Anabarhynchus cretatus Ferguson

Ferguson, David J., Lambkin, Christine L. & Yeates, David K., 2014, Eight new species of Australian stiletto flies in the genus Anabarhynchus Macquart (Diptera: Therevidae) from South East Queensland, Zootaxa 3802 (4), pp. 553-582 : 555-557

Anabarhynchus cretatus Ferguson sp. n.

( Figs 1 , 2 , 3 )

Type material. Holotype: Male. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Moreton Island National Park, Blue Lagoon Camp Ground at light, 8.X.2002, C. Lambkin, N. Starick, N. Power, D. White, G. Kampmeier 27°05'51"S 153°26'24"E (GPS), ( ANIC _29:017563) (QM_T:186020) (QM). Condition: Ex - alcohol; critical point dried; thin residue deposit on eyes, traces on rest of specimen; dorsally pinned on stainless steel pin; scutum cracked; right foreleg missing.

Paratypes: 2 male, 1 female. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 1♂, 1♀ same data as holotype; ( ANIC _29:017564) (QM_T:186021), ( ANIC _29:017595) (QM_T:186022) (QM); 1♂ Moreton Island 1.5km S. Blue Lagoon, Grid Ref. 5436-70017; at light, S. Wright (QM_T:185533) (QM).

Diagnosis. Frons with blackish pubescence when viewed anteriorly, with grey stripes when viewed anterodorsally; frontal pile semi-erect in two rows, extending into area lateral to antennal bases; scutum with a pair of medial grey stripes separated by slightly wider dark brown stripe; haltere knob white; fore femur with 1 weak pd macroseta; hind femur with 2 av; all femora dark brown.

Description. Male. Body length: 10 mm. Wing length: 8 mm. ( Figs 1–3 ). Head. Frons flat, width 4.2 × ocellus width; ocellar tubercle flat; face and lower frons protruding; parafacial and lower frons bright grey, middle and upper frons when viewed anteriorly with blackish pubescence, appearing as grey stripes when viewed anterodorsally; frontal pile black, semi-erect, in two rows extending lateral to antenna; lower frontal setae twothirds length of scape. Scape length 3.4 × pedicel length; scape and pedicel grey; f1 grey with short black setae surrounding basal half; f2 and f3 black, combined length one third length of f1. Occiput convex with grey pubescence, several indistinct rows of macrosetae, 45–46 setae on each side, postocciput to gena grey pubescent, covered with long, pale, hair-like pile; ventral corner of eye with distinctive swelling with small black setae on ventral surface. Palp grey with pale admixed with dark hair-like setae; labellum grey with prementum setae black. Thorax. Integument blackish brown; scutal chaetotaxy black (pairs): np, 4-5; sa, 2; pa, 1; dc, 3; sc, 2. Scutum with a pair of medial grey stripes separated by a slightly wider dark brown stripe. Katepisternum with pile; prosternal furrow without pile; post-spiracular pile present; pleura grey; coxae grey with long pile admixed with black macrosetae. Wing. Hyaline with grey infuscation along veins, veins and stigma dark brown; costal setae beyond humeral cross-vein arranged in 4 rows. Haltere. Pedicel dirty white, knob dorsally and ventrally white. Legs. Fore femur with 1 weak pd; hind femur with 2 av macrosetae. All femora dark brown with short, semi-erect pale pile admixed with short black setae; fore tibia dark brown, middle and hind tibia brown, darker apically. Abdomen. Integument blackish brown; slight lateral compression; tergites 2–7 blackish brown with weak appressed black setae, posterolaterally with small areas of grey pubescence, sparsely covered with semi-erect pale pile; tergites 2–6 with white apical bands; sternites blackish brown, broadly covered in grey pubescence and sparse erect pale setae, sternites 2–6 with white apical bands. Terminalia. Paratype male (QM_T:185533). Epandrium ( Fig. 3 A): slightly longer than wide (measured along mid-line and between widest points when viewed dorsally); darkly sclerotised, anterior margin broad, becoming greatly constricted towards the posterior, the apically margin deeply emarginate; setae distributed evenly over posterior two-thirds. Gonocoxite ( Fig. 3 B): darkly sclerotised, semi-spherical when viewed ventrally, long black setae on posterolateral margins, joined by a nearly translucent hypandrium and partly fused along the ventromedial plane; large lobe-like outer gonocoxal process with long black setae on posterolateral edge, shorter setae medially. Gonocoxal apodeme lying within gonocoxite margin. Inner gonocoxal process with broad base, curved inward with shallow concavity apically, pale pile on posterolateral and sub-apical. Gonostylus long, dorsal edge with ridge, ventromedial surface with a few rows of elongate setae, apical end curved inward and broadly truncated; ventral flange short. Ventral lobe small. Aedeagus ( Figs 3 C, D): distiphallus strongly curved ventrally; parameral sheath pale, broadly triangular, apical lateral edge ventrally flared; ventral apodeme anteriorly broad and flat with the apical margin slightly bilobed; lateral ejaculatory apodeme narrow, band-like; ejaculatory apodeme relatively short, apically dark with lateral sub-apical lobes.

