THE AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

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Cover: A basking male of Rhyothemis princeps princeps Kirby 1894 (Odonata:

Libellulidae) at Eubenangee Swamp, North Queensland. This subspecies occurs in

tropical Queensland from Rockhampton north to Iron Range and Weipa and is also

known from southern New Guinea. It is very common at most standing waters in the

Queensland Wet Tropics where it occurs together with its congeners Rhyothemis

graphiptera Rambur, 1842 and the rarer Rhyothemis resplendens Selys, 1878.

Another race with much more extensive hyaline areas occurs in north and east New

Guinea. Pen and ink drawing by Dr Albert Orr whose illustrated books on

dragonflies and butterflies have won awards in Australia and overseas. He lived at

Bramston Beach 1999-2004 and nearby Eubenangee Swamp was a favourite hunting

ground.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3): 129-134 129

FLOWER FLIES (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE) OF CHRISTMAS

ISLAND, INDIAN OCEAN

F.C. THOMPSON

Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-

7012, USA

Abstract

The flower flies (hover flies) of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) are reviewed. Seven species are

recorded, more than double those previously reported from the island, viz: Asarkina incisuralis

(Macquart, 1855), Dideopsis aegrota (Fabricius, 1805), Episyrphus viridaureus (Wiedemann,

1824), Ischiodon scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805), Eumerus figurans Walker, 1859, Eristalinus

arvorum (Fabricius, 1787) and Syritta maritima Hull, 1944. The holotype of the endemic S.

maritima is illustrated.

Introduction

Christmas Island is an Australian Territory about 338 km (210 miles) due

south of Jakarta on the Indonesian island of Java. Unlike most other

Australian territories, it falls within the Oriental biotic region. The island is

only some 135 square kilometres (52 square miles) in extent and about two-

thirds are preserved as a National Park. Little has been published on the

entomological fauna of the island and what has been published contains little

about the flower flies, also known as hover flies.

Lister (1889) provided the first monograph on the island with a description of

the fauna and flora. Kirby (1889) described two new species of flies (Asilidae

and Calliphoridae) from this collection, but did not mention any other flies.

Andrews (1900) provided an expanded monograph of the island, but the

Diptera were not treated in detail and only one (unnamed) species was

indicated for Syrphidae.

Tweedie (1933) reported on some insects from the island and for Syrphidae

listed a Xylota Meigen species and two Syrphus Fabricius species [this report

was part of Chasen’s (1933) overview of the fauna]. In The Natural History

Museum (BMNH), London, there is material of three species, some of which

is apparently the earlier material reported by Tweedie and the rest collected

by a ‘Dr C. A. Gibson-Hill’ in 1939-40. Campbell (1964) provided an

unpublished report on his entomological survey and listed three syrphids, an

Eristalis Latreille species and two other unnamed species. His material is

now in the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC), Canberra and is

reported below. The Oriental Diptera catalogue under Syrphidae (Knutson et

al. 1975) listed only one species from Christmas Island (Syritta maritima

Hull: Figs 1-2). Josephine Cardale collected on the island in April 1989 and

her material is also in ANIC. Finally, a survey of pest insects of Christmas

and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands was published by Bellis et al. (2004) but no

flower flies were listed. Only one endemic flower fly species, Syritta

maritima, is known, but it has not been recovered in recent surveys.

130 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

In summary, only three publications mention Syrphidae and at the most only

three species but, except for:the new species (Syritta maritima), these were

not named. Below, I summarise information on the seven species now in

ANIC and BMNH. Inquiries were made but no material was found in the

Australian Museum, Sydney (AMS) or Raffles Museum, Singapore (RMS).

Figs 1-2. Syritta maritima Hull, holotype female: (1) dorsal habitus; (2) lateral

habitus. Photographs © Natural History Museum, London.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 131

Checklist

Asarkina incisuralis (Macquart, 1855

orginally described from Java, is the proRe

of the genus Asarkina Macquart (is4Ng7

confused, as in the Australian and Oriental Region the species Tas Ren called

salviae Fabricius (1787: 340, Syrphus, type-locality: Sierra Leone) (see for

example, Curran 1942: 5 and 1947: 4), or ericetorum Fabricius (1781: 425,

Syrphus, type-locality: South Africa, Cape Region [as ‘Africa Aequinoctiali’]

Banks Collection (BMNH)) (Brunetti 1923: 63 (India); Hardy 1933: 15

(Australia)). Fabricius (1805: 250) was the first to recognize that his two

names applied to the same species, but used the junior name as valid!

However, ericetorum as recognized here is restricted to the Afrotropical

Region and differs from incisuralis in having the male frontal triangle or

female frons entirely black pilose, not yellow pilose.

Dideopsis aegrota (Fabricius, 1805: 243, Eristalis). This species, originally

described from India (Tamil Nadu: Tharangambadi), is widespread

throughout the Oriental and Oceanian Regions and is also found in New

Guinea and Australia. The larvae are generalist predators of homopterous

pests, mainly aphids. Cardale collected six specimens in late April (ANIC,

USNM) around South Point and near Greta Beach.

Episyrphus viridaureus (Wiedemann, 1824: 35, Syrphus). This species,

originally described from Java, is widespread in the Oriental Region,

extending eastward to New Caledonia and Australia (see Wright and

Skevington 2013 for latest revision). The larvae are generalist predators of

homopterous pests, mainly aphids. Campbell collected two females from

South Point Settlement in late September (ANIC, USNM).

Ischiodon scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805: 252, Scaeva). This species, also

originally described from India (Tamil Nadu: Tharangambadi), is widespread

throughout the Oriental and Oceanian Regions and also occurs in New

Guinea and Australia. The larvae are generalist predators of homopterous

pests, mainly aphids. Cardale collected four specimens in late April (ANIC,

USNM) around South Point and near Greta Beach. In the Natural History

Museum (BMNH) there is a female from ‘The Cove’ collected on 27 October

1904 and two males collected by C. A. Gibson-Hill in 1939-40.

Subfamily Eristaliinae

Tribe Merodontini

Eumerus figurans Walker (1859: 121). This species, originally described

from A. R. Wallace material collected at Makessar, Sulawesi, is a widespread

132 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

pest of plant tubers and bulbs and is found throughout the Oriental and much

of the Oceanian Regions as well as in Australia, with occasional interceptions

in the USA. Campbell collected three individuals (Drumsite, Cooke’s Garden

Settlement and Waterfall Pumping Station) in late September and early

October (ANIC, USNM). In the Natural History Museum (BMNH) there are

now three females, two apparently from Tweedie [Brit. Mus. 1934-32

accession] and one later collected by C. A. Gibson-Hill in 1939-40.

Tribe Eristaliini

Eristalinus arvorum (Fabricius, 1787: 335, Syrphus). This species, originally

described from China, is a widespread parasynanthropic species ranging from

the Seychelles to Japan and south to Australia. The larvae are rat-tailed

maggots living in wet areas with rotting material on which they filter feed.

