Ephydrella aquaria (Hutton)

Mathis, Wayne N. & Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz, 2025, A review of Ephydrella Tonnoir and Malloch from the New Zealand subregion (Diptera: Ephydridae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5673 (2), pp. 227-251 : 231-234

1. Ephydrella aquaria (Hutton)

Figs. 4–8

Ephydra aquaria Hutton 1901: 90 .

Ephydrella aquaria .— Miller 1950: 111 [catalog of New Zealand Diptera ].— Harrison 1959: 245 [generic combination, fauna of New Zealand].— Mathis 1989: 647 [Australasian/Oceanian catalog].— Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995: 247 [world catalog].— Winterbourn et al. 2000: 82 [review, larvae].— Hughes et al. 2004: 838, 840 [specimens with Stigmatomyces ephydrae Mercier & Poiss ].

Diagnosis.—This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Medium-sized to moderately large species, body length 3.70–4.65 mm. Associated with freshwater to slightly brackish water habitats.

Head:Frons with mesofrons mostly shiny, metallic bluish green to bronze, lacking distinctive gray areas laterally; parafrons dark, blackish gray, slightly velvety; fronto-orbits dark brown, finely but densely microtomentose. Ocelli arranged in isosceles triangle, distance between posterior ocelli only slightly longer than between a posterior ocellus and anterior ocellus. Antenna grayish black to black, densely microtomentose. Face almost unicolorous, darker dorsally, dorsum of hump with some greenish metallic reflections, ventral areas brown to grayish brown, slightly in color toward oral margin. Gena-to-eye ratio 0.38–0.40.

Thorax: Mesonotum mostly dark colored, brownish, but with some bluish gray coloration at lateral margins, especially at scutellar suture laterally. Acrostichal setulae, except for posterior pair, small, sparse, and not organized into rows. Wing: Veins and crossveins frequently darkened. Costal vein ratio 0.19–0.24; M 1 vein ratio 0.59–0.70. Femora and tibiae gray to grayish blue; tarsi blackish brown. Legs, including basitarsomere, blackish brown.

Abdomen ( Figs. 4–7 ): Tergites slightly two-toned, anterior 2/3 of each tergite dark green, metallic, ventral 1/3 grayish green. Male terminalia ( Figs. 4–7 ): Epandrium in posterior view ( Fig. 4 ) with width 2/3 epandrial height, in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ) irregularly pentagonal; cercal cavity in posterior view ( Fig. 4 ) about 1/3 height of overall epandrial height; cerci in posterior view ( Fig. 4 ) lunate, in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ) ovate; surstyli in posterior view ( Fig. 4 ) with lateral margin shallowly and evenly curved at the base, apical extensions straight, parallel-sided; ventromedial processes about 1/3 length of lateral surstylus, each medial process narrowly pointed, tapered gradually and evenly to acute apex, in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ) with basal half about twice as long as apical (from base dorsal apex to basal indentation of surstylar base, epandrium more or less diamond shaped, basal half of lateral surstylar process in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ) bearing long setulae, apical half bearing short, stout setulae; phallus in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ) longer than high, dorsal surface with a short, slender projection at midlength, thereafter with U-shaped concavity, apical portion almost parallel sided but acutely pointed, base of phallus more or less rectangular, in ventral view ( Fig. 6 ) as 2 bilateral paddles, these expanded toward apices, base with lateral, thumb-like projection; phallapodeme in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ) with keel longer than high, apical margin rounded, narrow, ventral extension (to postgonite) over twice length as dorsal extension (to base of phallus), in ventral view ( Fig. 6 ) narrow, arrow-shaped, acutely pointed; postgonite+hypandrium in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ) somewhat rectangular, slightly expanded apically, apical margin rounded then with sharp recurve and point at ventroapical corner, in ventral view ( Fig. 6 ) with basal portion angularly curved, apical half angulate, with apical third very thin, paralleling phallus.