Variation. Male. Body length 8–10 mm. Wing length: 8–9 mm. Occipital macrosetae 35–45 to each side; scutal chaetotaxy: np, 4–6 pairs; dc, 2–4 pairs; fore femur 1–2 pd weak; hind femur 1–2 av. Female. Body length 11 mm; wing length: 8.5 mm; frons width 4.5 × ocellus width; short black erect setae on tergites 4–7. Paratype female (ANIC_29:017564) (QM_T:186021): Sternite 8 ( Fig. 3 F): anteriorly narrowed, anterior edge flat, darkly sclerotised with slightly striated surface; posterior half along mid-line with an elongated, thinly sclerotised, narrow, bare area with numerous strong setae arranged along the lateral margins and adjacent lateral areas; posterior edge rounded. Furca ( Fig. 3 E): posterior frame weak and elongate, middle frame waisted; anterior beam weak and rounded, with a large, thinly sclerotised, elongated, anteriorly directed tapering lobe; anteroventral lobe elongated and posterolaterally directed, reaching frame margin.

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ cretatus ’ is Latin meaning ‘marked with white chalk lines’ referencing the white striped appearance of the frons when viewed anterodorsally.

Comments. Known from four specimens collected in October and February from the Blue Lagoon area, Moreton Island, Queensland; three specimens were collected at mercury vapour light trap.

Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n. keys to A. collessi Lyneborg in couplet 47 in Lyneborg (2001). It is readily separated from A. collessi which has a predominantly grey frons with a pair of blackish curved markings on the mid-frons, long, erect frontal pile and the scutum has grey pubescence with indistinct vittae. Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n. has a blackish pubescent frons when viewed anteriorly, with grey stripes when viewed anterodorsally; frontal pile semi-erect; and scutum with a pair of broad, grey vittae on a blackish brown ground.

Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n. is similar to A. planifrons Lyneborg , both having wide frons, with surface completely covered with thick pubescence, frontal pile widely distributed, extending into the area lateral to the antennal base, post-spiracular pile and hind coxal knobs are present. The male epandrium is distally constricted and as long as wide measured along the mid-line. The female sternite 8 of both species possess a long, narrow, thinly sclerotised mid-line on the posterior half that is without setae, while the lateral areas are densely covered with numerous strong black setae. Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n. appears to be most closely aligned to species of Lyneborg’s maritimus species-group.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n., holotype male (ANIC _ 29: 017563) (QM _ T: 186020): lateral view. Scale line = 2 mm.

FIGURE 2. Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n., holotype male, (ANIC _ 29: 017563) (QM _ T: 186020): laterodorsal view. Scale line = 2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n., paratype male terminalia (ANIC _ 29: 017595) (QM _ T: 186022): A, epandrium, left dorsal view, right ventral view; B, gonocoxite left dorsal view, right ventral view; C, aedeagus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus, lateral view; paratype female (QM _ T: 185530); E, furca; F, female sternite 8, ventral surface. Scale line = 0.5 mm.