Thirty females were collected at South Point by Campbell in late October

(ANIC, USNM) and one female was collected by C. A. Gibson-Hill

(BMNH).

Tribe Milesiini

Syritta maritima Hull, 1944. This species (Figs 1-2), described from three

females collected on 1 April 1933 by Dr Harms, is the only known endemic

Christmas Island flower fly (see Lyneborg and Barkemeyer 2005: 208 for

latest taxonomic treatment). The species is very distinctive as it is much

larger than other Syritta Lepeletier & Serville (1828: 808) species. Some

Syritta species are common parasynanthropic species (such as flaviventris

Macquart and pipiens Linnaeus), but apparently none of these has become

established on Christmas Island. Unfortunately, no additional specimens of S.

maritima have been collected, which suggests the species might be extinct.

Acknowledgements

I thank Dan Bickel (Australian Museum (AMS), Sydney), Nigel Wyatt

(Natural History Museum (BMNH), London) and Chris Manchester, Jacquie

Recsei and David Yeates (Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC),

Canberra) for the loan of material and/or information on which this study was

based. The images of Syritta maritima were provided by the Natural History

Museum, London and, as copyright holder, these images are available only

for scientific and educational use with the proper attribution. I thank Dan

Bickel (see above) and Norman Woodley (Systematic Entomology

Laboratory, USDA, Washington, DC) for reviewing the manuscript and their

corrections and improvements.

References

ANDREWS, C.W. 1900. A monograph of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean): Physical features

and Geology. With descriptions of the flora and fauna. British Museum (Natural History),

London; xiii + 337 pp., 22 pls, 1 map.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 133

BELLIS, G.A., DONALDSON, J.F., CARVER, M., HANCOCK, D.L. and FLETCHER, M.J.

2004. Records of insect pests on Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian

Ocean. Australian Entomologist 31: 93-102.

BRUNETII, E. 1923. Diptera. Vol. III. Pipunculidae, Syrphidae, Conopidae. Oestridae. [iv] +

424 pp., vi pls. In Shipley, A.E. (ed), The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma.

Taylor & Francis, London.

CAMPBELL, T.G. 1964. Entomological survey of Christmas Island, (Indian Ocean), 1964, with

special reference to the insects of medical, veterinary, agricultural and forestry significance.

CSIRO, Canberra; 48 pp. [This is an unpublished internal report; however, as it is listed in

Daniels’ (2004: 183) bibliography and is available from CSIRO library on request, it is here

considered as published].

CHASEN, F.N. 1933. Notes on the fauna of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Bulletin of the

Raffles Musem, Singapore 8: 51-53.

CURRAN, C.H. 1942. Syrphidae from Sarawak and the Malay Peninsula (Diptera). American

Museum Novitates 1216: 8 pp.

CURRAN, C.H. 1947. The Syrphidae of Guadalcanal, with notes on related species. American

Museum Novitates 1364: 17 pp.

DANIELS, G. 2004. Bibliography of Australian Entomology 1687-2000. Privately printed,

Brisbane; viii + 1776 pp. [in 2 vols].

FABRICIUS, J.C. 1787. Mantissa insectorvm sistens species nvper detectas adiectis synonymis,

observarionibvs, descriptionibys, emendationibvs. Vol. 2. C.G. Proft, Hafniae [= Copenhagen];

382 pp.

FABRICIUS, J.C. 1794. Entomologia systematica emendata et aucta. Secundum classes,

ordines, genera, species adjectis synonimis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. Vol. 4. C.G.

Proft, Hafniae [= Copenhagen]; [6] + 472 + [5] pp.

FABRICIUS, J.C. 1805. Systema antliatorum secundum ordines, genera, species adiecta

synonymis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. Reichard, Brunsvigae [= Brunswick]; 373 pp

+30 pp.

HARDY, G.H. 1933. Notes on Australian Syrphinae (Diptera). Proceedings of the Royal Society

of Queensland 45: 11-18.

HULL, F.M. 1944. Some flies of the Family Syrphidae in the British Museum (Natural History).

Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11) 11: 21-61.

KIRBY, W.F. 1889. On the insects (exclusive of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera) of Christmas

Island. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1888: 546-555.

KNUTSON, L.K., THOMPSON, F.C. and VOCKEROTH, J.R. 1975. Family Syrphidae. Pp

307-374, in: Delfinado, M.D. and Hardy, D.E. (eds.), A Catalog of the Diptera of the Oriental

Region, vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu; x + 459 pp.

LEPELETIER, A.L.M. and SERVILLE, J.G.A. [1828]. Xylote, Xylota. Pp 808-809, in:

Entomologie, ou histoire naturelle des crustacés, des arachnides et des insectes. In: Encylopédie

méthodique. Histoire naturelle. Tome dixiéme [concl.]. Agasse, Paris; pp 345-833.

LISTER, J.J. 1889. On the natural history of Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean. Proceedings

of the Zoological Society of London 1888: 312-532.

LYNEBORG, L. and BARKEMEYER, W. 2005 The genus Syritta. A world revision of the

genus Syritta Le Peletier & Serville, 1828 (Diptera: Syrphidae). Entomonograph 15: 224 pp.

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MACQUART, J. 1855. Diptéres exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. 5e supplément. Mémoires

de la Société (Royale) des Sciences, de l'Agriculture et des Arts a Lille (2) 1: 25-156. Also as a

separate volume: Roret, Paris; 136 pp.

TWEEDIE, M.W.F. 1933. Some insects from Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Bulletin of the

Raffles Museum, Singapore 8: 98-100.

WALKER, F. 1859. Catalogue of the dipterous insects collected at Makessar in Celebes, by Mr.

A.R. Wallace, with descriptions of new species [part]. Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean

Society of London, Zoology 4: 97-144.

WIEDEMANN, C.R.W. 1824. Munus Rectoris in Academia Christiana Albertina aditurus

Analecta Entomologica ex Museo Regio Havniensi maxime congesta profert inconibusque

illustrat. Kiliae; 60 pp, 1 pl.

WRIGHT, S.G. and SKEVINGTON, J.H. 2013. Revision of the subgenus Episyrphus

(Episyrphus) Matsumura (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Australia. Zootaxa 3683: 51-54.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3): 135-146 135

THE MESOPSYCHIDAE (MECOPTERA) OF THE QUEENSLAND

TRIASSIC

K.J. LAMBKIN

18 Carey Street, Bardon, Qld 4065

(Email: megapsychops@bigblue.net.au)

Abstract

The Mesopsychidae is an extinct family of Mecoptera now known to possess long siphonate

mouthparts. Two species of mesopsychids are recorded from the Queensland Triassic:

Mesopsyche triareolata Tillyard from the Late Triassic Blackstone Formation at Denmark Hill

and Dinmore and Mesoses gayndah sp. n. from the early Middle Triassic Gayndah Formation at

Gayndah. Mesopsyche triareolata is important as the type species of the type genus of

Mesopsychidae but our knowledge of its venation still relies on Tillyard’s now out-dated original

descriptions and illustrations. Based on a re-examination of all Denmark Hill type and previously

recorded specimens, as well as newly collected material from Dinmore, a full description and

new illustrations of its venation are provided in order to inform any future revision of

Mesopsyche Tillyard, which now includes a diverse assemblage of 10 species from the Permian

and Triassic. Mesoses gayndah sp. n., known only from the holotype forewing, is a much larger

species that is very similar to the South African Late Triassic Mesoses magna Riek. A

preliminary diagnosis (based on the forewing only) of Mesoses Riek notes its similarity to

Mesopsyche, especially in sharing the distally placed, long, backwardly curved base of CuA, but

differentiates it on the absence of costal crossveins, the longer and much more deeply forked Sc,

the posteriorly curved branches of Rs and the more distal forking of MA relative to Rs.

