Tomosvaryella dactylopoda 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 : 69-71

Tomosvaryella dactylopoda Földvari, Skevington & Motamedinia sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:92F7993B-8C13-404E-9F49-7DE06C22CB1D

Figs 28A–E , 117

Diagnosis: This species can be recognized by the two patches of spines on the hind trochanter; surstyli elongated in dorsal view ( Fig. 28A ); phallic guide with some different-sized spines; both gonopods with a finger-like projection in ventral view ( Fig. 28B ).

Description: MALE: Body length: 3.5 mm. Head. Flagellum acuminate, brown. Face silvery pollinose. Frons, upper part shining black, lower part distinctly silver pollinose; eyes touching for distance equal to 2–2.5 times the length of ocellar triangle. Occiput silvery pollinose, less so on upper 1/3. Thorax. Postpronotum dark brown, with 3–4 distinct pale bristles. Mesonotum (viewed obliquely from front) brownish pollinose, anterior part silver pollinose, slightly grayish also from the side. Scutellum brown pollinose and with 6–8 weak bristles along the distal edge. Dorsocentral bristles developed, dark, longer on frontal part and numerous dark bristles around postpronotum. Halter, knob brown, stem black. Legs. Mid coxa with two long dark bristles. Trochanters and femora black, shining ventrally, silvery pollinose posteriorly except shiny hind femur; knees yellow-brown, tibiae black, tarsal segments dark brown, only yellowish ventrally. Hind trochanter with a few short dark spines (5–7) in a group at the base ventrally (“echidna”-like), at distal end with 1 strong and 2–3 weaker bristles in a small spot (appears to be one needle). Ventroapical row of spines on fore femur missing, 4–6 very short, black spines on mid femur; no spines on hind femur, only 6–8 pale bristles posteriorly on distal half (as long as the half the width of hind tibia at the distal end); fore and mid femora with two dark bristles ventrobasally; hind femur bent in a slight arch when observed from above; hind tibia slightly bent at middle in posterior view. Hind metatarsus flattened, slightly longer than 2–4 combined covered by semi-erect bristles dorsally. Pulvilli as long as last tarsal segment. Wing. Length: 4.0 mm. Upper side of basal costal cell with one dark and long bristles. Fourth costal section 4–5 times as long as third costal section, third section appears to be unusually short. Cross-vein r-m distal to middle of discal cell. 5–7 dark setulae on tegula. Abdomen. Dissected: tergite 1 silvery grey, Lateral bristles on first tergite present, 6–8 brown bristles in a row up to as long as 1.5–1.8 times the width of hind femur at distal tip in lateral view. Postabdomen in dorsal view: Dissected. Genitalia. Genital capsule in dorsal view: epandrium wider than long (MLE:MWE = 0.5). Surstyli symmetrical, elongated with a broad base, left slightly longer than right one ( Fig. 28A ). Genital capsule in ventral view: subepandrial sclerite covered with some transverse streaks except apical third close to surstyli; both gonopods with a finger-like projection extended towards surstyli, a small protrusion presented on these finger-like projections extended towards phallus, left gonopod longer than right one ( Fig. 28B ), phallic guide straight, with 5–6 different-sized spines dorsolaterally before apex (longer ones as wide as left surstylus); phallus with three short ejaculatory ducts. Genital capsule in lateral view: both surstyli curved towards sternite, with a small projection in basal towards hypandrium ( Figs 28D–E ); phallic guide with a dorsally hooked apex (turned in the photo) ( Fig. 28D–E ); ejaculatory apodeme flat, sperm pump elongated, linear ( Fig. 28C ).

FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: This species is named after the finger-like projections on the gonopods (from the Greek daktylos for finger).

Examined material: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: South Australia: Great Vict [oria] Desert, vehicle net bet[ween] 145–165 km N[orth] Cook , 27°52’S, 130°22’E, 30.viii.1980, J. Forrest, JSS8703 (1♂, SAM).

Distribution: Australia (South Australia), Fig (117).

Notes: Based on the genitalia characters, this species is similar to Tomosvaryella mathiesoni sp. nov., where the surstyli in dorsal view lack small triangular projections at base along outer margin ( Fig. 61A ).

Figures

FIGURE 28. Male genitalia of Tomosvaryella dactylopoda sp. nov. (JSS8703, SAM) A) dorsal view, B) ventral view, C) ejaculatory apodeme, D, E) lateral view.

FIGURE 61. Male genitalia of Tomosvaryella mathiesoni sp. nov. (JSS7552, QM) A) dorsal view, B) ventral view, C) ejaculatory apodeme, D, E) lateral view.

FIGURE 117. Distribution of Tomosvaryella collessi sp. nov., T. dactylopoda sp. nov., T. denhamensis sp. nov. in Australia.