Atherigona oryzae Malloch, 1925b: 117. Holotype male, Coimbatore, India in USNM.
Atherigona samoaensis Malloch, 1929a: 159. Holotype male, Safune, Savai’i, Western Samoa, in BMNH (syn. by Pont 1986) (type seen by Pont 1986).
Atherigona oryzae; Pont, 1986: 42; Pont, 1989: 682.
Diagnosis. Face and gena greyish; palpus yellow, brownish at base; male palpus short, club-like and yellow; legs yellow to fulvous-yellow except for a narrow preapical brown band on fore femur, fore tibia darker apically; wing with a faint small brownish cloud at apex of subcosta (Pont 1972a: Fig. 6b), smaller or totally absent in female; male with hypopygial prominence large, bifurcate, V-shaped (Pont 1986: Fig. 204); trifoliate process with stalk very long and expanded medially, lateral plates without inner lobe; median piece a little expanded at apex (Pont 1972a: Fig. 13; Pont 1986: Fig. 206). Female sternite 6 some 1.5 times as long as broad; tergite 8 and sternite 7 as in Pont (1986: Figs 209–214). See also Pont & Magpayo (1995).
Material examined. BMNH: Vanuatu: Malekula: Ounua, iii–iv.1929, 1 ♀, L.E. Cheesman (Pont 1986: 44). Espiritu Santo: viii–ix.1929, 2 ♂, 1 ♀, L.E. Cheesman (Pont 1986: 44).
BPBM: Vanuatu: Éfaté: Port Vila, 0–100 m, iii.1980, 1 ♂; 0–100 m, i.1976, 3 ♀; 0–200 m, ii.1973, 1 ♀; all N.L.H. Krauss. Epi: Vaemali, 80–150 m, 11–18.viii.1967, 2 ♂, 2 ♀; 150 m, 9–20.viii.1967, 1 ♂; 100–150 m, 6–10.viii.1967, 2 ♀; 100–150 m, 16–21.viii.1967, 1 ♂; all J. & M. Sedlacek.
Comments. The species is widely distributed in the Oriental and Australasian Regions and is one of the most important shoot flies (Pont 1972a). First recorded from Vanuatu by Pont (1986).
Distribution. Australia (NSW, NT, Qld), Belau, Bonin Is, Indonesia (Maluku), Lord Howe I., Micronesia, New Caledonia (New Caledonia), PNG (Bismarck Arch, PNG), Tonga, Vanuatu, Volcano Is, Western Samoa; Oriental Region.