Introduction

In the first of his classic papers on the Mesozoic insects of Queensland,

Tillyard (1917) established the family Mesopsychidae for two species,

Mesopsyche triareolata Tillyard and Triassopsyche dunstani Tillyard, based

on wing fragments from the Triassic Blackstone Formation at Denmark Hill,

southeastern Queensland. As implied by the ‘psyche’ root of the generic

names, Tillyard contended that the species were the oldest Trichoptera. When

he later added two more Denmark Hill wing fragments to the family,

Aristopsyche superba Tillyard and Neuropsyche elongata Tillyard, Tillyard

(1919) revised his opinion and established a new order Paratrichoptera,

noting, however, that the presence of a simple CuA in all four species was ‘of

a type seen in all fossil and recent Mecoptera’ (Tillyard 1919, p. 205). In his

re-examination of the mecopteroid insects from Denmark Hill, Riek (1956)

confirmed the Mesopsychidae as Mecoptera, determined that Tillyard’s four

species were indeed conspecific (as M. triareolata) and correctly identified

the types of M. triareolata and N. elongata as hindwings and those of T.

dunstani and A. superba as forewings.

Since that time, the Mesopsychidae has been considerably augmented with

the addition of 10 genera from the early Permian to early Cretaceous of

Australia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, South Africa, Tajikistan and Ukraine

(Shih et al. 2013). On the basis of wonderfully preserved Chinese

mesopsychid specimens, it is now also known that species of the family had

‘elongate, siphonate (tubular) proboscides and fed on ovular secretions of

136 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

extinct gynmosperms’ (Ren ef al. 2009, p. 840). The cladistic analysis

performed by Ren et al. (2009) proposed that the Mesopsychidae and the

other siphonate mecopteran families, | Aneuretopsychidae and

Pseudopolycentropodidae, form the monophyletic group Aneuretopsychina,

which they considered to be the sister taxon of the remaining Mecoptera.

Bashkuev (201 1a) further augmented the Aneuretopsychina with the addition

of a new family of Permian and Triassic long-proboscid scorpionflies, the

Nedubroviidae. More recently, however, Bashkuev (in litt.) has proposed, on

the grounds of mouthpart morphology and venation, that the

Aneuretopsychina comprise only the Mesopsychidae and Aneuretopsychidae,

whereas the Pseudopolycentropodidae and Nedubroviidae are members of a

separate monophyletic siphonate mouthpart group.

Notwithstanding the substantial increase in knowledge of the diversity and

biology of the Mesopsychidae, the taxonomy of its type genus, Mesopsyche

Tillyard, remains unsatisfactory. As a result of the works of Novokshonov

(1997), Novokshonov and Sukacheva (2001) and Bashkuev (2011b), it now

includes a diverse assemblage of 10 species from the Permian and Triassic

and requires a comprehensive revision (Bashkuev 2011b). Even though

Bashkuev (2011b), at the suggestion of Novokshonov and Sukacheva (2001),

synonymised the South African Mesoses Riek with Mesopsyche, taking into

account the present knowledge of the taxonomy of Mesopsyche, I agree with

Shih et al. (2013) and prefer to retain Riek’s genus as distinct. Its two species

are therefore not included in the 10 mentioned above.

Through the efforts of Andrew Rozefelds of the Queensland Museum and

local fossil collectors Allan Carsburg and Robert Knezour, there are now

three new forewing and three new hindwing specimens of M. triareolata, the

type species of Mesopsyche, all collected from the Blackstone Formation at

Dinmore, southeastern Queensland. One of the hindwings is particularly

impressive, being almost complete and preserving the all-important wing

base. To assist any future revision of Mesopsyche, the purpose of the present

work is to give a full account of the venation of M. triareolata, based on an

examination of all available material, viz. Tillyard’s four Denmark Hill types,

the Denmark Hill hindwing mentioned by Riek (1956) and the six new

specimens from Dinmore. Additionally, the opportunity is taken to record a

second Queensland mesopsychid, a new species from the Middle Triassic

Gayndah Formation, which is of a size and venation very similar to those of

the South African Late Triassic Mesoses magna Riek.

The venational nomenclature follows that of Bashkuev (2011b), although for

the sake of clarity I have named the crossveins quite precisely, i.e. after the

specific longitudinal veins they join. The line drawings were prepared using a

camera lucida attachment on a Motic stereomicroscope. To facilitate

comparison, all specimens are figured as right wings. Abbreviations for

collections are as follows: ACC — Allan Carsburg Collection, Brisbane (to be

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 137

deposited in QM); AM — Australian Museum; GSQ — Geological Survey of

Queensland (all specimens transferred to QM); QM — Queensland Museum;

UQ — University of Queensland (all specimens transferred to QM).

The fossil localities

The Denmark Hill Mesopsyche recorded by Tillyard and Riek were collected

in grey shales of the Late Triassic (Carnian) Blackstone Formation, the

uppermost member of the Ipswich Coal Measures (Purdy and Cranfield

2013). The exposure, which is no longer accessible, was in a small quarry in

what is now the Denmark Hill Conservation Park (-27.622° 152.756°) in the

city of Ipswich. The site was documented in detail by Dunstan (1923).

The Dinmore locality (-27.606° 152.827°), also in the Blackstone Formation,

is a small commercial clay pit in Dinmore, a suburb of Ipswich,

approximately seven kilometres east of Denmark Hill. The site has been well

documented by Rozefelds and Sobbe (1987). The lithology and composition

of the insect fauna are more or less identical to those of Denmark Hill.

The Gayndah species recorded herein was collected in shales of the early

(Anisian) Middle Triassic Gayndah Formation (Purdy 2013) in a road cutting

(-25.615° 151.640°) approximately three kilometres ENE of the town of

Gayndah. Two species of Neuroptera have also been recorded from the same

site (Lambkin 1988, 2014).

Family Mesopsychidae Tillyard

Mesopsyche triareolata Tillyard

(Figs 1-13)

Mesopsyche triareolata Tillyard, 1917: 182, text-fig. 2, plate vii, fig. 1.

