Metopina queenslandensis, DISNEY, 2003

DISNEY, R. H. L., 2003, Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species, Journal of Natural History 37 (5), pp. 505-639 : 612-614

Metopina queenslandensis sp. nov.

(figure 53A)

A single female was collected from a colony of the ant Pheidologeton affinis (Jerdon) . The only previous record of a phorid with this ant species is for the Malaysian Rhynchomicropteron micraphidiforme Disney (Disney, 1992, 1999c). Material

H  : female, Australia, Queensland, Iron Ridge National Park, 23 km ex Portland Road , 23 June 1991, in ant colony (D. H. and A. C. Kistner, H. R. and J. A. Jacobson —K6042, ant colony 500) (CSIRO).

Etymology Named after the territory of the type locality.

Diagnosis

Anterior flap of abdominal tergite 5 approximately semicircular and posterior part of T5 represented by a few scattered hairs only; T4 wider than long; T6 only gradually tapered; frons with well-developed antial and pre-ocellar bristles between four supra-antennals and three ocelli.

Female

Frons brown. A pair of ocellars plus a pair of bristles on each side of vertex. Third antennal segment brown, without SPS vesicles, and with long-haired arista. Palp light brown, the distal part somewhat inflated and with six bristles and as many small hairs. Labrum broad and yellowish brown. Labella pale and small. Thorax brown but paler on sides. Three bristles on notopleuron. Scutellum with anterior pair of small hairs and posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites 1–5 light brown with minute hairs, and wider than long but progressively narrowing from 2 to 5. T6 darker brown. T4–T6 as figure 53A. Anterior margin of T10, between the apodemes, comprising a median pointed subtriangular process. Venter brown with hairs below on segments 3–6, at rear of 5 on flanks, and on all faces of 6. Cerci pale whitish yellow very lightly tinged grey, about twice as long a wide and with fine hairs, the longest being subequal to length of cercus. Furca not discerned. Legs pale straw yellow lightly tinged brownish grey. Front basitarsus slender (>5× as long as broad), only segments 1–3 with posterodorsal hair palsade, and segments 4 and 5 subequal in length. Posterior face of hind femur with faint microsculpture of chickenwire polygons in distal third, but otherwise seemingly smooth. Hind basitarsus with four well-developed combs and three pre-apical setae. Wing length 0.74 mm. Costal index 0.53. Costal ratios 0.66:1. Costal cilia 0.02–0.03 mm long. Costa at tip of R 1 a little wider than vein 3 but then gradually tapering to tip. Thick veins whitish yellow very lightly tinged brown. Veins 4–6 faint and 7 only discerned with critical lighting. Membrane almost colourless. Haltere brown.