Tomosvaryella culgoaensis Földvari, Skevington & Motamedinia, 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 : 67-69

Tomosvaryella culgoaensis Földvari, Skevington & Motamedinia sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:76BEA6DD-BF22-4DE5-9BC4-BF4CEC027016

Figs 27A–D , 116

Diagnosis: This species can be recognized by a few short dark bristles on the hind trochanter ventromedially; elongated and slender surstyli in dorsal view ( Fig. 27A ); gonopods more elongated towards surstyli in ventral view ( Fig. 27B ); phallic guide with four spines dorsomedially, one is longer than others ( Fig. 27B–D ).

Description: MALE: Body length: 2.2–2.4 mm. Head. Flagellum acuminate; yellow. Face silvery pollinose. Frons, upper part shining black, lower part distinctly silver pollinose; eyes touching for distance equal to 1.2–1.5 times the length of ocellar triangle. Occiput silvery pollinose, less so on upper half. Thorax. Postpronotum pale, with 3–4 pale bristles. Mesonotum (viewed obliquely from front) silvery pollinose, anterior part more grey, grayish also from the side. Scutellum brownish pollinose and without bristles along the distal edge. Dorsocentral bristles undeveloped, indistinct, somewhat visible along frontal edge, a few pale bristles around postpronotum. Halter, knob pale, stem brown. Legs. Mid coxa with two long and two short, pale bristles. Trochanters and femora brown, shining ventrally, silvery pollinose posteriorly except shiny hind femur; knees, basal 1/5 and distal extremity of tibiae yellow (tibiae otherwise brown), tarsal segments yellow, base of last segment slightly brown. Hind trochanter without a keel, but with a few short dark bristles (5–7) in a groups ventromedially. Ventroapical row of spines on fore femur 3–4 very weak; 5–7 short, black spines on mid femur; no spines on hind femur, only 4–5 stronger dark bristles at 2/3 from base, where femur is wider (up to as long as 1.2–1.4 times the width of hind tibia at the distal end). Ventrobasal spines (2) present on fore and mid femora and absent on hind femur (both legs: one strong, one weaker). Subapical (distal) spines on first four tibiae present (short). Hind metatarsus slightly flattened. Pulvilli as long as the last tarsal segment, shorter on metatarsi. Wing. Length: 2.4–2.5 mm. Upper side of basal costal cell with one dark and short bristles. Fourth costal section 2–2.5 times as long as third costal section. Cross-vein r-m at middle of discal cell. 4–5 distinct brown setulae on tegula, mostly along the edges. Abdomen. Viewed obliquely from front tergites subshining black, tergite 1 silvery grey, sides silvery pollinose on tergites 4 and 5 (spot on 5 larger). Dispersed strong dark bristles on all tergites absent, only occasional indistinct bristles present. Lateral bristles on first tergite present, 4–5 short pale bristles in a row up to 0.5–0.7 times as long as the width of hind femur at distal tip in lateral view. Postabdomen in dorsal view: T6, S7 invisible; T5 as long as ST8. Genitalia without dissection: ST8 medium sized, brownish; membranous area elongated, broadening on dorsal part; epandrium brown, surstyli yellow, slim. Genitalia. Genital capsule in dorsal view: epandrium and surstyli brown, gray pollinose. Epandrium wider than long (MLE:MWE = 0.8). Surstyli rather symmetrical, broadened at base, elongated and slender, pointing towards each other at apex, left is wider than right one ( Fig. 27A ). Genital capsule in ventral view: gonopods more elongated towards surstyli (reach cerci), equal in height, hypandrium broad, subepandrial sclerite rectangular-shaped covered with transverse streaks ( Fig. 27B ), phallic guide with four spines dorsolaterally (one left spines longer than others; the longest one twice as length as others). Genital capsule in lateral view: both surstyli rather straight, left apically bent towards sternite ( Figs 27C–D ). FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: This species is named after the only place that specimens have been collected, Culgoa National Park.

Examined material: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Culgoa National Park, 8km West-Northwest Cawwell Homestead, Diemunga Lagoon ( CGN2 M), 29°3’S, 146°60’E, Coolibah , 30.i–18.v.2010, C. Lambkin, R. Olsen & B. Shieban, Malaise trap, CNC575143 (1♂, QM) ; PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Culgoa National Park, 8km West-Northwest Cawwell Homestead, Diemunga Lagoon ( CGN2 M), 29°3’S, 146°60’E, Coolibah, 30.i–18.v.2010, C. Lambkin, R . Olsen & B. Shieban, Malaise trap, CNC575148 , CNC575156 (1♂, QM, 1♂ CNC) .

Distribution: Australia (New South Wales) ( Fig. 116 ).

Notes: Culgoa National Park has a rich diversity of Tomosvaryella with 20 species known from only 68 specimens. Tomosvaryella culgoaensis is currently endemic to the park and named to raise awareness of this remote borderland park that includes part of Queensland and New South Wales.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Male genitalia of Tomosvaryella culgoaensis sp. nov. (CNC575143, QM) A) dorsal view, B) ventral view, C, D) lateral view.

FIGURE 116. Distribution of Tomosvaryella calcarilonga sp. nov., T. clavata sp. nov., T. culgoaensis sp. nov. in Australia.