Triassopsyche dunstani Tillyard, 1917: 184, text-fig. 3, plate vii, fig. 2.

Aristopsyche superba Tillyard, 1919: 202-203, text-fig. 25.

Neuropsyche elongata Tillyard, 1919: 204-205, text-fig. 26.

Material examined. Holotype of M. triareolata AM F.39233 (‘Pres[ented by]. Mrs

R.J. Tillyard 1940’), Denmark Hill, incomplete right hindwing, part only, length 12.5

mm, width 5.5 mm; holotype of T. dunstani AM F.39228 (‘Pres. Mrs R.J. Tillyard

1940’), Denmark Hill, incomplete right forewing, part only, length 13.5 mm, width 7

mm; holotype of A. superba AM F.39263 (‘Pres. Mrs R.J. Tillyard 1940’), Denmark

Hill, almost complete left forewing, part only, length 21.5 mm, width 8 mm; holotype

of N. elongata AM F.39272 (‘Pres. Mrs R.J. Tillyard 1940’), Denmark Hill,

incomplete left hindwing, part only, length 12 mm, width 5.5 mm; UQ C.2046-2047

(Riek 1956, fig. 1), Denmark Hill, incomplete right hindwing, part and counterpart,

length 18 mm, width 7 mm; QM F.57541, Dinmore, almost complete right forewing,

part and counterpart, length 23 mm, width 7.5 mm; QM F.57542, Dinmore,

incomplete left forewing, part and counterpart, length 13 mm, width 7.5 mm,

collected by R. Knezour; QM F.57543, Dinmore, incomplete left forewing, part only,

length 15 mm, width 9 mm, collected by R. Knezour; ACC I.27, Dinmore, almost

complete left hindwing, part and counterpart, length 19 mm, width 12.5 mm, collected

138 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

by A. Carsburg; QM F.14009, Dinmore, incomplete right hindwing, part and

counterpart, length 21 mm, width 8.5 mm, collected by A. Rozefelds, October 1985;

QM F.14301a,b, Dinmore, incomplete left hindwing, part and counterpart, length 12

mm, width 7 mm, collected by A. Rozefelds, March 1986.

Figs 1-3. Mesopsyche triareolata forewings: (1) AM F.39263, holotype of

Aristopsyche superba, Denmark Hill; (2-3) QM F.57541, Dinmore. hm humeral vein;

pif pterostigmal furrow; ptv pterostigmal veinlet.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 139

Figs 4-6. Mesopsyche triareolata forewings: (4) QM F.57543, Dinmore; (5) QM

F.57542, Dinmore; (6) AM F.39228, holotype of Triassopsyche dunstani, Denmark

Hill. pt pterostigma; ptv pterostigmal veinlet.

Description. Forewing (Figs 1-6). Size and shape apparently somewhat

variable, larger specimens with estimated length 23-25 mm, width c. 8 mm,

apex rounded (Figs 1-4), smaller specimens width c. 7 mm, apex more acute

(Figs 5-6). QM F.57541 with an indication of a colour pattern, the membrane

noticeably darker anteriorly and along several longitudinal veins and

crossveins, for example the base of CuA and cua - cup (Fig. 3). Costal margin

slightly convex. Costal space narrowed apically, with at least 4 crossveins

(including humeral vein) somewhat variable in shape and inclination,

probable humeral vein of QM F.57541 notably inclined (Fig. 2) in contrast to

that of the holotype of A. superba, which is upright and noticeably thickened

over its basal half (Fig. 1); holotype of A. superba with additional (apparently

aberrant) costal crossveins, a curved one originating from base of humeral

140 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

Figs 7-9. Mesopsyche triareolata hindwings: (7-8) ACC 1.27, Dinmore; (9) QM

F.14009, Dinmore. hm humeral vein; ptv pterostigmal veinlet.

vein, a second backwardly inclined one from Sc just proximal to the base of

the second upright crossvein, and possibly a third (preservation not clear)

strongly inclined one at the extreme base of the wing (Fig. 1). Sc terminating

on costal margin at about % wing length, with a short apical fork, well

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 141

Figs 10-13. Mesopsyche triareolata hindwings: (10) UQ C.2046-2047, Denmark Hill;

(11) QM F.14301la, b, Dinmore; (12) AM F.39233, holotype of M. triareolata,

Denmark Hill; (13) AM F.39272, holotype of Neuropsyche elongata, Denmark Hill.

ptf pterostigmal furrow.

beyond the Rs - MA fork. R; convex, quite widely separated from Sc, curved

posteriad at pterostigma, two specimens with very weak and incomplete

single pterostigmal veinlets (Figs 1, 4). Pterostigmal furrow at least indicated

142 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

in most specimens, pterostigma most clearly defined in QM F.57542 as a

slightly darker and more crinkled area of the wing membrane (Fig. 5). Rs -

MA fork quite broad, Rs and MA each with 2 quite long branches, branches

of Rs more or less straight, not curved posteriad, MA fork proximal to that of

Rs. Neither nodal line nor thyridulum or thyridium detected. MP with 4

branches, quite widely spaced compared with those of Rs and MA, MP3+4

fork proximal to that of MPı+2. CuA convex, its base strongly backwardly

inclined and in most specimens notably sigmoidal, forming an obtuse cubito-

medial Y-vein with a long Ms. CuP not noticeably convex or concave. Inter-

cubital space and space between M and Cu quite broad. Anal veins, as far as

preserved, long and parallel, A; convex. Crossveins consistent in position and

number: a short, backwardly inclined apical sc - rı; a forwardly inclined,

slightly sigmoidal r; - rs just beyond the apex of Sc (the kink in this crossvein

in QM F.57542 (Fig. 5) is a preservation artefact); a short r4+s - ma, just

beyond the Rs fork; a straight or curved ma - mpj42; a straight or slightly

curved ma - mp); a straight or slightly curved mp; - mp3; a straight or slightly

curved mp, - cua (in QM F.57543 (Fig. 4) arising at the MP3,4 fork); a

backwardly inclined, curved cua - cup, in some specimens somewhat

paralleling the curvature of the base of CuA; a short, forwardly inclined cu -

a, (but only detected in holotype of A. superba — Fig. 1); a possible basal,

sigmoidal a; - a (uncertain preservation in QM F.57541 — Fig. 2).

Hindwing (Figs 7-13). Size and shape apparently somewhat variable, larger

specimens with estimated length 19-22 mm, width 7.5-9 mm, apex rounded

(Figs 7-11), smaller specimens width c. 6 mm, apex more acute (Figs 12-13).

Costal margin straight. Costal space narrowed apically, with at least 4

crossveins (including humeral vein) slightly variable in shape and inclination,

humeral vein slightly backwardly inclined and noticeably thickened over its

basal half (Fig. 7). Sc simple, terminating on costal margin just beyond %

wing length, running closely parallel to R; for % length, then curved anteriad,

apex forming a Y with sc - rı; Rj convex, curved posteriad at pterostigma,

one specimen with the suggestion of a pterostigmal veinlet (Fig. 9).

