Physiphora tarsata (Macquart 1851)

Figures 374–379.

Ulidia tarsata Macquart, 1851a: 274; 1851b: 301. Physiphora tarsata: Steyskal, 1980: 576.

Material. Type. Syntypes 6♂ ♀: Reunion: [“ Ile Bourbon” (Bigot)”] “ Ulidia tarsata / Macq. n. sp.”, “ U. tarsata / ex coll. Bigot”, “ Syntype ” [blue-bordered circle] (UMO).

Diagnosis. P. tarsata is similar to P. obscura and P. rugosa sp. n. in the combination of the fore basitarsomere white, mesonotum densely rugulose, dull green, with shining black postpronotal lobe and margins of transverse suture, differing from them by the frons strongly pitted in anterior half (smooth in P. obscura, wrinkled in P. rugosa sp. n.).

Description. Head (Figs. 374–376) black, with brown, strongly pitted anterior half and wrinkled posteriorly frons 1.2 times as long as wide, with large oval parafrontal microtichose spot not reaching anterior margin (Fig. 376). Vertical plates and ocellar triangle dark brown to black, with green reflection; 2 pairs of black orbital setae; ocellar setae lateroclinate, as long as orbital setae.

Face brown, facial carina brown or black pattern, face apparently with entire transverse microtrichose band; epistome black, shagreened, with without metallic greenish reflection. Gena dark brown, 1/3 times as high as eye; facial ridge and parafacial not examined; gena posteriorly without microtrichose mark (Fig. 374). Occiput black. Antenna brown. Clypeus black. Palp and mouthparts black.

Thorax (Fig. 374). Scutum black, densely rugulose, almost matt, with green sheen; antepronotum, postpronotal lobe, posterior surface of notopleural triangle, transverse suture, supra-alar and postalar parts of scutum, anterior half of anepisternum and katepisternum shining black; posterodorsal parts of anepisternum and katepisternum shagreened. Mesonotal scutum with dorsocentral rows of setulae; dorsocentral setae hair-like; other setae moderately long, black, as in P. alceae.

Scutellum densely rugulose, usually with deep green reflection, with 2 pairs of black scutellar setae.

Wing. Entirely hyaline, with yellow or partly brownish veins; cell r4+5 narrowly closed, apical section of M slightly arcuate (Fig. 378). Postero-apical extension of cell cup 1.4 times as long as vein A1+CuA2, and 3 times as long as transverse section of vein CuA2.

Legs. Black except fore tarsus with basitarsomere creamy white in basal 5/6; mid- and hind femora yellowish brown in apical 1/5, mid and hind tibiae entirely brown; mid and hind tarsi yellow except last tarsomere brown; all setae black.

Abdomen black.

Male and female postabdomen not examined.

Distribution. Reunion.

Biology unknown.

Remarks. This species was examined, photographed and very briefly described by VAK during his visit to Oxford in 2005, and have not been re-examined during this study; the description above is incomplete and needs further study of material.