Billaea fortis (Rondani, 1862)

Figs. 24–27, 70, 79

Omalostoma fortis Rondani, 1862: 59.

Billaea fortis Rondani: Bezzi & Stein (1907): 440 (catalog).— Stein 1924: 231 (key).— Zimin et al. 1969: 1271 (key).— Herting 1969: 194 (note).— Herting 1984: 139 (catalog).— Herting & Dely-Draskovits 1993: 358 (catalog).— Tschorsnig & Herting 1994: 80 (key).— Ziegler & Shima 1996: 428 (distribution).— Richter 2004: 352 (key).— Zhang et al. 2004: 127 (checklist).— O’Hara et al. 2009: 27 (catalog).— Shima 2014: 833 (catalog).

Homalostoma forte Rondani: Bezzi & Stein (1907): 440 (catalog). — Stein 1924: 232 (notes).

Omalostoma robusta Rondani, 1862: 60.— Brauer & Bergenstamm 1893: 440 (as “?= fortis var.”: list).— Bezzi & Stein (1907): 440 (as syn. of forte; catalog).— Herting 1984: 139 (catalog).— Herting & Dely-Draskovits 1993: 358 (catalog).

Dexia alivarians Pandellé, 1896: 156.— Bezzi & Stein (1907): 440 (as syn. of forte; catalog).— Herting 1984: 139 (catalog).— Herting & Dely-Draskovits 1993: 358 (catalog).

Billaea magna Kolomiets, 1966: 98.— Herting 1984: 139 (as syn. of fortis; catalog).— Herting & Dely-Draskovits 1993: 358 (catalog).— Richter 2004: 352 (as syn. of fortis; key).

Diagnosis. Facial carina undeveloped, arista short-plumose, prementum about 6 times as long as wide, 3 katepisternal setae, fore claws and pulvilli long in male.

Redescription. Body length 13.0– 14.5 mm.

Male. Head (Figs. 70, 79). Grayish white pruinosity, lunule reddish brown, flagellomere 1 and pedicel dark brown, palpus reddish brown. Vertex 0.19–0.20 of head width; frontal vitta about twice as wide as fronto-orbital plate, the latter with dense black hairs; parafacial nearly bare, about 2.5 times as wide as flagellomere 1; facial carina usually undeveloped, sometimes weakly developed at level with upper half of antenna, upper margin flattened; lower margin of face strongly protruding forward; genal height nearly 0.43–0.5 of eye height. Inner vertical seta about 1/2 of eye height, longer than frontal setae; ocellar seta about 1/2 as long as inner vertical seta; 9–10 pairs of inclinate frontal setae, almost as long as ocellar seta; vibrissa inserted above lower margin of face. Antenna short, flagellomere 1 about twice as long as pedicel; arista short plumose, total width less than width of flagellomere 1. Prementum about 6 times as long as wide, palpus as long as prementum.

Thorax. Black on scutum and scutellum, rather thinly covered with gray pruinosity, with 5 dark longitudinal vittae, inner vitta about 1/2 as wide as outer vitta and median vitta on presutural scutum. Scutum with dense fine black hairs, 4–5 postpronotal setae, 3 strong basal setae set in a triangle (or if a short seta between outer basal and median setae is considered mid basal seta, then basal setae set nearly in straight line); 2–3 presutural and usually 2 postsutural acrostichal setae; 3–4 presutural and 4 postsutural dorsocentral setae; 2 postsutural intra-alar setae; 3–6 supra-alar setae; 3 katepisternal setae; scutellum with 2–6 short discal setae. Wing. Hyaline, slightly tinged with pale brown, tegula black, basicosta brown; lower calypter pale yellowish white; halter reddish yellow. Relative lengths of 2nd, 3rd and 4th costal sectors approximately as 2.2:4:1; bend of vein M acutely angled, with a short appendix. Legs. Black, pulvilli yellowish. Fore claws and pulvilli longer than 5th tarsomere; fore tibia with a row of short anterodorsal setae on basal 4/5 and 2 posterior setae; mid tibia with 1–2 anterodorsal, 1–2 posterodorsal and 1 (if two, then one weak) ventral setae; hind tibia with a closely set row of anterodorsal setae, no strong seta among them, 2–3 posterodorsal and 1–2 ventral setae.

