Austrosciara hawaiiensis ( Hardy, 1956 ) Mohrig & Kauschke & Broadley, 2019

Mohrig, Werner, Kauschke, Ellen & Broadley, Adam, 2019, Revision of black fungus gnat species (Diptera, Sciaridae) described from the Hawaiian Islands by D. E. Hardy and W. A. Steffan, and a contribution to the knowledge of the sciarid fauna of the Galápagos Islands, Zootaxa 4590 (4), pp. 401-439 : 404-405

Austrosciara hawaiiensis ( Hardy, 1956) comb. n.

( Fig. 2 A – D )

Sciara (Leptosciara) hawaiiensis Hardy, 1956 [ Hardy (1956): 78 – 80, fig. 5 a – c].

Selected literature: Hardy (1960): 218 – 219, fig. 69 a – d; Steffan (1973a): 357 (as Ctenosciara ).

Material studied: Holotype male, November 1953, O‘ahu, Mt. Tantalus , ex rotten wood, BPBM No. 2491, leg. D.E. Hardy (labelled “ Sciara (Leptosciara) aliena Hardy ”).

Conservation status: Embedded in Canada balsam. Body and head separated, most details in good condition, hypopygium somewhat swollen and inclined.

Further material: 1 male (4000 ft.), 1 female (6700 ft.), 30.viii.1971, Hawai‘i Islands, Mauna Loa East Slope , pitfall trap, leg. J. Jacobi ; 1 male, 5.xi.1968, O‘ahu, Wai‘anae [as “Waiange”] Range , 1 st gully W of Peacock Flat, 1500 ft., reared ex rotting logs, leg. W. Gagné ( PWMP). The specimens are identical to the holotype and fit Hardy’s description and figures .

Conservation status: Embedded in Euparal. Body and head separated. All details in good condition.

Comments. The species is characterized by rather long flagellomeres (l/w index of 2.4), a long palpus, lack of macrotrichia on CuA 2, a broad tibial comb, toothless claws, slender gonostylus with a short apical tooth and 3 equal spines at the base of the tooth, a small and rounded tegmen, and a long aedeagus.

The slide of Sciara aliena Hardy is the holotype for Austrosciara hawaiiensis (Hardy) . It seems that Hardy initially decided on the name aliena but subsequently published the name hawaiiensis , and neglected to change the label on the slide. The slide (No. 2491) corresponds to the same in the description on page 80 of Hardy (1956) and in the catalog by Steffan (1976).

Distribution. Common on all Hawaiian Islands.

Figures

FIGURE 2 A–D. Austrosciara hawaiiensis (Hardy, 1956). Specimen from Mauna Loa East Slope. A. Hypopygium; B. Apex of fore tibia; C. Head with palpus and basal flagellomeres; D. Wing.