Wasp-mimicking soldier flies of the Australian Region: revision of Ampsalis Walker, Elissoma White and Lagenosoma Brauer (Stratiomyidae: Clitellariinae)
Author
Winterton, Shaun L.
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-02-24
5246
1
1
63
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-22-0755-PDN
journal article
56506
10.11646/zootaxa.5246.1.1
18dd960f-0b84-4056-a916-b7438813f724
1175-5326
7673215
BDE8C45B-4F03-403D-8D57-4EFC1584BFE8
Lagenosoma dimorphum
sp. n.
(
Figs 6
;
15A–D
;
20
;
21B
;
24B
;
26G–J
;
29G, H
;
33C, D
;
37
)
Zoobank
.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:
F2C9C899-5872-4648-80B1-6BA7BAFF56AF
Diagnosis
. Antennae relatively elongate, flagellomere VIII plumose distally, flagellomeres IV–VII all short and approximately equal in length; male face bulbous yellow with erect black setae; female scutellum orange with black suffusion laterally; scutum orange (female) or black (male); male abdomen narrow, petiolate; male occiput entirely yellow.
Description
. Body length = 8.0–9.0 mm.
Head
. Yellow, female varies from yellow with pair of black markings on frons (
Fig. 26H, J
) to entirely black (
Fig. 26I
); frons rounded; face broadly rounded and bulbous, yellow with pair of black markings below antennae, some erect, black setae, shorter in female; parafacial yellow (or black); ocellar tubercle black; postocular ridge highly carinate in female, not carinate in male; occiput flat, yellow, covered with black setal pile; antenna (length = 3.0 mm) with scape and pedicel dark yellow, flagellomeres I–III dark brown with dark microtrichia, flagellomeres IV–VIII black, flagellomeres V–VII relatively short and combined length equal to length of flagellomere III, ratio of length of flagellomere VII to VIII is 1: 16.5, flagellomere VIII elongate and plumose with microtrichia.
Thorax
. Black (male) or dark yellow to reddish-brown (female; red when alive), posterior portion of thorax black (katatergite, metanepisternum, metepimeron and mesopostnotum) in female suffused with black; scutum with erect, short, yellow, setal pile in male, short black setae in female; anepisternum whitish along dorsal margin (more distinct in female); scutellum black (male) orange with black suffusion laterally (female); male coxae black, fore and midcoxae yellow, hind coxa black; male legs black to brown, foretibia yellow distally, hind basitarsus dark yellow basally; female leg colour highly variable, frequently fore and mid legs either entirely yellow, hind leg usually entirely black or yellow; hind tibia and tarsus longer and thicker than other legs; haltere yellow to white; wing dark smoky infuscate, venation dark; pterostigma dark.
Abdomen
. Male abdomen narrow, petiolate basally, segment 1 equal to width of scutellum with segment 5 widest and equal to width of scutum, black with yellow posterolaterally on tergites 1–5; segment 1 with lateral flange well developed; female abdomen wider, variable white with black markings, black paired markings on tergites 1–2, tergite 3–4 black with white posteromedial spot and along lateral margin, remaining segments entirely black.
Male genitalia
. Epandrium short; gonocoxites similar to
L. danielsorum
sp. n.
, rounded with angular posterolateral processes; gonostylus bilobed and well developed; phallus relatively elongate with medial lobe only slightly longer than lateral lobes. Female genitalia not dissected.
Etymology
. The species epithet is derived from the Greek
di
—two, and
morpho
—form, shape, referring to the highly distinctive sexual dimorphism in this species.
Comments
. This species is very similar to
L. danielsorum
sp. n.
, as discussed above. The females of both species are remarkable wasp mimics of the hymenopteran family
Braconidae
occurring in the region (e.g.,
Campyloneurus
Szepligeti
,
Callibracon
Ashmead
). The female of
L. dimorphum
sp. n.
varies in the colour of the head, ranging from entirely black through partly suffused with black, to entirely bright yellow (red in life) with black markings on the frons and face. Other morphological features are relatively uniform.
Type material—
Holotype
female,
AUSTRALIA
:
Queensland
:
16 km
N of
Boonah
[
-27.8599
,
152.7328
],
17.IX.1994
,
C.J. Burwell
(
QM
).
FIGURE 15.
A.
Lagenosoma dimorphum
sp. n.
, male, lateral view; B.
Lagenosoma dimorphum
sp. n.
, male, oblique view; C.
Lagenosoma dimorphum
sp. n.
, female (light form), oblique view; D.
Lagenosoma dimorphum
sp. n.
, female (darker form), oblique view; E.
Lagenosoma dispar
Brauer
, male, lateral view; F.
Lagenosoma dispar
Brauer
, male, oblique view; G.
Lagenosoma dispar
Brauer
, female, lateral view; H.
Lagenosoma dispar
Brauer
, female, anterolateral view.
Paratypes
.
AUSTRALIA
:
Queensland
:
2 males
,
10 females
,
Oakwells
site 7, [
-25.8067
,
148.2717
],
1.X.2005
, C.
Eddie
,
580 m
, ex. stock trough, partly cleared gully, brigalow vine scrub (
QM
)
;
2 females
,
16 km
N of Boonah
[
-27.8599
,
152.7328
],
2 IX.1987
,
6–7.IX.1997
, C.J.
Burwell
(
QM
)
;
1 female
,
Ipswich
[
-27.6221
,
152.7555
],
24.IX.1984
, M.
Kewley
(
QM
)
.
New South Wales
:
1 female
,
South West Rocks
[
-30.8843
,
153.0344
],
10.IX.1987
,
N.W. Rodd
(
AM
)
;
2 females
,
Wambelong Ck
,
Warrumbungle
N.P. [
-31.3231
,
149.0271
],
Malaise trap
across creek bed,
21.I–9.II.2009
, S.L.
Winterton
(
CSCA
)
;
1 female
,
Gunnedah
[
-31.0143
,
150.2430
],
4.IX.1962
, C.W.
Frazier
(
ANIC
)
.