<Unknown Taxon>

Colless, Donald H., 2012, The Froggattimyia-Anagonia Genus Group (Diptera: Tachinidae), Records of the Australian Museum 64 (3), pp. 167-211 : 192

Anagonia propinqua sp. nov.

Figs 35, 36

Types. Holotype male in the ANIC no. 29-029366, Black Mtn, ACT, light trap, 29 Dec. 1964, IFBC; terminalia in tube 109. Paratypes (all males): 3 specimens as for holotype but 27 Dec. 1962, 18 Jan. 1965, 25 Jan. 1966, T.t. 125, 107, 167, respectively; 35°30'S 150°24'E, Bawley Point, NSW, 18 Nov. 98, D. C. F. Rentz, T.t. 2158.— Victoria: 6 mi NW of Wedderburn, 13 Mar. 1966, MSU & J. A. Grant, T.t. 85; 26 mi NNE Orbost, 1300 feet, 6 Nov. 1969, IFBC, T.t. 405.— South Australia: Farina, 48 km NW of Leigh Creek, 17 Sep. 1978, MSU and R. Barrett, T.t. 2237.— Western Australia: 40 mi S of Balladonia, 21 Mar. 1968, IFBC & MSU, T.t. 337; Cunerdin, 9 Sep. 1986, G Hall, ex Paropsis larvae, T.t. 2027 (with puparium); Ludlow, 3 Dec. 1985, G. Tribe, ex larvae of Trachymela tincticollis, T.t. 2152; 1 km NNE of Millstream HS, 21°35'S 117°04'E, 16 Apr. 1971, MSU & Mitchell, T.t. 423.— Queensland: 2 spec., 7 mi SW of Mt Garnet, 20 Apr. 1969, IFBC & MSU, T.t. 376 and 2221 resp.; Darr River, 31 km NNW Longreach, 7 Apr. 1976, DHC, T.t. 2116; 15°29'S 145°16'E, Mt Cook NP, 10 May 1981, DHC (at light), T.t. 2242; 38 km S of Cunnamulla, 28 Apr. 1976, DHC (at light), T.t. 2140.— Northern Territory: 2 spec., Ongeva Ck, 99 km NE of Alice Springs, DHC, 13 Oct. 1978, T.t. 2200, 2216; Koongarra, 15 km E of Mt. Cahill, 6–9 Mar. 1973, DHC, T.t. 2392; Standley Chasm, 43 km SW of Alice Springs, 11 Oct. 1962, MSU, T.t. 2126.

Other specimens examined: 60 males from above localities and: ACT (Blundells, Mt Ainslie, Bulls Head), NSW (Mt Kosciusko, Urunga, Coffs Harbour, Wilcannia), Vic. (Hoppers Crossing), Qld (Cooktown vicinity, Kuranda, Townsville, Biggenden, Daintree, Yeppoon, Charleville), WA (Geraldton, Collie, Dryandra, Yanchep, Pingrup, Broome), NT (Victoria River Downs, Mt Solitaire, Alice Springs vicinity, Entire Creek).

Exceedingly similar to A. scutellata, differing as follows:

Male. Thorax almost always with 3 presutural dorsocentral bristles on each side. Intrapostalar often not at all differentiated.

Abdomen. Tergite 3 with pair of submedian marginal bristles usually very finely (or not at all) developed.

Terminalia ( Figs 35, 36 ). Differ principally in the anteroventral lobe of the hypandrium, which is not microtrichiose

but set with fine parallel ridges; also, surstyli rather longer and thinner, and (usually) largely concealed in posterior view, with their apices more obviously turned out and hook-like. Some Western Australian specimens with surstyli very long and curved.

Female. Apparently identical to that of A. scutellata.

Distribution. Widespread on the Australian mainland, including the wet tropics, but not known from Tasmania.

Biology. Reared from a wide variety of chrysomelid larvae, especially paropsines, including Chrysophtharta agricola, C. variicollis, C. flaveola (Chapuis), C. amoena, Paropsis aegrota (Boisduval), P. atomaria, Trachymela tincticollis (Blackburn), Phyllocharis cyanipes (F.), and Chalcomela sp. Surprisingly, I have also seen two separate rearings from the curculionid Bryachus squamicollis Pascoe. I am aware of only one other species reared from both Curculionidae and Chrysomelidae (see A. major, below).

Notes. Despite the close similarity to A. scutellata, I have no doubt that this is a good species. The Western Australian specimens with very long and narrow surstyli are rather distinctive and might represent yet another new species, but the evidence is too equivocal for any action here. The name comes from the Latin for “near”.

Figures

Figs 35, 36. Anagonia propinqua sp. nov., male terminalia, (35) lateral, and (36) posterior views.