Tephritis kovalevi subsp. kumana Korneyev & Korneyev 2019, new subspecies

Tephritis kovalevi kumana new subspecies

(Figs 2f; 24–25)

Type material: Holotype ♀: “ Russia: Stavropol: Kislovodsk, Podkumok, h= 710 m, 29.06.2013 (S. & V. Korneyev)”, swept from Sonchus palustris L. (SIZK).

Paratypes 9♂, 6♀: Russia: same labels as for holotype (SIZK).

Diagnosis. Tephritis kovalevi kumana new subspecies is similar to T. k. kovalevi in the wing pattern and having reddish yellow oviscape as long as 3 posteriormost tergites and aculeus 5 × as long as wide, differing from it by the cuticle of thorax predominantly dark brown to black (at most with reddish yellow on postpronotal lobe, notopleuron, sides of scutellum), and brown to black abdominal tergites (at most with narrow lateral and posterior margins of tergites 1–4) (in T. k. kovalevi, mainly orange-yellow on thorax and abdomen, at most with brown vittae or spots).

Description. Head: As described for species. Thorax: Ground colour dark brown to black (sometimes with reddish yellow postpronotal lobe, notopleuron, sides of scutellum), yellow microtrichose and white setulose (Fig. 2 4b). Mediotergite black in ground colour, uniformly microtrichose. Wing: As on Fig. 24a.

Terminalia: Female. Oviscape as long as 3 posteriormost abdominal tergites, orange to brownish yellow. Eversible membrane with 2 pairs of taeniae 0.35 × as long as membrane itself; with small scales on whole surface of the membrane (Fig. 25c). Aculeus 8 × as long as wide, with widely rounded apex (Figs 25 a–b). 2 long and narrow, papillose spermathecae 6–9 × as long as wide (Fig. 25d).

Measurements: Female. BL= 4.75–5.5 mm (n=5); WL= 4–4.25 mm, C2= 1–1.2 mm; AL= 0.85–0.9 mm; AL/ C2=0.90–1.02. Male. BL=4.0– 4.5 mm (n=5); WL= 3.8–4.2 mm (n=5).

Host plants. Sonchus palustris L. (Fig. 24c).

Distribution. Russian North Caucasus (Stavropol Territory), in the lower belt of mountains (810 m a. s. l) on wet places and bogs along rivers.

Remarks. We consider the Middle Asian and Caucasian populations to be allopatric and morphologically distinct; therefore, we divide them into 2 separate subspecies rather than merely colour morphs.