Johnmannia powerae 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 : 9-16

Johnmannia powerae Lambkin & Recsei , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 –5, 8)

Johnmannia tasmanica Winterton et al., 1999a: 276 ; 1999c: 274.

Material Examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland. Holotype: Ψ ( ANIC 29 003454), 'AUS­ TRALIA: QLD: Scrub Rd, Brisbane Forest Park, 27°25'06"S, 152°50'14"E, Malaise trap 1, in creek bed, S. Winterton, N. Power, D. White, 2.x.1998 ' (QM). Paratypes: 2Ψ ( ANIC 29 0 0 3453, 003455), same data as holotype; 1ɗ ( UQIC 040945), Mt Glorious Biological Centre, Main Road, Mt Glorious, [27°20'S, 152°46'E], Rainforest, Canopy Malaise Trap, 19.ix.97, S. Winterton, N. Power, D. White, A. Hiller ( UQIC). New South Wales. 1Ψ (MEI 025305), "Lorien." approx. 1 km NNW Lansdowne, via Taree, wet sclerophyll forest, 28.viii.1982, G. & T. Williams (AM); 1Ψ (MEI 033668), 3 km N Lansdowne via Taree, 31°47'S, 152°32'E, wet sclerophyll forest, 13.x.1992, G. Williams ( GDCB). Other Material Examined. Queensland. 1Ψ (MEI 025306), Mount Tamborine [27°58'S, 153°11'E], Davidson, 1915 ( ASCT); 1Ψ (MEI 108918), Tamborine [27°53'S, 153°08'E], Davidson, 1915 ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Wings with dark brown opaque triangular basal band; triangulate dark brown opaque line medially, apical half of wing pale brown ( Fig. 3 D, 5C). Frons with two triangular patches of pale, silver pruinescence lateromedially above antennal tubercule ( Fig. 3 B, F); broad, medial concavity with lateral, pale silver, pruinescent stripes. Occiput covered with dense, gold pruinescence, less dense dorsally ( Fig. 3 B–C). Face with silver pruinescence laterally from antennae along compound eye, narrow medially, broadening ventrally on gena, covering anteriorly directed rounded flange of gena at base of compound eye ( Fig. 4 B). Scutum with lateral, pale silver, pruinescent stripes ( Fig. 3 C). Tarsomeres with basal orange bands ( Fig. 1 ). Female S8 ( Fig. 4 D) elongate, rectangular (1.4 x as long as wide). Epandrium (Fig. 5D–E) with long triangulate posterolateral extensions, indented deeply medially on posterior surface. Distiphallus (Fig. 5L–M) broad, smoothly expanded apically, smoothly recurved from base.

Wing length: 9.5–10.5 mm.