Primary Type Material.—The lectotype male (designated by Harrison 1959:245) is labeled “[ New Zealand. Christchurch] Ephydra aquaria Hutt. Type [handwritten]/TYPE [pink]/Revision A. Tonnoir 1923 [“Revision” handwritten]. The lectotype is double mounted (pin in rectangular block of polyporus), is in good condition, and is in the CMNZ. Tonnoir and Malloch (1926: 7) wrote that there were four specimens in Hutton's collection and that none was accompanied by any locality labels. Hutton (1900: 90) cited Christchurch as the type locality in the original description.

Type Locality.— Australasian : New Zealand. South Island. Christchurch (43°31.9'S, 172°38.2'E) .

Specimens Examined from New Zealand. — NORTH ISLAND. AK: Ambury Park, Upper Manukau Harbour (36°56.6'S, 174°45.3'E), 2 Feb 1997, J. W. Early (2♀; AMNZ) ; Leigh (hill NE; 36°17.6'S, 174°48.2'E), 6 Dec 1968, K. A. J. Wise (1♀; AMNZ) ; Motutapu Island (36°46.1'S, 174°55'E; near pond), 16 Nov 1957, R. A. Harrison (1♀; LUNZ) ; Rodney County, Coxhead Creek , Whangateau (36°18.7'S, 174°56.2'E), 4 Dec 1968, K. A. J. Wise (1♀; AMNZ) ; Karekare (beach; 37°00.2'S, 174°28.8'E), 10 Oct 2002, D. and W. N. Mathis (3♂; USNM) ; Mangere (36°58.7'S, 174°45.8'E), 6 Feb 1998, V. Hollmann, W. N. Mathis (26♂, 8♀; NZAC, USNM) ; Wattle Bay (36°56.1'S, 174°43.4'E), 28 Mar 1977, B. A. Holloway (1♀; NZAC) ; Bethells (36°53.5'S, 174°26.9'E), 31 Oct 1967, D. J. Allan (1♂; NZAC) ; Lynfield , Tropicana Drive (36°55.7'S, 174°42.7'E), 27 Dec 1976, G. Kuschel (1♂; NZAC) ; Waiuku (W side of, 37°14.6'S, 174°43.2'E), 12 Feb 1971, H. A. Oliver (2♂, 2♀; NZAC) . BP: Rotorua , Orakei-Korako (38°29.5'S, 176°08.1'E), 26 Jan 1960, J. I. Townsend, R. Zondaz (18♂, 11♀; NZAC) ; Rotorua , Rotoma (38°03.1'S, 176°34.3'E), 16 Dec 1960, H. A. Oliver (1♂, 3♀; NZAC) ; Rotorua : near outlet of Waimangu Stream (38°17.1'S, 176°23.7'E), 10 May 1971, K. A. J. Wise (5♂, 30♀; AMNZ) ; Waipapa River (Road 2; 39°39.5'S, 176°0.1'E), 8 Feb 1998, V. Hollmann, W. N. Mathis (5♂, 13♀; NZAC, USNM) . CL: Cuvier Island , Northwest Bay (36°26.1'S, 175°45.7'E; on stream pool), 13 Jan 1972, K. A. J. Wise (4♂, 4♀; AMNZ) . HB: Urewera National Park (38°45.1'S, 177°09.5'E; on Black Beech Track, Lake Waikaremoana (bank of lake); Stigmatomyces ephydrae Mercier & Poiss on legs, tergites and mesonotum of ♂ and ♀), 18 Mar 2000, A. Weir and C. Carlton, AW935 ; Urewera National Park , Lake Waikaremoana between Waikaremoana and Aniwaniwa (38°44.8'S, 177°09.7'E; Stigmatomyces ephydrae Mercier & Poiss on mesonotum, sternites, tergites, hind legs of ♂ and ♀), 18 Mar 2000, A. Weir and C. Carlton, AW936. ND: KohuKohu (35°22.9'S, 173°23.1'E; stream below waterfall Pangaru Roa), 8 Jan 1969, K. A. J. Wise (1♀; AMNZ) ; Mokohinau , Burgess Island (35°55'S, 176°06'E), 24 Aug 1955, R. A. Harrison (1♂, 3♀; LUNZ) ; Whananaki South (beach; 35°31.1'S, 174°27.2'E), 19 Feb 1998, W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM) . TO: Napier , Taupo (38°41.1'S, 176°04.2'E; hot pools, 58C), 23 Feb 1965, J. I. Townsend (7♂, 14♀; NZAC) ; Lake Taupo (38°41.1'S, 176°04.2'E; hot pools), 25 Nov 1971, J. Gillespie (1♀; NZAC) ; Taupo (38°41.1'S, 176°04.2'E), 16 Sep 1941, J. S. Armstrong (1♂, 1♀; NZAC) ; Taupo , Black Terraces (38°41.1'S, 176°04.2'E), 1 Apr 1934, J. S. Armstrong (1♂; NZAC) ; Taupo , Huka Lodge (38°39.3'S, 176°05.1'E), 14 Sep 1941, J. S. Armstrong (2♂, 2♀; NZAC) ; Taupo (38°41.1'S, 176°04.2'E; lake shore), 22 Jan 1932, J. S. Armstrong (5♂, 1♀; NZAC) ; Taupo , Waitahanui River (38°47.5'S, 176°04.9'E), 17 Apr 1933, J. S. Armstrong (2♂, 1♀; NZAC) ; Taupo , Waitahanui (38°47.5'S, 176°04.9'E), 4 Sep 1961, J. S. Armstrong (6♂, 4♀; NZAC) ; Waiouru (39°28.6'S, 175°40.1'E; beside pond), 30 Dec 1970, J. Gillespie (4♂, 7♀; NZAC) ; Whakapapaiti (Mt. Ruapehu; 39°13.4'S, 175°30.3'E; stream; 1158 m), 28 Feb 1959, K. A. J. Wise (1♀; ZMNZ) .

