Traphera chalybea (Wiedemann 1830)

A Trapherinae fly with dark wing with two bands.
Distinguishing features of the subfamily Trapherinae:

• both the upper and lower calypters forming a distinct lobe;
• the katepisternal setae are invariably present;
• the branches of the antennal arista are long bipectinate;

• the face is flattened or convex and bulging outwards below the insertion of the antennae and/or extends
  well below the ventral-most point of the gena

• tergite 5 is about the same length as tergite 3;

• female tergite 6 is well-developed and exposed;
  The following Afrotropical genera are included in the subfamily: Lule; Piara; Seguyopiara; Traphera

Key to Trapherinae genera in MAD 3:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356493903_Chapter_70_Platystomatidae_Singal_flies_pp_1619-1667_In_Kirk-Spriggs_A_and_Sinclair_BJ_eds_Manual_of_Afrotropical_Diptera_Volume_3_Brachycera_Cyclorrhapha_excluding_Calyptratae/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6Il9kaXJlY3QiLCJwYWdlIjoiX2RpcmVjdCJ9fQ

Traphera Loew (Trapherinae) is an endemic monotypic genus, with the single species, T. chalybea Wiedemann, 1840), described from South Africa. T. chalybea is dark brown, with distinctively slanted fasciae on the wing membrane. The body is metallic, contrasting with the orange head; there are six scutellar marginal setae and wing crossvein bm–m is half as long as, or shorter than vein Cu and crossvein dm–m is at an acute angle to vein M1.

Original description in:
Wiedemann. 1830. Aussereuropäische Zweiflügelige Insekten 2. Page 464
https://www.google.de/books/edition/Aussereurop%C3%A4ische_Zweifl%C3%BCgelige_Insekt/hlBO_JTGO3oC?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=ortalis%20chalybea&pg=PA464&printsec=frontcover

Redescription in (Ortalia chalybea):
Hendel, F. 1914. Die Arten der Platystominen. Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 8. Page 19
https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/AZBG_8_1_0001-0410.pdf

Illustrations in:
Hendel, F. 1914. Diptera Fam. Muscaridae Subfam. Platystominae. Genera insectorum 157
Plate 3, figures 50, 51, 52 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/105321#page/199/mode/1up

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/218652727

Posted on May 28, 2024 11:14 AM by traianbertau