Tomosvaryella novaezealandiae Tonnoir, 1925

Motamedinia, Behnam, Földvari, Mihaly, Skevington, Jeffrey H. & Kelso, Scott, 2023, Revision of Australian Tomosvaryella Aczél (Diptera: Pipunculidae) with description of 100 new species, Zootaxa 5599 (1), pp. 1-271 : 154-157

Tomosvaryella novaezealandiae Tonnoir, 1925

Figs 70A–E, 132, 151B, 153A

Diagnosis: This species can be recognized by hind trochanter with 8–12 short spines in a row; hind femur with 15– 20 long bristles posteroventrally ( Fig. 151B); elongated surstyli in dorsal view ( Fig. 70A); phallic guide with 4–6 dorso-dorsolateral spines; one of ejaculatory ducts with 3–5 spines in ventral view ( Fig. 70D); elongated gonopods with two small triangular lobes on inner margin ( Fig. 70B).

Redescription: MALE: Body length: 3.0– 3.1 mm. Head. Flagellum acuminate; dark brown, grey-white pollinose. Face silvery pollinose. Frons, upper part shining black; lower part distinctly silver pollinose; eyes touching for a distance of 9 facets. Occiput silvery pollinose, slightly less so on upper 1/3 with scattered short black bristle. Thorax. Postpronotum pale, with 4–5 long dark brown bristles. Mesonotum (viewed obliquely from front) brownish pollinose, anterior part greyer with scattered long bristles at anterior supra-alar area. Scutellum brown pollinose and with 6–8 short back bristles along the distal edge. Dorsocentral bristles distinct in two rows. Halter, knob pale, stem brown. Legs. Mid coxa with 2–3 strong, dark bristles. Trochanters and femora dark brown, silvery pollinose posteriorly except shiny hind femur; knees and basal 1/5 of tibiae yellow-brown (tibiae otherwise dark brown), tarsal segments dark brown, ventrally paler, last segment darker. Hind trochanter grey pollinose with some short spines in a row; ventrobasal spines present on mid and absent on fore femur. Ventroapical row of spines on fore femur 3–4; 5–6 short dark spines on mid femur; hind femur without ventroapical spines, except 12–14 long bristles posteroventrally, bent towards distal tip of femur, longest up to 2 times the width of hind tibia at distal end ( Fig. 151B). Subapical spines on first four tibiae present (short). Hind tibia bent in posterior view. Hind metatarsus and tarsomeres 2–3 moderately flattened, metatarsi almost as long as 2–5 combined, with scrub-like bristles along posterior edge. Pulvilli shorter than last tarsal segment. Wing. Length: 3.0 mm. Upper side of basal costal cell with two dark bristles, one is longer. Fourth costal section 2 times as long as third costal section. Cross-vein r-m at middle of discal cell. Abdomen. Viewed obliquely from front tergites brown pollinose, tergite 1 silvery grey. Dispersed short dark bristles on all tergites present, longest on tergite 5 up to 1/3 of the width of hind tibia at distal end. Lateral bristles on first tergite present, 5–8 dark bristles up to as long as hind femur’s width at base. Postabdomen in dorsal view: T6, S7 invisible. Genitalia without dissection: ST8 medium sized, ovate in dorsal view, pale brown and with some distinct bristles; membranous area ovate dorsally, narrow and approaching epandrium ventrally; epandrium brown, surstyli yellow. Genitalia. Genital capsule in dorsal view: epandrium longer than wide (MLE:MWE = 1.6). Both surstyli elongated, broadened in basal fourth, narrowed in middle, inclined apically to each other; left surstylus is longer and wider than right one ( Fig. 70A). Genital capsule in ventral view: gonopods elongated towards surstyli with two small triangular lobes on inner margin, equal in height; phallic guide with 4–6 dorso-dorsolateral spines, one is longer than others, subepandrial sclerite wide; phallus with three ejaculatory ducts, one with 3–5 spines ( Fig. 70B); Genital capsule in lateral view: left surstylus straight in basal two thirds, bent towards sternite in apical third; right surstylus curved towards sternite ( Fig. 70D–E). Ejaculatory apodeme tube-like, bent ( Fig. 70C).

