorista laetifica (Mesnil, 1951) (Text-figs. 9, 42, 59)
Drino laetifica Mesnil, 1951 : 190. Holotype <$, CEYLON. In British Museum (Natural History),
London. [Examined] Palexorista laetifica (Mesnil) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
cJ. Head profile as in Text-fig. 9, frontal length about 1-09 times as great as facial length, antennal axis conspicuously above ocular axis. Vertex 0-26-0-28 of head-width. Ocellar setae usually completely absent, sometimes small hair-like setae present on one or both sides. Upper occiput with irregular row of black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area subequal in width to parafrontal or very slightly narrower. Parafrontals mainly clear pale yellow polli- nose, lower ends of parafrontals more creamy whitish pollinose especially against eyes, general yellow colour of parafrontals contrasting with silvery white or creamy whitish pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacial obviously broader than third antennal segment, with sparse fine hairs
50 R. W. CROSSKEY
on upper half, sometimes lower halves of parafacials also with a few small hairs. Antennae of medium length, third segment 2-4-2-7 times as long as second segment and entirely black-brown. Palpi brownish basally with extensively yellow tips. Mesonotum pale yellow pollinose, giving species a distinctly yellowish appearance to naked eye. Tarsal claws long. Abdomen with blackish brown ground colour medially but extensively reddish orange antero-laterally, fifth tergite also usually rather reddish, pollinosity pale greyish yellow and with rather shifting appearance, T3 and T4 both broadly black on hind margins to naked eye, the dark hind margin of T4 occupying about two-fifths of tergite length. Median marginal setae of T3 and marginal row of T4 rather short and stubby ; T4 dorsally with about eight or nine hair series ; discal setae of T5 short and strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter very large, similar to those of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). Genitalia: aedeagus of bifurcate type; paralobes and mesolobes broader in profile than in most species with bifurcate aedeagus (Text-fig. 42), paralobes slightly tapering and with stubby black apical spinules; mesolobes in posterior view as in Text-fig. 59. Length about 9-10 mm.
$. Vertex 0-29-0-32 of head-width. Third antennal segment 2-4-2-7 times as long as second segment. T4 dorsally with about six to eight hair series. Pale lemon-yellow colour of para- f rentals more strikingly contrasting with silvery white parafacials than in <J.
Material examined. Holotype <$. CEYLON: Kandy, 6.^.1923 (F. P. Jepson).
Other material. CEYLON: 4 <$, Galaha, I5.viii.ig25 (F. P. Jepson) (B.M. Nat. Hist.); 3 cJ, 3 ?, Galaha, I5.viii.ig25 (/. C. Hutson} (B.M. Nat. Hist.); i ?, Galaha, 27.xii.igi3 (A. Rutherford] (B.M. Nat. Hist.); 2 <j>, Kandy, 6.ii.ig23 (/. C. Hutson) (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
Distribution. Only known from Ceylon.
Hosts. Eterusia cingala Moore (Lepidoptera : Zygaenidae). All specimens listed above except for the one collected by Rutherford were reared from larvae of this zygaenid, but it should be noted that they each bear a label with the spelling Heterusia —the name of a Neotropical geometrid genus. Mesnil's (ig5i : igi) reference to the type being from Heterusia cingala should read Eterusia cingala.
This species is one of the rather uniform group in which the apices of the paralobes of the male hypopygium bear stubby black spinules, but it is readily distinguished from its relatives by the broader paralobes and (normally) by the complete absence of ocellar setae. P. laetifica is one of the several species confused by Baranov, and the specimens (listed above) collected by Hutson each bear an erroneous determina- tion label in Baranov's writing as " sturmia inconspicuoides Baranoff ".
Palexorista inconspicuoides (Baranov, 1932)
(Text-figs. 8, 30, 41, 58)
Sturmia inconspicuoides Baranov, 1932 : 80. Lectotype <$, FORMOSA. In Deutsches Ento-
mologisches Institut. [Examined]
Drino (Prosturmia) inconspicuoides (Baranov) Mesnil, 1951 : 188. Palexorista inconspicuoides (Baranov) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Lectotype Designation: Baranov described Sturmia inconspicuoides from an unstated number (" zahlreiche ") of male and female syntypes collected by Sauter on unspecified dates at Kankau and Sokutsu in Formosa. Twelve syntypes have been located; in the collections of the Deutsches Entomologisch.es Institut (4 <$, 4 $),
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 51
the United States National Museum (2 <£, i $) and the British Museum (i g), each bearing an identification and a type label; one male in Deutsches Entomologisches Institut has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE. Three of the male paralectotypes in the D. Ent. Inst. collection lack the abdomen and three of the females are probably not conspecific with the lectotype.
cJ. Head profile as in Text-fig. 8, frontal length about 1-22 times as great as facial length, antennal axis distinctly above ocular axis. Vertex 0-24-0-26 of head-width, upper frons narrow. Upper occiput with an irregular row of black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area subequal in width to parafrontal or a little wider. Outer vertical setae undeveloped. Para- frontals dingy yellowish white to brassy yellow pollinose, not noticeably contrasting in colour with whitish or very pale yellowish pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacials rather narrow, at mid height about subequal in width to third antennal segment or slightly narrower, haired on about uppermost quarter. Antennae of medium length, third segment about 2-5-2-7 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown. Palpi brownish with tawny yellowish apices. Mesonotum with yellow pollinosity, giving species a distinctly yellowish appearance, occasionally pale greyish yellow. Tarsal claws long, longer than last tarsal segment. Ab- dominal ground colour mainly blackish brown but reddish laterally on T3, pollinosity pale yellowish or yellowish white with shifting appearance on intermediate tergites, dark hind margin of T4 occupying about one third of length of tergite. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six to eight series, discal setae of T5 moderately strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter large, similar to those of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). Genitalia: aedeagus of bifurcate type (Text-fig. 30); paralobes with apical spinules, in lateral view wider than mesolobes (Text-fig. 41), paralobe rather parallel- sided and not noticeably angulate near middle (cf . munda, Text-fig. 40) ; mesolobes in posterior view elongate and acuminate (Text-fig. 58). Length 8-n mm.
$. Vertex 0-32 of head-width. Third antennal segment about 2-2 times as long as second segment. Interfrontal area distinctly wider than parafrontal. Dorsum of T4 with about six hair series.
Material examined. Lectotype <$. FORMOSA: Kankau, Koshun, 7.viii.i9i2 (H. Sauter).
Paralectotypes. FORMOSA: i $, Sokutsu, ix.igiz (H. Sauter) (B.M. Nat. Hist.); i d, i $, data as for lectotype (D. Ent. Inst.); 2 <$, Sokutsu, ix.i9i2 (H. Sauter) (D. Ent. Inst.).
Two female paralectotypes with the same data as the lectotype, and a female paralectotype from Kankau, ix.1912, have been examined from D. Ent. Inst. collection but are considered to be misidentified and not conspecific with the lecto- type.
Distribution. The true Palexorista inconspicuoides (Baranov) is known only from Formosa and I have seen no material other than the original syntypes. It is possible that inconspicuoides occurs elsewhere in the Oriental Region, but there is no evidence as yet that it does so and I have found no specimens that are assignable to the true inconspicuoides among the large amount of Oriental material seen.
The literature on agricultural and forest entomology in the Oriental Region con- tains records of Sturmia inconspicuoides Baranov from India (Beeson & Chatter] ee, 1935 ; Cherian, 1937; Cherian & Kylasam, 1939; Cherian & Anantanarayanan, 1941), Burma (Garth waite & Desai, 1939), Malaya (Corbett & Miller, 1933; Corbett, 1937), Indonesia (Tjien Mo, 1939), Queensland (Bell, 1936, 1937, 1938), and Solomon Islands (Lever, 1935) but these records are based on misidentifications made by
ENTOM. 21, 2. 3
52 R. W. CROSSKEY
Baranov (who identified Oriental Tachinidae for the Imperial Institute of Entomology between 1932 and 1940) : the British Museum collection contains specimens of five species (subanajama, lucagus, laetifica, ophirica and curvipalpis) misidentified by Baranov as inconspicuoides , most being part of the material on which the foregoing erroneous records were based. Baranov's (1934^, 1936) published records of incon- spicuoides from New Britain, Fiji and the Solomon Islands are due to misidentifica- tion.
Hosts. Unknown. All the host records for Sturmia inconspicuoides appearing in the literature (these are detailed in the later section on host records) are either erroneous or very suspect because of misidentification of the tachinid parasites involved. As noted above, Baranov confused at least five species under the name inconspicuoides and the published host records for this species are based on identifica- tions made by Baranov for the Imperial Institute of Entomology.
P. inconspicuoides is one of the complex of species in which the aedeagus is of the bifurcate type and the paralobes of the male hypopygium bear apical spinules. It is most closely related to P. munda (Wiedemann), from southern India, but should probably be regarded as a distinct species because of the differently shaped paralobes, the presence of a row of black setulae on the upper occiput (absent in munda}, the narrower parafacials, and differences in the pollinosity. Mesnil (1949 : 19) placed the name inconspicuoides in synonymy with Drino [Prosturmia] prof ana (Townsend), but this synonymy was wrongly established; examination of the type-material of prof ana shows that it belongs to another species (see solennis Walker). Mesnil (1951 : 188) was himself later doubtful of the synonymy and treated inconspicuoides as valid, then indicating prof ana as only doubtfully the same.
Palexorista munda (Wiedemann, 1830) (Text-figs. 7, 40, 57)
Tachina munda Wiedemann, 1830 : 234. Holotype $, INDIA. In Universitetets Zoologiske
Museum, Copenhagen. [Examined]
Drino (Prosturmia) munda (Wiedemann) Crosskey, 1963 : 80. Palexorista munda (Wiedemann) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
cj. Head profile as in Text-fig. 7, frontal length about 1-12 times as great as facial length, antennal axis conspicuously above ocular axis. Vertex 0-25-0-27 of head-width, upper frons rather narrow. Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area equal in width to parafrontal. Paraf rentals very pale greyish yellow pollinose and not contrasting in colour with creamy whitish pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacials about equal in width to, or slightly wider than, third antennal segment, haired on about uppermost third or two-fifths. Antennae of medium length, third segment 2-4-2-6 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown. Palpi dark brown basally and tawny yellowish at tips. Mesonotum pale grey or slightly yellowish grey pollinose, species appearing greyish and not at all yellowish to naked eye. Tarsal claws long. Abdomen mainly dark, only indistinctly reddish brown in ground colour basally, with pale greyish yellow pollinosity, intermediate tergites broadly dark posteriorly, about posterior quarter of T4 black, pollinosity of intermediate tergites with slightly shifting appearance. Dorsal hair of T4 in about seven or eight series ; discal setae of T5 moderately strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter large, similar to those of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). Genitalia: aedeagus of bifurcate type and exactly similar to that of incon-
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 53
spicuoides (Text-fig. 30) ; paralobes and mesolobes in lateral view as in Text-fig. 40, paralobes slightly angled and tapering on distal half, with apical spinules ; mesolobes in posterior view as in Text-fig. 57. Length about 8-5-10 mm.
$. Vertex 0-30-0-32 of head-width. Third antennal segment 2-0-2-4 times as long as second segment. Interfrontal area at narrowest distinctly narrower than parafrontal. Parafacial hair on as much as upper half. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six or seven series. [Detailed des- cription of $ holotype in Crosskey (1963).]
