Amobia (s. str.) auriceps ( Baranov, 1935 )

Johnston, Nikolas P., Wallman, James F., Dowton, Mark, Szpila, Krzysztof & Pape, Thomas, 2020, Taxonomic revision of Australian Amobia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Sarcophagidae: Miltogramminae): integrating morphology and genetics finds a new species and tackles old problems, European Journal of Taxonomy 722, pp. 75-96 : 81-84

Amobia (s. str.) auriceps ( Baranov, 1935)

Figs 2–3

Pachyophthalmus auriceps Baranov, 1935: 558 .

Diagnosis

The males of this species can be distinguished from the other two Australian species of Amobia by the combination of dull yellow microtomentum present on the fronto-orbital and parafacial plates, brown basicosta and bare proepisternum (the latter feature, however, is variable in the two other Australian species and therefore not by itself fully diagnostic).

Material examined

Lectotype (designated by Sabrosky & Crosskey 1970: 430) SRI LANKA • ♂; Colombo ; 6 Feb. 1931; N. Baranov leg.; NMNM.

Other material

AUSTRALIA • 1 ♂; QLD, Gordonvale ; 1919; J.F. Illingworth leg.; [label indicates ‘collected eX mudwasp’]; ANIC • 2 ♂♂; QLD, Cairns ; 1919; J.F. Illingworth leg.; [label indicates ‘collected eX mudwasp’]; BM ); • 6 ♀♀; QLD, Cairns ; 1919; J.F. Illingworth leg.; [label indicates ‘collected eX mudwasp’]; BM • 1 ♀; QLD, Gordonvale ; 1919; J.F. Illingworth leg.; [label indicates ‘collected eX mudwasp’]; BM • 1 ♀; QLD, Gap Creek Reserve ; 6 Dec. 2016; Johnston, Butterworth and Wallman leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; QLD, Bowling Green National Park ; 9 Jan. 2017; Johnston, Pape and Wallman leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; NT, Track to Lost City, Litchfield National Park ; 10 Nov. 2017; Johnston, Wallman and Szpila leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; QLD, 26 km W ‘Fairview’; 24 Apr. 1989; G. Daniels and A. Daniels leg.; QM • 1 ♀; QLD, Mt Abbott ; 12 Apr. 1997; C.J. Burwell leg.; QM • 1 ♀; QLD, Redlands , Hillard Creek; 20 Jan. 2009; QM Party leg.; [label indicates collected in ‘scribbly gum open forest’]; QM • 1 ♀; QLD, Teddington Weir , Maryborough; 13 Nov. 1994; G. Daniels and A. Daniels leg.; [label indicates collected in ‘vine forest margin’]; QM .

Redescription

SIZE. 6.0–9.0 mm (n = 19).

Male

HEAD ( Fig. 2B, D, G ). With dull yellow microtomentum on fronto-orbital and parafacial plates; frontal stripe dark brown and concave; fronto-orbital plate setose with a single distinct row (at least 15 setae) and additional unordered fine fronto-orbital setulae; third aristomere tapered, fine and hair-like distally, black and twice as long as first flagellomere; pedicel and scape setose; first flagellomere black and 1.5 × the length of pedicel; gena and postgena grey with black setae; genal groove present, dark brown; vibrissa located midway between tip of first flagellomere and mouth margin; numerous supra-vibrissal setae; vibrissal setae and supra-vibrissal setae present in two rows, inner row strong and ordered, outer row weak and unordered.

THORAX ( Fig. 2A, C ). Grey with dull yellow-brown microtomentum (visible only at certain angles); one major median and two major lateral stripes; major stripes ending at anterior margin of scutellum; scutellum with some darkening on lateral margin; two notopleural setae with additional finer setae on entire surface; proepisternum bare; katepisternal setae 1+1.

WING ( Fig. 2F ). Hyaline; vein R 1 bare; vein R 4+5 with several setae at base; cell r 4+5 open; tegula black; basicosta, brown.

LEGS ( Fig. 2A ).Black; claws of fore tarsus slightly longer than tarsomere 5; mid tibia with one anterodorsal and one ventral seta.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 2A, C, E ). T1+2 dark brown; setose and with two distinct median marginal setae; T3 setose, with two distinct median marginal setae and additional finer setae along entire posterior margin; T4–T5: setose with marginal setae on entire posterior margin; black ground colour most clearly visible towards the posterior margin; dull grey microtomentum present (occupying the majority of each tergite); three distinct black spots (two lateral and one median) on T3 and T4; T5 with only median black spot.

MALE TERMINALIA ( Fig. 3 A–B). Cercus sickle-shaped in lateral view and narrowest in middle portion (middle portion ~20% of cercus length); setose dorsally; cerci straight in posterior view, separated by a small gap between tips of cercal prongs; surstylus straight in lateral view, shorter than cercus; curved medially towards cercus in posterior view; phallus blunt with small spines on distal lobe.

Female

As male except microtomentum generally paler, especially on fronto-orbital plate where it appears silvery grey. The authors have chosen not to redescribe the female genitalia.

Biology

Label data confirm an association with ‘mudwasps’, probably family Sphecidae .

Distribution

Australasia/Oceania – Australia (NT, QLD), Hawaiian Is., Papua New Guinea. Oriental – India, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan.

Remarks

There has been some contention as to the validity of A. auriceps . Kurahashi (1974) considered A. auriceps to be conspecific with Amobia pelopei (Rondani, 1859) , a species known only from the western Palaearctic region. He did, however, note differences in the shape of the cerci and surstyli, as well as in the colouration of the basicosta. Verves (1979) and Pape (1996), by comparison, considered A. pelopei and A. auriceps as distinct species, separated through the morphology of the terminalia and by the colouration of the fronto-orbital plates. This study is in agreement with Verves (1979) and Pape (1996). It should be noted that perhaps the most reliable character for the separation of these species is the shape of the cercus in lateral view, which is gradually tapering in A. pelopei ( Kurahashi, 1974: fig. 1) and distinctly narrowed in the middle in A. auriceps ( Fig. 3B ).

Figures

Fig. 2. Amobia auriceps (Baranov, 1935), ♂, QLD, Cairns, 1919, J.F. Illingworth leg. (BM). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Head, dorsal view. E. Abdomen, dorsal view. F. Left wing dorsal view. G. Head anterior view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 3. Amobia auriceps (Baranov, 1935), male terminalia, QLD, Cairns, 1919, J.F. Illingworth leg. (BM). A. Epandrium, cerci, surstyli and phallus, posterior view. B. Epandrium, cerci, surstyli, phallus and pre-gonite, lateral view. Abbreviations: c = cercus; d = distal lobe of phallus; s = surstylus; p = pregonite. Scale bars: 100 µm.