Tomosvaryella staricki Motamedinia, Skevington & Földvari, 2023

Motamedinia, Behnam, Földvari, Mihaly, Skevington, Jeffrey H. & Kelso, Scott, 2023, Revision of Australian Tomosvaryella Aczél (Diptera: Pipunculidae) with description of 100 new species, Zootaxa 5599 (1), pp. 1-271 : 205-206

Tomosvaryella staricki Motamedinia, Skevington & Földvari sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:34C3327F-FD01-491E-BE42-6751F7BCA1FF

Figs 93A–E , 140

Diagnosis: This species can be recognized by the elongated surstyli, the left surstylus with a small edge along ventromedial margin ( Fig. 93A ); both gonopods with a finger-like projection towards surstyli; subepandrial sclerite with an elongated suture in its middle; phallic guide with 3–4 short dorso- dorsolateral spines in ventral view ( Fig. 93B ); left surstylus bent towards sternite in apical fourth, right one rather straight in lateral view ( Fig. 93D–E )

Description: MALE: Body length: 2.4 mm. Head. Flagellum acuminate; yellow-brown. Face silvery pollinose. Frons, upper part shining black; lower part distinctly silver pollinose; eyes touching for distance equal to 2.2 times the length of ocellar triangle. Occiput silvery pollinose, less so on upper 1/3. Thorax. Postpronotum pale, with 3–4 long pale bristles. Mesonotum (viewed obliquely from front) silvery pollinose, anterior part more grey, grayish also from the side. Scutellum silvery brown pollinose and with 2–4 short bristles along distal edge. Halter, knob pale, tip brownish, stem brown. Legs. Mid coxa with 3–4 long dark bristles. Trochanters light brown, femora dark brown, silvery pollinose posteriorly except shiny hind femur; knees and basal 1/6 of tibiae yellow (tibiae otherwise brown), tarsal segments light brown. Hind trochanter with 2–4 short bristles anteroventrally. Hind femur without ventroapical spines. Subapical (distal) spines on fore tibiae present (short). Hind tarsomeres not flattened, hind metatarsus almost as long as 2–4 combined, dorsally all tarsomeres with erect bristles. Pulvilli shorter than last tarsal segment. Wing. Length: 2.4 mm. Upper side of basal costal cell with one long brown bristle. Fourth costal section 3 times as long as third costal section. Cross-vein r-m at middle of discal cell. 4–5 short dark setulae on tegula. Abdomen. Viewed obliquely from front tergites brown, tergite 1 silvery grey. Lateral bristles on first tergite present, 2–4 dark bristles up to as long as ¾ of hind femur’s width at base. Genitalia. Genital capsule in dorsal view: epandrium longer than wide (MLE:MWE = 1.1). Surstyli elongate, curved to each other at apex, left surstylus is longer, with a small edge along ventromedial margin ( Fig. 93A ). Genital capsule in ventral view: both gonopods with a finger-like projection towards surstyli; subepandrial sclerite with an elongated suture in its middle like spinal cord; phallic guide with 3–4 short dorso- dorsolateral spines, one is longer ( Fig. 93B ); Genital capsule in lateral view: left surstylus bent towards sternite in apical fourth, right one straighter ( Fig. 93D–E ). Ejaculatory apodeme tube-like, bent, with a bulb in its middle ( Fig. 93C ).

FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: This species is named in honour of Noel Starick, one of the collectors of the only known specimen. Noel has collected or contributed to the collection of 3% of the specimens and 17% of the species used in this revision (Supplementary file 2).

Examined material: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Culgoa Floodplain National Park , 11.8km N Headquarters ( CG2 AM), 28°54’S, 147°8’E, 151m, Brigalow, 18.XI–17.XII.2009, C. Lambkin, A. Coward, C. Kelly & N. Starick, Malaise trap, CNC576508 (1♂, CNC).

Distribution: Australia (Queensland) ( Fig. 140 ).

Figures

FIGURE 93. Male genitalia of Tomosvaryella staricki sp. nov. (CNC576508, CNC) A) dorsal view, B) ventral view, C) ejaculatory apodeme, D, E) lateral view.

FIGURE 140. Distribution of Tomosvaryella sicula sp. nov., T. spinivaria sp. nov., T. staricki sp. nov. in Australia.