Protomiltogramma cincta Townsend, 1916

Johnston, Nikolas P., Wallman, James F., Szpila, Krzysztof & Pape, Thomas, 2021, Integrative taxonomy reveals remarkable diversity in Australian Protomiltogramma (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Zootaxa 5043 (1), pp. 1-104 : 9-11

Protomiltogramma cincta Townsend

( Figs 2 , 14A–D )

Protomiltogramma cincta Townsend, 1916: 155 . Buderim Mountain, QLD, Australia.

Protomiltogramma australis Verves, 1987: 657 . Fogg Dam, NT, Australia, syn. n.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other Australasian Protomiltogramma by the absence of the orange-brown patch laterally on T1+2 and T 3 in combination with arista longer than 1st flagellomere, presence of black setae on genal dilation and gold microtomentum on fronto-orbital plate. Male terminalia with cercus greater in length than acrophallus and similar in width. Males often display wing fumosity from base to tip between veins C and R 4+5.

Type material examined. Holotype, ♀, Buderim Mountain , QLD, Australia. xii.1889 [label indicates “type No 19972 U.S.N.M”], no collector indicated ( NMNH).

Other material examined. See Table 2.

Redescription. Body length: 8–10 mm (n = 10).

Male. Head ( Fig. 2B, D, G ). Frontal vitta brown, 0.15 of head width at height of anterior ocellus; fronto-orbital plate yellow-white with gold microtomentum (highly variable with light angle); 2 proclinate fronto-orbital (FO) setae, 1 reclinate FO seta, multiple weak setae between proclinate FO and reclinate FO setae; ocellar setae weaker than reclinate FO setae; 10–11 frontal setae; 3rd aristomere black, thickened on basal 0.5, fine and hairlike on distal 0.5, slightly longer than 1st flagellomere; 1st flagellomere yellow-brown and 2x length of pedicel; pedicel setose, with a single strong seta and multiple weak setulae; scape without setae; parafacial plate yellow-white, without setae, width less than distance between antennal insertion and eye margin; gena and postgena grey with black setae; genal groove and facial ridge slightly darker than parafacial plate; vibrissa located midway between tip of 1st flagellomere and lower facial margin, 0–1 supra-vibrissal setae.

Thorax ( Fig. 2A, C ). Dorsum dark grey with silver microtomentum anteriorly; a major median, two major lateral and two minor lateral stripes (mediad to the major lateral stripes and approximately half their width); major lateral stripes ending at anterior margin of scutellum; minor lateral stripes ending just posterior to suture; major median stripe continuing to middle of scutellum; scutellum with some darkening on lateral margins; notopleuron with two strong setae; proepisternum bare; katepisternal setae 1+2, numerous weaker setae covering entire katepisternum. Legs: black; fore-tarsal claws 0.6 length of tarsomere 5; pulvilli 0.75 of tarsal claw length; 1 mid-tibial anterodorsal (AD), 3 posterodorsal (PD), 2 ventral (V) setae. Wing ( Fig. 2F ): fumose between veins C and R 4+5 from base to tip (faint in some specimens; rarely hyaline); tegula black; basicosta yellow-brown; dorsal surface of vein R 1 bare, R 4+5 with a patch of setae basally.

Abdomen ( Fig. 2A, C, E ). Dark brown with silver microtomentum on anterior margins of T3–5 (occupying approximately 0.3 of each tergite); median stripe absent, however, microtomentum fainter medially on T3–T5, in a triangular pattern; reddish-brown patch on lateral regions of T1+2 and T3; T4 with setae along entire margin; backward and up-curved setae on T5 well developed. Terminalia ( Fig. 14A–D ): cercus (lateral view) as thin as acrophallus and 1.5x its length; straight in basal 0.75 then curved in distal 0.25, hooked at apex; cerci (posterior view) straight, fused in basal 0.25, then separate; surstylus (lateral view) highly reduced in width, thin and needle-like, apex with small spine-like projections; surstyli (posterior view) strongly curved inwards towards cerci; acrophallus thin and needle-like, approximately 0.6 of cercus length, with a proximal sclerotisation.

Female. As male, but always with hyaline wings and without backward and up-curved setae on T5.

Biology. Protomiltogramma cincta has been recorded in nests of the sphecid wasp Prionyx saevus ( Baker & Pigott, 1983) ( Hymenoptera : Sphecidae ). During this study, males were collected while perching on sticks and rocks on loose sandy trails. Females were also collected on sticks and rocks on loose sandy trails, but showed a preference for perching near the entrances of insect nests constructed in the ground (primarily hymenopteran).

Distribution. Australasia— Australia (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, VIC, WA).

Remarks. Males of this species vary greatly in the degree of colouration of the wings. Consequently, P. cincta males with coloured or hyaline wings are widespread throughout Australia. Both molecular data and terminalia morphology have corroborated both the coloured and hyaline morphotypes of P. cincta as a single species. Verves (1987) described a morphotype of P. cincta with hyaline wings under the name P. australis , however, the terminalia illustrations provided by Verves (1987: figs 2–3) show the combination of needle-like surstyli and thin, curved cercus unique to P. cincta ( Fig. 14A–D ). Due to the identical terminalia and similarity in overall morphology, P. australis is here synonymised with P. cincta , syn. n.

The first instar larva of this species was described in Szpila et al. (2021).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Protomiltogramma cincta Townsend, male, Bowling Green National Park, QLD, 01.ix.2017, N.P. Johnston, J.F. Wallman and T. Pape (ANIC). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Head, dorsal view. E. Abdomen, dorsal view. F. Wing, dorsal view. G. Head, anterior view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Protomiltogramma spp., male terminalia. A–D. Protomiltogramma cincta Townsend. E–F. Protomiltogramma dalbiensis sp. n. G–J. Protomiltogramma grandis sp. n. K–N. Protomiltogramma incana sp. n. Abbreviations: c = cercus, s = surstylus, p = acrophallus. Scale bars = 100 µm.