Molophilus (Molophilus) flavocingulatus, Alexander, 1928

Billingham, Zacariah D. & Theischinger, Gunther, 2022, New and Poorly Known Species of Crane Flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) from New South Wales, Australia, Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 74 (1), pp. 19-40 : 21

Molophilus (Molophilus) flavocingulatus

Alexander, 1928

Figs 4–6

Material examined. New South Wales: 3♂♂, Gloucester Tops, Tributary of Gloucester River off Gloucester Falls Walking Track (32.098°S 151.597°E), 11 Nov 2018, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, AM (K.394956) , GHD ( T 22969) ; 1♂, Gloucester Tops, Gloucester River off River Walking Track (32.090°S 151.586°E), 11 Nov 2018, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, GHD ( T 22108 ) ; 1♂, Barrington Tops, Little Murray Creek by Copperhead Crossing Track (31.982°S 151.458°E), 13 Nov 2018, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, GHD ( T 21692) .

Remarks. Molophilus (M.) flavocingulatus was described by Alexander (1928) from a single, damaged, male specimen collected from the Barrington Tops region by the Sydney University Zoological expedition in the summer of 1925. While Alexander’s description of M. (M.) flavocingulatus is adequate it was not accompanied by a figure of the hypopygium, making reliable identification of the species difficult. In the review of Australian Molophilus ( Theischinger, 1992) no subsequent specimens of M. (M.) flavocingulatus were available, and, upon examination of the holotype, the hypopygium was found to be missing, leaving a figure of the hypopygium again wanting. The situation can now be rectified by the apparent rediscovery of M. (M.) flavocingulatus , with several male specimens having been recently collected by the authors from Gloucester and Barrington Tops.

Male. Photographs are included to show the general habitus ( Fig. 4 ) and head colouration ( Fig. 5 ) of male M. (M.) flavocingulatus . A figure of the hypopygium ( Fig. 6 ) is also provided.

Discussion. Molophilus (M.) flavocingulatus is clearly allied to a group of eight morphologically similar species of Molophilus including; M. (M.) christine Theischinger, 1988 , M. (M.) extricatus Alexander, 1930 , M. (M.) morulus Alexander, 1929 , M. (M.) orumbera Theischinger, 1994 , M. (M.) paradisensis Billingham & Theischinger, 2018 , M. (M.) reductus Alexander, 1927 , M. (M.) verticalis Alexander, 1927 , and M. (M.) vulpinus Alexander, 1929 . All species of this group possess a well-developed lateral lobe and a prominent, flat, short and apically rounded ventral lobe of the gonocoxite. Of these species M. (M.) flavocingulatus most closely resembles M. (M.) paradisensis , both possessing a lateral lobe that is long and finely pointed at the apex, and having an outer gonostylus with an undeveloped inner arm. However, M. (M.) flavocingulatus is readily distinguished from M. (M.) paradisensis by the inner gonostylus, which bears a strong hook-like subapical spine in M. (M.) flavocingulatus , whereas in M. (M.) paradisensis only a small sub-apical denticle is present.

Figures

Figure 4. Molophilus (Molophilus) flavocingulatus, male, general habitus.

Figures 5–6. Molophilus (Molophilus) flavocingulatus, male. (5) head colouration, dorsal; (6) hypopygium, ventral view.