Pterostigmal furrow preserved in one specimen (Fig. 13). Rs - MA fork

slightly narrower than in forewing, Rs and MA each with 2 quite long

branches, MA fork proximal to that of Rs. Neither nodal line nor thyridulum

or thyridium detected. MP with 4 branches, only slightly more widely spaced

than those of Rs and MA, MP3,4 fork proximal to that of MP}. Base of Cu

preserved as a Y-vein as in recent Mecoptera, the CuP arm of the Y a weaker

vein than the CuA arm. In the two specimens where preserved, the point of

fusion of CuA and MP variable, much more basal in ACC I.27 (Fig. 7) than

in the larger QM F.14009 (Fig. 9). Main section of CuA convex. CuP

concave, fused with A, for a short length. CuA, CuP, A; and A, long and

more or less parallel, fairly evenly spaced. The base of A, after its separation

from CuP oblique, forming one arm of a Y vein with the equally oblique a, -

a). Ay and A; fused basally, strongly divergent apically. Crossveins generally

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 143

consistently less clearly preserved than in forewing, those which appear to be

present as follows: a backwardly inclined apical sc - rı, noticeably longer

than in forewing; a more or less upright, slightly curved rj - rs just beyond the

apex of Sc; a very slightly curved ma - mpji2; a long mp, - cua (from MP3+4

in holotype of N. elongata — Fig. 11) which may be straight, angular, curved

or sigmoidal, and often appearing incomplete at about % length; a straight or

curved cua - cup at about CuA % length; an oblique a; - a). Other less

consistently present (or less preserved?) crossveins: an upright rs - ma just

beyond the Rs - MA fork detected in 2 specimens (Figs 10, 13); a short r4+5 -

ma, just beyond the Rs fork detected in two specimens (Figs 12, 13) and

suggested by a kink in Rs4+5 in a third specimen (Fig. 10); a distal ma; - may

detected in one specimen (Fig. 12); a straight or curved mp; - mp; detected in

2 specimens (Figs 7, 9).

Notes. Even though there is some variation in wing size and shape, this is

considered as no more than intraspecific variation. A similar magnitude of

size variation has been recorded in the Russian Upper Permain mesopsychid

Permopsyche issadensis Bashkuev, albeit a much smaller species (Bashkuev

2011b). It has also been found (Shih et al. 2013) that mesopsychids

demonstrate size and wing shape asymmetry for the left and right wings of

individual specimens. This phenomenon may also account for some of the

variation recorded for M. triareolata. The above description is consistent

with the most recent diagnosis of the genus Mesopsyche (Bashkuev 2011b),

acknowledging the misprint of CuP instead of CuA in the text of his

diagnosis (Bashkuev pers. comm.).

Genus Mesoses Riek

Mesoses Riek, 1976: 816. Type species M. optata Riek (original designation).

Diagnosis. Forewing similar to that of Mesopsyche triareolata, but with the

following differences: Costal space without crossveins, not tapered apically;

Sc terminating on costal margin beyond % wing length, forked early, just

beyond % length, well basal of Rs - MA fork; R; strongly curved posteriad at

pterostigma; branches of Rs curved posteriad (see Schliiter 1997, figs 5a, 5d);

MA fork at about the same level as that of Rs, or slightly more distal.

Notes. Riek’s original generic diagnosis was based on his placement of

Mesoses in a new family, Mesosetidae, of Lepidoptera, and thus he did not

distinguish it from Mesopsyche, the type genus of the Mesopsychidae. The

only distinguishing character alluded to by Riek and subsequently referred to

by Novokshonov (1997) was the lack of costal crossveins. As the above

diagnosis indicates, Mesoses and the type species of Mesopsyche are very

similar, most especially in sharing the very characteristic (and presumably

apomorphic) long, backwardly curved base of CuA, which forms an obtuse

cubito-medial Y-vein with a long Ms. As it is based only on a comparison of

the specimens of Mesoses described by Riek (1976), Schliiter (1997) and

144 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

herein, with the type species of Mesopsyche, the above diagnosis is therefore

preliminary only, pending a full revision of mesopsychid generic

relationships.

Figs 14-15. Mesoses gayndah, holotype (forewing) QM F.57544, Gayndah. pif

pterostigmal furrow.

Mesoses gayndah sp. n.

(Figs 14-15)

Type and only specimen. Holotype, QM F.57544, Gayndah fossil insect locality,

almost complete right forewing and fragmentary left forewing, part only, length of

right forewing 29 mm, width 13 mm, collected by K.J. Lambkin, 1975.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 145

Description. Forewing (Figs 14-15). Broad, length estimated at c. 35 mm,

width at least 14 mm. Costal margin straight. Costal space narrow. R,

convex, quite widely separated from Sc. Pterostigmal furrow deep. Neither

nodal line nor thyridulum or thyridium detected. Base of MP, Ms and

longitudinal section of CuA convex. Cu — CuP not noticeably convex or

concave. Inter-cubital space and space between M and Cu very broad. A,

long, parallel to Cu, convex. Crossveins: a short, backwardly curved apical sc

- rı; a forwardly inclined straight r4+5- ma; just beyond the Rs fork; a strongly

curved ma - mpj42; a strongly curved ma) - mp; a slightly curved mp, - cua; a

backwardly curved cua - cup, but much less curved than the base of CuA; a

short, straight, slightly forwardly inclined cu - aj.

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Formation and Age. Gayndah Formation, early (Anisian) Middle Triassic.

Notes. Mesoses gayndah is very similar in size and venation to the South

African Late Triassic M. magna Riek, which was based on a similar

specimen, measuring 30 mm, and preserving about the same area of the

forewing (Riek 1976, fig. 17). Mesoses gayndah differs from M. magna in

the apparently straighter costal margin and narrower costal space and the

presence of the following crossveins (all apparently absent in M. magna):

ma - Mp), mp; - cua, cua - cup and cu - ay. It is conceded that the differences

are quite trivial and that many, if not all of these crossveins are simply not

preserved in the holotype specimen of M. magna. In this regard, it is of note

that one of the unidentified Mesoses forewings figured by Schlüter (1997, fig.

5a), which on size and venation appears to be a more complete specimen of

M. magna, does indeed possess all these crossveins with the exception of ma,

- mp). On balance, however, notwithstanding its similarity to M. magna, for

the sake of the record I believe that it is the better option to consider this

older (Middle Triassic) and quite geographically distant Australian specimen

as a distinct species.

Acknowledgements

I sincerely thank Allan Carsburg and Robert Knezour for allowing me to

examine specimens from their private collections. I am also very grateful to

my daughter Jennifer Lambkin who brought my drawings to publication

standard, and to Geoff Thompson of the Queensland Museum, who took the

excellent photographs. Ross Pogson and Frances Smith of the Australian

Museum, and Kristen Spring, Pam Wilson, Paul Tierney and Andrew

Rozefelds of the Queensland Museum kindly made available specimens in

their care. I also thank Alexei Bashkuev for his helpful comments.

