Howickia myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch)

Kuwahara, Gregory K. & Marshall, Stephen A., 2022, A revision of the Australian species of Howickia Richards (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae: Limosininae), Zootaxa 5192 (1), pp. 1-152 : 56-57

Howickia myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch)

( Figs. 3.11 , 14.1–14.9 )

Limosina myrmecophila Knab & Malloch, 1912: 236 .

Limosina (Biroella) myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch) , Duda, 1925: 76.

Leptocera (Biroina) myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch) , Richards, 1973: 330.

Biroina myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch) , Marshall, 1989: 602; Papp, 1995: 543–546; Roháček et al., 2001: 125.

Howickia myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch) , Marshall et al., 2014.

Description. Body length: Males 3.2–5.4 mm, females 3.7–5.5 mm.

Head: Dark orange, dark reddish from back of head to around ocellar triangle and around bases of orbital bristles, bases of interfrontal bristles narrowly darkened, lower portion of frontal vitta yellow; gena orange; antenna orange-yellow. Frontal width 1.9x interfrontal height; frontal vitta slightly impressed centrally. Three pairs of moderate interfrontal bristles preceded by a slightly smaller pair (0.7x length of posterior); 2 lateroclinate orbital bristles, anterior bristle 0.7x length of posterior bristle. Gena with strong upcurved bristle and 7–8 smaller setae, finely and densely striate, shiny, lower third microtrichose; vibrissal angle with 4 subvibrissal setae. Face with a small impressed triangular groove along ventromedial margin; palpus clavate with 1 large apical and 1 larger preapical seta. Eye height 2.0x genal height.

Thorax: Black; scutum shiny despite brown microtrichia, posterolateral edge thinly lighter and with pale spot on posterior notopleural lobe; katepisternum with lighter posterior spot. Two pairs of dorsocentral bristles (anterior pair 0.6x length of posterior pair); 9–10 rows of long, fine acrostichal setulae. Prosternum short, triangular. Scutellum microtrichose, large, subquadrate, its length 0.7x its width; 4 scutellar bristles long, apical pair 1.3x length of basal pair.

Legs: Dark brown, tibiae brown, proximally and distally pale brown; first 2 tarsomeres of fore leg brown, distal 3 yellowish white, tarsi of other legs pale brown. Male mid tibia with a stout apicoventral bristle and 2 rows of stout ventral setae, mid femur with 2 corresponding rows of strong proximoventral setae. Basal half of mid tibia with 7 dorsal bristles (4 anterodorsal and 3 posterodorsal), distal half with 3 dorsal bristles (2 anterodorsal and 1 posterodorsal). Hind tibia with stout apicoventral seta.

Wing/halter: Patterned; membrane infuscate with pale patches forming a reticulated pattern. CS2 slightly longer than CS3. R 2+3 strongly sinuate, basal curve occurring over a greater length than distal and almost reaching costa before curving away, distal curve meeting costa at an angle of 80˚; R 4+5 upcurved, meeting costa well before wing tip; costa ending at R 4+5. Halter pale; knob brown and apically white; stem pale brown.

Male abdomen: Black, heavily sclerotized, shiny despite microtrichia. T2–5 and S2–4 uniformly long-setose in posterior half with large posterolateral setae. S5 broad (width 3.0x length), heavily microtrichose, densely setose with posteromedially desclerotized triangle with many small stout setae, laterally with much longer setae. Epandrium large, squarish, and very densely long-setose; cercus slightly expanded, subquadrate with 2 very long setae and numerous smaller setae. Hypandrium medially upcurved apically; ventral lobe thin, sinuate, and extending from main part at a 110˚ angle, connected to main part at anterior edge; posterodorsal lobe sinuate with a rounded preapical ventral lobe. Surstylus bilobed: anterior lobe rectangular with numerous ventrolateral setulae and a larger lateral seta; posterior lobe subtriangular with 3 large curved setae along ventral edge and 3 very large, slightly sinuate lateral thorn-like setae. Postgonite elongate, slightly sinuate, proximally with a pair of anterior setulae, middle third broadened posteriorly, apex curved forwards into a rounded knob. Phallapodeme gently curved; basiphallus elongate, constricted apically into a rounded “head” and a downcurved, tapered “tail” region. Distiphallus tubular, elongate, moderately sclerotized, apically with 2 lateral, largely membranous downturned “wings”.

