Ceratomerus lobatus, 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 : 38-39

Ceratomerus lobatus n.sp.

Figs. 86, 97, 98, 113–117, 119

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3, “ AUST [ralia]: NSW[New South Wales]: Blue Mtns / N.P. Grand Canyon / 27.iii.1994 / B.J. Sinclair / ex. Greaves Ck.”; “ HOLOTYPE / Ceratomerus / lobatus/ Sinclair [red label]” AMS K175251 . PARATYPES: New South Wales: 633, 4♀♀, same data as holotype ( AMS); 433 , 3♀♀, Blue Mtns, NP, Grand Canyon, Greaves Ck , 25.xii.1993, 4.iv.1994, 18.vii.1994, BJS ( CNC, ZFMK); 333 , 4♀♀, Blue Mtns NP, Mt. Wilson , 19.xii.1986, DKM , B.J. Day , R . de Keyzer ( AMS), 19.viii.1961, DHC ( ANIC), Waterfall Ck , 22.xi.1993, BJS ; 13, 1♀, Blue Mtns NP, Wentworth Falls, Jamison Ck , 10.xi.1993, BJS ; 13, Border Ranges NP, Brindle Ck , rainfor., 1000 m, 25.i.1995, BJS ; 633, Bruxner Pk FlR, nr Coffs Harbour, Bucca Bucca Ck , 100 m, subtrop. rainfor., 1.iv.1995, BJS ; 233, Royal NP, Wallumarra Tr., Bola Ck, 7.xi.1993, BJS ( CNC); 13, Blue Mtns NP, Valley of the Waters, Vera Falls , 320 m, y.pans, 9.iv.1995, BJS ; 13, Dorrigo NP, Rosewood Ck , rainfor., y.pans, 23.i.1995, BJS ; 333, Macquarie Pass NP, 7 km E Robertson, subtrop.for., 23.xi.1993, BJS ; 633, Royal NP, below National Falls , subtrop.for., 29.v.1994, BJS ; 333, Styx R . SF, George’s Ck FR, Cunnawarra Ck , 31.iii.1995, BJS ; 233, Royal NP, Couranga Tr. , 23.iv.1995, BJS ( ZFMK); 333 , 1♀, Brown Mtn, Rutherford Ck , 15.iii.1961, 17.vii.1963, DHC ; 733, 6♀♀, 4 mi S Monga , 8.v.1968, DHC & Liepa ( ANIC); 433 , 2♀♀, Carrai SF, Coachwood Ck nr Kookaburra Camp , y.pans, 8–9.ii.1997, DJB ; 3 33, Dingo Tops For. Pk, NW Wingham , 950 m, rainfor., MT , 20.ii–23.iii.1993, G. Williams; 3 33, 2♀♀, Dorrigo NP, Never Never area, Sassafras Ck , temp. rainfor., 750 m, y.pans, 1–2.iv.1995, DJB ; 1 ♀, Ebor, Point Lookout , 5000 ft, 31.iii.1960, DKM ; 13, 2♀♀, Gloucester Tops , 1280 m, Nothofagus, MT , 19.xi–4.xii.1988, DJB ; 4 33, 2♀♀, Lansdowne SF, Newby’s Cave , 24 km N Taree, 300 m, warm temp. rainfor., 20.v.1993, G.& T . Williams; 1♀, Mt. Gibraltar NP, 64 mi W Grafton, 24.ii.1965, DKM ; 13, Mt. Hyland NP, Obeloe Ck , 1030 m, 30°10'S 152°27'E, warm temp. rainfor., 25–27.i.1996, DJB ; 1 ♀, Nadgee NP, Bruce’s Ck wet scler. for., 18– 19.ii.1987, DJB ; 833, 2♀♀, Nadgee NR nr Eden, wet scler.for./ Nadgee R ., 14–15.ii.1986, 15.ii.1987, DJB ; 6 33, 7♀♀, Royal NP, Bola Ck , 28.iv.1956, 1.vi.1963, 24.vi.1961, 6.vii.1966, 10.viii.1957, 19.xi.1960, DKM ; 13, 2♀♀, Washpool NP, Coombadjah Ck , 780 m, warm temp. rainfor., 6.xii.1992, DJB ; 433, Werrikimbe NP, Cobcroft Ck nr Walcha , temp. rainfor., 23.iii.1985, 1–5.xii.1997 DJB ( AMS) . Victoria: 2833, 15♀♀, Errinundra Plateau, Bonang Ck , y.pans, 1.iv.1990, DJB ( AMS) .