References

BASHKUEV, A. 201 1a. Nedubroviidae, a new family of Mecoptera: the first Paleozoic long-

proboscid scorpionflies. Zootaxa 2895: 47-57.

146 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

BASHKUEV, A. 2011b. The earliest Mesopsychidae and revision of the family

Mesopanorpodidae (Mecoptera). Zookeys 130: 263-279.

DUNSTAN, B. 1923. Mesozoic insects of Queensland Part I. — Introduction and Coleoptera.

Queensland Geological Survey Publication 273: i-v, 1-88.

LAMBKIN, K.J. 1988. A re-examination of Lithosmylidia Riek from the Triassic of Queensland

with notes on Mesozoic ‘osmylid-like’ fossil Neuroptera (Insecta: Neuroptera). Memoirs of the

Queensland Museum 25: 445-458.

LAMBKIN, K.J. 2014. Psychopsoid Neuroptera (Psychopsidae, Osmylopsychopidae) from the

Queensland Triassic. Australian Entomologist 41: 57-76.

NOVOKSHONOV, V.G. 1997. Some Mesozoic scorpionflies (Insecta: Panorpida = Mecoptera)

of the families Mesopsychidae, Pseudopolycentropodidae, Bittacidae, and Permochoristidae.

Paleontological Journal 31: 65-71.

NOVOKSHONOV, V.G. and SUKACHEVA, I.D. 2001. Fossil scorpionflies of the “Suborder”

Paratrichoptera (Insecta: Mecoptera). Paleontological Journal 35: 173-182.

PURDY, D.J. 2013. Esk Basin. Pp 387-391, in: Jell, P.A. (ed.), Geology of Queensland.

Geological Survey of Queensland, [Brisbane].

PURDY, D.J. and CRANFIELD, L.C. 2013. Ipswich Basin. Pp 391-396, in: Jell, P.A. (ed.),

Geology of Queensland. Geological Survey of Queensland, [Brisbane].

REN, D., LABANDEIRA, C.C., SANTIAGO-BLAY, J.A., RASNITSYN, A., SHIH, C.,

BASHKUEV, A., LOGAN, M.A.V., HOTTON, C.L. and DILCHER, D. 2009. A probable

pollination mode before angiosperms: Eurasian long-proboscid scorpionflies. Science 326: 840-

847.

RIEK, E.F. 1956. A re-examination of the mecopteroid and orthopteroid fossils (Insecta) from

the Triassic beds at Denmark Hill, Queensland, with descriptions of further specimens.

Australian Journal of Zoology 4: 98-110.

RIEK, E.F. 1976. A new collection of insects from the Upper Triassic of South Africa. Annals

of the Natal Museum 22: 791-820.

ROZEFELDS, A.C. and SOBBE, I. 1987. Problematic insect leaf mines from the Upper Triassic

Ipswich Coal Measures of southeastern Queensland, Australia. Alcheringa 11: 51-57.

SCHLÜTER, T. 1997. Validity of the Paratrichoptera — an extinct insect order related to the

Mecoptera, Diptera, Trichoptera or Lepidoptera? Suggestions based on discoveries in the Upper

Triassic Molteno Formation of South Africa. Berliner geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen 25:

303-312.

SHIH, C., QIAO, X., LABANDIERA, C.C. and REN, D. 2013. A new mesopsychid

(Mecoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English

Edition) 87: 1235-1241.

TILLYARD, R.J. 1917. Mesozoic insects of Queensland. No.1. Planipennia, Trichoptera, and

the new order Protomecoptera. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 42: 175-

200.

TILLYARD, R.J. 1919. Mesozoic insects of Queensland. No.5. Mecoptera, the new order

Paratrichoptera, and additions to Planipennia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South

Wales 44: 194-212.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3): 147-151 147

NEW DATA ON THE AUSTRALASIAN XANTHOLININI

(COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE), 7: NEW CALEDONIAN

SPECIES IN THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM

ARNALDO BORDONI

Museo di Storia naturale dell'Università di Firenze, sezione di Zoologia “La Specola”, via

Romana 17, 50125 Firenze, Italy (E-mail: arnaldo.bordoni@fastwebnet.it)

Abstract

Xantholinini from New Caledonia held in the Queensland Museum, Brisbane are recorded.

Zeteotomus lambkinae sp. n. is described and new records are listed for four additional species:

Adamanthea koghiana Bordoni, Neoxantholinus caledonicus Bordoni, Zeteotomus pulchellus

(Perroud & Montrouzier) and an undescribed species of Zeteotomus Jacquelin du Val.

Introduction

In recent years I have been working on several contributions to the

knowledge of the Xantholinini of the Australasian region (Bordoni 2005a,

2005b, 2010a and some additional notes in Bordoni 2010b, 2010c, 2010d,

2011, 2012, 2014). This paper is my 248th contribution to the knowledge of

the Staphylinidae. Recently published contributions include a revision of the

species of this tribe from the Polynesian subregion (Bordoni 2013), which

included a comprehensive diagnostic key to the species. Herein I present the

results of the study of a small number of specimens from New Caledonia that

I have received thanks to the kind collaboration of Christine Lambkin of the

Queensland Museum.

As noted previously (Bordoni 2013), material collected in the islands of the

Pacific Ocean is very scarce and usually endemic. This may be due to some

environmental conditions such as poor vegetation cover, scarcity of plant

debris and geographic isolation, so the vast majority of species on such

islands live under bark or in decaying wood. For this reason, each new

sample of material from the Pacific Islands represents an important addition

to the knowledge of the tribe.

Abbreviations used are? cB — coll. A. Bordoni, Florence; NMHNP — Muséum

national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris; QM — Queensland Museum, Brisbane.

The Holotype of the new species described here is deposited in NMHNP as

per collecting permit requirements.

Systematics

Adamanthea koghiana Bordoni, 2013

Material examined. 1 2, New Caledonia, Pic d'Amoa, N slope, 20°58'S, 165°17'E,

500 m, G. Monteith, 27.xi.2003-30.1.2004, flight int. trap (QM).

Note. This species is known only from New Caledonia (Bordoni 2013). The

genus Adamanthea Bordoni, apparently endemic to the Polynesian subregion,

was described in that publication. This is the first subsequent record of the

species since it was described.

148 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

Neoxantholinus caledonicus Bordoni, 2013

Material examined. 1 9, New Caledonia, Pic du Grand Kaori, 250 m, 22°17'S,

166°53'E, Wright & Burwell, 21.xii.2004-12.1.2005, malaise trap (QM).

Note. This species is known only from New Caledonia (Bordoni 2013).

Zeteotomus pulchellus (Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864)

Material examined. 1 9, New Caledonia, Pic du Grand Kaori, 250 m, 22°17'S,

166°53'E, G. Monteith, 22.xi.2004-12.i.2005, int. trap in rainforest (QM); 1 Q, same

data (cB).