Description. Female ( Fig. 1 ). Head shape in lateral view oval, height 1.1 x width. Upper frons flat, width greater than width of ocellar triangle, 3.4 x width of median ocellus; 2–12 short, dark setae on ocellar triangle; lateral, crescent­shaped, pale silver pruinescence below medium ocellus adjacent to compound eye in deep broad medial concavity ( Fig. 3 B, F). Lower frons with two triangular patches of pale silver pruinescence lateromedially above antennal tubercule ( Fig. 3 B, F); light brown medial line ventrally on callus ( Fig. 4 B), fine line of matte red­brown pruinescence around base of antennae; 4–6 pairs short, dark, setae laterally above antennae; face overlain with dense, silver pruinescence laterally, below base of callus, along inner eye margin, narrowing ventrally. Occiput covered with dense, gold pruinescence, less dense dorsally ( Fig. 3 B–C); postocular ridge convex, with indistinct rows of dark, postocular setae, at a distance the length of the ocellar triangle from compound eye; very long, fine, dark setae ventrally. Gena with distinct, anteriorly directed pyramidal protrusion at base of compound eye ( Fig. 4 B). Spatulate palp ( Fig. 4 B) covered with dense, reddish­gold pruinescence; fine, long, dark, basal setae, less dense medially; labellum dark reddish­brown, with long, dark, setae medially, and short, dark setae apically. Antenna ( Fig. 3 F–G) little longer than head (antennae/head = 1.2); scape longer than postpedicel (scape/postpedicel = 1.1), orange to reddish­brown; pedicel reddish­brown; postpedicel long (postpedicel/pedicel = 5.2), reddish­brown cylinder with gold pruinescence, without basal setae; basal stylomere short, broad, cylinder; antennal apical stylomere conical with pale, short, pointed medial style. Thorax: Scutum glossy black, reflective metallic dark blue­green, laterally dark reddish­brown covered with very pale silver pruinescence; postpronotum dark reddish­brown to orange; post alar callus dark reddish­brown; numerous fine short dark setae. Two lateral silver pruinescent stripes ( Fig. 3 A–C) narrowly medially divided, narrowing apically, ending level with transverse suture; anteriorly gold pruinescence ending anterior to mid post pronotal lobe; gold pruinescence in suture between scutum and scutellum. Scutellum black, reflective metallic dark bluegreen. Pleuron glossy, dark reddish­brown to black; overlain with reddish­gold pruinescence, denser ventrally; pale short dense, setae around anterior spiracle. Reddish­gold pruinescence ( Fig. 4 A) on extreme ventral margin proepisternum; proepimeron anteriorly and medially; katepisternum medially; dorsal, ventral and posterior margin anepisternum. Fine, black setae on postpronotum, proepisternum, and antepronotum; shorter fine setae on medial katepisternum, and anepisternum posteriorly; long, black setae on laterotergite, and on anterior surface of c1, c2, and posterior part of c3. Scutal chaetotaxy: np 4–5; sa 2–3; pa 1; dc 1–2; sc 1. Legs with short dark setae; coxae and femora reddish­brown to black; femora with 12 large black anteroventral, subapical macrosetae on hind femur; tibia dark reddish­brown to black; all tarsomeres dark reddish­brown to black, orange to yellow band basally ( Fig. 1 ), ventral surface of 4th and 5th lacking setae, partial loss on 3rd. Hind legs long (hind femur/mid femur = 1.3ɗ, 1.0Ψ). Wing ( Fig. 3 D) hyaline; covered with microtrichia; dark brown, opaque, triangular, basal band to Ma, including upper calypter. Triangulate, dark brown, opaque band 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. Apical half of wing brown, paler posteriorly. Halter stem and knob dark reddish­brown. Abdomen. Conical, apically recurved thus appears globular in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 A, E). Dark reddish­brown to black, glossy, reflective metallic dark bluegreen; sparse, fine short setae, T1–2 longer setae laterally; reddish­gold pruinescence T1 basally, entire S1–4, denser laterally at ST suture.

Genitalia: T8 ( Fig. 4 G); acanthophorites A1 with 8 broad, brown to black setae; S10 ( Fig. 4 D) triangular, rounded and broad posteriorly, S8 ( Fig. 4 D) elongate, rectangular (1.4 x as long as wide); three spermathecae ( Fig. 4 C); ovoid median spermathecal sac ( Fig. 4 C, F) (2.0 x length of furca) with narrow tube 1.8x length furca to oval lobe (2.0 x length of furca); pair of ovoid outer spermathecal sacs ( Fig. 4 C, F) (1.8 x length of furca) with narrow tube, 1.8x length of furca to large round lobe (1.8 x length of furca).

