Johnmannia kosciuszkoensis Lambkin & Recsei

Lambkin, Christine L., Recsei, Jacqueline M. & Yeates, David K., 2005, Systematic revision of Johnmannia Irwin and Lyneborg (Diptera: Therevidae): Atypical metallic stiletto flies from Australian mesic habitats, Zootaxa 866, pp. 1-28 : 19-22

Johnmannia kosciuszkoensis Lambkin & Recsei , sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 7–8 )

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales. Holotype 1ɗ ( ANIC 29 004008), ' AUSTRALIA: NSW:Kosciuszko National Park, 1.7 km ENE of Thredbo, over narrow stream in flowering wide grassy creek bed. malaise 3–11 Jan 2002 CL Lambkin, NT Starick 1380m 36°30'07"S, 148°19'02"E GPS/ ANIC MT 1963: BIODIVERSITY BLITZ: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: January 12–13 2002, Kosciuszko National Park' ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Wing length: ca. 11.5 mm. Wings ( Fig. 7 F) entirely dark brown to black infuscation; darkest around veins, leaving centre of cells paler; black opaque triangular basal band; triangulate black opaque line medially; apical half of wing dark brown to black, paler posteriorly. Frons ( Fig. 7 C) and broad medial concavity without silver pruinescence. Face ( Fig. 7 C) with dense, silver pruinescence laterally from antennae along inner eye margin, absent medially, broadening ventrally on gena covering ventrally directed globular flange of gena at base of compound eye ( Fig. 7 D). Occiput ( Fig. 7 C, E) glossy black dorsally. Scutum with short lateral gold pruinescent stripes. Tarsomeres without basal orange band. Epandrium with short posterolateral extensions ( Fig. 7 G–H). Distiphallus ( Fig. 7 K–M) narrow, not expanded apically.

Description. Similar to Johnmannia powerae sp. nov. except: Male ( Fig. 7 A). Head Upper frons slightly concave ( Fig. 7 D), width narrow ( Fig. 7 C), greater than width of ocellar triangle, 2.8 x width of median ocellus, without silver pruinescence; lower frons rounded, black callus ( Fig. 7 D), glossy, paler reddish­brown medial line ventrally; 2 pairs short, dark, setae laterally above antennae; face ( Fig. 7 C) overlain with dense, silver pruinescence below base of callus extending laterally towards, but not meeting, antennae, along inner eye margin, narrowing ventrally. Gena with distinct, ventrally directed, laterally flattened, triangular protrusion ( Fig. 7 D). Triangular protrusion covered with dense, silver pruinescence that continues in fine line ventrally along inner eye margin, for the length of ocellar triangle. Palp and labellum black. Antenna ( Fig. 7 C, D) black, antennae/head = 1.1; scape same length as postpedicel; postpedicel longer (postpedicel/pedicel = 6.3), with reddish­brown pruinescence. Occiput ( Fig. 7 C–E) glossy black dorsally, covered with dense, gold pruinescence laterally and medially. Postocular ridge with indistinct row of dark postocular setae length of median ocellus from compound eye; dense, very long, fine, dark setae ventrally. Thorax: Scutum glossy black, reflective metallic dark blue; gold pruinescence anteriorly extending to short lateral gold pruinescent stripes, narrowly medially divided, ending anterior to mid post pronotal lobe; postpronotum reddish­brown apically; post alar callus black. Scutellum black, reflective metallic dark blue. Pleuron black, glossy with areas of reddish­gold pruinescence on dorsoapical margin of proepisternum, proepimeron dorsally and medially, katepisternum medially, dorsal, ventral, and posterior margin of anepisternum. Scutal chaetotaxy: np 5; sa 2; pa 1; dc 2; sc 2 (outer finer, shorter). Legs black, with short, dark setae; 1 large, black, anteroventral, subapical macrosetae on hind femur. Hind legs long (hind femur/mid femur = 1.4). Wing ( Fig. 7 F) infuscated, black basally, dark reddish­brown distally, palest posteriorly. Triangulate dark brown to black opaque area between apex of Sc and R1, extending to CuA2–A1 join, over m­cu crossvein and CuA2; across base of r2+3, d, m3 and cua1; apex of bm and br, indistinct posteriorly. Infuscation darkest around veins, leaving centre of cells paler. Halter stem and knob black with dark reddish­brown pruinescence. Abdomen ( Fig. 7 A–B) reflective metallic dark blue; T1 basally and medially, S1–4 with reddish­gold pruinescence, denser laterally at ST suture.

Genitalia: Gonocoxites ( Fig. 7 I–J) dark, reddish­brown to black. Epandrium ( Fig. 7 G– H) dark reddish­brown to black, with short posterolateral extensions, shallowly indented medially on posterior surface, setae dense, long; cerci dark reddish­brown. Subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 7 K–M). T8 ( Fig. 7 O–P) less emarginate, broadly narrowed medially (medial length 1/4 of lateral length), 16 long, black setae along posterolateral margin; S8 ( Fig. 7 N) trapezoid, less narrowed basally, posterior margin 2.5x length basal margin, 8 very long black setae along posterior margin. Outer gonocoxal process ( Fig. 7 I–J) pointed, as long as inner gonocoxal process, bearing long black ventrally directed setae; ventral lobe ( Fig. 7 I) broad, long (1/3 length of gonostylus), short sparse setae along medial margin; gonocoxal apodeme ( Fig. 7 I–J) short (as long as ventral lobe). Inner gonocoxal process strongly directed ventrally ( Fig. 7 J). Gonostylus ( Fig. 7 I–J) with some long setae on basolateral surface, many short thicker setae on medial surface. Hypandrium ( Fig. 7 I) dark, dark reddish­brown to black. Distiphallus ( Fig. 7 K–M) narrow, not expanded apically, spinulose on dorsal surface; dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath ( Fig. 7 K–M) with long (1/5 length of ejaculatory apodeme) anteriorly directed lateral arm; ventral apodeme of parameral sheath ( Fig. 7 K–M) short, 1/10 length of ejaculatory apodeme.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. This species is named after the locality in which the single specimen was collected.

Distribution. Known only from Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales.

Natural History and habits. The single specimen was collected in a flowering grassy alpine valley, lined and protected by tall dense snow gums. Many small rivulets carve metre deep watercourses across the valley bed. Dense, metre long grass tussocks surround and hide the rivulets. Larvae may possibly be found in the soil beneath the leaf litter of the snow gums where the leaf litter is dense. The dark coloration of the adult may aid in absorption of heat.

Figures

FIGURE 2. One of 6 most parsimonious trees with unambiguous character and state changes mapped on branches, and Bremer supports given above nodes.

FIGURE 7. Johnmannia kosciuszkoensis sp. nov. ɗ ANIC 29 0 0 4008 body A – F, genitalia G – P. (A) body, lateral, (B) abdomen; C – E head, (C) frontal, (D) lateral, (E) occiput; (F) wing pattern and venation; G – H epandrium, (G) dorsal, (H) lateral; I – J gonocoxal complex, (I) ventral, (J) lateral; K – M aedeagus, (K) dorsal; (L) lateral, (M) ventral; (N) S 8, ventral; O – P, T 8, (O) dorsal, (P) lateral with spiracle.