Note. This species is also known only from New Caledonia (Bordoni 2013).

Figs 1-2. Zeteotomus spp., forebodies: (1) undescribed species; (2) Zeteotomus

lambkinae sp. n. (scale bars = 0.5 mm).

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 149

Zeteotomus unnamed species

(Fig. 1)

Material examined. 1 9, New Caledonia, Col d'Amieu, 400 m, 21°35'S, 165°48'E,

Pyrethrum, trees and logs, G. Monteith, 25.xi.2003 (QM).

Diagnosis. This species differs from its congeners in the Polynesian

subregion by the following characters: body distinctly smaller, head longer

and narrower with protruding eyes, different colouration.

Description. Body length 3.5 mm; length from anterior margin of head to

posterior margin of elytra 2.2 mm. Body small, slender and shiny,

characterized by the very long and narrow head (Fig. 1); yellow with elytra

largely infuscate, 3" and 5" abdominal segments light brown. Head very long

and narrow, sub-rectangular, with sub-rectilinear and sub-parallel sides, and

strictly rounded posterior angles. Eyes weakly protruding and proportionally

large (width about 1/4 of the distance between eyes). Surface of head with

few, sparse micro-punctures. Pronotum shorter and a little narrower than

head, with very rounded anterior angles. Surface with sparse micro-

puncturation and 3-4 irregular punctures, similar to a dorsal series. Elytra

long, distinctly longer and slightly wider than pronotum, with 2 rows of very

fine punctures. Abdomen with fine and sparse puncturation.

Male unknown.

Geographical distribution. The species is known only from New Caledonia.

Note. This species differs from the known Zeteotomus Jaquelin du Val of the

Polynesian subregion by dimension, shape of head, puncturation and

colouration. It is not formally named at the present time since only a female

is known.

Zeteotomus lambkinae sp. n..

(Figs 2-5)

Type material examined. Holotype 3, NEW CALEDONIA: Touho TV tower, 400 m,

20°39'S, 165°13'E, Pyrethrum, trees and logs in rainforest, G. Monteith, 28.xi.2003

(NMHNP). Paratypes: 1 9, same data, (QM), 1 9, same data (cB).

Diagnosis. This species differs from its congeners in the Polynesian

subregion by the following characters: length of body similar to that of Z.

pulchellus (Perroud & Montrouzier) but with shorter forebody, head with

weakly rounded and not subrectilinear sides, eyes not flat, different

colouration and aedeagus.

Description. Body length 4.7 mm; length from anterior margin of head to

posterior margin of elytra 2.2 mm. Head and pronotum orange, elytra light

brown, with anterior portion yellowish, 1* abdominal segment and genital

segment yellow, the other segments brown-black; antennae and legs yellow-

150 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

orange. Head sub-rectangular, slightly narrower anteriorly, with weakly

rounded sides and posterior angles (Fig. 2). Eyes medium-sized and weakly

protruding. Surface of head with fine, longitudinal micro-striation and fine,

very sparse puncturation. Pronotum longer than head, distinctly wider

anteriorly (as wide as head), with rounded anterior angles and sinuate sides.

Surface with longitudinal micro-striation, 1 anterior puncture near the median

line and a lateral series of 4 punctures; all punctures fine and shallow. Elytra

sub-rectangular, slightly wider posteriorly, as long and wide as pronotum,

with blunt humeral angles. Surface wrinkled, with traces of polygonal micro-

reticulation and fine puncturation, arranged in few, spaced series. Abdomen

shiny, without micro-sculpture, with very fine and sparse puncturation.

Male genital segment as in Fig 3; sternite of the same as in Fig. 4. Aedeagus

(Fig. 5) membranous, diaphanous, small (0.77 mm long), ovoidal, elongate,

with short, thin parameres; inner sac scarcely visible, large and covered with

very fine spinulae.

Figs 3-5. Zeteotomus lambkinae sp. n.: (3) male genital segment, (4) sternite of the

same and (5) aedeagus (scale bar: 0.1 mm).

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 151

Etymology. Patronymic. The species is dedicated to Christine Lambkin to

acknowledge her collaboration.

Conclusion

After this contribution the Zeteotomus species known from New Caledonia

are five. The study shows also that the species of the island are all sub-

corticolous.

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Christine Lambkin of the Queensland Museum for her fruitful

collaboration and her colleague Federica Turco, of the same institution, for

her improvements to the English of a former version of this paper.

References

BORDONI, A. 2005a. Xantholinini from New Zealand (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

Classification, phylogeny and taxonomical revision. Bollettino del Museo regionale di Scienze

naturali, Torino 22(2): 329-442.

BORDONI, A., 2005b. Revision of the Xantholinini of Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

Monografie del Museo regionale di Scienze naturali, Torino 42: 435-614.

BORDONI, A. 2010a. Revisione degli Xantholinini della Nuova Guinea e delle isole

austromalesi (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Bollettino del Museo regionale di Scienze naturali,

Torino 27(2): 253-635.

BORDONI, A. 2010b. Xantholinini of the Australasian Region (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). III.

Description of Otagonia nunni n. sp. and new records from New Zealand. New Zealand

Entomologist 33: 114-117.

BORDONI, A. 2010c. Xantholinini from the Australian and Oriental Regions. New genus, new

species and new records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). Zootaxa 2538: 38-46.

BORDONI, A. 2010d. Remarks in the Xantholinini from Australian Region. II. Three new

species from New Guinea (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). Linzer biologische Beitrdge 42(1): 529-

534.

BORDONI, A. 2011. Xantholinini of the Australian region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), V. New

species collected by Alexander Riedel in Arfak and Cyclops Mts., New Guinea (224°). In:

Telnov, D. (ed.), Biodiversity, biogeography and nature conservation in Wallacea and New

Guinea 1: 59-64.

BORDONI, A. 2012. Xantholinini of the Australasian Region. IV. A new genus from Australia

and new records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). Fragmenta entomologica 44(1): 71-78.

BORDONI, A. 2013. Revisione degli Xantholinini della sottoregione polinesana (Coleoptera

Staphylinidae). Memorie della Societa entomologica italiana 90(1): 1-58.

BORDONI, A. 2014. Xantholinini of the Australian region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). VI.

Species from New Guinea of the Last collection in the Manchester Museum. New genus, new

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conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea 2: 135-143.

152 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

The following notes are abstracted from the News Bulletin of the

Entomological Society of Queensland and appeared, with illustrations, in the

Volume and Parts indicated.

Ctenomorpha gargantua Hasenpusch & Brock, 2006 (Phasmida:

Phasmatidae) — The first captured female of Australia’s largest phasmid and

longest insect, C. gargantua, is reported from near Cairns, having been

collected on 20 January 2014. Previously known only from photographs, the

female is much larger than males, described in 2006. The collected specimen

is 500 mm long (including forelegs) but photographs of a 615 mm specimen

from Kuranda are known. The female laid 14 eggs before it died.