Material examined. Holotype $. SOUTH INDIA: Tranquebar (no other data).
Other material. SOUTH INDIA: 2 <£, i $, Coimbatore, ex Hippotion, 15.1.1917 (B.M. Nat. Hist.); I <J, Coimbatore, xi.igsi (P. S. Nathan) (B.M. Nat. Hist.); i $t Coimbatore, xii.ig5i (P. S. Nathan) (Can. Nat. Coll.).
Distribution. Southern India.
Hosts. Hippotion sp. (Lepidoptera : Sphingidae).
Palexorista munda is very closely allied to P. inconspicuoides from Formosa, but appears certainly to be a distinct species : it differs from inconspicuoides in the head facies, less yellow colour, broader and more angulate-tapering paralobes of the male hypopygium, and in the absence of a row of black setulae on the upper occiput.
The name munda Wiedemann has been misused by several authors, and Mesnil (1952 : 236) cited the name as a senior synonym of Blepharella lateralis Macquart, type-species of Blepharella Macquart (syn. Podomyia Brauer and Bergenstamm) . The identity of Wiedemann's type of Tachina munda was discussed in a recent paper (Crosskey, 1963), where it was shown that munda is a sturmiine with bare facial ridges assignable to Prosturmia Townsend (now in synonymy with Palexorista} and not to Blepharella', munda is not an older name for lateralis Macquart.
Palexorista lucagus (Walker, 1849) (Text-figs. 6, 24, 31, 77)
Tachina lucagus Walker, 1849 : 768. Holotype <J, CHINA. In British Museum (Natural
History), London. [Examined] Lydella lucagus (Walker) Bigot, 1892 : 185. Blepharipoda lucagus (Walker) Husain & Mathur, 1924 : 121. Palexorista lucagus (Walker) Crosskey, 1966 : 1366.
<J. Head profile as in Text-fig. 6, frontal length about 1-04 times as great as facial length, antennal axis well above ocular axis. Vertex 0-27-0-28 of head-width. Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row, rarely one or two isolated adventitious black setulae. Interfrontal area usually slightly wider than parafrontal. Parafrontals very pale brassy yellow- ish or greyish yellow, colour merging into and not contrasting with creamy or rather shining whitish pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacials narrow, distinctly narrower than third antennal segment, haired on about uppermost third or quarter. Antennae with second segment unusually long, third segment about 2-4 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown except for trace of orange colour at junction with second segment. Palpi brownish basally and more tawny or yellowish apically. Mesonotum with very pale greyish yellow or pale yellow pollinosity, general appearance of species slightly yellowish, especially in specimens from New Guinea; black vittae of mesonotum conspicuous and sometimes edged with bronze- brown pollinosity. Tarsal claws long. Abdomen with blackish brown ground colour and very pale yellowish grey pollinosity, intermediate tergites with slightly shifting appearance and both broadly black posteriorly, marginal dark band of T4 occupying about two-fifths of length of
54 R- W. CROSSKEY
tergite. Dorsal hair of T4 in about four to six series; discal setae of T5 very strong. Hair- patches of T4 venter very characteristic, exceptionally large and occupying almost all of tergite venter (Text-fig. 24), area around hair-patch bare and shining metallic black. Genitalia: aedeagus of bifurcate type (Text-fig. 31); paralobes and mesolobes slender, latter in profile rather straight and evenly tapering (Text-fig. 38) ; paralobes with small apical spinules ; meso- lobes in posterior view as in Text-fig. 56. Length usually about 6 mm., ranging from 4-8-7-5 mm., smaller than average species.
$. Vertex 0-31-0-33 of head-width. Second antennal segment strikingly long, more notice- ably so than in <J, facial view of head and antennae as in Text-fig. 77, third antennal segment 1-7-2-2 times as long as second segment. Interfrontal area subequal in width to parafrontal. Dorsal hair of T4 in only four or five series, hair therefore sparser than usual.
Puparium: spiracular slits slightly sinuous, surface hairs not at all spiniform.
Material examined. Holotype $. CHINA: Foo-chow-foo (G. T. Lay).
Other material: WEST PAKISTAN: 4 <$, Punjab, Lyallpur, par. on Creatonotus gangis L. on pulses, 25.x. 1916 (D. Nathi}. INDIA: 2 $, 3 $, S. Malabar, Vadakam- puram, par. on Spodoptera mauritia, 15-21. iv. 1916 (P.S.); i $ with puparium, S. Malabar, Tirurangady, par. on Spodoptera mauritia on paddy, i8.vi.igig (Dy. Tahsildar) ; I <$ with puparium, Bangalore, ex caterpillar of Lymantria sp. on mango, xii.i962; i <£, Bangalore, ex hairy caterpillar on ground, ix.i962. CEYLON: i $, Peradeniya, vi.igog. THAILAND: i <$, Siam, Bangkok, ex Spodoptera sp. larva, 1934-35 (A. Manjikul). MALAYA: i <£, Pahang, ex Spodoptera sp., 31.^1.1927 (G. H. Corbett). NEW GUINEA: 4 <£, i $, Papua, Kapogere, 60 m. S.E. of Port Moresby, 3. ¥.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); i $, Papua, Central District, Musgrave River, 6. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); i $, Papua, Central District, Musgrave River, iS.vii. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 2 <$, Morobe District, Wau, 3,500-4,000 ft., 19 and 23. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); i $, Morobe District, near Wau, Nami Creek, 5,500 ft., 22. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 4 <$, 5 $, Morobe District, Bubia, 9 m. W. of Lae, 16- 21. vi. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey).
All above-listed material in British Museum (Natural History).
Distribution. Although as yet known only from a small amount of material, P. lucagus (Walker) appears to be a widespread species in the Oriental Region, occurring from West Pakistan and Ceylon eastwards to China and New Guinea. There are few records as yet from south-east Asia and none from Indonesia, although lucagus probably occurs here. P. lucagus possibly occurs in Queensland, as it is present in Papua, but it is not yet known from Australia.
Hosts. Known from the following lepidopterous hosts: Creatonotos gangis (Linnaeus) from West Pakistan [Arctiidae], Spodoptera mauritia (Boisduval) [Noc- tuidae] in India and Spodoptera sp. in Thailand and Malaya, and Lymantria sp. [Lymantriidae] in India. The specimens listed above from West Pakistan reared from Creatonotos gangis are part of the material on which Husain & Mathur (1924) based their record of lucagus parasitic on this host.
Palexorista lucagus is one of the most distinctive Oriental species of the genus on external characters because of the enormous abdominal hair-patches of the male, much larger than in other species, and because of the unusually long second antennal segment which forms a particularly notable character in the female: although differing from other species in these characters, the general affinities of lucagus are
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 55
with the other species in which the male paralobes bear apical spirmles. In the small size and overall facies there is close resemblance to P. solennis (except in the large male hair-patch) , but this species differs from lucagus in lacking spinules on the para- lobes of the male hypopygium.
Palexorista subanajatna (Townsend, 1927) (Text-figs. 5, 37, 55)
Prosturmia subanajama Townsend, 1927 : 69. Lectotype $, SUMATRA. In Zoologisch Museum,
Amsterdam. [Examined] Palexorista subanajama (Townsend) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Lectotype Designation: the type-material of P. subanajama comprises two conspecific male syntypes, one in the Zoologisch Museum, Amsterdam and one in the United States National Museum, Washington ; the specimen in Amsterdam has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE.
(J. Head profile as in Text-fig. 5, frontal length about 1-04 times as great as facial length, antennal axis far above ocular axis. Vertex 0-24-0-26 of head-width, upper frons usually rather noticeably narrow. Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row, occa- sionally one or two adventitious setulae present. Interfrontal area subequal in width to a parafrontal. Parafrontals with pollinosity varying in colour from pale grey (as in lectotype) to brassy yellow, usually greyish yellow, contrasting noticeably with white or creamy whitish pollinose face and parafacials ; parafacials sometimes pale brassy yellow pollinose in specimens with more golden paraf rentals. Parafacials narrow, a little narrower than third antennal segment, rather conspicuously and finely long haired on uppermost third or half. Antennae long, third segment 2-9-3-8 times as long as second segment (3-8 times in lectotype) and entirely blackish brown. Palpi brown or blackish brown, sometimes more yellow brown and with more yellowish or tawny brown apices. Mesonotum with pollinosity varying from pale grey (as in lectotype) to golden yellow, usually pale yellowish, sometimes with traces of bronze-brown pollinosity around the black vittae; dorsum of thorax usually distinctly yellowish to naked eye. Tarsal claws long. Abdomen with dark brown to blackish ground colour and pale grey to golden yellow pollinosity, pattern of intermediate tergites with slightly shifting appearance, most of T3 dark dorsally with the dark area extending medially nearly to fore margin so that the yellow or greyish pollinosity is mainly antero-lateral, pollinosity of T4 on basal half only so that to naked eye at least posterior half of this tergite appears black. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six to eight series; discal setae of T5 long and moderately strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter of medium to large size, much as in curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). Genitalia: aedeagus of bifurcate type, similar to that of inconspicuoides (Text-fig. 30); paralobes and mesolobes elongate, paralobes with stubby black apical spinules and mesolobes in profile straight and rather evenly tapering (Text-fig. 37); mesolobes in posterior view as in Text-fig. 55. Length usually about 8-9-5 mm., ranging from 5-8-10-9 mm. in material seen.
$. Vertex 0-28-0-29 °f head-width. Third antennal segment 2-2-2-6 times as long as second segment. Interfrontal area slightly, but distinctly and rather consistently, wider than a parafrontal. Parafacials usually less extensively haired than in <$, hairing confined to uppermost quarter or third.
Material examined. Lectotype <£. SUMATRA : Suban Ajam, vii . 1916 (E. Jacobson). Paralectotype <$. Data as for lectotype (U.S. Nat. Mus.).
