Terellia hajastanica, a new species of tephritid flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) associated with Centaurea pseudoscabiosa subsp. glehnii (Asteraceae) in Armenia

Abstract

A new species of tephritid flies, Terellia hajastanica sp. nov., is described from Armenia. The new species belongs to the T. virens species–group and is characterised by the combination of entirely hyaline wing, orange spots on the katepisternum and meron, longitudinal orange stripe running from anterior spiracle through the anepisternum to anepimeron, and the glans of phallus similar in shape to that of T. arailerica Evstigneev, 2021. The phallus in both the species has a long tubular extension of the glans, with filaments separated from each other near the apex of extension. The glans of the new species is smaller, has a shorter portion of tubular extension between the rod and bifurcation of the filaments. The new species is similar to T. babaki V. Korneyev, 2017 from the T. amberboae species–group in the presence of orange stripe on the pleura. Larvae of the new species develop in the capitula of Centaurea pseudoscabiosa subsp. glehnii and pupate therein, whereas the larvae of T. arailerica develop in the capitula of C. spectabilis and pupate in their stems.