Molophilus (Molophilus) bawbawiensis, 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 : 21

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3853/j.2201-4349.74.2022.1775
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CDE43DB9-2155-4533-845B-47053DA5FE5D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7175110
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0392DE4A-FC03-FFFF-FF75-08B3FE9CADE4
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Molophilus (Molophilus) bawbawiensis
status

Treatment

Molophilus (Molophilus) bawbawiensis View in CoL

Alexander, 1931

Fig. 3 View Figure 3

Material examined. New South Wales: 1♀, Kembla Heights, Tributary of Brandy and Water Creek off Harry Graham Drive (34.412°S 150.822°E), 29 Sep 2017, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, GHD ( T 17401) GoogleMaps ; 2♀♀, Kembla Heights, American Creek off Cordeaux Rd (34.435°S 150.796°E), 29 Sep 2017, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, GHD ( T 17361– T 17362) GoogleMaps ; 1♀, Wildes Meadow, Yarrawa Creek off Belmore Falls Rd (34.629°S 150.561°E), 30 Sep 2017, Z. Billingham & G. Theischinger, AM GoogleMaps (K.394955).

Remarks. Alexander (1931b) apparently had access to a female specimen of M. (M.) bawbawiensis however only provided a description of the male, with no accompanying figure of the hypopygium. In a review of Australian Molophilus by Theischinger (1992) a figure of the hypopygium was provided but, in the absence of additional material, the female remained undescribed. It is only now, with the collection of fresh material, that a description of the remarkable female of this species is possible.

Female. Size and coloration much the same as in male. Ovipositor ( Fig 3 View Figure 3 ) with tenth tergite greatly elongate, extending up to 1.5 mm, with a membranous area on the ventrolateral edge at about half the length of the tergite. Cercus straight and narrow, bluntly tipped and approximately 0.5 mm long. Sternite 9 not especially elongate, with a membranous area along the dorsal edge.Apex of hypogynial valve reaching just past the origin of the cercus.

Discussion. The highly modified ovipositor of M. (M.) bawbawiensis with greatly elongate tenth tergite seems unique among the species of Australian Molophilus , although it must be noted that females are not yet known or associated for many species.