Ironomyia White

Ironomyia White, 1916: 216 . Type species I. nigromaculata White, 1916; J.F. McAlpine, 1967 (as family); D.K. McAlpine, 2008 (revision of Ironomyia species).

DIAGNOSIS: (based on McAlpine and Martin, 1966; J.F. McAlpine, 1967; D.K. McAlpine, 2008, with modifications): Relatively stout flies with dark, bold velvety markings that contrast with pruinescent silvery and gray areas; patterns sexually dimorphic. Head: Antennal pedicel with fingerlike lobe inserted into deep, notchlike emargination of flagellomere 1 (flagellomere 1 strongly reniform, with two “sacculi” [McAlpine, 2008], i.e., sensory pits). Proboscis relatively long and slender, labellum small. Thorax: Dorsocentral setae small, reduced in number; acrostichals in two rows. Wing: R 2+3 and R 4+5 close, parallel, slightly sinuous; cell d apically acute, with strongly oblique dm-cu; cell cup relatively short; anal lobe well developed. Abdomen and Terminalia: Tergites 1 and 2 partially fused (separated via sulcus only, no intersegmental membrane [D.K. McAlpine, 2008]); sternites well developed. Male terminalia circumverted 360°, symmetrical, ventroflexed; surstyli well developed, not fused to epandrium; postgonites absent (as in Phoridae), sternite 8 fused to epandrium, phallapodeme articulated (Sinclair et al., 2013). Female terminalia telescoping, with long membranous section posterior to segment 7; three spermathecae.

TYPE SPECIES: I. nigromaculata White.

COMMENTS: There are three species of Ironomyia, all Recent, the other two species besides the type being I. francisi D.K. McAlpine and I. whitei D.K. McAlpine. The genus is distributed in eastern Australia from Queensland to Tasmania (McAlpine, 2008). According to McAlpine (2008) these flies are uncommon, usually found on tree trunks, sometimes attracted to lights. Their life histories are unknown.