FEMALE: Body length: 2.9 mm. As male except for the following characters. Frons, eyes separated, as wide as 1.5–1.7 times the width at antennae; completely silver-grey pollinose, only shiny black directly in front of ocellar triangle, ca. 1/6 of the frons, very short transition zone; frons with a short ridge in front of the ocelli in the median line. Enlarged ommatidia, ocellar triangle shining. Pulvilli and claws about two times as long as last tarsal segment, smaller than metatarsi; Upper side of basal costal cell with one dark bristle and two shorter bristles. Female abdomen with silver spots on sides of tergite 3–6. Ovipositor. Straight in ventral view, robust and long, curved upwards in lateral view (yellow piercer, dark brown base), reaching distal end of 2 nd segment; base grey pollinose with occasional brown bristles. LP:LB = 2.6. LDP:LPP = 2.7. ( Fig. 153A).

Examined material: Type material examined: PARATYPE: NEW ZEALAND: Cass, 6.XII.1924, A. Tonnoir, 639, JSS50572 (1♂, CMNZ); Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital Territory: Black Mountain Reserve, 35°16’S, 149°6’E, 4.I.1980, Z. Liepa, JSS9187 (1♂, ANIC); Black Mountain, 35°16’S, 149°6’E, 25.X.1981, Z. Liepa, JSS9188 (1♂, ANIC); Black Mountain, Canberra, 35°16’S, 149°6’E, 18–23.II.1985, W.W. Middlekauff, flight interception trap, JSS8455 (1♂, CAS); Queensland: Kroombit Tops National Park, hilltop, 24°27’N, 150°56’E, 21.XII.2014, J.H., A.M. & A.W. Skevington, CNC384418 (1♂, CNC); Mount Moffatt summit, 25°4’S, 148°3’E, 1097m, 18.XI.2014, J.H., A.M. & A.W. Skevington, CNC374958, CNC374981 (2♂, CNC); Brisbane, Mount Coot-tha, 27°29’S, 152°57’E, 170m, hilltop, 7.III.1998, J.&A. Skevington, hand collected, JSS3633 (1♂, QM); Victoria: Wyperfeld NP, East Lookout, 35°36’S, 142°7’E, 21.X.2014, 22.X.2014, J.H., A.W., & A.M. Skevington, A.D. Young, A. Wyatt, & S. Namek, CNC373276–81, CNC373283–91, CNC373395–401, CNC373403, CNC373405–7, CNC373409–19, CNC373421, CNC373423, CNC373425, CNC373427–37, CNC373440–56, CNC373458–62, CNC373541 (62♂, CNC; 10♂ QM; 2♂, USNM); Tasmania: 3 km south of Spreyton, 41°15’S, 146°20’E, dry sclerophyll forest, 21.XII.0– 9.I.1999, J.&A. Skevington, Malaise trap, JSS5057 (1♂, QM); Near Mertha Park, 41°14’S, 147°11’E, [in dry sclerophyll forest], 14.XII.1998 – 9.I.1999, J.&A. Skevington & S. Winterton, Malaise trap, JSS5074 (1♀, QM); Victoria: Dart/Mitta River Junction, Locality L, 36°31’S, 147°27’E, 23–25.X.1973, Dartmouth Survey, JSS8749 (1♂,MVMA); Dartmouth Survey, Eight Mile Creek, Locality JA, 37°13’S, 146°26’E, 12.IV.1973, JSS8764 (1♂, MVMA); Warrandyte, 37°44’S, 145°13’E, 18.XI.1928, G.F. Hill, JSS8676 (1♂, ANIC); Hattah-Kulkyne NP, Warepil Lookout, 34°43’S, 142°18’E, 18.X.2014, J.H., A.W., & A.M. Skevington, A.D. Young, A. Wyatt, & S. Namek, CNC373059, CNC373063, CNC373153, CNC373162, CNC373170, CNC373173–4, CNC373181 (4♂, CNC; 4♂, USNM); Wyperfeld National Park, Eastern Lookout, 35°36’S, 142°7’E, 22.X.2014, J.H., A.M. & A.W. Skevington, CNC383849–70 (22♂, CNC); New South Wales: 14 km NW of Braidwood, 35°26’S, 149°48’E, 4.XI.1975, D.H. Colless, JSS8522 (1♂, ANIC); 8 km S Mendooran, 31°50’S, 149°6’E, 28.I.1987, G.