Female abdomen: Black, heavily sclerotized, shiny despite microtrichia. T2–5 and S2–5 uniformly long-setose along entire surface with large posterolateral setae; pleural membrane with small setal patch. Preabdomen subequal in length to head + thorax. Postabdomen elongate, 4.0x length of T5. T6 and T7 fairly well-developed, present as elongate rectangular plates with some medial desclerotization that may extend to the posterior margin, each half bearing 2 apical setae. Epiproct rectangular with a broad medial emargination and dorsomedially bearing a pair of setae. Cercus subtriangular with 5 long sinuate setae (1 apical, 2 lateral and 2 dorsal) and several smaller setulae. S6 and S7 fairly well-developed, present as elongate rectangular plates with some medial desclerotization that extends to the posterior margin, each half bearing 2 apical setae. S8 reduced to an elongate, posteriorly bare medial plate. Hypoproct rounded, posteriorly microtrichose with a row of 6 stout setae. Spermathecae stout, hemispherical and deeply grooved; stem, elongate (1.5x length of spermatheca), gradually tapered and finely grooved; paired spermathecae attached closely at stem.

Type material. Holotype: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Otford, with the ant Ectatomma metallicum, A.M. Lea (♀, USNM). (“ Ectatomma metallicum ” is now Rhytidoponera metallica )

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital Territory: Canberra , CSIRO, behind CSIRO, 35˚16’30”S 149˚06’40”E, 590 m, Malaise trap, 16–26.iii.2011, Hebert et al. (2 ♀, BIOUG) ; New South Wales: Darkwood Road, near New England National Park , ex. small carcass, 21.iii.2019, S.A. Marshall (1 ♂, 3 ♀, DEBU) ; Gibraltar Range , 29˚31’S 152˚22’E, 950 m, volcanic, pitfall trap 23.ix.1999, J. Holt (1 ♀, DEBU) ; Mount Kaputar National Park , 1200 m, dung, 29–30.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (8 ♂, 5 ♀, DEBU) ; Mount Kaputar National Park , 30˚12’S 150˚09’E, 1200 m, dung, 28–30.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (3 ♂, 4 ♀, DEBU) ; Mount Kaputar National Park , 30˚12’S 150˚09’E, 1500 m, dung/pans, 29–30.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; Mount Kaputar National Park , 30˚12’S 159˚09’E, 1300 m, dung, 28–30.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (15 ♂, 9 ♀, DEBU) ; Mount Kaputar National Park , 30˚12’S 159˚09’E, 1500 m, dung in litter, 24–30.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (10 ♂, 7 ♀, DEBU) ; Mount Kaputar National Park , 800 m, dung, 24–30.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (3 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; Ulong, Ashton’s Eco Retreat , 30˚13’47”S 152˚55’12”E, dung, 22.iii.2019, S.A. Marshall (7 ♂, 9 ♀, DEBU) ; Warrumbungle National Park , 31˚14’S 149˚01’E, dry forest, dung traps, 25–27.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; Warrumbungle National Park , lookout, sweeping, 26.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (2 ♀, DEBU) ; Queensland: Bunya Mountains National Park , 1000 m, dung, 28.iv.1999, S.A. Marshall (1 ♀, DEBU) ; Bunya Mountains National Park , 26˚51’S 151˚31’E, 1000 m, dung, 28.iv.1999, S.A. Marshall (7 ♂, 4 ♀, DEBU) ; Bunya Mountains National Park , 26˚51’S 151˚31’E, 1000 m, pan trap & dung, 28.iv.1999, S.A. Marshall (3 ♂, 5 ♀, DEBU) ; Bunya Mountains National Park , 26˚52’S 151˚34’E, dung pans, 8.x.2002, S.A. Marshall (2 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU) ; Bunya Mountains National Park, Westcott Camp , 26˚51’51”S 151˚34’18”E, dung pans, 12–13.x.2002, S.A. Marshall (6 ♂, DEBU) ; Lamington National Park, Binna Burra , creek bed, pans/dung, 7.x.2002, S.A. Marshall (19 ♂, 7 ♀, DEBU) ; Springbrook , 30˚30’S 150˚59’E, pan traps, 9–10.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (3 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU) ; Springbrook , pan traps, 9–10.iii.1999, S.A. Marshall (17 ♂, 12 ♀, DEBU) ; Station Creek , upper, 16˚37’S 145˚14’E, 370 m, open forest, fish pitfall, 3–11.ii.1999, Monteith & Cook (1 ♂, QMBA) ; Tasmania: Chauncy Vale , 4 km E Bagdad, creek bed, pans, 9–10.xii.2003, S.A. Marshall (1 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU) ; Cradle Mountain National Park, Dove Lake , 920 m, dung pans in button grass, 16–17.xii.2003, S.A. Marshall (7 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU) ; Mount Williams National Park, Stumpys Bay Campground, dry heath, pans, 12–13.xii.2003, S.A. Marshall (13 ♂, 6 ♀, DEBU) ; Scottsdale , 20 km W, dry forest, dung pans, 14.xii.2003, S.A. Marshall (3 ♂, 3 ♀, DEBU) ; Scottsdale , 20 km W, near creek, dung pans, 13–14.xii.2003, S.A. Marshall (1 ♂, DEBU) ; Waratah , 8 km SW, 41˚29’04”S 145˚27’41”E, rainforest, dung pans, 20–21.xii.2003, S.A. Marshall (1 ♂, DEBU) .

