Ceratomerus globosus, 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 : 21

Ceratomerus globosus n.sp.

Figs. 39, 40, 42, 47–52, 57

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3, “ AUST [ralia]: NSW[New South Wales]: Kosciusko / NP, nr. Swamp Plain / 28.ix. 1994, 500 m/ B.J. Sinclair / ex. Bogong Ck.”;“ HOLOTYPE / Ceratomerus / globosus / Sinclair [red label]” AMS K175245 . PARATYPES: New South Wales: 333, 3♀♀, same data as holotype ( AMS, CNC); 13 , 1♀, Barrington Tops NP, upper Gloucester R . + Falls, 1200 m, 20–21.xii.1993. BJS ( CNC) ; 1 ♀, Barrington Tops NP, Williams R ., subtrop. rainfor., 480 m, 19.xii.1993, BJS ; 1♀, Blue Mtns NP, Valley of the Waters, Vera Falls , 23.x.1994, BJS ; 13, 1♀, Blue Mtns NP, Wentworth Falls, Jamison Ck , 10.xi.1993, 23.x.1994, BJS ( ZFMK) ; 13, Jonolan, 12.x.1950 ( UQIC); 233 , 1♀, Kosciusko NP, Leatherbarrel Ck, 1000 m, 28.xi.1994, BJS, DJB ( AMS) . Victoria: 533, 5♀♀, Burrowa-Pine Mtn NP, Bluff Ck Falls , 400 m, riverine for., y.pans, 29.xi.1994, DJB ( ANIC, AMS) ; 1♀, Delgate R . & Goonmirk Rd, 960 m, 16.i.1991, DJB ; 2♀♀, Otway Ra., SE Beech For., Beauchamp Falls , y.pans, mixed forest, 4–5.xii.1994, DJB ; 1 ♀, Otway Ra., Beauchamp Falls , Nothofagus , 3.xii.1994, BJS ( AMS) ; 333, 1♀, 45 km N Orbost, Bonang Hwy, Martins Ck , rainfor., 200 m, 6.xii.1994, BJS ( CNC) ; 13, 29.5 km N Warburton, Acheron Way, rainfor., Acheron R ., 1.xii.1994, BJS ( ZFMK) .

Additional material. New South Wales: 1♀, Styx R. SF, E Jeogla, Wattle Flat, wet scler. for., pans, 1000 m, 7.xii.1992, DJB ( AMS). This specimen is possibly conspecific because the ratio of the length of the style to postpedicel is similar, but an associated male specimen is required for confirmation .

Diagnosis. Recognized by the style shorter than the postpedicel, slight inflexion of R 2+3 around the stigma, dark brown pleura, tufts of stout setae on the lateral margin of male sternites 3–4 and tergite 6, encapsulated male terminalia, and scape 1.25 times longer than height of head.

Description. Wing length 3.5– 4 mm, similar to C. attenuatus except as follows:

Male. Head. Face pale brown. Antenna with length of scape 1.25× height of eye ( Fig. 57); postpedicel apical half 1.25× length of base; three-segmented stylus one-third length of postpedicel; segment 8 short, slightly longer than width. Palpus yellow, slender, one-fifth length of labrum.

Thorax. Scutum, postnotum and pleura dark brown; postpronotal lobe pale; pale streak extending ventrally along proepisternum.

Wing ( Fig. 51) as in C. attenuatus .

Legs. Base of femora, especially inner margin yellow, becoming dark brown towards tip. Fore femur slightly swollen, lacking ventral setae. First tarsomere greater than half length of fore tibia, with large notch on apical third; base of notch with twisted spur-like seta ( Fig. 40).

Mid femur more strongly swollen than fore femur, apical fourth strongly constricted; mid-length bearing pv row of 3 setae, longer than width of femur; apical half of swollen portion with 4 transverse rows of stout setae; base with long erect pv seta ( Fig. 39). Mid tibia about half as long as femur, somewhat flattened and twisted, with subapical av notch; lateral margins with av and pv rows of setae, latter row increasing in length apically; lacking erect ad setae. First tarsomere longer than remaining 4 tarsomeres, with many erect pv setae.

Hind femur straight with ventral surface bearing av row of short, dark setae. Hind tibia with 2 erect dorsal setae on apical half; ad margin with row of 3 long, erect setae. Hind tarsomeres slightly longer than tibia.

Abdomen. S3–4 and T6 with dense cluster of short, stout, lateral setae; T8 broad, subrectangular, about half as long as sternite.

Terminalia ( Figs. 47, 48). Hypandrium laterally flattened, enclosed within epandrial lamellae; apex produced into slender posterior flap-like process; gonocoxal apodemes well developed; postgonites upright, gently arched posteriorly with subapical hooked process; phallus with pair of articulated processes, flanked by postgonites. Epandrial lamella oval forming distinct capsule fused ventrally to hypandrium; bearing subapical epandrial lobe, apically tapered, with dense mat of microtrichia. Surstylus complex, twisted, strongly bent, bearing whip-like setae; anterior margin with fringe of stout setae. Subepandrial plate narrow; lacking processes from hypoproct. Apical half of cercus well sclerotized, very narrow with apex bearing many stout setae; long stout seta on lateral margin of basal half.

Female. Similar to male and female of C. attenuatus except as follows: apical half of palpus brown. Wing similar to male ( Fig. 52). S7 lacking transverse weakening. Terminalia ( Fig. 49): cercus bearing row of spine-like setae, with long slender marginal setae. Spermatheca receptacle spherical, with short, pigmented neck ( Fig. 50).

Distribution. This species is recorded from isolated communities at least as far north as Barrington Tops (NSW) south to the Otway Ranges of Victoria ( Fig. 42).

Biology. This species appears to prefer cool temperate rainforest regions and is more rarely collected along gallery rainforests.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin globosus (round as a ball), referring to the rounded, encapsulated hypopygium.