Other material. MALAYA: 2 <£, Temerloh, ix.i922 (G. H. Corbett). SARAWAK: i $, foot of Mt. Dulit, junction of rivers Tinjar and Lejok, 5 .ix. 1932 (B. M. Hobby &
56 R. W. CROSSKEY
A. W. Moore). NEW GUINEA: i g, i <j>, Japen Island, camp 2, Mt. Eiori, 2,000 ft., xi.i938 (L. E. Cheesman); i <$, Waigeu, Camp Nok, 2,500 ft., iv.i938 (L. E. Chees- man); i $, Papua, Ishurava, 3,000 ft., vii.1933 (L. E. Cheesman); i <$, 2 $, Papua, Northern District, Moale Plantation, ix.ig65 (7". Bourke); i $, Papua, Popondetta, Girua Plantation, 4^.1966 (r. V. Bourke); i $, Papua, Central District, Gaile Forest, 28 m. S.E. of Port Moresby, 5. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 3 <£, Papua, Central District, Musgrave River, n.v.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); i $, Papua, Central District, Musgrave River, 18^11.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 5 <£, 4 $, Papua, Central District, Kapogere, 60 m. S.E. of Port Moresby, 3 .v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey) ; 92 <$, 6 $, Morobe District, Wau, 3,500-4,000 ft., 14-23^.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 12 <$, Morobe Dis- trict, Nami Creek nr. Wau, 5,500 ft., 22-23^.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 4 <£, Morobe District, Lae area, Busu River Forest, 17. vi. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); i <$, Morobe District, Bubia, 9 m. W. of Lae, 19 . vi . 1965 (R. W. Crosskey) ; 3 <$, 2 $, Eastern High- lands, Goroka, 26-30^.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 4 <$, Eastern Highlands, 7 m. S.E. of Goroka, 26-27. v. 1965 C^- W . Crosskey) ; 2 <$, 2 $, Eastern Highlands, Fore, 30 m. S.E. of Goroka, 25^.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 23 <?, 3 $, Western Highlands, Mt. Hagen, 3-7. vi. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey) ; 2 $, Western Highlands, Olgolboly, 13 m. E. of Mt. Hagen, 4 . vi . 1965 (R. W. Crosskey) . NEW BRITAIN : 30 $, Keravat, 25 . viii . 1965 (Dept. Agric.); i $, Rabaul, 3o.vii.i937 (/. L. Froggatt}; 15 $, Keravat, 25. vi- 4.vii.i965 (R. W. Crosskey). BOUGAINVILLE: 9 <£, 2 $, Numa Numa, 13-14^^.1965 (G. S. Dun); i £, Sabah Plantation, I2.vii.i965 (G. S. Dun); 16 <$, Arawa, 4-7 m. N. of Kieta, n.vii.1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 12 ^, Aropa area, 12 m. S. of Kieta, 8-io.vii.i965 (R. W. Crosskey). SOLOMON ISLANDS: i $, Guadalcanal, Mamara, 25 . iv . 1964 (B. McQuillan) . QUEENSLAND : i <£, i $, Gordonvale, 23 . vi . 1938 (/. H. Buzacott); 2 <$, 3 $, ^.1903 [no locality data within Queensland: one of males aberrant, with only one pair of reclinate orbital setae].
All above-listed material in British Museum (Natural History).
Distribution. From Malaya and Sumatra eastwards to Queensland and the Solomon Islands: no material has been seen from Indonesia but the species must almost certainly occur there. P. subanajama appears to be by far the commonest species of Palexorista occurring in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, including the Bismarck Archipelago and Bougainville Island.
Hosts. Palexorista subanajama parasitizes Tiracola plagiata (Walker) (Lepidop- tera : Noctuidae), a pest of castor oil and tapioca, in New Guinea and Malaya. The records of ophirica and inconspicuoides as parasites of Tiracola plagiata published by Greenstreet & Lambourne (1933) and by Corbett & Miller (1928, 1933) are based on misidentifications of the Tachinid and actually refer to P. subanajama (the specimens listed above from Malaya were reared by Corbett from T. plagiata and are so labelled) .
Other known hosts, confirmed from reared material listed above, are Polydesma umbricola Boisduval (Noctuidae) and Acantholeucania loreyi (Duponchel) in New Britain and Queensland respectively. The latter species, under the name Cirphis loreyi, has been recorded in the literature as host of P. inconspicuoides (Baranov) in Queensland by Bell (1936, 1938), but the true inconspicuoides is not known outside Formosa and these records almost certainly refer to P. subanajama (one of the species sometimes misidentified by Baranov) .
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 57
Palexorista subanajama is one of the group of species showing apical spinules on the paralobes of the male hypopygium, and is one of the closely allied species with this character misidentified by Baranov as inconspicuoides: although closely related to this species, subanajama differs conspicuously in the shape of the paralobes and mesolobes of the male genitalia, in lacking black upper occipital setulae, and in the much longer antennae. Superficially P. subanajama is very similar to P. solennis but differs mainly in the large hair-patches of T4 venter, in the absence of black setulae on the upper occiput, and in the presence of spinules on the paralobes.
Palexorista solennis (Walker, 1859) (Text-figs. 10, 23, 43, 60)
Masicera solennis Walker, 1859 : 98. Holotype <J [not °-] ARU ISLANDS. In British Museum
(Natural History), London. [Examined] Tachina succini Giebel, 1862 : 319. Holotype $, probably ORIENTAL REGION (in copal). In
Naturwissenschaftlichen Museum der Coburger Landesstiftung, Coburg. [Examined]
[synonymy by Crosskey, 1966 : 134] Meigenia latestriata Wulp, 1881 : 39. Holotype <J, SUMATRA. In Rijksmuseum van Natuur-
lijke Historic, Leiden. [Examined] syn. n.
Crossocosmia discreta Wulp, 1893 : 164. Lectotype <$, JAVA. In Zoologisch Museum, Amster- dam. [Examined] syn. n.
Blepharipoda solennis (Walker) Austen, 1907 : 341. Palexorista succini (Giebel) Townsend, 1921 : 134. Prosturmia profana Townsend, 1927 : 69. Syntypes $, SUMATRA. In United States National
Museum, Washington. [Examined] [Synonymy by Crosskey, 1966 : 134] Sturmia inconspicuella Baranov, 1932 : 79. Lectotype $, FORMOSA. In Deutsches Entomolo-
gisches Institut. [Examined] syn. n. Sturmia imperfecta Malloch, 1935 : 353. Holotype <$, TONGA. In British Museum (Natural
History), London. [Examined] syn. n.
Drino (Prosturmia) inconspicuella (Baranov) Mesnil, 1949 : 19. Drino (Prosturmia) discreta (Wulp) Mesnil, 1951 : 181. Palexorista discreta (Wulp) Crosskey, 1966 : 136. Palexorista imperfecta (Malloch) Crosskey, 1966 : 136. Palexorista inconspicuella (Baranov) Crosskey, 1966 : 136. Palexorista latestriata (Wulp) Crosskey, 1966 : 136. Palexorista profana (Townsend) Crosskey, 1966 : 136. Palexorista solennis (Walker) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Lectotype Designations: (i) Crossocosmia discreta Wulp. Described from two syntypes, a male and a female, both in Amsterdam Museum, of which the male has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE. The lectotype and the female paralectotype are each labelled " Crossocosmia discreta n.s. " with the sex sign on the label and each bears a faded blue label with the words " Java Piepers " almost obliterated. (2) Sturmia inconspicuella Baranov. Described from an unstated number (" Sehr zahlreiche ") of male and female specimens collected by Sauter at Kankau and Sokutsu in Formosa. The type-material consists of three male syntypes and one female syntype in U.S. National Museum (from the Baranov collection) and of twenty-six male and five female syntypes in the Deutsches Entomologisches Institut : a male specimen examined from the latter collection has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE. (3) Prosturmia profana Townsend. Townsend
58 R. W. CROSSKEY
based the description of prof ana on four male syntypes from Fort de Kock, and later (Townsend, 1941 : 125) stated that the " Ht " (holotype) was in Amsterdam and a " Pt " (paratype) in Washington: the statement of holotype for profana is not acceptable as fixation of a lectotype, since it does not restrict to a single recognizable specimen. No type-specimen of profana can be found in the collection of the Zoolo- gisch Museum, Amsterdam, and a lectotype is not designated tor profana at this time: it should be noted however that the collection of the U.S. National Museum contains two of the original four male syntypes, but Dr. Curtis Sabrosky (personal communica- tion) informs me that both correctly belong in Washington — neither being a specimen inadvertently not returned to Amsterdam by Townsend.
cJ. Head profile as in Text-fig. 10, frontal length about 1-05 times as great as facial length, antennal axis conspicuously above ocular axis. Vertex 0-25-0-27 of head-width. Upper occiput with an irregular row of black setulae behind postocular row, setulae sometimes very sparse. Interfrontal area at least as wide as parafrontal, usually distinctly wider. Outer vertical setae undeveloped. Parafrontals from greyish or yellowish white to golden pollinose, usually pale brassy yellow pollinose ; face and parafacials usually yellowish white pollinose and not noticeably contrasting with parafrontals, sometimes pale brassy yellowish or silvery whitish pollinose, if silver then more contrasting in colour with yellowish parafrontals. Parafacials narrow, slightly narrower than third antennal segment or at most subequal in width ; parafacial hair conspicuous, on at least uppermost quarter and usually on uppermost third or parafacial, parafacials occa- sionally haired on as much as upper half or even two-thirds (as in solennis holotype) . Antennae long, third segment 3-2-3-8 times as long as second segment (3-6 in solennis holotype and inconspicuella lectotype; 3-5 in latestriata holotype; 3-4 in discreta lectotype and imperfecta holotype), third segment entirely blackish brown. Palpi brown or blackish basally and yellowish or tawny brownish apically. Mesonotum with greyish to yellow pollinosity, and usually with bronze or coppery brown pollinosity around and between the black vittae, sometimes scutum extensively coppery brown pollinose ; the outlining of the black vittae with coppery pollinosity forming noteworthy feature of the species. Tarsal claws long, much longer than last tarsal segment. Abdominal ground colour blackish brown, at most inconspicuously reddish laterally on T3, pollinosity greyish white or yellowish white to pale yellow (sometimes noticeably coppery around dark areas), pollinosity of intermediate tergites with shifting appearance, pale pollinose area very narrow mediallly on T3 which is largely blackish brown on median two-thirds, pollino- sity of T4 on about basal half only so that posterior dark margin is unusually wide (occupying hind half of tergite) . Dorsal hair of T4 in about five to nine series, fewer series in small specimens than in large ones; discal setae of T$ strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter unusually small, in some specimens patch reduced to a few hairs only, patch subtriangular and only half as long as tergite (Text-fig. 23), area of tergite basad of the hair-patch with normal surface hairing. Geni- talia : aedeagus of bifurcate type, similar to that of laxa (Text-fig. 29) ; paralobes without stubby black apical spinules, few short hairs only, paralobes and mesolobes in lateral view as in Text-fig. 43; mesolobes in posterior view elongate and pointed (Text-fig. 60). Size variable, length usually about 7-5-9-5 mm., ranging from 5-1-11-5 mm. (7-1 mm. in solennis lectotype, 7-5 mm. in latestriata holotype, 8-1 mm. in discreta lectotype, 10-2 in inconspicuella lectotype, 11-5 mm. in imperfecta holotype).
£. Vertex 0-28-0-31 of head-width. Third antennal segment 2-6-3-1 times as long as second segment, sometimes with reddish suffusion basally and along inner margin. Interfrontal area subequal in width to parafrontal. Parafrontals usually clear pale yellow pollinose and con- trasting with white pollinose face and parafacials, parafrontals sometimes golden. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six or seven series. T4 blackish brown on about posterior two-fifths.
Puparium. Slits of posterior spiracles slightly sinuous, surface hairing of puparium short, fine and dense.
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 59
Material examined. Holotype of solennis <$. ARU ISLANDS: no locality (A. R. Wallace). Holotype of succini $, in copal of presumed Oriental origin. Holotype of latestriata <$. SUMATRA: Simau[oeng], ¥1.1877. Lectotype of discreta <$. JAVA: no locality (Piepers). Syntypes of prof ana, 2 <£. SUMATRA: Fort de Kock, 920 m., 1924 (E. Jacobson). Lectotype of inconspicuella <$. FORMOSA: Kankau, Koshun, viii.i9i2 (H. Sauter). Holotype of imperfecta <$. TONGA: Haapai, 13.11.1925 (Buxton & Hopkins).