Male. Similar to female except: Wing length: 11 mm. Upper frons narrower dorsally (Fig. 5A) (3.2 x width of median ocellus); lower frons rounded, dark reddish brown­black callus. Triangular patches of pale silver pruinescence lateromedially above antennal tubercule (Fig. 5A). Labellum black, silver pruinescence. Antennae: scape/postpedicel = 1.0, postpedicel/pedicel = 4.4, postpedicel long, reddish­brown­black cylinder. Thorax: Scutum glossy black, reflective metallic dark steel blue, laterally dark reddish­brown to black without silver pruinescence; postpronotum and post alar callus dark reddish­brown to black. No pruinescence in suture between scutum and scutellum. Scutellum black, reflective metallic dark blue. Pleuron: pruinescence denser than on female. Apical half of wing dark brown (Fig. 5C). Genitalia: Gonocoxites light reddish brown, black setae. Epandrium (Fig. 5D–E) reddish­brown, long triangulate posterolateral extensions, sparse setae longer laterally; cerci reddish­brown. Subepandrial sclerite (Fig. 5L). T8 (Fig. 5J–K) medial length 1/15 of lateral length, with 9 long black setae along posterolateral margin; S 8 (Fig. 5F) with posterior margin 2.8 x length basal margin, 12 very short black setae along posterior margin. Outer gonocoxal process (Fig. 5G–I) shorter than inner gonocoxal process, bearing very short fine black ventrally directed setae; ventral lobe (Fig. 5G) broad, 1/ 4 length of gonostylus, flattened, sclerotised, dorsally directed, glabrous; gonocoxal apodeme (Fig. 5G–I) longer than ventral lobe, expanded apically to form a broad gonocoxal apodeme plate (Fig. 5G–H). Inner gonocoxal process (Fig. 5G–I) posteriorly directed. Gonostylus (Fig. 5G–I). Hypandrium (Fig. 5G–I). Distiphallus (Fig. 5L–M) broad, smoothly expanded apically, long (1.1 length of ejaculatory apodeme), spinulose on dorsal surface; dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath (Fig. 5L–M) with short (1/3 length of ejaculatory apodeme) anteriorly directed lateral arm; ventral apodeme of parameral sheath (Fig. 5L–M) short (0.3 length of ejaculatory apodeme); ejaculatory apodeme (Fig. 5L–M), lateral ejaculatory apodeme (Fig. 5L–M).

Etymology. This species is named for Narelle Power whose Honours studies ( Power 1998) involved extensive efforts over 15 months of weekly sampling from nine, 6­m Malaise traps in south­east Queensland and resulted in the largest collection of any species in this genus.

FIGURE 5. Johnmannia powerae sp. nov. ɗ UQIC 0 40945 body A–C, genitalia D–M. (A) head, frontal, (B) thorax, post­spiracular setae arrowed, (C) wing pattern and venation; D–E epandrium, (D) dorsal, (E) lateral (dorsal on left); (F) S8, ventral; G–I gonocoxal complex, (G) dorsal, (H) lateral, (I) ventral; J–K, T8, (J) lateral with spiracle, (K) dorsal; L–M aedeagus, (L) lateral, (M) ventral.

Distribution. Known only from south­eastern Queensland and north­eastern, New South Wales.

Natural History and habits. No observations have been made of the behaviour of these flies. Many of the specimens were collected in wet sclerophyll forests and subtropical rainforests on coastal ranges, an unusual habitat for therevids. The only male of Johnmannia powerae was collected using a canopy Malaise trap in dense rainforest. Comments. This species has previously been referred to as Johnmannia tasmanica ( Winterton et al. 1999a; 1999c).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Johnmannia powerae sp. nov. Ψ MEI 0 25305, lateral.

FIGURE 3. Johnmannia powerae sp. nov. Ψ ANIC 29 0 0 3454 dorsal, A – E; Ψ ANIC 29 0 0 3454 frontal, F – G. (A) whole body, (B) occiput and frontal pruinescence, (C) thoracic pruinescence, (D) wing pattern and venation, (E) abdomen, (F) frontal pruinescence, (G) antennae.

FIGURE 4. Johnmannia powerae sp. nov. Ψ ANIC 29 0 0 3454 lateral, A – B; Ψ ANIC 29 0 0 3453 genitalia, C – G. (A) thoracic pruinescence, (B) head, frons and genal flange; (C) SP, SD, SPSD, common SPSD, (D) S 8, furca, S 10, (E) SD, SPSD, common SPSD, (F) lateral (left) and medial SPS, lobes, fine tubes, (G) T 8 with apodeme. Morphological abbreviations in Appendix 1.