Diagnosis. Recognized by the short, distinct stigma, bright yellow-coloured pleura and sculptured mid tibiae with pectinate setae of the male midleg.

Description. Wing length 2.8–3.5 mm, similar to C. attenuatus except as follows:

Male. Head. Postocellar bristles one-third length of ocellar bristles. Antenna with length of scape subequal to height of eye; postpedicel apical two-thirds strongly tapered; threesegmented stylus one-third length of postpedicel; length of segment 8 twice width. Palpus pale, slender, one-fourth length of labrum, with several dark setae.

Thorax. Scutum and postnotum dark brown; pleura bright yellow, except brown laterotergite; postpronotal lobe pale brown.

Wing ( Fig. 86). R 2+3 running parallel and close to costa, smoothly arched around stigma.

Legs. Fore and mid coxae yellow, hind coxa yellowishbrown; base of femora, especially inner margin yellow, becoming dark brown towards tip. Fore coxa nearly twice length of mid coxa. Fore femur slightly swollen, with biserial av row of fine setae, mostly longer than width of femur; 1 weak preapical dorsal seta.

Mid femur more strongly swollen than fore femur, with deep attenuation at mid-length; basal half with cluster of 3 flattened anterior setae and group of basal setae, some nearly subequal in length to width of femur; apical half with short, pointed stud-like process; 1 stout, erect ad seta at apical fourth ( Fig. 97). Mid tibia with shallow excavation at midlength; anterior margin of notch with flattened lobe; basal half with erect, anterior and posterior setae, longer than width of tibia; base of notch with bilobed process, bearing broad flattened seta; ventral margin of notch with 3 cylindrical lobes, bearing stout, wavy seta ( Fig. 98); apical half with pv row of setae, shorter than width of tibia; apex with cluster of subapical, anterior setae. First tarsomere longer than remaining 4 tarsomeres (one-third longer than tibia), with many erect pv setae.

Hind femur with av row of short setae.

Abdomen dark brown, concolorous with mesonotum; S7 only slightly longer than preceding sternite, anterolateral margin produced anteriorly; T8 narrow, expanded laterally.

Terminalia ( Figs. 113, 115). Hypandrium convex, posterior margin extended as long, flat, median process, reaching beyond postgonites; gonocoxal apodemes developed, just projecting beyond anterior margin; postgonites articulated at base of phallus, strongly recurved posteriorly; phallus upright, straight, tapered to sharp apex ( Fig. 114). Epandrium with 2 very long, stout setae arising posterolaterally; epandrial lamellae small, not greatly inflated, fused ventrally to hypandrium at av corner; epandrial lobe anterior to surstylus short and broad, bearing stout, blunt inner apical setae. Surstylus slender, longer than epandrial lobe, with row of marginal setulae; subepandrial plate narrow, lacking extensions and lobes. Cercus slender, fleshy, posterior margin more thickly sclerotized.

Female. Similar to male and female of C. attenuatus except as follows: lacking av row of setae of fore femur; mid tibia with 2 erect ad and 1 pd seta on basal half. Posterodorsal corner of anepisternum with more expansive dark colouration. Lateral margin of S7 straight. Terminalia ( Fig. 117): T10 bearing row of blunt-tipped, spine-like setae along posterior margin. Cercus bearing row of blunt-tipped, spinelike setae, with slender marginal setae. Spermathecal receptacle somewhat flattened, oval, with short neck ( Fig. 116).

Distribution. This species is restricted almost exclusively to New South Wales, with additional records from northeastern Victoria ( Fig. 119). It is widespread in both high and lower altitudes.

Biology. In mountainous regions, this species is found year round. In the streams of gallery rainforests which thread through broad sclerophyll forests around Sydney (e.g., Bola Creek, Royal NP), this species is found primarily in the cooler months, with records from April to November.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin lobus (an elongated projection), referring to a slender lobe on the male mid tibia.