Paralectotype of discreta $. Data as for lectotype (Zool. Mus. Amsterdam). Paratype of imperfecta $. NEW BRITAIN: Rabaul (F. H. Taylor] (S.P.H.T.M. Sydney). Paralectotypes of inconspicuella, 22 <£, 5 $. FORMOSA: Kankau, Koshun, iv-xi.i9i2 (H. Sauter) (D. Ent. Inst.) and I <$, FORMOSA: Sokutsu, ix.i9i2 (H. Sauter) (D. Ent. Inst.).
Other material. CEYLON: 2 <$, Peradeniya, par. of Crocidolomia binotalis, i8.viii.i928 (/. C. Hutson); i <£, Trincomali, 24. ix. 1890 (Yerbury). INDIA: i $, Bangalore, ix.i962; i <£, Coimbatore, ix-x.i947 (P. S. Nathan); i $, Madras, Nilambur, Aravallicava, par. on Hybloea puera, 30. ix. 1925 (S. N. Chatter jee}; i $, Madras, Nilambur, Amarampalam R, 25. iv. 1933 (C. F. C. Beeson); i $, Madras, Nilambur, Elenjeri, par. on Hybloea puera, 2-3 . vii. 1925 (S. N. Chatter jee) ; i $, Madras, Nilambur, par. on Hybloea puera, 28 . v . 1927 (S. N. Chatter jee} ; i $, Madras, Nilambur, Edacode, par. on Hybloea puera, 9 . x . 1925 (S. N. Chatter jee} ; i <$, Poona, Akola, ex Cosmophila sp. on cotton, 2O.viii.i963; i $, Dehra Dun, par. on Hybloea puera, 15 .xi. 1931 (S. N. Chatter jee} ; i ^, i $, Central Provinces, Hoghangabad, Rahatgaon, par. on Hybloea puera, 2.ix. & i.x.1926 (S. N. Chatter jee). BURMA: 6 £, 10 $, Zibingi, nr. Maymyo, par. on Hybloea puera, I3.viii.-I4.ix.i930 (D. J. Atkinson);
1 <$, I $, Zigon, Thitcho Reserve, 2 & 3 . vii . 1930 (D. C. F.) ; i <$, Pyinmana, Yanaung- myin Reserve, 26 . viii . 1928 (D. J. Atkinson} ; i $, Pyinmana, Yanaungmyin Reserve, par. on Hybloea puera, 26. vii. 1931 (D. J. Atkinson). THAILAND: 2 $, Bangkok, 1.1.1930 (W. R. S. Ladell). MALAYA: i <^, Kuala Lumpur, par. on Amathusia phidippus, 20. xi. 1922 (G. H. Corbett & B. A. R. Gater). SUMATRA: i $, Pematang Siantar, Naga Hoeta Estate, 1,750 ft., 20. iv. 1931 (R. I. Nel). JAVA: 5 <$, Tjiomas, Buitenzorg, i.ix.i936 (/. v. d. Vecht) (four in Rijksmus. Leiden); i $, Mt. Gede, ex Crocidolomia binotalis, 111.1929 (S. Leefmans & R. Awibowo). SABAH: i <$, Kunak, Mostyn Estate, ex oil palm bagworm, 13 . vi . 1966 (E. B. Tay) . NEW GUINEA :
2 (£, Indonesian New Guinea (West Irian), Hollandia, Kota Nica, ex Homona, I2.xii.i958 and 2.11.1959 (R. T. Simon-Thomas} (Rijksmus. Leiden); i <$, West Irian, Hollandia, Kota Nica, ex Homona, 13 . xii . 1958 (R. T. Simon-Thomas) ; g <$, 2 $, West Irian, Kota Nica, ex Pyr\austa] nub[ilalis~\, 19. xii. 1958-25. 1.1959 (R. T. Simon-Thomas) (Rijksmus. Leiden except for 3 <$ in B.M. Nat. Hist.); 2 $, West Irian, Kota Nica, 10. xii. 1958 (R. T. Simon-Thomas) (Rijksmus. Leiden); 8 <$, 2 $, Papua, Central District, Kapogere, 60 m. S.E. of Port Moresby, 3 . v . 1965 (R. W. Cross- key); i <£, Papua, Central District, Musgrave River, 18. vii. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); i ^, 2 $, Morobe District, Wau, 3,500-4,000 ft., 18-21. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 2 <$, 2 $, Morobe District, nr. Wau, Nami Creek, 5,500 ft., 22-23. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 2 $, 2 %, Eastern Highlands, 7 m. S.E. of Goroka, 27. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); 2 $, Eastern Highlands, Goroka, 28-30. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey);
60 R. W. CROSSKEY
i <$, 2 $, Western Highlands, Mt. Hagen, 3-7 . vi . 1965 (R. W. Crosskey) ; 3 <£, Madang District, nr. Madang, 11-14. vi. 1965 (R- W7- Crosskey). NEW BRITAIN: i $, Keravat, 28. vi. 1965 (7?. JF. Crosskey). BOUGAINVILLE: i $, Numa Numa, 13-14^^.1965 (G. S. Dun). QUEENSLAND: i <£, Queensland (no other data). NEW HEBRIDES: i <$, Banks Islands, Vanua Lava, x.ig2g (L. E. Cheesman); 2 <$, Banks Islands, Santa Maria I., Gaua, Nombur, 8.x. 1922 (T. T. Barnard}; i <$, Sandwich Id., 15. ix. 1922 (T. T. Barnard); i <$, Epi Island, 12. vi. 1925 (P. A. Buxton); 2 <$, Malekula, Ounua, ii-v.i929 (L. E. Cheesman); i £, Malekula, Malua Bay, vi.i929 (L. E. Cheesman). LOYALTY ISLANDS: i $, E. Lifu Island, Cap des Pins, 18. 30.1949- 18.1.1950 (L. E. Cheesman). MARIANA ISLANDS: 2 £, i <j>, Saipan, Char. Kn., 20.viii.i944 (D. G. Hall] (U.S. Nat. Mus. except one male in B.M. Nat. Hist.); 3 $, Saipan, crops, 15 . x . 1945 (D. G. Hall) (U.S. Nat. Mus.) ; i $, Saipan, 28 . viii . 1951 (R. M. Bohart) (Bishop Mus.); i $, Saipan, As Mahetog area, at light, 5^.1945 (H. S. Dybas) (Bishop Mus.); i <$, Saipan, 1-2 m. E. of Tanapag, i6.iv.i945 (H. S. Dybas) (Bishop Mus.); i $, Rota L, 29.vii.i925 (Hornbastel) (Bishop Mus.); i $, Rota, i8.vi.i95i (R. M. Bohart) (Bishop Mus.); 3 <£, 4 $, Agrihan L, 26.vii.i95i (R. M. Bohart) (Bishop Mus.) ; i $ with puparium,Tenian I. (=Tinian), i .iii . 1946 (F. C. Hadden) Bishop Mus.) ; 5 <£, Tenian I. (=Tinian), at light, 6. iii. 1946 (F. C. Hadden) (Bishop Mus. except one male B.M. Nat. Hist.) ; 3 $, Guam, Talofafo, 28.iv. 1946 (AT". L. H. Krauss) (Bishop. Mus.); i $, Guam, Pt. Oca, i.vi.i945 (U.S. Nat. Mus.) ; i $ with puparium, Guam, Agana, ex sulphur butterfly pupa, n . ix . 1936 (0. H. Swezey) (Bishop Mus.); i $, Guam, Agana, 7^.1945 (G. E. Bohart &J. L. Gressitt) (U.S. Nat. Mus.) ; I <$ with puparium, Guam, Piti, ex pago leafroller, 30 . xi . 1936 (0. H. Swezey) (Bishop Mus.) ; i $, Guam, Tijan, 2 . iv . 1936 (E. H. Bryan) (Bishop Mus.); i $, Guam, Yigo, 8.xi.i936 (0. H. Swezey) (Bishop Mus.); i $ with puparium, Guam, Machanao, ex Enchocnemidia vertumnalis, 4^.1936 (0. H. Swezey) .
The above-listed material is in British Museum (Natural History) except where otherwise stated.
Distribution. P. solennis is the most widely distributed species of Palexorista in the Oriental Region and in western Australasia. In Australia itself it is known from Queensland but not from areas further south, and in the Pacific islands occurs at least as far east as Tonga (type-locality of the synonym imperfecta). The species may occur in Fiji, but material seen from here (in British Museum collection), although very like solennis, differs in having the hair-patches of the male abdomen slightly larger and the tergite without normal hairing basad of the patches and in lacking black setulae behind the postocular row: the Fiji material may therefore belong to a distinct species, and at present the Fiji Islands represent a break in the confirmed distribution of solennis (to the west of Fiji solennis occurs in the New Hebrides and Loyalty Islands). No material of solennis has been seen from China during the present revision, but Mesnil (1949 : 24) has described a variety (sinensis) of Drino (Prosturmia) inconspicuella (=Palexorista solennis) from Shanghai which is probably conspecific with solennis and the range of P. solennis in the Oriental Region almost certainly includes southern China, and includes Formosa (the type-locality of inconspicuella). P. solennis is almost certainly common throughout Indonesia,
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 61
although material has been seen only from Aru Islands and the major western islands (Sumatra, Java, Borneo) ; Franssen (1935) has recorded the species (under the name inconspicuella} from Celebes, this record almost certainly being based on a correct identification.
Hosts. Reared material of P. solennis, the commonest Oriental species of Palexor- ista, has been seen from the following lepidopterous hosts: Crocidolomia binotalis Zeller (Pyralidae : Pyraustinae) from Ceylon and Java; Enchocnemidia vertumnalis (Guenee) (Pyralidae : Pyraustinae) from Guam; Ostrinia nubilalis (Hiibner) (Pyra- lidae : Pyraustinae) from Indonesian New Guinea; Homona sp. (Tortricidae) from Indonesian New Guinea; Cosmophila sp. (Noctuidae) from India; Hyblaea puera (Cramer) (Noctuidae) from India and Burma; and Amathmia phidippus (Linnaeus) (Amathusiidae) from Malaya. Wulp (1893) recorded that the type-material of discrete* (= solennis) was reared from Godara comalis (Guenee) ; this name is synony- mous with Crocidolomia binotalis Zeller.
The specimen of P. solennis listed above as reared from Amathusia phidippus (L.) in Malaya was misidentified when first collected as the European species P. incon- spicua (Meigen), and is the basis of the erroneous records of Corbett & Miller (1928, 1933) of inconspicua as a parasite of this host.
The host records for Sturmia inconspicuella (=Palexorista solennis) in the economic literature for which material has not been seen fall into two groups, those that are almost certainly valid and based on correct determination of the tachinid parasite and those that are suspect through probable misidentification : the host records of Agrotis (as Rhyacia) ipsilon (Hufnagel) in Celebes by Franssen (1935), of Acan- tholeucania (as Cirphis) loreyi (Duponchel) in Queensland by Bell (1939), oiPyrausta (as Hapalia} machoeralis (Walker) in India by Beeson & Chatter] ee (1935), of Mar- garonia laticostalis (Guenee) in India by Beeson & Chatterjee (1935) and oiSpodoptera mauritia (Boisduval) in India by Beeson & Chatterjee (1935) are probably all correct; those of Telicota palmarum Moore (=Cephrenes augiades (Felder)) in Malaya by Corbett & Miller (1933) and of Spodoptera (as Prodenia) litura (Fab.) in Fiji by Lever (1943) are suspect.
