A revision of the Australian species of Howickia Richards (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae: Limosininae) Author Kuwahara, Gregory K. 0000-0002-0319-2672 gkuwahar@uoguelph.ca Author Marshall, Stephen A. 0000-0002-5732-9718 samarsha@uoguelph.ca text Zootaxa 2022 2022-10-03 5192 1 1 152 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5192.1.1 journal article 157781 10.11646/zootaxa.5192.1.1 8e2cc009-d580-4904-a0b7-9ed7a9e3ab9e 1175-5326 7138639 236A609B-8A6A-47D7-9BB9-E2FDCA5C37E5 Howickia trivittata (Richards) ( Figs. 3.18 , 21.1–21.9 ) Leptocera ( Biroina ) trivittata Richards, 1973: 340 . Biroina trivittata (Richards) , Marshall, 1989: 602 ; Roháček et al. , 2001: 126 . Howickia trivittata (Richards) , Marshall et al. , 2014 . Description. Body length: Males 1.7–1.9 mm , females 1.7–2.6 mm . Head: Dark brown, paler brown along lateral edges of orbital plates; frontal vitta and area just beside interfrontal plates with golden microtomentose stripes (3 total), microtomentum from frontal vitta extending around ocellar triangle; orbital plates with yellow-brown microtomentose stripes expanded to surround vertical bristles; gena golden; antenna brownish-yellow. Frontal width 1.9x interfrontal height. Two pairs of large interfrontal bristles, preceded by a smaller pair (0.5x length of posterior pairs); 2 lateroclinate orbital bristles, anterior bristle 0.7x length of posterior bristle. Gena with strong upcurved bristle and 3–4 smaller setae, finely and densely striate, shiny, lower half microtrichose; vibrissal angle with 2 subvibrissal setae. Face with a small flattened triangle along ventromedial margin; palpus clavate with 1 large apical and 1 larger preapical seta. Eye height 2.8x genal height. Thorax: Dark brown; scutum shiny despite microtrichia, posterolateral edge lighter and with pale spot on posterior notopleural lobe; katepisternum with lighter posterior spot, anepimeron with lighter ventral spot. Two pairs of dorsocentral bristles (anterior pair 0.6x length of posterior pair); 7–8 rows of long, fine acrostichal setulae. Prosternum broadened, triangular. Scutellum microtrichose, semicircular, its length 0.7x its width; 4 scutellar bristles long, apical pair 1.5x length of basal pair. Legs: Brown, tibiae proximally and distally pale brown; tarsi yellow-brown. Male mid tibia with a large apicoventral bristle and 2 rows of stout ventral setae, mid femur with 2 corresponding rows of strong proximoventral setae. Basal half of mid tibia with 4 dorsal bristles (2 anterodorsal and 2 posterodorsal), distal half with 3 dorsal bristles (2 anterodorsal and 1 posterodorsal). Wing/halter: Moderately infuscate. CS2 0.3x length of CS3. R 2+3 sinuate, curving strongly towards costa at base then continuing parallel to costa to above crossvein i-m , distal curve meeting costa at an angle of 30˚; R 4+5 rather strongly upcurved, meeting costa well before wing tip; costa extending slightly past R 4+5 (2x costal width). Halter pale; knob brown and apically pale; stem pale brown. Male abdomen : Dark brown with reddish synsternite 6+7 and S8, heavily sclerotized and microtrichose. T2–5 and S2–4 uniformly long-setose in posterior half with large posterolateral setae. S5 broad (width 2.5x length), microtrichose, especially so medially, largely desclerotized posteromedially with many small lateral setulae and 6 stout setae above a row of 14 short, flat teeth flanked by large patches of dense setulae. Epandrium small, wedgeshaped, and sparsely long-setose; cercus large, bulging and out-curved posteriorly with few long setae and dense setulae along flange. Hypandrium medially upcurved and flattened apically with a small apicoventral hook; ventral lobe largely membranous; posterodorsal lobe sinuate at base, straight posteriorly and originating from the posterior edge of the medial part. Surstylus bilobed: anterior lobe small, subrectangular with a single apical seta; posterior lobe large, curved, triangular with a small rounded inner tab posteriorly, 1 very large apical thorn-like seta, several large apical setae and 1 large seta along anteroventral margin. Postgonite elongate, slightly constricted about proximal third, apically tapered, apex rounded into a slight club. Phallapodeme gently sinuate, apex curved downwards into a slight hook with small dorsal fin along anterior third; basiphallus short, triangular with a slight dorsoapical lobe. Distiphallus simple, tubular, tapered apically with 2 triangular, highly membranous apicolateral flaps. Female abdomen: Dark brown, heavily sclerotized, shiny despite microtrichia. T2–5 