Austrothaumalea ramosa, 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 : 8-9

Austrothaumalea ramosa n.sp.

Figs 7–8

Type material. HOLOTYPE? “AUST: NSW: Blue Mtns /N.P., Blackheath, seeps /below Govett’s Leap /Lookout, 1.xii.1993 / B.J.Sinclair ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Austrothaumalea /ramosa /Sinclair” ( AMS) . PARATYPES: New South Wales: 14 ??, same data as holotype ( AMS, ANIC, CNC); 1?, 1 !, same locality as holotype, 18.vii.1994 ( CNC) ; 8 ??, 3 !!, same locality as holotype, 17.x.2002 ( CNC, ZFMK); 3 ??,1!, Blue Mtns NP, Grand Canyon , 25.xii.1993, B.J. Sinclair ( AMS) ; 1?, Royal NP, roadcut seeps nr National Falls , 29.xii.1993, B.J. Sinclair ( AMS) ; 2 ??, Wentworth Falls, Jamison Ck /seeps, 10.xi.1993, B.J. Sinclair ( AMS) ; 2 ??, Wentworth Falls, Valley of the Waters , 3.i., 23.x.1994, B.J. Sinclair ( AMS) .

Recognition. This is a relatively large species with dark brown gonostyli, distinguished from all other described Australian species of Austrothaumalea by the pointed antlerlike processes on the posterior corners of the gonocoxal plate.

Description. Wing length 2.6–3.0 mm. Coloration: Head dull, dark brown. Mesonotum dark brown and shiny, pleura brown, especially ventrally; coxae and femora pale brown, becoming darker on apical leg segments; halter knob dark; abdomen dull greyish-brown, including pleural membrane; terminalia shiny brown, becoming darker towards apex of epandrium and gonocoxites, gonostyli dark brown. Wing evenly darkly 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, not strongly defined; 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 broadly triangular, anterior margin darkly pigmented; sternite 7 reduced to narrow, rectangular sclerite; sternite 8 reduced to pair of small round sclerites positioned ventral to base of gonocoxal plate. Male terminalia ( Figs 7–8 ): Epandrium broadly triangular from ventral aspect; posterior margin with pair of small, round lobes; lacking pointed posterolateral processes. Hypandrium broad, nearly subequal to width of base of gonocoxites. Gonocoxite long, gradually tapering. Gonostylus long, curved strongly before mid-length; gradually tapering to blunt tip; lacking setulae. Parameres fused to form long tube, slightly arched from lateral aspect; longer than gonocoxites. Gonocoxal plate secondarily fused to ventral surface of hypandrium; posterior corners expanded into 4 pointed antler-like prolongations.

Distribution. This species was collected in Blue Mountains National Park, west of Sydney. Adults were collected in seepages and streams bordered by subtropical rainforest. In addition, a single specimen was collected in Royal National Park, south of Sydney; unfortunately the habitat was severely burned during the bush fires of 1994.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin ramosus (branchy), in reference to the multi-branched or antler-like gonocoxal plate.

Figures

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,