Abstract
The third species of the genus Prochetostoma, developing in the fruits of Ilex Integra Thunberg, has been reported six times in Japan since 1985 but has not been described. We here describe adults and immatures of this species as P. expandens sp. n. Based on the adult morphological characters, P. expandens is suggested to be the sister species of P. bhutani-cum Han. Two possible morphological synapomorphies of these two species are proposed. We also investigated a large number of larvae of P. expandens collected from fruits of I. Integra. Detailed information about the life history is presented: oviposition takes place under the skin of immature fruits of I. Integra in spring; larvae consume fruit tissue in summer and autumn; single fully matured larva escapes from the fruit and drops down to the ground for pupation; and adults emerge in the subsequent spring.
NSTL