SOUTH ISLAND. BR: Kumara (42°37.9'S, 171°11.2'E), 15 Sep 1929, J. W. Campbell (1♀; USNM) . CO : Alexandra (45°14.8'S, 169°23.2'E), 1924, C. C. Fenwick (1♂; NHMUK); Danseys Pass (44°56.7'S, 170°34.1'E; 245 m), 12 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (6♂, 5♀; USNM); Obelisk Range (45°19.3'S, 169°12.4'E; 1680 m), 7 Feb 1986, C. A. Muir (1♂, 3♀; LUNZ); Old Man Range (15 km S Alexandra; 45°21.4'S, 169°12.5'E; 1200 m), 15 Feb 1982, L. L. Deitz (1♂; NZAC); Old Man Range (45°21.4'S, 169°12.5'E), 11 Feb 1982, C. F. Butcher (1♂; NZAC) . FD : Monowai River (45°46.7'S, 167°35.7'E; 171 m); 17–18 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (1♂, 1♀; USNM); Te Anau (45°25.3'S, 167°42.9'E; 205 m); 22–23 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (10♂, 2♀; USNM) . KA: Black Miller Creek (42°13.6'S, 173°51.1'E), 14 Feb 1998 , V. Hollmann (1♂; NZAC); Hapuku Stream (42°13'S, 173°45.3'E; 420 m), 8 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 1♀; USNM); Seddon ( Awatere River ; 41°39.6'S, 174°04.6'E), 14 Feb 1998 , V. Hollmann (2♂; NZAC); Waima River (41°54.2'S, 174°06.8'E), 8 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (8♂, 6♀; USNM) . MB : Lake Tennyson (42°12'S, 172°44'E), 21 Jan 1976, A. K. Walker (1♂; NZAC) . MC : Acheron River (43°19.7'S, 171°40.5'E; 772 m), 10 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 1♀; USNM); Cass (3 km W; 43°02.1'S, 171°43'E; marsh), 30 Nov 1977, E. I. Schlinger (1♂, 2♀; NZAC); Christchurch ( Styx Mill Reserve ; 43°28.1'S, 172°36.4'E), 17 Oct 2002, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♂, 4♀; USNM); Christchurch, Travis Marsh (43°29.1'S, 172°41.8'E), 21 Dec 1995 , R. P. Macfarlane (2♂; CMNZ); Lake Ellesmere (43°47.7'S, 172°39.9'E), 9 Mar 1968, D. G. Kelly (1♂; LUNZ); Lake Pearson (43°06.1'S, 171°46.5'E; near Cass ), 30 Nov 1977, E. I. Schlinger (2♂; NZAC); Lyttelton Harbour (43°36.2'S, 172°42.9'E), 26 Feb 1966, G. C. B. Poore (2♂, 7♀; CMNZ); Simois Stream (43°17.8'S, 171°32.9'E; 130 m), 10 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (9♂, 2♀; USNM) . NC: Hurunui River (near mouth; 42°54.6'S, 173°16.7'E), 14–15 Feb 1998 , V. Hollmann, W. N. Mathis (5♂, 10♀; NZAC, USNM); Napenape Scenic Reserve, Hurunui River Mouth (42°54.5'S, 173°16.7'E), 17 Nov 1977, E. I. Schlinger (17♂, 22♀; NZAC) . NN: Cable Bay Road (41°11.7'S, 173°25.3'E), 13 Feb 1998 , V. Hollmann (1♀; NZAC); Graham Stream (41°11.9'S, 172°48.6'E), 12 Feb 1998, W. N. Mathis (3♂; USNM); Nelson ( Maitai River ; 41°16.5'S, 173°19.2'E), 10 Feb 1998, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Pupa springs, Takaka (40°51.3'S, 172°48.4'E), 16 Apr 1970, G. Kuschel (3♂, 3♀; NZAC); Rabbit Island (41°16.9'S, 173°09'E), 25 Feb 1973, A. K. Walker (1♀; NZAC); Roding River (41°22.1'S, 173°14.5'E), 12 Feb 1998 , V. Hollmann, W. N. Mathis (5♂, 20♀; NZAC, USNM) . OL : Kingston (45°19.8'S, 168°42.7'E; 319 m); 26 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (5♂; USNM); Moke Lake (3.5 km S; 45°02.2'S, 168°34.7'E; 616 m); 28 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (6♂, 3♀; USNM) . SC : St. Andrews, Pareora Gorge (44°24.8'S, 171°03.8'E; 244 m), 29 Apr 1968, J. W. Boyes (1♂; USNM); Station Peak (44°47.6'S, 170°33.7'E; 900 m; near Kurow), 7 Jan 1977, P. M. Johns (3♂, 1♀; CMNZ) . SL: Catlins, Waipati Beach (46°36.7'S, 169°22.5'E), 7 Feb 1982 , R. M. Emberson (1♀; LUNZ); Riverton (beach; 46°22.0'S, 168°01.2'E); 14–16 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis (2♂, 1♀; USNM) . WD : Waiho (43°18'S, 170°02'E), 21 Jan 1922, A. Tonnoir (2♀; NZAC) .