Abdomen. Ovate, dark brown in ground color, with gray pruinosity on dorsum, somewhat tessellate in appearance with direction of light; a narrow black median longitudinal vitta present. Dense short and recumbent black hairs on dorsum, erect and longer on tergite 5; syntergite 1+2 with a pair of lateral marginal setae, without median marginal seta; tergite 3 often with 2 fine median marginal setae and 1 lateral marginal seta, sometimes without them. Male terminalia (Figs. 24–27). Sternite 5 with dense setulae, posterior lobe wide and blunt, median cleft wide and deep. Cerci narrowed at apical 3/5, apex of cerci distinctly curved ventrally; surstylus long, slightly blunt apically; postgonite slightly shorter than basiphallus; distiphallus long, sclerotized basal part shorter than membranous apical part.

Female. Vertex 0.3–0.4 of head width; frontal vitta wider than fronto-orbital plate; genal height 0.5–0.6 of eye height; flagellomere 1 1.5–2 times as long as wide and as pedicel; inner vertical setae about 0.7 times as long as eye height; outer vertical seta 2/3 as long as inner vertical seta; ocellar seta about as long as frontal setae; 2 proclinate orbital setae; 1 outwardly directed prevertical seta; fore claws and pulvilli shorter than 5th tarsomere; mid tibia with 4–5 anterodorsal setae, hind tibia with 1–3 strong submedian setae among row of anterodorsal setae; abdomen dark brown in ground color, tergites 3 to 5 densely covered with grayish white pruinosity except black posterior portion and a narrow black median longitudinal vitta; tergite 3 with 2–4 median marginal setae and 1 lateral marginal seta. Other characters are same as in male.

Type material. Syntypes ♂♂ and ♀♀, ITALY, Lombardian [as “Insubrian”] Alps and Piemonte (MZF, Herting 1969: 194). Not examined.

Material examined. CHINA. Heilongjiang: 1♂, Mishan, Xingkai, 19.viii.1970 (IZCAS). Liaoning: 6♂♂, Tiecha Mountain, 640–900 m, Benxi, 14.vii.1964, 19. and 25.viii. 1965, 7.vi. and 6.vii.1973, 1.vi.1977, W.-Q. Xue. 4♂♂, same locality as above, 30.v.2008, 30.v.2009, 13.vi. and 3.vii.2010, C.-T. Zhang, C. Fu, S.-D. Wang; 1♂, Qianshan Mountain, Anshan, 21–23.vi.2006, Y.-E. Li; 1♂ 1♀, Fengcheng, Sitaizi, Dandong.Shanxi: 1♀, Xiachuan, Qinshui, 19.vi.1991, M.-F. Wang (SYNU). Yunnan: 3♂♂, Xiaozhongdian, Chongjianghe, 2300–2500 m, Zhongdian, 4–8.viii.1984, S.-Y. Wang, R.-Q. Wang. Xizang: 1♂, Mangkang, Haitong, 3200 m, 9.viii.1982, S.-Y. Wang. Zhejiang: 1♂, Tianmu Mountain, 29.viii.1947 (IZCAS). JAPAN, Honshu: 1♂, Sawauchi Vill., Mt. Waga, Iwate Pref., 7.viii.1988, T. Ichimori; 1♂, Hirogawara, 1500 m, Ashiyasu Vill., Yamanashi, 31.vii.1998, T. Tachi (BLKU). Kyushu: 1♀, Mt. Kurodake, Oita, viii.1985, M. Yoshida (KUM). SWITZERLAND, 1♂, Tessin, Bironico, 7.viii.1969, B. Herting; 1♀, Tessin, Gordola, 2.viii.1969, B. Herting.

Host. Paratrichius doenitzi (Harold) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) (Oita Prefecture, Japan, Shima 2006).

Distribution. China (Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Shanxi, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan (Honshu, Kyushu), N Kazakhstan, W Russia, W & S Siberia, Russian Far East (Ussuria), Europe (all Europe).

Remarks. This is a large species and is distinguished from other species of Billaea in lower margin of face strongly protruding forward, aristal hairs total width less than width of flagellomere 1, thorax with 5 dark longitudinal vittae on presutural scutum, 3 katepisternal setae, fore claws and pulvilli longer than 5th tarsomere in male, abdomen dark brown, without distinct marking, syntergite 1+2 without and tergite 3 often with 2 short median marginal setae.