Teucholabis (Teucholabis) reginae, Alexander, 1931

Billingham, Zacariah D. & Theischinger, Gunther, 2022, New and Poorly Known Species of Crane Flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) from New South Wales, Australia, Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 74 (1), pp. 19-40 : 26-28

Teucholabis (Teucholabis) reginae

Alexander, 1931

Figs 14–19

Material examined. New South Wales: 1♂, Upper Allyn, Allyn River by “The Allyn Riverside Cabins” (32.187°S 151.502°E), 6 Nov 2018, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, AM (K.394962) ; 2♂♂, 1♀, Upper Allyn, Tributary of Allyn River off Allyn River Forest Rd (32.125°S 151.469°E), 7 Nov 2018, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, GHD ( T 23684– T 23686) ; 1♀, Upper Karuah River, Tributary of Turkey Scratch Creek off Cabbage Tree Rd (32.242°S 151.790°E), 8 Nov 2018, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, GHD ( T 22567) .

Remarks. While Alexander’s description of T. (T.) reginae is adequate it did not include a detailed description or figure of the hypopygium, making comparison to other species in the genus difficult. The availability of fresh material of T. (T.) reginae now allows for a thorough description of the hypopygium, a description of the ovipositor and provision of figures to aid in identification.

Photographs are included to show the general habitus ( Fig. 14 ), dorsal thoracic colouration ( Fig. 15 ), abdominal colouration ( Fig. 16 ), wing ( Fig. 17 ), and ovipositor ( Fig. 19 ). A figure of the hypopygium ( Fig. 18 ) is also provided.

Male. Hypopygium with tergite and sternite 9 bright yellow, gonocoxites greyish brown. Distal margin of T9 broadly rounded. Gonocoxite with long setae arising from numerous blackened tubercles along the lateral margin, distally produced into a sinuous, sharply pointed spine. Outer gonostylus a slender sinuous rod, sharply pointed at tip, subequal in length to gonocoxal spine. Inner gonostylus broad, quadrate, distal margin trilobate, upper and lower lobes produced into strongly sclerotized, sharply pointed hooks, middle lobe elongate, fleshy, bluntly tipped and bearing several prominent setae. Aedeagus a little shorter than gonocoxite, broad, largely sclerotized, only base and tip membranous, tip bearing several setae and short triangular lobe with blackened apex. The sternal pockets described for many male Teucholabis as being present on the fifth and sixth sternites are completely lacking in T. (T.) reginae .

Female. Size and colouration much the same as in male. Ovipositor with tenth tergite largely bright yellow with large dark brown to black central marking. Sternite mostly dark brown to black, bright yellow only at base. Cercus long and strongly arched dorsad. Tip of hypogynial valve reaching to about ⅓ the length of cercus.

Discussion. Only two species of Teucholabis are known from Australia, T. (T.) reginae from southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, and T. (T.) meridiana Skuse, 1890 , from Victoria. Both species are, according to Alexander (1931a), “very similar”, with apparently only minor differences in body colouration and wing venation separating the two. Alexander points to the length of the discal medial cell as a notable distinction between these species, suggesting that the discal medial cell of T. (T.) meridiana is somewhat shorter than that of T. (T.) reginae . However, examination of the type material for both species and the fresh material of T. (T.) reginae show all to have near identical wing venation, leaving this as an unsuitable character for separating the two species. Regrettably the type of T. (T.) meridiana was found to be missing the abdomen, leaving the hypopygium apparently lost, and, as Skuse (1890) does not provide a description of the hypopygium, the two species cannot be distinguished by features of the genitalia. Despite extensive searching by the first author across Victoria no fresh material of T. (T.) meridiana has been found, and, until such material becomes available, T. (T.) meridiana is considered as a nomen dubium.

Figures

Figure 14. Teucholabis (Teucholabis) reginae, female, general habitus.

Figures 15–19. Teucholabis (Teucholabis) reginae. (15) thoracic colouration, dorsal; (16) abdominal colouration, lateral; (17) wing; (18) hypopygium, dorsal view; (19) ovipositor, lateral.