Axona chalcopyga (Wiedemann 1830)
publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.61186/jibs.10.4.725 |
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D1838992-6733-439B-AF5E-09C4FBD942D9 |
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BB87F8-D732-FFE7-FF9D-F856FA69062E |
treatment provided by |
Felipe |
scientific name |
Axona chalcopyga (Wiedemann 1830) |
status |
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Axona chalcopyga (Wiedemann 1830) View in CoL ( Figs 3–5)
Eristalis chalcopyga Wiedemann, 1830 ; Eristalis maxima Doleschall, 1857 ; Axona volucelloides Walker, 1864 ; Eristalis volucelloides Walker, 1864 ; Eristalis kershawi Ferguson, 1926 .
Material examined. MALAYSIA – 1♀, Terengganu, Gelam forests, Terengganu districts, Peninsular Malaysia ; 25-VI-2022, 4°52'44.9"N, 103°22'22.6"E GoogleMaps ; 1♀, 25-V-2023, 4°52'45.7"N 103°22'29.7"E; 1♀, 24-VIII-2023, 5°12'34.5"N, 103°11'47.3"E; leg.: M.I.I. Mamat, M.A.H. Ahmad Wizam. Sweep net, UMT.
Morphology. Body length: 20–23 mm ( Figs 3, 5), Wing ( Fig. 3D) length: 18 mm. Habitus: Large, strongly metallic fly, vivid blue reflections, blue head to abdomen and half-dark brown wings ( Fig. 3A–C). Axona chalcopyga is a distinctive fly that is easily recognized by its impressive size and metallic blue whole body. Their large size typically measures 20–22 mm in body length. Adorning their unique yellow markings concentrated at the tips of the abdomen, which further enhances their visual appeal. Head: Eye black, frons blue with very short pile, parafacial with short silver pile, facial tubercle well developed, face at level of antennae narrower than an eye. Postpedicel predominantly black-grey, shorter than high, arista longer than the antenna, ocellar triangle black, slightly elevated and bare, occiput shiny blue with white hairs. Compound eyes separated ( Fig. 4A–C). Thorax: Dark blue metallic, scutum shiny blue and seemingly bare, scutellum with very short pile. Proepimeron shiny blue. Legs metallic blue, pulvillus yellow ( Fig. 4D–E). Wing: Strongly dark brown and black infuscated except posterior margin which is hyaline ( Fig. 3D). Abdomen: Oval-shaped with 5 visible segments, entirely shiny; terga 1 − 3 vivid blue except posterior margin of tergum 3 orange, terga 4 − 5 orange with short sparse dark brown pile at the tip of abdomen; in dorsal view, wider than scutum at the maximum scutum width ( Fig. 4F).
Ecology. Specimens have been collected within fragmented and intact Gelam forests, the biome highly dominated by Gelam trees ( Melaleuca cajuputi ).
Distribution. Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia ( New record), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Singapore.
Remarks. Previous records from Singapore indicate A. chalcopyga visiting the big sage ( Lantana camara ) flower. Our observation in Malaysia documented its association with the Gelam ( Melaleuca cajuputi ) flower.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.