Ceratomerus bickeli, Bradley J Sinclair, 2003

Bradley J Sinclair, 2003, Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Zoogeography of the Subfamily Ceratomerinae of Australia (Diptera: Empidoidea), Records of the Australian Museum 55, pp. 1-44 : 19

Ceratomerus bickeli n.sp.

Figs. 44, 100

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3, “TAS[mania, Australia]: Frodshams Pass/ nr. Mt. Wedge ;4–5.ii./ -1989; rainforest/ D.Bickel;yellowpan”; “ HOLOTYPE / Ceratomerus / bickeli / Sinclair [red label]” AMS K175243 .

Diagnosis. Recognized by the strong inflexion of R 2+3 around the stigma and the very long, slender posterior hypandrial processes and cerci.

Description. Wing length 3.7 mm, similar to C. attenuatus except as follows:

Male. Head. Four pairs of vertical setae, shorter than ocellar bristles; postocular bristles short, overlapping less than onethird of eye. Antenna with length of scape slightly less than height of eye; postpedicel length less than height of head; three-segmented stylus longer than postpedicel; segment 8 elongate, 4× as long as wide. Palpus brown, slender, onesixth length of labrum.

Thorax. Upper margin of pleura brown, remaining pale brown; postpronotal lobe pale.

Wing. R 2+3 running parallel and close to costa, strongly deflected around stigma.

Legs. Fore and mid coxae and ventral of femora pale yellow, remaining leg segments brown, darker towards tip. Fore femur slightly swollen, with av row of fine setae, decreasing in length apically; basal setae nearly subequal in length to width of femur. First tarsomere greater than half length of fore tibia.

Mid femur more strongly swollen than fore femur, with pv row of short, dark setae and 1–2 long basal setae; basal half with av brush of short dark setae, increasing in length medially. Mid tibia very slightly swollen at mid-length, with av row of short setae; pv surface with row of slender setae, longer than width of tibia; ventroapically with row of short erect setae on apical sixth; 1 ad seta on proximal half. First tarsomere 4 5 length of remaining 4 tarsomeres, with many erect pv setae.

Hind femur straight with 1 preapical dorsal and 1 ad seta; ventral surface with av row of fine setae, shorter than width of femur. Hind tibia straight, shorter than femur, apex partially dilated, bearing posteroapical comb; 2 erect ad setae at mid-length and 1 subapical ad seta; apical two-thirds with row of long, erect dorsal setae. Hind tarsomeres slightly longer than tibia.

Abdomen pale brown, concolorous with thorax, sclerites weakly sclerotized; T8 not examined.

Terminalia (based on undissected specimen) ( Fig. 44). Hypandrium with pair of long, slender posterior processes, partially twisted; 1 pair of short anterior, hooked, articulated processes arched posteriorly near surstyli; postgonites arched anteriorly, flanking pair of phallic processes. Epandrial lamella greatly inflated laterally, round; fused ventrally to lateral wall of hypandrium. Surstylus fingershaped, shorter than cercus. Cercus with broad base, with long, heavily sclerotized lateral process, similar to posterior hypandrial process.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. This species is restricted to Tasmania ( Fig. 100).

Etymology. The specific name honours Dr D.J. Bickel, who collected the holotype of this species and many other rare species from Tasmania.