Table Of Content

206 ENTOMOLOGICALNEWS A NEW ORIENTAL SPHEGINA SPECIES (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE)1 F.ChristianThompson^ ABSTRACT: Theonlyknown Spheginafrom the Philippines isdescribedandnamedphilippina (HT Cf BishopMuseum). INTERPRETATIVESUMMARY: A newpollinatorisdescribedand illustrated.The information willenableuserstoidentifyspeciesandwillcontributetotheinventoryofthebiologicaldiversity ofthe Philippines. Spheginaflowerfliesaresmallinconspicuouspollinators,whoselarvaebreed underbark in accumulations ofdecaying sap. The genus is mostdiverse in the northtemperateregion,butafewspeciesareknownfromtheOrient. Anameis provided here for the only species known from the Philippines to assist acol- league(V. Mutin)doingaphylogenetic analysisofthe subgenusAsiosphegina. Sphegina(Asiosphegina)philippina Thompson, NEW SPECIES Male.Head:Faceyellowonventral 1/2,darkerdorsally;genayellowanteriorly,brownposte- riorly; frontal lunule brownish black, shiny; front narrow, head-width/front-width ratio - 1:10, length/widthratio-3.5:1,black,shinynarrowlydorsadofantenna,elsewheregrayish-brownpol- linose, with shortappressed yellow pile; occiputblack, gray pollinose, with short sparse yellow pile. Antenna: Brownish orange, with yellow pile; basoflagellomere large, slightly rectangular, about twice as long as front is wide; arista orange becoming brownish apically, with short pile, withsome hairsaboutaslongasbasal aristal width. Thorax: Blackexceptpostpronotumlightbrown;dorsumgrayishbrownpollinose,moredense and gray on notopleuron, with yellow short appressed pile; pleuron gray pollinose, with short appressedyellow pile; scutellumblack, gray pollinose, with yellow pile, without apical bristles; calypterwhite;halterorange;wingmicrotrichose,withalulaabsent,withr-mcrossveindistinctly beyond end ofsc, hyaline except slightly infuscate around fork ofRs. Legs: Pro and mesolegs yellowexceptapical2tarsomeresbrownishblack,withpalepile;metacoxablackexceptyellowish apically, gray pollinose, with yellow pile; metatrochanter black; metafemur short, length/width ratio-2.6:1,yellowonbasal 1/3,apicallyblack,withyellowpile,withtwoventralrowsonspines on apical 2/3; metatibia produced into spur apically, with a ventromedial carina on basal 1/2, brownish blackexcept basal 1/4and subapical annulus yellow; metatarsus black, with pale pile; metabasitarsomerenotgreatlyswollen,aboutaswideastibial apex. Abdomen (fig. 1): 1st tergum black, sparsely gray pollinose, with yellow pile, with 3 apicolateralyellowbristles;2ndtergumelongate,length/maximalwidthratio-3:2,minimal(basal)/ maximal(apical)widthratio- 1:2.7,twiceaslongas3rd,blackexceptbasal 1/4brownishorange in some individuals, shiny, with yellow pile, with some lateral hairs longer than maximal tergal width; 3rd tergum trapezoid, length/maximal width ratio - 0.75:1, twice as wide apically as ba- sally,only 1/2as longas 2nd, orangeonbasal 1/3, blackapically, pollinose, with appressedyel- 1 ReceivedMarch 1, 1999. Accepted May 7, 1999. 2Systematic Entomology Laboratory. ARS, USDA, NHB- 168, Smithsonian Institution. Wash- ington, DC 20560. ENT. NEWS 110(4), 206-208, September& October 1999 Vol. 110,No. 4,September&October, 1999 207 lowpile;4thtergumrectangular,only 1/4widerthanlong,aslongas3rd.black,pollinosebasally, shiny apically, with appressed yellow pile; 2nd & 3rd sterna brownish orange; 4th sternum ap- pearingto be produced dextrolaterally, black except brownish orange apicomedially and projec- tionyellow,withyellow pile,graypollinose;6th-9th segmentsblack,graypollinose.withyellow pile. Malegenitalia: Cercusshort,notenlarged, yellow. Female. Similar to male except normal sexual dimorphism and 3rd and 4th terga \sith basolateral vellowmaculaeonbasal 1/4. 