The Surge Flies (Diptera: Canacidae: Zaleinae) of Australasia and Notes on Tethinid-Canacid Morphology and Relationships
Author
McAlpine, D. K.
text
Records of the Australian Museum
2007
59
1
27
64
journal article
2201-4349
3DBB805B-507D-40B2-BE98-2A7ADE8E6772
Zalea ohauorae
n.sp.
Figs 56, 57
Material examined
.
HOLOTYPE
?,
New Zealand
:
Ohauora
(or Rocky Point),
White Island
,
North Island
vicinity,
6.xii.1966
, K.A.W. (
AMNZ
). “Swept shore landing”. Drymounted on subtriangular card, genitalia in microvial.
Other material
. 1!, same data as holotype (
AMNZ
)
.
Description
(based on?, except where indicated). Very similar to
Z. johnsi
, agreeing with description of that species, except where indicated.
Coloration
. Anterior part of postfrons tending to yellowish brown, but not on a defined zone. Palpus tawny.
Head
(slightly collapsed in
holotype
) probably essentially similar to that of
Z. lithax
; vibrissa longer than
Z. lithax
and
Z. johnsi
(see comments below); postvertical bristles probably convergent (displaced in
holotype
, strongly convergent in associated female).
Figs 56, 57. (
56
)
Zalea ohauorae
, right surstyli, anterior view, scale = 0.1 mm. (
57
) the same, left posterior surstylus, approximate outline, outer surface view, not to scale.
Thorax
. Wing: cell-4 index = 0.55 (
0.53 in
associated female).
Abdomen
. Epandrium with pair of distinct bristles near anterior margin; anterior surstylus slender, rod-like, its apex rounded, slightly expanded, compressed, and curved posteriorly, with some moderately large setulae on inner surface, those near base relatively stout, distal ones slender and quite long, with short microtrichia confined to roughened area at apex; posterior surstylus relatively broad basally with posterior gibbosity, distally slender and scarcely compressed, basal part with irregular group of very large setulae, particularly on posterior part of inner surface, distal part with smaller scattered setulae, with microtrichia concentrated near middle of outer surface; cercus small, with few setulae.
Dimensions
. Total length,? c.
1.4 mm
(!
1.6 mm
); length of thorax,?
0.62 mm
(!
0.68 mm
); length of wing,? c.
1.3 mm
(! c.
1.5 mm
); length of vibrissa,?
0.10 mm
(!
0.11 mm
).
Distribution
.
New Zealand
: North Island vicinity. There has been little collecting on White Island, an active volcano, c.
50 km
from the shore of North Island in the
Bay of Plenty
and difficult of access (see
Parham, 1973: 19
, 119). The habitat of
Z. ohauorae
may have been altered recently by ash clouds (K.A.W. in litt.). There is at present no reason to assume that
Z. ohauorae
is endemic to White Island.
Notes
As with other
New Zealand
species having convergent postvertical bristles, this species can only be recognized reliably by male genitalia characters. The
holotype
and one of the
two females
from the same locality have longer vibrissae than most specimens I assign to
Z. lithax
(measurements given above), but this measurement is not consistent in other species.As indicated above, female abdominal characters are useful for separating
Z. johnsi
,
Z. lithax
and
Z. horningi
, but good fresh material with abdominal segments extended has not been available for this and some other species.
The specific epithet refers to the
type
locality and is treated as a Latin noun in the genitive case.