Bradysia amabilis ( Skuse, 1888 )

Broadley, Adam, Kauschke, Ellen & Mohrig, Werner, 2016, Revision of the types of male Sciaridae (Diptera) described from Australia by F. A. A. Skuse, Zootaxa 4193 (3), pp. 401-450 : 416

Bradysia amabilis ( Skuse, 1888) comb. n.

(Figs, 9 A‒D, 3 A)

Sciara amabilis Skuse, 1888 [ Skuse (1888): 712 ‒713].

Type locality. Australia, Sydney.

Holotype: Male. Original label data ( Fig. 3 A) verbatim ‘ Sc. amabilis / Ƌ (ink) TYPE./ F. A. A. Skuse’ (print), ‘Sydney’ (ink). Mounted in Canada balsam Dec. 2015. ( ANIC; Slide No. 003).

Remarks. The original description states “ Hab.—Sydney (Masters and Skuse). September.”

Preservation. Generally well preserved.

Additional description. Male. Head. Eye bridge 2‒3 facets wide. Antenna brown, 4th flagellomere with l/windex of 2.4, with dense, pale hairs shorter than the diameter of basal node; necks rather short, brownish; palpus 3- segmented; basal segment with deep sensory pit and 4‒5 bristles. Thorax. Brown, scutum centrally and laterally with rather long dark bristles; scutellum with two long and two shorter marginal bristles; postpronotum bare. Wing pale; R1 = 4/5 R; R5 throughout with macrotrichia dorsally and ventrally; c nearly 1/2 w; y = x, with macrotrichia; posterior veins without macrotrichia. Haltere short, brownish. Legs yellowish-brown; tibial organ comb-like, with a row of 5‒6 bristles; spurs of middle and hind tibia equal in size, rather short; claws missing. Abdomen. With rather short, brownish hairs. Hypopygium brown; ventral base broadly open, without lobe or bristle patch, the inner membrane with fine hairs; gonocoxites strong, with short and sparse hairs at the inner ventral margin; gonostylus elongate, shorter than gonocoxite, with curved apex and one or two dorsally located claw-like short teeth, the apex with 6‒7 spines of equal size, one of them more robust than the others; tegmen somewhat pyramid-like, apically rounded, with fine teeth and a broad ventral parameral apodeme; aedeagus rather short. Body length: 3.0 mm.

Comments. The species is characterized by a deep sensory pit on the basal segment of the palpus, ventral macrotrichia on R5, macrotrichia on y, a ventral membrane with fine hairs at the base of the hypopygium, an elongated gonostylus with 1‒2 small, dorsally-located claw-like teeth and several spines below.

Distribution. Australia ( New South Wales).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Images showing some of the Skuse types on cards. The scale bar refers to the specimens only. a): Sciara amabilis, showing legs that had been glued separately; b): four S. exsequialis specimens comprising three males, and a female that had been carded in copula with one of the males; c): the type specimen of Trichosia mastersi. Note the hypopygium is detached and glued separately to the card.