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 theischingeri
n.sp.
Figs 9–10
Type material
.
HOLOTYPE
?
“[AUST]: Blue Mtns. /
NP
, Blackheath, Govetts /Leap, seeps along track /
12.xii.1998
/
B.J. Sinclair
”; “
HOLOTYPE
/
Austrothaumalea
/theischingeri /Sinclair” (
AMS
).
Recognition
. This species is similar to
A. uloola
, distinguishable by the form of the gonocoxal plate.
Description
.
Wing length
1.8 mm.
Coloration
: Head dull, dark brown. Mesonotum and pleura brown and somewhat shiny; legs paler than thorax; halter knob concolorous with legs; abdomen dark brown.
Wing
evenly 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
well defined; R
3
and R
4+5
divergent toward wing margin; CuA with short basal appendage.
Male abdominal sternite
1 narrow, spectacle-shaped; sternite 2 reduced to slender, median sclerite, with pair of small, posterolateral sclerites; sternites 3–6 rectangular, sparsely setose; sternite 7 trapezoidal-shaped, with several marginal setae; sternite 8 narrow, one-third length of sternite 7.
Male terminalia
(
Figs 9–10
): Epandrium broadly triangular from ventral aspect; posterior margin broad, folded internally, apex with pair of small rounded lobes; sharply pointed posterolateral processes present. Hypandrium broad, one-half width of base of gonostylus. Gonocoxite broad, somewhat narrower at apex. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxites, gradually curved, tapered; clothed in setulae; apex partially flattened. Parameres fused to form short, laterally flattened, broad blade-like process arched lengthwise. Gonocoxal plate broad basally; median portion darkly pigmented as pair of ridges leading to 2 pairs of divergent digitiform processes; basally not fused to hypandrium.
Distribution
. This species is known only from the
holotype
, the type locality of which is a densely wet, vast seepage area where at least seven species of thaumaleids are recorded.
Etymology
. The specific name honours Günther Theischinger, who made the first careful study and revision of Australian thaumaleids.
Remarks
. On the basis of the posterolateral epandrial processes, apex of epandrium and shape of the paramere, this species is most closely related to
A. uloola
.