P. solennis is one of the most distinctive species in the Oriental Region, at once distinguishable in the male from other species of Palexorista by the exceptionally small hair-patches of T4 and the presence of normal tergite hairing basad of the patches ; apart from P. laxa, this species is the only one with bifurcate aedeagus in the Oriental Region in which the paralobes lack apical spinules. The absence of spinules from the paralobes assists in distinguishing solennis from P. subanajama (Townsend) and P. aequalis (Malloch) , both of which have a close superficial resem- blance except for the larger hair-patches; P. aequalis (Malloch) from Samoa is not discussed in the present paper as it does not occur in the Oriental Region, but Text-fig. 39 shows the hypopygium of aequalis for comparison with that of solennis (the shape of the paralobes and mesolobes is very similar but the former show the conspicuous spinules in aequalis}. Mesnil (1949, 1951) suggested the possibility that P. subanajama was a synonym of inconspicuella = discreta (both here synony- mized with solennis}, but examination of the lectotype of subanajama shows that the species are quite distinct.
62 R. W. CROSSKEY
Mesnil (1949) described Drino (Prosturmia) inconspicuella var. sinensis from China, later (Mesnil, 1951) citing it as a variety of discreta (senior synonym of inconspicuella) : no material has been seen of var. sinensis, but the exceptionally small male abdominal hair-patches mentioned in the description suggest that it is not specifically distinct from solennis.
It should be noted that in my earlier paper (Crosskey, 1966) on Palexorista I inadvertently cited the type-locality of imperfecta (described by Malloch in Insects of Samoa) as Samoa ; Tonga is the correct locality.
Palexorista laxa (Curran, 1927) (Text-figs, n, 29, 61)
Sturmia laxa Curran, 1927 : 335. Holotype <$, TANZANIA. In British Museum (Natural
History), London. [Examined] Palexorista laxa (Curran) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
<J. Head profile as in Text-fig, n, frontal length about i-n times as great as facial length, antennal axis conspicuously above ocular axis. Vertex 0-32-0-34 of head-width (0-32 in holo- type), frons unusually and conspicuously broad. Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area subequal in width to a parafrontal. Outer vertical setae undeveloped. Parafrontals greyish white or yellowish white to pale greyish yellow pollinose, colour not noticeably contrasting with white pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacials un- usually broad, distinctly wider than third antennal segment, haired on uppermost third or two- fifths or sometimes on as much as upper half. Antennae long, third segment 2-6-3-0 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown or at most with a trace of orange at junction with second segment. Palpi blackish brown basally and tawny yellowish apically. Mesonotum with pale yellowish grey to pale yellow pollinosity. Tarsal claws long. Abdominal ground colour blackish brown, faintly reddish on sides of T3, pollinosity very pale yellowish and with strong shifting appearance on intermediate tergites, dark hind border of T4 occupying about one-third of tergite length. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six or seven series, discal setae of T5 strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter large, similar to those of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28) or slightly larger. Genitalia: aedeagus of bifurcate type, shaped as in Text-fig. 29; paralobes haired only, no stubby black apical spinules, paralobes and mesolobes in lateral view shaped as in Text-fig. 44; mesolobes in posterior view elongate and pointed (Text-fig. 61). Length usually about 8-9 mm., ranging from 6-9 to 10-2 mm. in material seen.
$. Vertex 0-35-0-37 of head-width. Third antennal segment 2-2-2-5 times as long as second segment, latter sometimes reddish. Interfrontal area subequal in width to or slightly narrower than parafrontal, seen from in front with thin whitish pollinosity so that whole frons appears rather greyish white in some lights; parafrontals at most only faintly yellowish. Lower pair of reclinate orbital setae much smaller than upper pair, size differential more conspicuous than in most species. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six or seven series, black margin of T4 occupying only about posterior quarter of tergite.
Puparium : slits of posterior spiracles almost straight or with slight simple curvature, surface hairs not spiniform.
Material examined. Holotype <$ with puparium. TANZANIA: Tanganyika, Morogoro, ex Chloridea obsoleta, vii.1923 (A. H. Ritchie).
Paratypes. TANZANIA: 2 $, one with puparium, data as for holotype (B.M. Nat. Hist.); i $, Kimamba, parasite of maize leaf caterpillars (A. H. Ritchie) (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
Other material. TANZANIA: i <$, i $, Ilonga, Kilosa, ex H. armigera on maize, 27 . iv . 1950 (H. J. Disney) ; i <$, i 9, Ilonga, ex H. armigera on cotton, 3 and 5 . vi . 1949
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 63
(H. J. Disney] ; i $, Msowero, ex H. armigera on cotton, 12 . vii. 1949 (H. J. Disney] ; 10 (£, 9 $, Ilonga, ex H. armigera, 25. iv. -23. vii. 1962 (/. A. D. Robertson); 5 <J, I ?, with puparia, Ukiriguru, ex H. armigera on cotton, 22. v.-3. vii. 1961 (/. A. D. Robertson] ; 2 <$, Ukiriguru, ex Heliothis armigera larva, v . 1962 (W. Reed] . UGANDA : i $, Masindi, em. from cocoon, io.viii.i923 (H. Wilkinson]. MALAWI: i 9, Nyasa- land, Ntonowe, ex caterpillars, 30^.1923 (C. Smee]. RHODESIA: i J, 2 $, with puparia, Mazoe, ex Heliothis armigera, 5 and 12. xi. 1938 (E. Parry-Jones]. SOUTH AFRICA: 2 °-, Zoekoevlei, ex Heliothis armigera, io.xi.i95i (H. W. Bedford]; i 9, Natal, Richmond, 30^.1937 (W. F. Jepson). SUDAN: i J, Tokar, 21. x. 1912 (H. H. King). INDIA: i <£, i $, Madhya Pradesh, Pipariya.
All above-listed material in British Museum (Natural History).
Distribution. Palexorista laxa is widespread and probably common throughout eastern Africa from South Africa to the Sudan ; until recently it was not known from the Oriental Region, but it can now be established that it occurs in India. Reared material, ex Heliothis from India, currently in culture in Georgia, U.S.A., is indis- tinguishable in male genitalia and all other characters from the holotype and other material of P. laxa (Curran) reared from Heliothis in Africa. As yet no records exist of laxa from anywhere between eastern Africa and India, but the species almost certainly occurs in the intervening area (the British Museum collection contains specimens of the very closely related species Palexorista zonata (Curran) from Arabia and of an undescribed species of Palexorista from Aden) . P. laxa is the only species of the genus, other than P. parachrysops , that is known to occur in both Ethiopian and Oriental Regions. It is not yet known from Egypt (although it may well occur there), but the closely allied species P. imberbis (Wiedemann) occurs there and else- where in the Middle East.
Hosts. The only authenticated host of P. laxa is the Old World Cotton Bollworm, Heliothis armigera (Hiibner) (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae), a widespread pest of cotton and of maize and other cereal crops in Africa, southern and eastern Asia, Queensland and the western Pacific ; material of P. laxa reared from this host has been seen from Tanzania, Rhodesia, South Africa and India during the preparation of this paper. The holotype of laxa was reared from H. armigera, but is labelled ex Chloridea obsoleta ; for many years armigera was referred to in the Old World economic literature as obsoleta Fab., but this name applies to the New World Cotton Bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie).
Curran (1927) recorded that one of the female paratypes of Sturmia laxa was bred from Laphygma (=Spodoptera] exempta Walker (Noctuidae). This paratype has not been seen and I do not know its whereabouts, but it appears likely that it was not correctly associated with the male holotype and this host record must be regarded as suspect. Similarly, no material has been seen on which the record of laxa as a parasite on Cirphis (=Acantholeucania] loreyi Duponchel could be based (Jack, I935 : 564) and the record cannot be substantiated at present. Thus Heliothis armigera is the only proven host of Palexorista laxa, and, it may be noted, laxa is the only species of Palexorista certainly known to parasitize the Old World Cotton Bollworm.
Mesnil (1949, 1951) treated laxa as a synonym of Drino (Prosturmia] imberbis
64
R. W. CROSSKEY
10
12
13
FIGS. 5-13. Outline head profile of male of: 5, P. subanajama, lectotype; 6, P. lucagus; 7, P. munda; 8, P. inconspicuoides , lectotype; 9, P. laetifica, holotype; 10, P. solennis, holotype; n, P. laxa, holotype; 12, P. reclinata, paratype; 13, P. bisetosa, holotype.
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 65
(Wiedemann), a species described from Egypt. It has not been possible to see any type-material of imberbis (see fuller discussion of this species in a later section), but presuming this species as currently understood to be correctly identified there appears to be no doubt that laxa and imberbis are distinct species, and the synonymy established by Mesnil is here not accepted. Both species are undoubtedly very closely allied, and both have an exceptionally wide frons, but the male genitalia differ considerably in the shape of the paralobes and mesolobes; the differences are discussed in more detail later in this paper. The lack of spinules on the paralobes is unusual in species of Palexorista in which the aedeagus is of the bifurcate type, and the only other species occurring in the Oriental Region with bifurcate aedeagus but lacking such spinules is P. solennis : laxa is easily distinguished from solennis by the large hair-patches of the male abdomen and by the absence of black occipital setulae. The very wide frons and paralobes without spinules will distinguish laxa from P. munda, a generally similar species in southern India.
Palexorista dilaticornis (Mesnil, 1951)
Drino (Prosturmia) dilaticornis Mesnil, 1951 : 179. Holotype <J, INDIA (probably lost, see below). Palexorista dilaticornis (Mesnil) Crosskey, 1966 : 135.
Note. Dr. Mesnil informs me that the male holotype of dilaticornis was returned to the British Museum (Natural History) after description, but it cannot now be found in the British Museum collection and is not by chance still in Dr. Mesnil's collection; it must be considered probably lost. No other material of the male sex is known and the description of the male given below is based on characters mentioned in the original description. Both sexes were described by Mesnil, and a female paratype is in the British Museum; data of this specimen were not cited in the original description but are given below.
<J. Antennal axis far above ocular axis. Vertex about 0-25 of head-width (deduced from statement " Stirn so breit wie 2/3 eines Auges von oben gesehen " in original description). Upper occiput with an irregular row of black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area slightly narrower than a parafrontal. Outer vertical setae hair-like. Parafrontals pale yellowish pollinose, face and parafacials thickly whitish pollinose. Parafacials at mid height subequal in width to third antennal segment, haired on about upper half. Antennae long and unusually heavy, third segment about 2-5-3-0 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown. Palpi blackish brown basally and yellowish apically. Mesonotum with ashy grey to yellowish grey pollinosity, species with mainly greyish appearance. Tarsal claws long. Abdomen with mainly dark ground colour but yellowish laterally on T3 and T4, pollinosity mainly ashy grey, dorsum with very distinct dark median line widest on T3, T4 pollinose on basal half and blackish hind margin occupying about posterior half of tergite. Discal setae of T5 strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter rather small and rounded, only about half the width of one half-tergite. [Genitalia not described or figured by Mesnil, aedeagus probably of bifurcate type] . Length presumed about 6 mm. [original description states 6-8 mm. for type-material and available $ paratype measures 8-1 mm.]
?. Vertex 0-33 of head-width. Third antennal segment 3-6 times as long as second segment. Head pollinosity all greyish white. Interfrontal little narrower than parafrontal. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six or seven series.
