New Species of Austrothaumalea Tonnoir from Australia (Diptera: Thaumaleidae)
Author
Sinclair, Bradley J.
text
Records of the Australian Museum
2008
2008-06-25
60
1
1
12
http://dx.doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.60.2008.1490
journal article
10.3853/j.0067-1975.60.2008.1490
2201-4349
4676495
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.