A review of the genus Botanophila Lioy (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) from China, with descriptions of three new species
Author
Xue, Wan-Qi
Author
Song, Wen-Hui
text
Zootaxa
2007
1633
1
38
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.179451
a006c342-38b9-4097-b9ce-e33341f88bfc
1175-5326
179451
Botanophila
Lioy, 1864
Botanophila
Lioy, 1864
: 990
.
Type
species:
Anthomyia varicolor
Meigen, 1826
, by monotypy.
Collinomyia
Ringdahl, 1929
: 269.
Type
species:
Aricia gemmata
Zetterstedt, 1860
, by monotypy.
Pegohylemyia
Schnabl, 1911: 98
.
Type
species:
Musca cinerea
Fallén, 1824
(=
Egeria silvatica
Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
), by monotypy. Synonymized by
Michelsen (1983)
.
Euryparia
Ringdahl, 1929
: 269
.
Type
species:
Anthomyia varicolor
Meigen, 1826
), by monotypy. Preoccupied by
Becker, 1911
(
Chloropidae
).
Monochrotogaster
Ringdahl, 1932
: 19
.
Type
species:
Monochrotogaster unicolor
Ringdahl, 1932
, by monotypy.
Pseudomyopina
Ringdahl, 1933
: 31
.
Type
species:
Aricia moriens
Zetterstedt, 1845
, by monotypy.
Diagnosis.
Botanophila
resembles
Delia
in general habitus. But
Botanophila
aedeagus with distal section largely membranous, without sclerotized acrophallus. Pregonite relatively low and small (not prominent), covered with setae of varied sizes and fused anteriorly with central plate of hypandrium. In
Delia
, the aedeagus is strongly sclerotized and the pregonite is well developed and bigger than the postgonite.
FIGURES 1–5.
1. Sternite 5, A. Lobe of sternite 5; B. Apex of lobe; C. Lateral margin; D. Inner margin; E. Length of sternite 5 base; 2–4. Hypopygium in posterior view, F. Cercal plate; G. The length of basal part of cercal plate is the distance between the anterior (upper) margin of the cercal plate and the beginning of the median process; H. The length of apical median process; I. Median process; J. Subcercal structure or subcercal process; K. Submedian processes; L. Lateral processes; M. Inner branch of surstylus; N. Outer branch of surstylus; O. Inner margin; P. Outer margin; 5. Hypopygium in lateral view, Q. Anterior margin of surstylus in lateral view; R. Posterior margin in lateral view.
Biology.
Larvae are mainly phytophagous. The larvae of
B
.
dissecta
(Meigen)
,
B
.
humeralis
(Hennig)
,
B
.
latifrons
(Zetterstedt)
,
B
.
lobata
(Collin)
, and
B
.
phrenione
(Séguy)
live on
Epichloe
fungus on species of Graminaceae. The larvae of
B
.
fugax
(Meigen)
and
B
.
humeralis
feed on monocotyledons. Larvae of some other species feed on dicotyledons. The larvae of
B
.
gnava
(Meigen)
and
B
.
sonchi
(Hardy)
live on flower heads of
Sonchus
spp. The larvae of
B
.
jacobaee
(Hardy)
and
B
.
seneciella
(Meade)
live on flower heads of
Senecio
(and have been used in
Australia
for the biological control of introduced weeds) (
Hennig 1970
). The larvae of
B
.
spinosa
(Rondani)
and
B
.
turcica
(Hennig)
from southern
France
feed on
Carthamus
and
Onopordum acanthium
Linnaeus
, respectively (
Vitou
et al
. 2001
).
Flower visitations of adults are just as little known. Adults of
B
.
latifrons
can be found on
Anthriscus silvester
(Linnaeus)
in
Finland
;
B
.
maculipes
(Zetterstedt)
can be found on
Solidago virgaurea
(Linnaeus)
in Småland,
Sweden
;
B
.
sonchi
has been reared from
Sonchus oleraceus
L. in Europe;
B
.
profuga
(Stein)
can be collected on the flowers of
Archanlica
and
Geranium
in
Iceland
; and
B
.
sanctimarci
(Czerny)
often can be seen around the flowers of
Allium ursinum
(Linnaeus)
in
Austria
(
Hennig 1970
). As some of these thistle hosts are significant weeds outside their native range (particularly in
Australia
), these anthomyiid flies have potential as biological control agents.
The natural predators and parasitoids of
Botanophila
are mainly
Braconidae
,
Ichneumonidae
,
Diapriidae
,
Pteromalidae
,
Vespidae
, and
Staphylinidae (
Fan 1988a
)
.
Distribution
. Cosmopolitan.