Material examined. Paratype <j>. INDIA: S. Coorg, Tithimatti, par. on Geo- metridae, 14. x. 1940 (B. M. Bhatia] (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
66
R. W. CROSSKEY
14
15
16
19
17
18
20
21
22
FIGS. 14-22. Outline head profile of male of: 14, P. ophirica, paralectotype ; 15, P. curvi- palpis, lectotype; 16, P. deducens, lectotype; 17, P. immersa, from paralectotype of latiforceps ; 18, P. summaria, paralectotype; 19, P. painei, lectotype; 20, P. parachrysops ; 21, P. sororcula, holotype; 22, P. bancrofti, holotype.
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 67
Distribution. Known only from southern India.
Hosts. The type-material was reared from the larva of an unidentified species of Geometridae (Lepidoptera) .
The loss of the holotype and the absence of other male specimens make it impossible to determine the affinities of P. dilaticornis ; there is a superficial resemblance of the female to P. immersa (Walker) and Mesnil (1951 : 159) runs dilaticornis out in the same key-couplet as latiforceps Baranov (of which immersa is senior synonym). It is not impossible that dilaticornis is the same as P. summaria (Townsend), of which the female has not been seen but the male of which has rather small rounded ab- dominal hair-patches fitting Mesnil's description of dilaticornis; on the other hand, the ocular axis being well below the antennal axis suggests affinity with forms having the bifurcate type of aedeagus.
Palexorista bisetosa (Baranov, 1932) (Text-fig. 13)
Sturmia bisetosa Baranov, 1932 : 75. Holotype $, FORMOSA. In Deutsches Entomologisches
Institut. [Examined]
Drino (Prosturmia) bisetosa (Baranov) Mesnil, 1949 : 21. Palexorista bisetosa (Baranov) Crosskey, 1966 : 135.
$ [holotype]. Head profile as in Text-fig. 13, frontal length about 1-27 times as great as facial length, antennal axis almost level with ocular axis. Vertex 0-31 of head-width. Upper occiput with a row of black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area slightly wider than parafrontal. Outer vertical setae strongly developed [setae themselves missing on holotype but large pores conspicuous]. Parafrontals yellowish white, colour not noticeably contrasting with creamy whitish pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacials very slightly wider than third antennal segment, with only very few small hairs on about uppermost quarter. Antennae short, third segment 2-3 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown. Palpi mostly dark brown, only tawny yellowish on tips. Mesonotum rather greased in holotype but pollinosity apparently mostly pale greyish with little or no trace of a yellow tinge. Tarsal claws very short, much shorter than fifth tarsal segment. Abdomen with mainly dark ground colour but with pale reddish tinge antero-laterally, pollinosity very pale greyish yellow, T4 dark on about posterior quarter. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six series ; discal setae of T5 strong. Hair-patches of venter of T4 very large, each occupying almost three-quarters of width of one side of T4 venter. [Genitalia missing from holotype : see discussion]. Length 8-2 mm.
<j>. Unknown.
Material examined. Holotype <£. FORMOSA: Sokutsu, ix.i9i2 (H. Sauter}. Distribution. Known only from Formosa. Hosts. Unknown.
P. bisetosa is still known only from the male holotype, the genitalia of which appear to be lost: they were probably slide-mounted by Baranov, following his normal practice, but the slide cannot now be found in the collection of the Deutsches Ento- mologisches Institut or in the Baranov collection now at U.S. National Museum. From Baranov's (1932) figure of the lateral view of the hypopygium it is clear that the aedeagus of bisetosa is of the non-bifurcate type and that the paralobes and meso- lobes in profile are long, slender and pointed: the figure suggests a similarity to P. curvipalpis (Wulp), and it is probable that P. bisetosa is more closely related to
ENTOM. 21, 2. 4
68 R. W. CROSSKEY
this species than to others of the genus (it resembles curvipalpis also in the short antennae and rather wide frons). The presence of strong outer vertical setae distinguishes bisetosa (presuming this character of the holotype holds generally for the species) from all other Oriental species of Palexorista, and together with the very short male claws, makes bisetosa a distinctive species.
Palexorista curvipalpis (Wulp, 1893) (Text-figs. 15, 28, 46, 63)
Crossocosmia curvipalpis Wulp, 1893 : 162. Lectotype <J, JAVA. In Zoologisch Museum,
Amsterdam. [Examined] Sturmia unisetosa Baranov, 1932 175. Lectotype <J, FORMOSA. In Deutsches Entomologisches
Institut. [Examined] syn. n.
Drino (Prosturmia) unisetosa (Baranov) Mesnil, 1949 : 28. Palexorista curvipalpis (Wulp) Crosskey, 1966 : 135. Palexorista unisetosa (Baranov) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Lectotype Designations: (i) Crossocosmia curvipalpis Wulp. This was described from three syntypes, probably all male; Wulp, at the heading of the specific des- cription, gave the sex as " <$ ? " but in the same paper gave the sex as male without doubt in the list of figures (the head in lateral view shown in plate 4, figure 3a is of a male). A male specimen seen from Amsterdam Museum bears the label " Crosso- cosmia curvipalpis <$ " in Wulp's writing and a faded square blue label reading " Java Piepers " and is undoubtedly an original syntype: this specimen has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE. A female specimen in the Amster- dam collection is labelled " Crossocosmia curvipalpis $ " in Wulp's writing and also bears a " Java Piepers " label, but both labels are less faded than those on the male: there is no evidence from Wulp's description that he had a female specimen before him at the time of description, and the female is here considered not to be part of the original syntypic series. It should also be noted that the female specimen was misidentified by Wulp, and is not conspecific with the male lectotype of curvipalpis : its identity is uncertain, but it belongs to one of the species in which there is a row of black setulae on the upper occiput (absent in curvipalpis). (2) Sturmia unisetosa Baranov. Type-material consists of three conspecific male syntypes from Kankau, Formosa, one in U.S. National Museum and two in Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (one of which has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE).
<J. Head profile as in Text-fig. 15, frontal length about 1-23 times as great as facial length, antennal axis only a little above ocular axis. Vertex usually 0-27-0-29 of head-width, in speci- mens seen from Queensland upper frons very wide and vertex 0-30-0-33 of head-width. Frons usually rather strongly convex, rows of frontal setae with tendency to be doubled. Upper occiput entirely without black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area narrower than or subequal in width to parafrontal. Outer vertical setae undeveloped. Parafrontal hair dense and very fine. Parafrontals and facial regions concolorous silvery or greyish white pollinose, at most only faintly yellowish, the rather uniformly whitish head pollinosity forming charac- teristic feature of the species. Parafacials broad, distinctly wider than third antennal segment; parafacials nearly bare and often appearing so at first glance, usually with only a very few minute hairs immediately below lowest frontal seta, at most haired only on uppermost fifth and usually on less. Antennae short, third segment 2-1-2-4 times as long as second segment, third segment
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 69
usually almost entirely blackish brown but sometimes with orange or reddish suffusion basally. Palpi brown to blackish brown with tawny yellow or pale brownish tips. Mesonotum pale grey or greyish yellow pollinose, more distinctly yellow pollinose in specimens seen from New Guinea and Bougainville. Tarsal claws long. Abdominal ground colour largely blackish brown, some- times a little reddish on sides of T3, pollinosity greyish or yellowish white to pale yellow with slightly shifting appearance on intermediate tergites, dark hind margin of T4 occupying about posterior third or two-fifths of tergite. Dorsal hair of T4 in about six to nine or ten series, usually fewer series in smaller specimens ; discal setae of T5 strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter large, as in Text-fig. 28. Genitalia: aedeagus of non-bifurcate type; paralobes without apical spinules, paralobes and mesolobes in lateral view as in Text-fig. 46; mesolobes in posterior view with acuminate apices (Text-fig. 63). Length variable, usually about 8-10-5 mm., ranging from 7-12 mm. with exceptional bred specimens seen from Thailand as small as 5 mm., 10-2 mm. for lectotype of unisetosa and n-i mm. for lectotype of curvipalpis.
$. Vertex 0-30-0-31 of head-width, 0-34 in specimen seen from Queensland. Third antennal segment 2-2-2-4 times as long as second segment. Interfrontal area noticeably narrower than parafrontal. Parafrontals strikingly silvery white pollinose like facial regions. Upper occiput sometimes with a very few haphazard black setulae. Dorsal hair of T4 in about five or six series.
Puparium: slits of posterior spiracles not or only slightly sinuous, surface hairs not at all spiniform.
Material examined. Lectotype of curvipalpis <$. JAVA: no locality (Piepers). Lectotype of unisetosa <$. FORMOSA: Kankau, Koshun, y.viii.igia (H. Sauter), bearing erroneous determination label reading " Phorcida idonea B.B. L. Mesnil det.".
Paralectotype <$ of unisetosa. FORMOSA: Kankau, Koshun, ^.ix.igi2 (H. Sauter) (D. Ent. Inst.).
Other material. CEYLON: i £, 6 $, Peradeniya, ex Sphingid, 2.^.1926 (/. C. Hutson); I <$ with puparium, Suduganga, bred from Suana concolor, 21. vi. 1922 (R. Senior White); i <£, Trincomali, 9. x. 1890 (Yerbury). THAILAND: 2 <$, 2 $, Siam, Bangkok, 1947 (C. Tongyai). JAVA: r <$, Buitenzorg, 1921 (Rijksmuseum Leiden). CELEBES: 2 ^, Minahassa, 27.^.1954 (A. H. G. Alston}; i <$, Minahassa, Makawidei, 23-24^.1954 (A H. G. Alston); i <$, Molino, 4,000 ft., 1.1936 (L. E. Cheesman). NEW GUINEA: i <$, Papua, Northern District, Popondetta, Papuan Agricultural Training Institute, 10 . i . 1966 (S. Ino & B. Kearo) ; i <$, Morobe District, Wau, 3,500-4,000 ft., 14. v. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey); i £, Morobe District, nr Wau, Nami Creek, 5,500 ft., 22^.1965 (R. W. Crosskey}. NEW BRITAIN: i $, Keravat, ex larva Hippotion celerio, 4.1.1941 (/. L. Froggatt). BOUGAINVILLE: 1^,1°., Aropa area, 12 m. S. of Kieta, 8-io.vii.i965 (R. W. Crosskey); i °-, Arawa, 4-7 m. N. of Kieta, 8-9. vii. 1965 (R. W. Crosskey). SOLOMON ISLANDS: i <j>, Santa Cruz group, Utupua Island, vi.i933 (R. J. A. W. Lever}. QUEENSLAND: i <$, Biloela, 1.111.1932, on Sphingid (D. 0. Atherton); I <£, North Queensland, Stannary Hills, c. 3,000 ft. (T. L. Bancroft}; n ^, 2 $, no locality, 11.1903.
All foregoing material in British Museum (Natural History) except where otherwise indicated.
Distribution. Evidently a widespread species from Ceylon through south-east Asia to New Guinea, Queensland and the Solomon Islands and probably commoner than the few records suggest.
Hosts. P. curvipalpis has been reared from Hippotion celerio (Linnaeus) (Lepi-
yo
R. W. CROSSKEY
doptera : Sphingidae) in New Britain and from unidentified Sphingids in Ceylon and Queensland; one specimen has been seen bred from Suana concolor (Walker) (Lepidoptera : Lasiocampidae) in Ceylon.
