Sobarocephala mitsuii Sasakawa, 1995

Sobarocephala mitsuii Sasakawa, 1995 View in CoL

( Figs 13 View FIGURES 13–18 –18,21)

Diagnosis. Body mostly brown and yellow. Setae black. Head ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 13–18 ) mostly yellow. Gena more than 1/9 height of eye. Arista brown, sparsely short plumose. 1 ocellar seta and 1 postocellar seta.

Thorax ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 19–21 ) mainly yellow; mesonotum with brown subquadrate marking between dorsocentral setae; scutellum brown apically.Anepisternum brown.Prescutellar seta present.1posutural supra-alar seta, 0+3 dorsocentral setae, anterior seta small; inara-alar seta absent, 2 postalar setae, dark brown; 2 lateral scutellar setae, 1 apical scutellar seta, stronger, dark brown; 1 anepisternum seta, 1 katepisternal seta. Leg yellow, coxa white, fore tibia and tarsi brown. Wing ( Fig.14 View FIGURES 13–18 ) faintly clouded along vein R 2+3 on distal 1/4, the M 1 ratio 3.1; halter yellowish.

Abdomen brown; tergite 1 and tergite 7 yellowish, satae brown. Male genitalia ( Figs. 15–18 View FIGURES 13–18 ): epandrium yellow with dorsal half brown, height 1.6 times width. Cerci small, unified. Surstylus slightly higher than epandrium, tapering apically, posterior margin sinuate and almost completely lined with scattered rows of stout setae. Hypandrium 1 short distal and 2 short medial setae; pregonite slightly membranous; phallapodeme dilated at the apex; paraphallus elongated, hook-shaped, with 1 sharp nodule; distiphallus 3/5 length of phallapodeme.

Variation.According to Lonsdale (2014), Japanese male adults exhibit the following characteristics: scutum yellow without subquadrate marking; scutellum yellow with brown central stripe (darkest apically and sometimes yellow centrally and basally); katatergite and sometimes anterior margin of anatergite brown. Halter white. M 1 ratio 3.3–3.5. Abdomen yellow with medial stripe (tapering anteriorly) from tergite 1 almost to posterior margin of tergite 5.

Material examined 1 ♂, China, Jiangxi, Jingan, Sanzhualun, Guanyinyan. 29°03’56”N, 115°12’12”E, 1280 m, 2014.VII.21, leg. Kai Wang GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, China, Fujian, Wuyi Mt, Yangba , 27°43’48”N, 117°40’48”E, 704m, 2013. VI.14 GoogleMaps , Malaise trap; 1 ♂, China, Fujian, Wuyi Mt, Baihuxi , 27°43’48”N, 27°44′24″E, 752m, 2013. VI.14 GoogleMaps , Malaise trap; 1 ♀, China, Fujian, Wuyi Mt, Liaowangtai , 27°43’48”N, 117°39′36″E, 935m, 2013. VI.15 GoogleMaps , Malaise trap.

Distribution. China (Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian); Japan, South Korea.

Remarks. This Chinese specimen appears consistent with the variant appearance of the Chinese male of S. mitsuii described by Lonsdale (2014). The specimen is similar in appearance to to. S. uncinata , but S. mitsuii can be differentiated by having an apically brown scutellum and a surstylus that is more apically pointed with the posterior margin sinuate. In S. uncinata , the scutellum is brown medially and the surstylus is broadly rounded apically with a straighter posterior margin ( Lonsdale 2014).

Comments. Lonsdale (2014) illustrations and redescription of S. mitsuii demonstrate intraspecific morphological variation. However, specimens examined from Fujian and Jiangxi provinces show congruence with Zhejiang province specimens: mesonotum yellow with brown subquadrate marking; scutellum yellow but brown at apex. These characters appears conserved in Chinese species, though verification through examination of additional specimens is required to confirm the stability of these morphological traits across its distribution range.