Anabarhynchus doncollessi Ferguson

Ferguson, David J., Irwin, Michael E. & Yeates, David K., 2013, New species of Anabarhynchus Macquart (Diptera: Therevidae) from arid and monsoon tropical Australia, Zootaxa 3680 (1), pp. 55-95 : 57-61

Anabarhynchus doncollessi Ferguson sp. n.

( Figures 2 , 3 , 4 )

Type material. Holotype: Male. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Cooper Creek, 11km SW Nimbuwah Rock, 3 June 1973, D.H. Colless ( ANIC _29:028777) ( ANIC). Condition: Pinned dorsally with stainless steel pin, hind right leg missing, end of abdomen removed for dissection after photography, condition reasonable.

Diagnosis. Frons flat, with bright grey pubescence. Frontal setae in two rows; black pubescence between the rows of setae on upper frons. Male frons width at anterior ocellus 2.6x ocellus. Scutum matte black with a pair of grey stripes. Wing cell m3 open. Postspiracular pile present; katepisternum and prosternal furrow without pile. Forefemur 1 pd; hind femur 1 av. All femora black with appressed pale pile, ventral surface pile short and erect; admix with sparse short black setae predominantly on dorsal apical surface; fore tibia blackish-brown, middle and hind tibia brown. The ventromedial plane of the gonocoxite with tuft of long pale pile.

Description. Male: Body length: 8mm. Wing length: 7mm. Head. Integument black. Lower frons slightly raised, upper frons flat; frons width at anterior ocellus 2.6x ocellus; ocellar tubercle flat; antennal base positioned low on frons ( Fig 1 b), face and lower frons protruding; parafacials bright grey; frons bright grey with areas of light redirecting pubescence appearing black between lines of setae; frontal setae strong of uneven lengths in two distinct narrow rows reaching lower frons; viewed anterodorsal the area between rows of setae at upper frons is black, mid and lower frons is bright grey; a grey marking at antenna base and lower frons vanish when viewed anteriorly; longest setae two thirds length of scape; scape length 2.3x width, scape and pedicel grey, 1st segment of flagellum dark brown with short black setae circumference basal third, flagellar style black one fifth length of flagellum; occiput convex bright-grey becoming dark-grey when viewed at angle, several indistinct rows of black macrosetae, 20 setae on each side; postocciput area to gena grey, with long, white, hair-like pile; ventral corner of eye with swelling. Palpus dark grey, with hair-like pale pile; labellum dark brown, prementum setae black. Thorax. Integument black. Scutal chaetotaxy black (pairs): np, 3; sa, 2; pa, 1; dc, 2; sc, 2. Scutum with a pair of mid-dorsal bright grey stripes on matte black ground colour; scutal surface with short appressed pale pile. Postspiracular pile present; katepisternum and prosternal furrow without pile; pleuron and coxae with thick pubescence; pleuron viewed dorsally appears grey, ventrally black, posteriorly dark grey, anteriorly grey with pair shiny black bands to anterior surface of anepisternum /katepisternum and anepimeron/meron; elongate pale hair-like pile on coxae admixed with black macrosetae. Wing. Cell m3 open; hyaline with silver grey tint, dark brown veins; light brown infuscate along veins to apical half; stigma brown. Costal setae beyond humeral cross-vein biserially arranged. Haltere. Pedicel brown; scabellum buff-white. Legs. Forefemur with 1 pd; hind femur 1-2 av macrosetae; all femora blackish-brown with bright grey pubescence; all femora with appressed pale pile, ventral surface pile short and erect; admix with sparse short black setae predominantly to dorsal apical surface; foretibia blackish-brown, middle and hind tibiae brown darkening apically. Abdomen. Integument dark brown. Laterally compressed; anterior bands when viewed posteriorly appear matte black, viewed anteriorly appear dark brown, with dense supply of dark pile; tergites 2-3 posterolaterally bright grey pubescence with hair-like pale pile, posterior margins of tergites 2-3 bright white; tergite 5 with lateral grey patches; sternites generally similar to tergites, posterior margin of sternite 4 pale brown. Terminalia. Epandrium ( Fig. 4 a), one and half times wider than long, narrowing posteriorly; dark brown with grey pubescence, distributed evenly with pale setae. Gonocoxite ( Fig. 4 b), dark brown with long pale setae; slightly onion shaped when viewed ventrally, posterior ventral edge with a broad and long thinly sclerotized lobelike outer gonocoxal process with many short strong black setae admixed with weak hair-like pile on posterior edge. Ventromedial plane of the gonocoxite with tuft of long, pale pile from raised sclerite. Gonocoxites joined by the hypandrium and fused along short length of the ventral medial plane. Gonocoxal apodeme short and darkly sclerotised. Inner gonocoxal process curved slightly inward, with inner edge flared along length. Gonostylus, curved dorsally with apical rounded; elongate setae directed inward on inner surface; ventral lobe small and triangular. Aedeagus ( Fig. 4 c, d): distiphallus anteroventrally directed, moderately long. Parameral sheath darkly sclerotised; apical dorsal projections of the aedeagal sheath directed posterodorsally. Ventral apodeme narrow, flaring apically. Lateral ejaculatory apodeme weakly sclerotised, narrow, band-like. Ejaculatory apodeme long, extending anteriorly well beyond dorsal apodeme, with long lateral flanges widest at apex, with sub-apical dark band.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived to honor the late Dr. Donald H. Colless, systematic dipterist at the Australian National Insect Collection from 1960 until 1987, and Honorary Fellow in ANIC from 1987 until 2012.

Comments. Described from a single male specimens collected by Don Colless, from near Nimbbuwah Rock the Northern Territory, in June.

The frons setae, laterally compressed abdomen, ventrally fused gonocoxitesplace A. doncollessi sp. n., within the ocypteraeformis species-group.

Keys to couplet 75 in Lyneborg (2001); readily separated from A. ocypteraeformis Lyneborg and A. striatifrons Lyneborg by the pubescence of the frons and infuscate colour of the wing.

The distinctive swelling on the ventral corner of eye is found in the two existing species of the ocypteraeformis species-group i.e., A. ocypteraeformis and A. striatifrons , as well as in A. doncollessi sp. n., and A. lyneborgi sp. n., described in this paper. It is also found in a small subset of other Anabarhynchus species. A similar structure is found in Johnmannia Irwin & Lyneborg ( Lambkin, et al. 2005). Swelling along the ventral corner of the eye occurs in species of the argenteus, atrifemoratus, bigoti, dimidiatus, fasciatus, flavus, kroeberi and maritimus speciesgroups and A. queenslandensis Lyneborg , of the fasciatus species-group.

However, the majority of Anabarhynchus species do not have swelling at the ventral corner of the eye.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Anabarhynchus doncollessi sp. n., holotype male (ANIC _ 29: 028777): lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Anabarhynchus doncollessi sp. n., holotype male, (ANIC _ 29: 028777): oblique view.

FIGURE 4. Anabarhynchus doncollessi sp. n., holotype male terminalia (ANIC _ 29: 028777): A, epandrium, left dorsal view, right ventral view; B, gonocoxite left dorsal view, right ventral view; C, aedeagus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus, lateral view. Scale line = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 1. A, anterior view of frons; frons width (fw) is measured directly in front of the anterior ocellus and compared to the anterior ocellus width (ao); B, lateral view of head showing ‘ antennal base position low on frons’.