Wulp (1893), in the original description of Crossocosmia curvipalpis, recorded the host of the type-material as Hypaetra remosa Hbn. : Lepidoptera specialists in British Museum (Natural History) have been unable to trace a remosa of Huebner under this or a similar spelling, and the identity of the host recorded by Wulp is enigmatic.
23
24
25
26 27 28
FIGS. 23-28. Showing hair-patch of one side of venter of T4 in male of: 23, P. solennis; 24, P. lucagus; 25, P. parachrysops ; 26, P. summaria; 27, P. painei; 28, P. curvipalpis. Ordinary hairing of tergite and bases of marginal setae omitted in figs. 24-27. Hair-patch in male of species not illustrated is generally similar to that of curvipalpis 28, or slightly larger.
Mesnil (1951 : 162) suggested the possible synonymy of curvipalpis with Drino argenticeps (Macquart), but present examination of the lectotype of curvipalpis does not confirm this; curvipalpis is without doubt an older name for unisetosa Baranov and a valid species of Palexorista Townsend.
Palexorista ophirica (Walker, 1857) (Text-figs. 14, 47, 64)
Tachina ophirica Walker, 1857 : 19. Lectotype $, MALAYA. In British Museum (Natural His- tory), London. [Examined]
Blepharipoda ophirica (Walker) Austen, 1907 : 340.
Palexorista ophirica (Walker) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Lectotype Designation: the type-material is male, not female as stated in error
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 71
by Walker, and consists of two conspecific male syntypes from Mt. Ophir. One of the syntypes has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE.
<J. Head profile as in Text-fig. 14, frontal length about 1-30 times as great as facial length, profrons rather prominent, antennal axis distinctly above ocular axis. Vertex 0-26-0-28 of head-width. Upper occiput with an irregular row of black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area subequal in width to parafrontal. Paraf rentals pale yellowish grey or very pale yellow pollinose, not noticeably contrasting with greyish or silvery white or creamy whitish pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacial at mid height slightly wider than third antennal segment, parafacials slightly more receding than in most species and rather conspicuously haired on uppermost third or upper half. Antennae of medium length, third segment 2-3-2-4 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown. Palpi mainly yellowish brown or darker brown basally. Mesonotum pale yellowish grey pollinose, sometimes more distinctly pale yellowish pollinose especially near scutellum. Tarsal claws long, longer than last tarsal segment. Abdomen mainly dark in ground colour but with a trace of reddish or tawny orange ground colour antero-laterally with yellowish white or greyish white pollinosity with rather shifting appearance on intermediate tergites, these appearing black to naked eye on about posterior half. Hair of tergites rather fine and abundant, hair of T4 in about nine to eleven series; discal setae of T$ strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter large, similar to those of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). Geni- talia: aedeagus of non-bifurcate type, similar to that of immersa (Text-fig. 35) ; paralobes with- out spinules, paralobes and mesolobes rather long and in profile as in Text-fig. 47; mesolobes subtruncate in posterior view (Text-fig. 64). Length about 9-11 mm.
$. Unknown.
Material examined. Lectotype <$. MALAYA: Malacca, Mt. Ophir, 4,000 ft. (A. R. Wallace).
Paralectotype <$. Data as for lectotype (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
Other material. MALAYA: i <£, Serdang, 5.1.1933 (G. H. Corbett) (B.M. Nat. Hist.). INDONESIA: 2 <$, West Java, Mt. Gede, Lebak Sive, 5,000 ft., ix.i937 (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
Distribution. Known only from Malaya and Java. The specimens from Java listed above differ slightly from the type-material in having rather finer but shorter and denser hair on the mesonotum and abdomen, but it appears best to regard them as conspecific with the type-material from Malaya on present evidence.
Hosts. The Malayan specimen listed above from Serdang and collected by Corbett was reared from Hulodes caranea (Cramer) (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae), and is the basis of an erroneous record by Corbett & Miller (1933 : n) of this noctuid as host of Sturmia inconspicuoides (the specimen bears an incorrect determination label of Baranov identifying it as inconspicuoides).
The record of ophirica as a parasite on Tiracola plagiata (Walker) in Malaya by Corbett & Miller (1928 : 417), again recorded by Greenstreet & Lambourne (1933 : 43), is in error and due to misidentification of the species of Palexorista involved (see under the " Hosts " section for P. subanajama). At present Hulodes caranea is the only established host for the true P. ophirica.
The affinities of Palexorista ophirica appear to be most closely with P. immersa and P. summaria, to judge from the male hypopygium, all three species having the unusually truncate mesolobes (in posterior view); the head profile is distinctly different, however, from these two species and ophirica is certainlv more distinct from either than immersa and summaria are from each other.
R. W. CROSSKEY
29
30
31
32
33 34 35 36
FIGS. 29-36. Apex of male aedeagus of : 29, P. laxa ; 30, P. inconspicuoides ; 3 1 , P. lucagus ; 32, P. sororcula; 33, P. summaria; 34, P. immersa; 35, P. deducens; 36, P. painei. Figs. 29-31 illustrate the " bifurcate " type of aedeagus, and figs. 32-36 the "non-bifurcate " type.
Palexorista immersa (Walker, 1860) (Text-figs. 17, 34, 49, 65)
Masicera immersa Walker, 1860 : 124. Holotype ^ [not °.], CELEBES. In British Museum
(Natural History), London. [Examined] Blepharipoda immersa (Walker) Austen, 1907 : 340. Sturmia latiforceps Baranov, 1932 : 78. Lectotype <$, FORMOSA. In Deutsches Entomolo-
gisches Institut. [Examined] syn. n.
Drino (Prosturmia) latiforceps (Baranov) Mesnil, 1949 : 21. Palexorista immersa (Walker) Crosskey, 1966 : 136. Palexorista latiforceps (Baranov) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Lectotype Designation : the type-material of Sturmia latiforceps Baranov consists of twelve conspecific male syntypes from Formosa, two in U.S. National Museum,
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 73
one in British Museum (Natural History), and nine in Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (of which one has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE) : Baranov mentioned 13 males in the original description, but the whereabouts of one of these has not been traced. It should be noted that most of the syntypes lack the abdomen or male hypopygium, and that no slide mounts of the genitalia appear to exist either in Deutsches Entomologisches Institut collection or with the Baranov collection in Washington.
$. Head profile as in Text-fig. 17, frontal length about 1-30 times as great as facial length, antennal axis only very slightly above ocular axis. Vertex 0-28-0-30 of head-width (0-29 in immersa holotype and latiforceps lectotype). Upper occiput with an irregular row of black setulae behind postocular row, sometimes sparse or even represented by only one or two hap- hazard setulae. Interfrontal area subequal to or slightly narrower than parafrontal. Outer vertical setae undeveloped. Paraf rentals greyish white (as in immersa holotype and latiforceps lectotype) to pale yellowish grey pollinose and not contrasting with white pollinose face and parafacials, in material seen from New Guinea the parafrontals pale golden yellow and strikingly contrasting with whitish pollinose facial regions. Parafacials subequal in width to third antennal segment or slightly wider, sparsely haired only on about uppermost fifth or sixth or at most on upper quarter. Antennae long, third segment about 3-1 times as long as second segment and all blackish brown (trace of orange colour as usual at junction with second segment). Palpi pale brown to blackish brown, sometimes paler at tips. Pollinosity of mesonotum usually pale greyish or yellowish grey, brassy yellow in specimens seen from New Guinea. Tarsal claws long. Abdomen with mainly dark ground colour, sometimes rather reddish orange laterally on T3, pollinosity usually yellowish or greyish white, pattern on dorsum of intermediate tergites not very noticeably shifting, T3 blackish to naked eye on about hind two-fifths, T4 pollinose on anterior three-quarters or two-thirds and black usually on only about hindmost quarter ; speci- mens seen from New Guinea with golden yellow pollinosity and wider dark hind border to T4. Dorsal hair of T4 in about eight to eleven series, discal setae of T5 short, strong and rather numer- ous posteriorly. Hair-patches of T4 venter large and dense, similar to those of curvipalpis (Text-fig. 28). Genitalia: aedeagus of non-bifurcate type (Text-fig. 34); paralobes without spinules, paralobes and mesolobes both unusually short and broad in lateral view (Text-fig. 49) ; mesolobes truncate apically in posterior view (Text-fig. 65). Length about 8-n mm., usually about 9 mm.
?. Vertex about 0-30 of head-width. Third antennal segment 2-6-2-8 times as long as second segment. Dorsal hair of T4 in about seven or eight series. [Note : bred material not available, correct association of wild caught specimens with <J assumed from identity of data.]
Material examined. Holotype of immersa $. CELEBES : Macassar (A . R. Wallace). Lectotype of latiforceps <^. FORMOSA: Kankau, Koshun, j.vm.igi2 (H. Sauter).
Paralectotypes of latiforceps. FORMOSA: i <$, Kankau, ix.i9i2 (H. Sauter) (B.M. Nat. Hist.); 2 <?, Sokutsu, ix.igi2 (H. Sauter} (D. Ent. Inst.); 4 & Kankau Koshun, 7.viii.i9i2 (H. Sauter} (D. Ent. Inst.); i & Kankau, Koshun, v.igi2 (H. Sauter} (D. Ent. Inst.); i #, Kankau, Koshun, iv.igi2 (H. Sauter) (D. Ent. Inst.).
Other material. NEW GUINEA: i <£, i <j>, Papua, Kokoda, 1,200 ft., vii-x.igss (L. E. Cheesman) (B.M. Nat. Hist.) ; i g, Morobe District, Wau, 3,500-4,000 ft., i8.v.ig65 (R. W. Crosskey) (B. M. Nat. Hist.). FORMOSA: i $, Kankau, Koshun, 7.viii.i9i2 (H. Sauter) (D. Ent. Inst.: misidentified syntype of inconspicuoides) .
In addition to the foregoing one female probably belonging to this species : NEW BRITAIN: Keravat, i.vii.ig65 (R. W. Crosskey) (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
74 R. W. CROSSKEY
Distribution. Known only from above-listed material from Formosa, Celebes and the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. Hosts. Unknown.
This is a distinctive species, easily recognized in the male by the short and very broad paralobes and mesolobes (to which Baranov's name latiforceps refers), a character shared only with P. summaria — which may not be specifically distinct (see under discussion of that species). Austen (1907 : 340) synonymized immersa Walker with ophirica Walker, but examination of the type-material (including the male genitalia) for the present revision has shown that this synonymy was wrongly established.
Palexorista summaria (Townsend, 1927) (Text-figs. 18, 26, 33, 50, 66)
Sumatrodoria summaria Townsend, 1927 : 64. Lectotype $ [see note below], SUMATRA.
Possibly lost [male paralectotypes examined]. Palexorista summaria (Townsend) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Nomenclatural note: Sumatrodoria summaria was originally described from four male syntypes and one female syntype, all from Fort de Kock, Sumatra. In later treatment of the genus Sumatrodoria Townsend, of which summaria is type-species, Townsend (1941, Man. Myiol. 11 : 201) cited " Ht [=holotype] female, At male " and mentioned male paratypes in Washington and Leiden. As the type-series contained only a single female, Townsend (1941) provides a nomenclaturally valid restriction of the name to a single specimen and the female must be accepted as lectotype by restriction of Townsend. This is unfortunate, since the female lecto- type cannot now be found in Amsterdam Museum and in any case the female sex carries no satisfactory specific characters. One of the male paralectotypes is in the Zoologisch Museum, Amsterdam and one in the U.S. National Museum, Washington, and the following description is based on these specimens. I have been unable to trace the whereabouts of the female lectotype, which must be considered possibly lost.
