Aphiura Species A

DISNEY, R. H. L., 2003, Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species, Journal of Natural History 37 (5), pp. 505-639 : 519

Aphiura Species A

(figure 4A, B)

Material

Female, Tasmania, Fern Tree, Grays Road , 147°15∞E, 42°57∞S (grid ref. 203474), 540 m altitude, 7 August 2000 ( R. H. L. Disney —25-42) ( UMZC) .

This appears to be a new species whose male remains unknown.

Diagnosis

Femora brown; scutellum with only one pair of bristles; third antennal segment with numerous SPS vesicles and basal segments of arista>4× as long as broad; palp with several small pits on outer face; posterior part of abdominal tergite 6 broader than long.

Female

Frons as in A. alistairi , but with only 18–20 hairs and four SAs, the outermost pair being minute. Third antennal segment brown and as figure 4B. Palp paler, with five bristles and twice as many hairs, with the longest bristle being below middle. Labrum brown and about 1.6× as broad as third antennal segment. The brown labella with a submarginal row of small hairs ventrolaterally. Thorax as A. alistairi , but with only two bristles on notopleuron and scutellum. Abdominal tergites brown with minute hairs, which are scarcely differentiated at rear margins. T 5– T 6 as figure 4A. Venter brownish grey with scattered hairs dorsolaterally and ventrally on segments 2–6, and on flanks at rear of 5 and 6. Cerci similar to A. alistair , but with fewer hairs. Legs similar to A. alistairi , except all five fore-tarsal segments have a near-dorsal hair palisade and the hairs below basal half of hind femur are subequal to longest hairs of anteroventral row of distal half. Wing 2.4 mm long. Costal index 0.51. Costal ratios 7.65: 4.83: 1. Costal cilia 0.06–0.08 mm long. Axillary ridge with six setae. Veins brown and membrane tinged brownish grey. Haltere brown but knob paler in parts.