Tomosvaryella dasyprocta 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 : 73-75

Tomosvaryella dasyprocta Földvari, Skevington & Motamedinia sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6CF7C812-C277-47E7-B330-7F3E204B8064

Figs 30A–E , 120

Diagnosis: This species can be recognized by hind trochanter with a keel covered by short erect bristles along its edge; extremely large and hairy cerci, gradually widened towards epandrium in lateral view ( Fig. 30D–E ); asymmetrical surstyli in dorsal view ( Fig. 30A ); phallus with some small spines emerging before the ejaculatory ducts; both surstyli curved toward sternite, covered by long bristles in lateral view ( Fig. 30 D–E ).

Description: MALE: Body length: 4.2–4.5 mm. Head. Flagellum long, acuminate; brown, light brown at frontal edge, grey pollinose. Scape, pedicel dark. Upper side of pedicel with 3–4 short dark bristles. Face silvery pollinose. Frons, upper part shining black; eyes touching for distance equal to 1.2–1.4 times the length of ocellar triangle. Occiput silvery pollinose with scattered short dark bristles. Thorax. Postpronotum pale, with 3–4 short, pale bristles. Mesonotum (viewed obliquely from front) silvery-brown pollinose, anterior part greyer. Scutellum brownish pollinose and with 3–6 weak bristles along the distal edge. Dorsocentral bristles short and dark, somewhat longer along frontal edge, postalar callus with two short and dark bristles. Halter, knob and stem brown at apex, black at base. Legs. Mid coxa with 3–4 long, dark bristles. Trochanters, coxae and femora black, shining ventrally, silvery pollinose posteriorly except shiny hind femur; knees and basal 1/5 of tibiae yellow, tarsal segments dark brown, ventrally somewhat paler, last segment same dark brown. Hind trochanter with a keel, extended from basal to apical covered with short erect bristles along its edge. Ventroapical row of 4–5 short spines on all femora present, all femora with 10–12 long bristles dorsally, 2–3 dark short spines present on fore and mid femora ventrobasally. Subapical (distal) spines on first four tibiae absent. Hind tarsi slightly elongated, metatarsus almost as long as 2–5 combined; stronger, peg-like dark spines on metatarsus laterally along anterior edge. Pulvilli as long as last tarsal segment. Wing. Length: 4.3–4.6 mm. Upper side of basal costal cell with two dark bristle, one is longer. Fourth costal section 3–3.5 times as long as third costal section (section 3 appears short). Cross-vein r-m distinctly distal to middle of discal cell. 6–8 distinct dark bristles on tegula. Abdomen. Viewed obliquely from front tergites black, tergite 1 silvery grey. Dispersed strong dark bristles on all tergites present. Lateral bristles on first tergite present, 18–20 different-sized and strong bristles. Genitalia. Genital capsule in dorsal view: epandrium longer than wide (MLE:MWE = 1.6). Surstyli asymmetrical, widened at base, right surstylus wider, pointed towards left one before apex at inner margin; left surstylus curved towards right side away from right one, both surstyli covered by dense short bristles in basal half ( Fig. 30A ). Genital capsule in ventral view: gonopods pointed at apex, equal in height; hypandrium sclerotized, subepandrial sclerite long ( Fig. 30B ); phallus with three short ejaculatory ducts. Genital capsule in lateral view: extremely large cerci, as large as surstyli covered with long dense bristles at the end; both surstyli curved towards sternite, broadened at the middle, covered with long bristles; phallus with some short spines before emerging ejaculatory ducts; phallic guide with some spines, one is longer. ( Figs 30D–E ). Ejaculatory apodeme tube-like, bent, with a bulb in its middle ( Fig. 30C ).

FEMALE: unknown.

Etymology: The name is derived from the Greek dasys, hairy, shaggy, tufted or dense and proktos for anus, rectum or tail, in reference to the extremely hairy cerci.

Examined material: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Carnarvon National Park, Hilltop north of Tombs , 25°5’S, 147°52’E, 26.XI.1997, J. Skevington & C. Lambkin, hand collected, JSS2200 (1♂, QM) ; PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: same data as holotype, JSS2199 ; JSS2201–2 ; JSS2204–5 ; JSS2219– 20 ; JSS2223 (1♂, CNC; 6♂, QM; 1♂, USNM); Isla Gorge National Park, 25°11’S, 149°58’E, 320m, 3.XI.1991, G. Daniels, JSS8904 (1♂, QM); South Australia: Flinder’s Ranges National Park , Brachina Gorge, Heysen Hilltop , 31°20’S, 138°33’E, 9.X.1997, J.&A. Skevington & C. Lambkin, JSS8378 (1♂, QM); Western Australia : Karijini National Park , Juna Downs Road , 22°43’S, 118°25’E, 799m, near rock outcrop, Eucalyptus Eremophila scrub, 25.IV–14. V .2003, C. Lambkin, T . Weir, Malaise trap, ANIC [Bulk Sample] 2040, JSS16046 (1♂, ANIC); 158 km S Newman, 9 km N Kumarina Road House , 24°38’S, 117°37’E, 638m, wide sandy wash, 7–18. V .2003, M.E. Irwin & F.D. Parker, Malaise trap, JSS15720 (1♂, CNC) .

Distribution: Australia (Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia) ( Fig. 120 ).

Notes: This species appears to favour dry sclerophyll forest and has been found hilltopping.

Figures

FIGURE 30. Male genitalia of Tomosvaryella dasyprocta sp. nov. (JSS2200, QM) A) dorsal view, B) ventral view, C) ejaculatory apodeme, D, E) lateral view.

FIGURE 120. Distribution of Tomosvaryella dasyprocta sp. nov., T. falcata sp. nov., T. gibberensis sp. nov. in Australia.