Austrothaumalea uloola, 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 : 9-10

Austrothaumalea uloola n.sp.

Figs 11–12

Type material. HOLOTYPE? “AUST:NSW: Royal /N.P., Uloola Falls / 17.xii.1993, seep behind /falls, B.J. Sinclair ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Austrothaumalea /uloola /Sinclair” ( AMS) . PARATYPES: New South Wales: 1?, 2 !!, same data as holotype ( AMS); 2 ??, 1!, Royal NP , National Falls , 29.xii.1993, B.J. Sinclair ( ANIC); 1?, Royal NP , Uloola Falls , dry sclerophyll, 23.xi.1993, B.J. Sinclair ( CNC) .

Recognition. This species is distinguished by the folded apical margin of the epandrium and short gonocoxal plate with small circular apex.

Description. Wing length 1.8–2.0 mm. Coloration: Head dull, dark brown. Mesonotum and pleura dark brown and somewhat shiny; legs slightly paler than thorax; halter knob dark; abdomen dark brown; terminalia light 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, not sharply defined; R 3 and R 4+5 divergent toward wing margin; CuA with short basal appendage. Male abdominal sternite 1 narrow, spectacle-shaped; sternite 2 reduced to slender, median sclerite, with pair of small, posterolateral sclerites; sternites 3–6 rectangular, sparsely setose; sternite 7 trapezoidal-shaped, with 3 marginal setae; sternite 8 narrow, one-third length of sternite 7. Male terminalia ( Figs 11–12 ): Epandrium broadly triangular from ventral aspect; posterior margin broad, folded internally, apex with pair of small rounded lobes; pointed posterolateral processes present. Hypandrium broad, one-half width of base of gonostylus. Gonocoxite broad, somewhat narrower at apex. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxites, gradually curved, tapered; clothed in setulae. Parameres fused to form short, laterally flattened, broad blade-like process arched lengthwise. Gonocoxal plate with pale central portion; apical half strongly tapered with circle-shaped apex; basally not fused to hypandrium.

Distribution. This species is recorded from Royal National Park, just south of Sydney. Adults were swept from seepages and wet vegetation hanging beneath or behind the falls. These falls are surrounded by dry sclerophyll forest.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Uloola Falls.

Remarks. See under A. theischingeri .

Figures

Figs 9–12. Male terminalia of Austrothaumalea: (9) A. theischingeri, ventral view; (10) A. theischingeri, lateral view; (11) A. uloola, ventral view; (12) A. uloola, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: epand, epandrium; gcx pl, gonocoxal plate; pm, paramere.