1. Spheginaphilippina Fig. 1. Spheginaphilippina. Male abdomen, ventrolateral view. Holotype: Male. PHILIPPINES, Mindanao,MisamisOr. , Mt. Balatukan, 15 kmsouthwest ofGingoog. 1000-2000 m, 27-30April 1960, H. Torrevillas, deposited in the Bishop Museum. Honolulu(BPBM 15,881). Paratypes: PHILIPPINES. Luzon: CamarinesSur,Mt. Isarog, 500m. 4April 1963, HTorrevillas(1 Cf USNM);CamarinesSur,Mt. Isarog, Pili, 800m,30April 1965. HTorrevillas (1 9 BPBM); Baguio, Benguet, Baker(1 Cf SMF(SackColl.), 2 9 USNM); Mt. Makiling,C. F. Baker(I 9 USNM); IfugaoProv.,Jacmal Bunhian,24kmeastofMayoyao, 800- 1000m. 1-10May 1967,L.M.Torrevillas(1 Cf BPBM) NegrosOr.,L. Balinsasayao. 1-7Octo- ber 1959, L. W. Quate (1 Cf 1 9 (at light trap) USNM). Mindanao, Bukidnon, 1480 m, Mt. Katanglad. 27-31 October 1959, L. W. Quate(2 9 BPBM) ; MisamisOr, Mt. Pomalihi,21 km west GinnogCity, 800-1000 m, 30April 1965, H. M. Torrevillas (1 Cf BPBM). Panay,Culasi. June 1918,McGregor(1 9 USNM). Spheginaphilippinaiseasilyrecognized inthemalefromallotherSphegina speciesbythe sickle-shaped apical processofthe4th sternum. The females are recognizedbytheuniformlypollinosemesonotum;theotherOrientalAsiosphe- gina species (all described by Shiraki from Taiwan [apicalis, nigerrima and varidissima]) all have distinct gray pollinose vittae on the mesonotum. Sack (1926: 576) incorrectly identified this species as orientals Kertesz, a species thathasbrown maculatewings(syntype Cf fromTaihorinstudied from Klocker collection [ZMUC]). 208 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 thank Neal Evenhuis, Bishop Museum, Honolulu (BPBM) and LiefLyneborg, Zoologisk Museum,Copenhagen(ZMUC)forpermissiontostudymaterialintheircare.TheacronymUSNM ishereusedforNational Entomological CollectionsofSmithsonian Institution, Washington; and SMF for Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Frankfurt-am-Main. I also thank NealEvenhuis(vide supra); WayneN. Mathis, DepartmentofEntomology,National Museumof Natural History(USNM),Washington;JohnW.Brown,AllenNorrbom,andManyaB.Stoezelof theSystematicEntomologyLaboratory,USDA,Washington;fortheircriticalreviewofthemanu- script. LITERATURE CITED Sack,P. 1926Syrphiden(Diptera)vondenPhilippinenundMalaya. Philipp.J.Sci.29: 563-597, 2pis.[1926.04.??] (Continuedfrompage252) color,mostlylivespecimens,whichwillillustratetheirappeal(Plate39isupsidedown). Forthe mostpart,theillustrationsaresuperb.Afew,likeFig.XXII,areslightlyoutoffocusbutIguessit was betterto have the illustrationratherthannone at all. The book is attractive, has adurable cover,andiswellbound.Myonlycriticismisthatthebibliographiesareattheendofeachchapter ratherthanattheendofthebook. This review is written not only to publicize a nice book, but also to relate the important contributions dedicated non-professionals (I hate the term "amateur") like Mr. Brock make to science. PeoplelikeMr. Brockaredriventothesepursuitsbecausetheyarecompelledtodoso. Theydonotreceivegovernmentalgrantsorrequirelargeamountsof"overheads"bututilizetheir ownfundstosubsidizetrips,etc.Theyarenotconstrainedor,morerealistically,"restrained"as areprofessionalsbycurrentfinancialideologiessuchas"economicrationalism"whichictuaHy preventtherestofusfromgettingonwiththejob. ViveI'amateur. D.C.F.Rentz,CSIROEntomology GPOBox 1700,Canberra,A.C.T.,2601,Australia