uniformly long-setose in posterior two-thirds with large posterolateral setae, S2–5 uniformly long-setose along entire surface with large posterolateral setae. Preabdomen subequal in length to head + thorax. Postabdomen elongate, stout, 1.8x length of T5. T6 and T7 reduced to stout, lateral L-shaped plates, each bearing 3 apical setae. Epiproct rounded with a small posteromedial emargination, anteromedially desclerotized and bearing a dorsomedial pair of setae. Cercus subtriangular with 3 long sinuate setae (2 apical and 1 dorsal) and several smaller setulae. S6 a broad plate bearing a posterior row of 8 setulae; S7 reduced to a bell-shaped plate, anteriorly bare and shining, posteriorly microtrichose and bearing a row of 8 setae. S8 reduced to a stout subtriangular plate, its anterior half bare, its posterior half microtrichose and bearing a row of 4 setae. Hypoproct broadly emarginated anteromedially, posteriorly microtrichose with a row of setae. Spermathecae stout, somewhat compressed at midpoint of each side resulting in a slight Xshape, entirely lightly grooved; stem elongate (2.0x length of spermatheca) and cylindrical. FIGURES 21.1–21.5. Howickia trivittata (Richards) . 21.1, male habitus, lateral; 21.2, male head, anterolateral; 21.3, male S5–8, ventral; 21.4, male terminalia, lateral; 21.5, aedeagus and associated structures, lateral. Scale bars indicate 0.5 mm. FIGURES 21.6–21.9. Howickia trivittata (Richards) . 21.6, left wing; 21.7, female terminalia, dorsal; 21.8, female terminalia, ventral; 21.9, spermathecae. Female cerci were excluded from ventral illustration. vScale bar indicates 0.5 mm. Type material. Holotype : AUSTRALIA : New South Wales : Otford , 34˚12’29”S 151˚00’10”E, 3.iii.1962 , D.K. McAlpine , K.70463 ( ♂ , AMSA ) . Holotype photos provided by Natalie Tees, AMSA . Paratypes : New South Wales : Blue Mountains , below Govett’s Leap , 7.xii.1956 , D.K. McAlpine (headless) ( 1 ♀ ); Blue Mountains , Springwood , 30.i.1956 , D.K. McAlpine ( 1 ♀ ); Katoomba , 27.ix.1959 , G.H. Hardy ( 1 ♀ ) ; Queensland : Lamington National Park , Binna Burra , 31.i.1961 , D.K. McAlpine (headless) ( 1 ♂ , AMSA ). All paratypes in AMSA except one female in BMNH . Material examined: AUSTRALIA : New South Wales : Crescent Head , Delicate Knobby , ForRest Cottage , 31˚15’53”S 152˚57’43”E, lower forest, dung, 25.iii.2019 , S.A. Marshall ( 6 ♂ , DEBU ) ; Crescent Head , Delicate Knobby , ForRest Cottage , 31˚15’53”S 152˚57’43”E, upper forest, dung, 25.iii.2019 , S.A. Marshall ( 2 ♂ , DEBU ) ; Limpinwood Gardens , 28˚18’23”S 153˚12’22”E, 1.iv.2019 , S.A. Marshall ( 3 ♂ , DEBU ) ; lower Gibraltar Range , 29˚31’S 152˚22’E, 800 m , rainforest, pitfall trap , 23.ix.1999 , J. Holt ( 13 ♂ , 11 ♀ , DEBU ) ; Quorrobolong , Cessnock Farm study site, 32˚55’38”S 151˚23’35”E, ex. large carrion, 10.i.2010 , S.A. Marshall ( 1 ♂ , DEBU ) ; Quorrobolong , Cessnock Farm study site, Heaton Road , 32˚55’38”S 151˚23’35”E, ex. large carrion, 11–14.i.2010 , S.A. Marshall ( 1 ♂ , DEBU ) ; Quorrobolong , Cessnock Farm study site, Heaton Road , 32˚55’38”S 151˚23’35”E, small carrion, 11–14.i.2010 , S.A. Marshall ( 2 ♀ , DEBU ) ; Sydney , Royal National Park , rainforest, carrion trap , 5–14.vi.1978 , S. & J. Peck ( 6 ♂ , 4 ♀ , DEBU ) ; Ulong , Ashton’s Eco Retreat , 30˚13’47”S 152˚55’12”E, dung, 22.iii.2019 , S.A. Marshall ( 3 ♂ , 3 ♀ , DEBU ) ; Queensland : Brisbane Forest Park, Scrub Creek Road, 27˚25’41”S 152˚50’15”E, yellow pans, 29.ix.2002 , C.R. Nelson ( 2 ♀ , DEBU ) ; Kjellberg Road , Malaan National Park (formerly Dirran State Forest ) boundary, 17˚32’S 145˚35’E, 920 m , rainforest, fungus pitfall , 6–9.ii.1999 , Monteith & Cook ( 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ , QMBA ) ; Longlands Gap , three-ways road junction, 17˚28’S 145˚29’E, 1060 m , wet sclerophyll, fungus pitfall , 3– 6.ii.1999 , Monteith & Cook ( 3 ♂ , QMBA ) ; Longlands Gap , three-ways road junction, 17˚28’S 145˚29’E, 1060 m , wet sclerophyll, rotten bait, 3–6.ii.1999 , Monteith & Cook ( 4 ♀ , QMBA ) ; Ravenshoe , 3 km SE, 17˚38’S 145˚30’E, 960 m , open forest, fungus trap , 15–18.iv.1999 , G.B. & S.R. Monteith ( 1 ♂ , QMBA ) . Comments. Howickia trivittata is externally similar to H. subsinuata , from which it differs by its smaller body size ( 1.7–2.6 mm vs. 2.3–3.7 mm ), very short CS2 and very short R 2+3 . Male terminalia of H. trivittata are similar to H. vernalis (Richards) , with enlarged cerci and similar S5 morphology, but these species are dissimilar externally. Howickia trivittata and H. vernalis are known from some of the same localities in NSW and QLD.