Froggattimyia vicina, Colless, 2012

Colless, Donald H., 2012, The Froggattimyia-Anagonia Genus Group (Diptera: Tachinidae), Records of the Australian Museum 64 (3), pp. 167-211 : 177-178

Froggattimyia vicina sp. nov.

Figs 8–12

Types. Holotype male in ANIC no. 29-029374; Bendora, ACT, 5 Feb. 1952, Z. Liepa. Terminalia in tube 267. Paratypes (all males).— Australian Capital Territory: Black Mtn, light trap (3 specs.), 19 Dec. 1961, IFBC, T.t. 269; 31 Dec. 1965, IFBC, T.t., 249; 9 Apr. 1969, IFBC, T.t. 411; 3 mi N of Mt. Coree, 3000 ft., 13 Mar. 1967, IFBC.— New South Wales: Tubrabucca Ck, Barrington Tops, 4200 ft., 8 Jan. 1956, IFBC, T.t. 271; 4 specs., all NSW, bulked from different sites, ex culture (3, 9, 16, 16), 14 Apr. 1959, T.t. (4, 5, 12, 312), ex Perga affinis affinis (Hym.); Tooloom, 30 Oct. 1961, IFBC, T.t. 278; Springwood, coll. 2–4 Apr. 1983, K. Whitfield, ex pergid larva, T.t. 2041 (NSWDA); Ingold’s Knob, Kioloa State Fst., 10 Jan. 1986, site 5, KRN, T.t. 2062.— Victoria: Warrandyte, 1 Dec. 1925, G. F. Hill, T.t. 268; Ferntree Gully, 22 Jun. 1932, b., A. N. Burns (MV); bred from larvae, 28 Mar. 1958, No. 570. Clunes, M. F. Leask, BMNH, T.t. 311; the same but T.t. 282; the same but 4 Apr. 1958, no. 485, T.t. 280.— Tasmania(?): parasite from sawfly larvae, K. Is. Nov. 1949, A.N.B. (MV); the same but from sawfly pupae, T.t. 2104.— Queensland: Mt. Crosby, 12 Nov. 1964, G. B. Monteith, T.t. 410; Millstream Falls, W of Ravenshoe, 25 Jun. 1971, E. F. Riek.

Male. Very similar to F. fergusoni; male with upper reclinate upper orbital bristles strongly differentiated and parafacial often (but not always) setulose on upper halves only. Parafacial usually somewhat broader, Ivb/Vb-E 0.6–0.7, mean 0.7. Terminalia (Figs 8–12, distinctive: syntergosternite 6–8 relatively long, with gently sloping posterior margin, cerci relatively long and narrow, their apices almost always surpassing those of the surstyli; surstyli more or less straight with rounded apices.

Females. Identifications probable only.

The terminalia separate this species from all others in the group. Females, probably conspecific, are mostly distinctive in having the parafacial setulae clearly confined to the dorsal half of the sclerite.

Distribution. Qld, NSW, ACT, Vic. and SA or Tas. (see below); mainly from higher altitudes.

Biology. Differs from others in the group in that many (10/23) specimens were captured as adults; others were reared from Perga affinis, Pseudoperga sp., and perhaps Pergagrapta sp. The difference is rather striking and presumably statistically significant; but its cause is quite obscure.

Notes. One male, from Stanthorpe, Queensland, has an unusually dark abdomen, with only small, faint pale areas laterally on tergite 3; also, the parafacial setulosity extends well on to the ventral half. The terminalia, however, are typical. Also, one specimen labelled “K. Is.” (presumably Kangaroo I., South Australia, or King I., Tasmania; collected by A. N. Burns of Museum Victoria, so probably the latter) has the cerci relatively narrow, but slightly shorter than the surstyli. However, the reduced setulosity of the parafacial places it in vicina. The specific epithet refers to the close similarity of the species to several others.