Clarification of Status of Strumeta persignata Hering (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Strumeta persignata was described by Hering (1941) from Endeh, Flores (Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia) and has been assumed to belong to the Dacus subgenus Bactrocera Macquart {Strumeta Walker is a synonym) and was treated as such in the Catalog of the Diptera of the Oriental Region (Har dy, in Delfinado and Hardy, 1977:51). Through the kindness of Dr. Glinter Morge (Akademie der Landwirtschaftswissenschaften der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, Institut fur Pflanzenschutzforschung, Eberswalde), I have recently had an opportunity to examine Hering's type female and three paratypes (one female, two males) and this can now be correctly placed. This is a Zeugodacus Hendel; its correct com bination is Dacus (Zeugodacus) persignatus (Hering). Fitting in the Dacus group of Subgenera by having the posterior lobe of the male surstylus elongate and the fifth sternum gently concave. Prescutellar and anterior supraalar bristles are present, and fitting the con cept of Zeugodacus. This is one of the aberrant members of this subgenus which have only two scutellar bristles. By having a brown mark over the m crossvein, three postsutural yellow vittae on mesonotum, and other details, it fits very close to cucurbitae Coquillet, and it is obviously closely related to that notorious pest species. Based upon morphological charac ters this would be the closest known relative. It is very probable that this species breeds in cucurbitaceous and possible solanaceous plants, and it may attack vegetable crops. It is attracted to Cue Lure. D. (Zeugodacus) persignatus is differentiated from cucurbitae by typically having prominent black markings on the mesonotum and the median yellow vitta large and broad, wider than the lateral vittae and extending from prescutellar bristles to beyond mesonotal suture; by having the facial spots in antennal furrows, consistently smaller, about half the size of cucurbitae and only two pairs of inferior fronto-orbital bristles, not three; also by having the abdomen almost entirely rufous except for a narrow basal brown to black line and a faint indication of a black vitta on middle of fifth tergum. lacking the prominent black median vitta over terga three-