OFFSHORE ISLANDS. Chatham Islands. Chatham Island: Manukau Point (44°02'S, 176°20.2'W), 13 Oct 2002, D. and W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM); Wharekuri (field and beach; 43°42.4'S, 176°34.7'W), 12 Oct 2002, D. and W. N. Mathis (3♂, 4♀; USNM) .

Distribution ( Fig. 8 ).—Australasian/Oceanian: Macquarie Island. New Zealand North Island. (AK, BP, CL, ND, TO), South Island (CO, FD, KA, MB, MC, NC, NN, OL, SC, SL, WD), Offshore Islands (Chatham Islands).

Natural history.—This species is associated with freshwater or slightly brackish water habitats.

Remarks.—This species is distinguished from congeners from New Zealand, especially E. thermarum , by the following combination of characters: facial protrusion or hump unicolorous; mesonotum mostly shiny, metallic bluish green to bronze, lacking distinctive gray area laterally; legs blackish brown, including basitarsomeres; lateral surstylar processes relatively short, about 4X length of ventromedial process; basal half of lateral surstylar process bearing long setulae, apical half bearing short, stout setulae.

Figures

FIGURES 4–9. Male terminalia and distribution maps of Ephydrella. 4–7. Male terminalia of E. aquaria (Hutton) (specimens from New Zealand Danseys Pass, 12 Jan 2004, W. N. Mathis). 4. External structures, posterior view. 5. Same, lateral view. 6. Internal structures, ventral view. 7. Same, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. 8–9. Distribution maps. 8. E. aquaria (Hutton). 9. E. assimilis (Tonnoir and Malloch).