(J. Head profile as in Text-fig. 18, frontal length about 1-25 times as great as facial length, antennal axis only very slightly above ocular axis. Vertex 0-31 of head-width, upper frons rather broad. Upper occiput with a sparse row of black setulae behind postocular row. Inter- frontal area subequal in width to a parafrontal. Outer vertical setae undeveloped. Para- frontals greyish white pollinose and not contrasting in colour with white pollinose face and parafacials. Parafacial at mid height about as wide as third segment of antenna, with sparse long hair on about uppermost quarter. Antennae long, third segment about 3-3 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown. Palpi dark brown, tips slightly paler. Meso- notum with pale greyish pollinosity, trace of yellowish brown pollinosity near scutal vittae. Tarsal claws long, slightly longer than last tarsal segment. Abdomen with mainly dark ground colour, reddish brown laterally on T$, pollinosity whitish with slight shifting appearance, to naked eye T3 mainly dark with pollinosity confined narrowly to anterior border, T4 pollinose on about basal half with posterior half blackish. Dorsal hair of T4 in about nine or ten series; discal setae of T5 numerous, short and strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter unusually small (Text-fig. 26), less than half as wide as half-tergite venter and very compact. Genitalia: aedea- gus of non-bifurcate type, as in Text-fig. 33 ; paralobes and mesolobes short and very broad in
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA
75
37
38
39
42
4O
41
43
44
45
FIGS. 37-45. Paralobes and mesolobes of male hypopygium in profile of : 37, P. subanajama lectotype; 38, P. lucagus; 39, P. aequalis; 40, P. munda; 41, P. inconspicuoides , para- lectotype; 42, P. laetifica; 43, P. solennis, from lectotype of discreta; 44, P. laxa; 45, P. reclinata, paratype.
76 R. W. CROSSKEY
lateral view (Text-fig. 50), paralobes without spinules; mesolobes subtruncate in posterior view (Text-fig. 66). Length about 9 mm.
<j>. Characters not known, probably not distinguishable from that of immersa [female lecto- type not seen, whereabouts unknown, no other female material available and no characters of value mentioned in very brief original description of Townsend].
Material examined. Paralectotypes. 2 $, SUMATRA: Fort de Kock, 920 m., 1925 and 1926 (E. Jacobson) (U.S. Nat. Mus. & Zool. Mus. Amsterdam). Distribution. Known only from the type-series from Sumatra. Hosts. Unknown.
Palexorista summaria is very closely allied to P. immersa (Walker) and there is a strong similarity in the unusually short and broad paralobes and mesolobes: it is possible that summaria is not specifically distinct from immersa, but I maintain it as a separate species at present because of the slightly wider male frons, the conspicuously smaller and more compact abdominal hair-patches and minor differences in the shape of the mesolobes in posterior view.
Baranov (19340) synonymized summaria with Drino (Zygobothria) atropivora (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) and the synonymy — following Baranov — was later recorded by Mesnil (1949 : 12, 1951 : 168). The type-material of summaria shows very small ocellar setae and hairing on the upper part of the parafacials (characters of Palexorista}, and the synonymy of summaria with atropivora established by Baranov is incorrect (atropivora is a true Zygobothria in which the ocellar setae are strong and the parafacials wholly bare).
Palexorista deducens (Walker, 1860) (Text-figs. 16, 35, 48, 71)
Eurygaster deducens Walker, 1860 : 127. Lectotype <$, CELEBES. In British Museum (Natural
History), London. [Examined] Exorista deducens (Walker) Wulp, 1896 : 130. Palexorista deducens (Walker) Crosskey, 1966 : 135.
Lectotype Designation : the type-material of deducens is male, not female as stated in error by Walker, and consists of two conspecific male syntypes from Macassar, one of which has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE.
$. Head profile as in Text-fig. 16, frontal length about 1-23 times as great as facial length, antennal and ocular axes coincident. Vertex 0-23-0-25 of head-width, upper frons narrower than usual. Upper occiput with a row of black setulae behind postocular row, irregular and sometimes sparse. Interfrontal area slightly narrower than a parafrontal. Outer vertical setae un- developed. Parafrontals yellow pollinose and slightly contrasting with yellowish white pollinose face and parafacials in type-material from Celebes, paraf rentals pale greyish and not contrasting with whitish pollinose facial regions in specimens seen from Buru. Facial region rather flat and in facial view more widely diverging towards vibrissae than in most species. Parafacials slightly narrower than or subequal in width to third antennal segment, conspicuously haired on uppermost third or on upper half (as in lectotype). Antennae very short, third segment 2-1-2-2 times as long as second segment and entirely blackish brown. Palpi brown with yellowish apices. Mesonotum pale yellow grey or greyish pollinose in material seen from Buru, pale golden pollinose in type-material, scutum of lectotype with traces of golden brown pollinosity
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA
77
47
48
46
51
49
SO
52 53 54
FIGS. 46-54. Paralobes and mesolobes of male hypopygium in profile of: 46, P. curvi- palpis, lectotype; 47, P. ophirica, paralectotype ; 48, P. deducens, lectotype; 49, P. immersa, from paralectotype of latiforceps ; 50, P. summaria, paralectotype ; 5 1 , P. painei ; 52, P. parachryscps ; 53, P. sororcula, holotype; 54, P. bancrofti, holotype.
78 R. W. CROSSKEY
around sublateral pair of scutal vittae. Tarsal claws long. Abdomen with dark ground colour, trace of reddish ground colour laterally on T3 in Buru specimens, pollinosity whitish in Buru specimens and pale yellow in type-material, only a weak shifting appearance, pollinosity of T4 on about basal half or three-fifths so that hind margin is broadly black. Dorsal hair of T4 in about seven or eight series, discal setae of T5 moderately strong. Hair-patches of Tq. venter large, similar to those of curvipalpis (Text -fig. 28) or slightly smaller. Genitalia: aedeagus of non-bifurcate type (Text-fig. 35) ; paralobes without spinules, mesolobes short and with charac- teristic curvature in lateral view (Text-fig. 48) ; mesolobes in posterior view with bluntly and evenly rounded tips (Text-fig. 71). Length about 8 mm.
$. Unknown.
Puparium: posterior spiracles on unusually large trifid bosses, spiracular slits long and very strongly serpentine, surface hairs of puparium short and dense and not at all spiniform.
Material examined. Lectotype <$. CELEBES: nr Macassar, 1857-58 (A. R. Wallace) .
Paralectotype <£. Data as for lectotype (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
Other material. BURU: 2 <$, Station i, 1921 (L. J. Toxopeus) (B.M. Nat. Hist.).
Distribution. Known only from above-listed material from Celebes and Buru in eastern Indonesia.
Hosts. Unknown. The specimens from Buru have the associated puparia and are therefore reared material but there is no host information on the data labels.
Palexorista deducens is a distinctive species easily recognized by the form of the mesolobes of the male hypopygium and by the distinctive puparium in which the posterior spiracular slits are very stongly serpentine (this character may possibly be found to occur in other species for which the puparium is at present unknown, but deducens is the only species of Palexorista known to me at this time to possess this character).
Palexorista parachrysops (Bezzi, 1925) (Text-figs. 20, 25, 52, 68)
Sturmia parachrysops Bezzi, 1925 : 114. Lectotype <$, MALAYA. In British Museum (Natural
History), London. [Examined]
Drino (Prosturmia) parachrysops (Bezzi) Mesnil, 1951 : 194. Palexorista parachrysops (Bezzi) Crosskey, 1966 : 136.
Lectotype Designation: this species was described from four specimens, referred to by Bezzi as type $, type <£, and as two additional specimens with sex not stated. The syntypes with stated sex are both in British Museum and the male has been labelled and is here designated as LECTOTYPE : the whereabouts of the other two syntypes is not known. It should be noted that the male lectotype and the female paralectotype are both labelled with the name and sex in Bezzi's writing and that the female lacks the abdomen.
<$. Head profile as in Text-fig. 20, frontal length about 1-22 times as great as facial length, antennal axis only slightly above ocular axis. Vertex o-3o-O'3i of head-width. Frons with fewer pairs of frontal setae than usual, only about five or six pairs (sometimes with tendency to be in doubled rows), uppermost pair of frontals sometimes directed slightly backwards. Upper occiput without black setulae behind postocular row. Interfrontal area usually more reddish or orange than in other species, exceptionally narrow and at narrowest but little or not more than
ORIENTAL SPECIES OF PALEXORISTA 79
half as wide as parafrontal at widest. Outer vertical setae undeveloped. Parafrontals pale yellow to golden orange pollinose near the interfrontal area, especially near ocelli, yellowish colour usually mainly along rows of frontal setae, the pollinosity more silvery or creamy white towards the eyes; face and parafacials white pollinose. Parafacials broad, conspicuously wider than third antennal segment; parafacial hair very sparse and inconspicuous, at most on uppermost quarter and sometimes only a single hair or perhaps two immediately below lowest frontal seta. Antennae of medium length, third segment 2-7-2-8 times as long as second seg- ment, the latter rather reddish; third segment extensively yellowish orange basally and along inner edge, otherwise brown. Palpi entirely yellow. Mesonotum with pale greyish yellow pollinosity. Tarsal claws of intermediate length, subequal to last tarsal segment (distinctly longer than in painei or sororcula but shorter than in most species) . Abdomen slightly elongate and tapering, ground colour extensively reddish yellow, blackish medially on T3 and on hind margins of intermediate tergites, pollinosity pale yellowish white and on T4 covering most of tergite (only extreme hind border of T4 narrowly dark brown or blackish). Dorsal abdominal hair rather long and strong but unusually sparse, hair of T4 in only three or four or at most five series ; median marginal setae of T3 unusually long and strong, discal setae of T$ few and strong. Hair-patches of T4 venter very large and loose (Text-fig. 25), at least two-thirds as wide as half- tergite, apices of the hairs overlapping end of tergite. Genitalia: aedeagus of non-bifurcate type, very similar to that of painei (Text-fig. 36) ; paralobes without spinules, in lateral view slender and much narrower than the broad tapering mesolobes (Text-fig. 52) ; mesolobes in posterior view (Text-fig. 68) with bluntly rounded tips, slit between the free apices much shorter than fused basal part. Small species, length 5-5-7-0 mm., lectotype 6-3 mm.
$. Vertex 0-31-0-33 of head-width. Third antennal segment 2-4-2-7 times as long as second segment. Head in facial view unusual, inner margins of eyes distinctly concave so that facial region between eyes bows outwards and is widest at about level of end of second antennal seg- ment (Text-fig. 76), facial region thence narrowing slightly towards vibrissae. Interfrontal area very narrow, only half as wide as parafrontal or even less. Parafrontals mainly clear pale yellow to deep golden pollinose, only whitish pollinose at extreme lower ends (usually with whitish pollinosity extending slightly upwards along eye margin). Third antennal segment sometimes largely orange, only brownish apically and along fore border; second antennal segment usually reddish. Dorsal hair of T4 in only about four series. Pollinosity