Austrothaumalea concava, Sinclair, 2008

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2008, New Species of Austrothaumalea Tonnoir from Australia (Diptera: Thaumaleidae), Records of the Australian Museum 60 (1), pp. 1-12 : 6

Austrothaumalea concava n.sp.

Figs 4–5

Type material. HOLOTYPE? “AUST: QLD: Bunya /Mtns NP, Paradise /Falls, 8.x.2002 / B.J. Sinclair ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Austrothaumalea /concava /Sinclair” ( AMS) . PARATYPES: New South Wales: 1?, Dorrigo NP , Wonga Walk, 700 m, Crystal Shower Falls , 2.iv.1995, B.J. Sinclair ( AMS) . Queensland: 18 ??, 8 !!, same data as holotype ( AMS, ANIC, CNC, ZFMK) .

Recognition. This species is distinguished by the concave inner margin of the gonocoxites, folded apical margin of the epandrium and short forked apex of the gonocoxal plate.

Description. Wing length 2.2 mm. Coloration: Head dull, dark brown. Thorax yellowish-brown, somewhat shiny; legs pale yellow, becoming darker on apical tarsal segments; halter knob brown; abdomen dull greyish-brown, including pleural membrane; terminalia pale brown. Wing evenly infuscate; R+R 1 +R 1+2 with macrotrichia along entire length, remaining veins bare; R 2 situated towards apex of R 1; bend in R 3 gentle; R 3 and R 4+5 divergent toward wing margin; CuA lacking basal appendage. Male abdominal sternite 1 comprising narrow band with broad-shaped posterior notch; sternite 2 reduced to slender, median sclerite, with broad, W-shaped, posterior apex; sternites 3–5 rectangular, sparsely setose; sternite 6 semicircular, anterior margin irregular; sternite 7 reduced to narrow, rectangular sclerite; sternite 8 membranous. Male terminalia ( Figs 4–5 ): Epandrium broadly triangular from ventral aspect; posterior margin round, folded internally for third of length; lacking pointed posterolateral processes. Hypandrium broad, with shallow median notch; nearly one-half width of base of gonocoxite. Gonocoxite long, inner margin concave opposite gonocoxal plate; strongly tapered on apical fourth. Gonostylus long, gradually arched, tapering to blunt tip; apical half lacking setulae. Parameres fused to form long straight tube; apex strongly bent, bearing long setulae; extending beyond gonocoxites. Gonocoxal plate broad, with darkly sclerotized lateral margins, making it appear somewhat Y-shaped, secondarily fused to ventral surface of hypandrium; posterolateral corners produced into single pointed, curved process, surrounding paramere.

Distribution. This species is likely widespread throughout northern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland. This region of Australia is poorly collected for thaumaleids, which can often only be collected by hand. They are not attracted to colour pan traps and are extremely rare in flight intercept traps.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin concavus (hollowed or arched inward), referring to the distinctly concave inner margin of the gonocoxal lobes.

Remarks. This species somewhat resembles A. tonnoiri on the basis of the narrow infolded apex of the epandrium.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Male terminalia of Austrothaumalea: (1) A. bicornis, lateral view; (2) A. bicornis, ventral view; (3) A. bifida, ventral view (holotype), tip of paramere from paratype; (4) A. concava, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: epand, epandrium; gcx, gonocoxite; gcx pl, gonocoxal plate; gst, gonostylus; hypd, hypandrium; pm, paramere.

Figs 5–8. Male terminalia of Austrothaumalea: (5) A.concava, lateral view;(6) A. queenslandensis, ventral view; (7) A. ramosa, lateral view; (8) A. ramosa,