Comments. Howickia myrmecophila is externally similar to both H. nitidipleura and H. erythrocephala , but can be separated from both by the intricately patterned wings (patterning in H. nitidipleura and H. erythrocephala is limited to dark spots largely on the crossveins). The original observation of H. myrmecophila associated with ants likely reflected a casual association, as workers of the common Rhytidoponera metallica Smith are likely to be attracted to the same material as adult H. myrmecophila . No observations of associations between this species and ants have been published since the original description and none of the 221 specimens of H. myrmecophila collected during the current study indicate any association with ants. Howickia myrmecophila is one of the largest species of Howickia (along with H. nitidipleura ) with both males and females reaching up to 5.4 mm in length.

Figures

FIGURES 3.1–3.22. Mid tibial chaetotaxy of macropterous Australian species of Howickia. 3.1, H. acicula sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.2, H. biantenna sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.3, H. brevior (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.4, H. capitalis (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.5, H. erythrocephala sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral female; 3.6, H. flaviterga (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.7, H. fuscalis (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.8, H. grandisterna sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.9, H. hardyina (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.10, H. kurandensis (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.11, H. myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.12, H. nitidipleura (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.13, H. percostata (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.14, H. pertusa sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.15, H. pseudovittata sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.16, H. subsinuata (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.17, H. symmetrica (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male; 3.18, H. trivittata (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.19, H. vernalis (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.20, H. wamini sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.21, H. wilsoni (Richards), a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female; 3.22, H. xanthocephala sp. nov., a) dorsal, male, b) lateral male, c) lateral, female. Scale bars indicate 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 14.1–14.5. Howickia myrmecophila (Knab & Malloch). 14.1, male habitus, lateral; 14.2, male head, anterolateral; 14.3, male S5–8, ventral; 14.4, male terminalia, lateral; 14.5, aedeagus and associated structures, lateral; 14.5a, apex of distiphallus, anterior. Scale bars indicate 0.5 mm.