&A. Daniels, JSS8912 (1♂, QM); Cudgegong River, 16 km N Mudgee, 32°48’S, 149°49’E, 30.XI.1982, D.S. Horning, Jr., Malaise trap, JSS9156 (1♂, ANIC); Eucumbene Dam, 36°6’S, 148°36’E, 18.XI.1962, D.H. Colless, JSS8665 (1♂, ANIC); Jindabyne, 36°25’S, 148°37’E, 21.II.1969; 22.II.1969, Neboiss, JSS8780; JSS8787–88 (3♂, MVMA); Royalla, 35°31’S 149°9’E, 29.III.1961, D.H. Colless, JSS8639 (1♂, ANIC); Warrumbungle National Park, Buckley’s Creek, 31°17’S, 149°0’E, 12–17.XII.1995, Sharkey, CNCD3594 (1♂, CNC); Warrumbungle National Park, 31°14’S 149°1’E, 19.X–3.XI.1997, J. Skevington & S. Winterton, Malaise trap, JSS8438 (1♂, QM); Wombat, near Young, 34°25’S, 148°15’E, 13.XI.1966, Z. Liepa, JSS9211 (1♂, ANIC); South Australia: Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo Island, 35°45’S, 137°37’E, II.1926, Museum Expedition, JSS8722 (1♂, SAM); Western Australia: Charles Darwin Reserve, Edna Springs, 29°30’S, 117°3’E, Granite sheet, Acacia flowering herbs, 14–19.IX.2009, Lambkin & Monteith, Malaise trap, 18309, CNC591802 (1♂, QM); Fitzgerald River National Park, Old Ongerup Road near Hammersley River, 33°45’S, 119°40’E, ANIC Bulk Sample 2189, 219m, mallee granite outcrop, 2–16.XI.2003, J. Recsei & C. Lambkin, Malaise trap, ANIC Bulk Sample 2189, JSS16210 (1♂, ANIC); Karara, 16.9km Southeast of Bolada Camp, 29°15’S, 116°41’E, 312m, Acacia woodland, flowering herbs, 18–24.IX.2009, Lambkin & Monteith, Malaise trap, 18407, CNC575347 (1♂, QM); Thomas River estuary, Esperance District, 33°52’S, 123°1’E, 4.XI.1977; 8.XI.1977, D.H. Colless, Malaise trap, JSS9226, JSS9231 (2♂, ANIC); Charles Darwin Reserve, Edna Springs, 29°30’S, 117°3’E, Granite sheet, Acacia , flowering herbs, 19–23.IX.2009, Lambkin, Monteith, Malaise trap, 18439, CNC575119 (1♂, QM); Lochada, 430m S Bolada Camp, 29°12’S, 116°31’E, 288m, Acacia Eremophila scrub, 15–16.IX.2009, Lambkin, Monteith, Malaise trap, CNC576392 (1♂, QM); Northern Territory: Kakadu National Park, Mirrai Lookout, 12°52’S, 132°42’E, hilltop, 27.IX.1998, J.&A. Skevington, hand collected, JSS4136 (1♂, QM); NEW ZEALAND: Goldney Saddle, 43°16’S, 171°35’E, 671m, 1.II.1962, E.G. White, sweep net, JSS14524–5 (2♂, LUNZ); Lincoln College, 43°39’S, 172°29’E, ex. weeds, 9.I.1969, M.G. McPherson, sweep net, JSS14519 (1♂, LUNZ); NC, Arthur Pass National Park, Arthur Pass Village, 42°57’S, 171°34’E, 750m, meadow, 5–7.III.2000, H. Goulet, yellow pan trap, CNCD137560 (1♂, CNC); Northland: Castaway Camp area, Great I., Three King Is., D.S.I.Q. Exp., 34°9’S, 172°8’E, 120m, XI.1973, bleached by alcohol, JSS14130 (1♂, NZAC).

Distribution: Australia (Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia), New Zealand (North Island, Northland, South Island, Three Kings Island) ( Fig. 132).

Notes: Widespread in forested regions of Australia and New Zealand as far north as Kroombit Tops in Queensland. Intraspecific genetic distance is 0.2%. This species is genetically most similar to T. velutina sp. nov. (3.9–6.0% pairwise divergence) (Supplementary file 3).