Tomosvaryella gidgee 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 : 101

Tomosvaryella gidgee Motamedinia, Skevington & Földvari sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2DE636D8-742F-4F56-99D1-B19D2EADA702

Figs 44A–E , 122

Diagnosis: This species can be recognized by the triangle-shaped protrusion on the hind femur ventrobasally; surstyli tiny covered by long bristles basally in dorsal view ( Fig. 44A ); both gonopods extended towards surstyli, phallic guide with 2–3 short dorso-dorsolateral spines in ventral view ( Fig. 44B ).

Description: MALE: Body length: 2.6–2.7 mm. Head. Scape, pedicel, flagellum brown, arista dark, Flagellum tapering; yellow-brown at tips, brown pollinose. Face silvery pollinose. Frons, upper part shining black; lower part distinctly silver pollinose; eyes touching as long as the length of ocellar triangle. Occiput silvery pollinose. Thorax. Postpronotum pale, with 2–3 long pale bristles. Mesonotum (viewed obliquely from front) silvery pollinose with a row of short supra-alar bristles and some longer bristles after postpronotum. Scutellum silvery brown pollinose with 6–10 short dark bristles along distal edge. Halter, knob pale, tip brownish, stem brown. Legs. Mid coxa with 2 long and 1–2 short dark brown bristles. Trochanters brown, femora black, silvery pollinose posteriorly except shiny hind femur; knees and basal 1/6 of tibiae yellow (tibiae otherwise brown), tarsal segments bright yellow completely. Hind trochanter with 4–5 dark bristles ventrobasally; ventrobasal spines absent on femora. Hind femur with a triangle-shaped protrusion ventrobasally. Subapical (distal) spines on first four tibiae present (short). Hind tarsomeres not flattened, hind metatarsus almost as long as 2–4 combined, dorsally. Pulvilli shorter than last tarsal segment. Wing. Length: 2.6 mm. Upper side of basal costal cell with one brown bristle. Fourth costal section 3 times as long as third costal section. Cross-vein r-m at middle of discal cell. 1–2 short dark setulae on tegula. Abdomen. Viewed obliquely from front tergites brown, tergite 1 silvery grey, silvery pollinose lateral spots on tergites 4 and 5. Lateral bristles on first tergite present, 2–4 long dark bristles up to as long as ¾ of hind femur’s width at base. Genitalia. Genital capsule in dorsal view: epandrium widened at base, longer than wide (MLE:MWE = 1.7). Surstyli tiny, widened at the base with some condensed long bristles, moderately narrowed toward apex, pointed to each other at apex. ( Fig. 44A ). Genital capsule in ventral view: both gonopods equal in height, extended towards surstyli, gonopods with a distinct projection on inner margin; phallic guide with 2–3 short dorso- dorsolateral spines; subepandrial sclerite distinct with transverse suture in the middle, ( Fig. 44B ); Genital capsule in lateral view: both surstyli tiny, triangle-shaped ( Fig. 44D–E ). Ejaculatory apodeme tube-like, bent, with a bulb in its middle ( Fig. 44C ).

FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: Gidgee may refer to any of a number of species of Acacia native to arid or semi-arid regions of Australia, or to the vegetation communities in which these species dominate. This is the most typical habitat of Tomosvaryella species in Australia and is noted on the labels of all known specimens of this species.

Examined material: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Plevna Downs, Tompilly Hill base ( PD6 M), 26°44’S, 142°39’E, 187m, gidgee, 25.XI–18.XII.2008, R. Mackenzie, Malaise trap, CNC576416 (1♂, QM) ; PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Plevna Downs, Tompilly Hill base ( PD6 M), 26°44’S, 142°39’E, 187m, gidgee, 25.XI–18. XII .2008, R . Mackenzie , Malaise trap, CNC576410 , CNC576414 (2♂, CNC, QM) .

Distribution: Australia (Queensland) ( Fig. 122 ).

Figures

FIGURE 44. Male genitalia of Tomosvaryella gidgee sp. nov. (CNC576416, QM) A) dorsal view, B) ventral view, C) ejaculatory apodeme, D, E) lateral view.

FIGURE 122. Distribution of Tomosvaryella dissidens sp. nov., T. gidgee sp. nov., T. hardyi sp. nov. in Australia.