MONTEITH, G. — Female of Australia’s enigmatic giant phasmid finally captured. —

Volume 42(2): 33-35 (April 2014). Republished in Newsletter of the Phasmid Study

Group 132: 24-25 (June 2014).

Titanolichus seemani Dabert, Mironov & Proctor, 2006 (Acari: Astigmata:

Pterolichidae) — Specimens of the feather mite 7. seemani, known only from

the endangered orange-bellied parrot, Neophema chrysogaster, are reported

from a captive breeding population in Victoria. Described in 2006 from

specimens found on a museum specimen collected in 1888, the mite was

previously considered to be possibly extinct.

SEEMAN, O. — Discovery of extant Titanochilus seemani on the orange bellied

parrot. — Volume 42(3): 63-65 (May 2014).

Belenois java teutonia (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) — Migrations

of caper white butterflies, B. java teutonia, are usually an annual occurrence

in Australia but there are very few records of these migrations during the last

50 years. On 5 June 2014, butterflies were reported flying in a northerly

direction ‘for a week now’ in sufficient numbers to be very obvious. The

observation was made at Amby, located on the Warrego Highway between

Roma and Mitchell in southern Queensland. The butterflies were common as

far east as Roma but were not observed at Bollon, south-west of Amby.

Records of caper white migrations from Queensland all refer to their taking

place in spring (September to December). This migration, which lasted for at

least 11 days, is reported since there appear to be no previous reports of

winter migrations.

PETERS, J.V. — A winter migration of caper white butterflies in Queensland. —

Volume 42(4): 81-82 (June 2014).

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3): 153-159 153

PALAIARGIA TRAUNAE SP. N. (ODONATA: PLATYCNEMIDIDAE),

A NEW IDIOCNEMIDINE DAMSELFLY FROM PAPUA NEW

GUINEA

A.G. ORR! and S.J. RICHARDS?

'Griffith School of the Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111

(Email: agorr@bigpond.com)

Herpetology Department, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000

(Email: steve.richards@samuseum.sa.gov.au)

Abstract

A new species of damselfly, Palaiargia traunae sp. n. from Trauna Gap near the Baiyer River

Sanctuary in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, is described and its relationships

discussed. It represents the 25th species of the genus, which is confined to the island of New

Guinea, the Moluccas and some intervening islands.

Introduction

The genus Palaiargia Förster, 1903 presently includes 24 species confined to

the island of New Guinea, Misool and the Moluccas. All are relatively stout,

medium-sized to large damselflies, often with brilliant colouration (Kalkman

and Orr 2013). When erecting the genus, Förster (1903) regarded it as having

affinity with the New World coenagrionid genus Argia Rambur, 1842, a

relationship which was accepted by Ris (1915) and Lieftinck (1938).

Lieftinck (1938) redefined the generic characters of Palaiargia when erecting

the new genus Papuargia Lieftinck and placed both in the Coenagrionidae.

Recent molecular analysis (Dijkstra et al. 2013a) places the genus in the

subfamily Idiocnemidinae of the family Platycnemididae and it is this

classification that is presently adopted by consensus among odonatologists

(Dijkstra et al. 2013b). The subfamily occurs in New Guinea, the Solomon

Islands, the Moluccas and the Philippines. The other platycnemidid subfamily

occurring in New Guinea is the widespread Disparoneurinae, which includes

all Old World species previously placed in Protoneuridae, represented in New

Guinea and Australia by the genus Nososticta Selys. Together with the

related New Guinean endemic genera Papuargia, Hylaeargia Lieftinck and

presumably Archboldargia Lieftinck, Palaiargia differs from other New

Guinean members of the subfamily in lacking crenulated margins to the

wingtips and probably represents a natural subdivision within the group.

Recently, one of us (SJR) collected from the Trauna River Valley of Papua

New Guinea’s Western Highlands Province, two male specimens of a new

species which we place in Palaiargia and describe below. In doing so we

note that it does not completely fit Férster’s (1903) or Lieftinck’s (1938)

diagnoses for that genus, but feel that the only reasonable alternative, to erect

a new genus, would be premature. Terminology follows Westfall and May

(2006), with the exception of anal appendages, where we follow Watson et

al. (1991). The acronyms SAMA, South Australian Museum and QM,

Queensland Museum are used to indicate type deposition.

154 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

Palaiargia traunae sp. n.

(Figs 1, 2a-g)

Material examined. Holotype 6, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Western Highlands

Province, Trauna River Valley, 05° 29.118’S, 144° 14.226’E, 1,618 m asl, 16.xi.2013,

leg SJ Richards, deposited in SAMA # 07-000985. Paratype ĝ, same data as holotype

but 17.xi.2013, deposited in QM, Registration no T196316.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized, moderately robust damselfly with a fairly short

abdomen and narrow hyaline wings; ground colour dark with extensive pale

blue-green markings on the synthorax and head and bright cerulean markings

on the head, prothorax, base and tip of abdomen. Legs with long dense

spines. Wings with moderately dense reticulation; distal margins smooth.

Superior appendages long and attenuated, branched twice medially and

curved sharply downwards terminally like claws. The species can be

identified at once by its colouration (Fig. 1) and distinctive terminalia (Figs

2d-f).

ve Seal.

Fig. 1. Palaiargia traunae sp. n., paratype male photographed in life at Trauna Gap

on 17 November 2013 (S.J. Richards).

Description of holotype. Head: Labium very pale blue to pale ochreous

except for tips of lateral lobes which are brown to black; medium lobe with

short and narrow terminal cleft; anterior margins bearing dense long brown

setae. Above (Fig. 2a), labrum pale greenish yellow with basal dark margin

from which arises a thin spatulate bar reaching more than halfway to anterior

margin; outer margin very narrowly brown. Outer face of mandibles,

antefrons and genae similarly coloured to nearly level of antennal base;

colour extending a little higher on the genae. Clypeus black. Frons somewhat

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 155

posterior

«— lobe

Fig. 2. Palaiargia traunae sp. n., holotype unless specified: (a) partial habitus

showing head in dorsal view, thorax and basal abdominal segments in profile; (b)

detail median and posterior lobe of prothorax; (c) right hindwing (paratype); (d-g)

terminal appendages: (d) in profile; (e) dorsal view; (f) ventral view (slightly oblique);

(g) oblique dorso-posterior view, left superior ablated, revealing bifid apex of

inferiors.

156 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

bulbous with two slight prominences laterally, separated from the vertex by a

rounded concave angle, bearing a tuft of long dense setae on either

prominence. Remainder of head black except for two large postocellar blue

spots broadly contiguous with the eye margin. Eyes in life black with

posterior part a rich blue (Fig. 1). Antennae long and slender with second

segment about twice length of first and equal to remaining segments

combined.

Thorax: Prothorax (Figs 2a-b) black with bright blue markings; in profile

with deep ‘v’ shaped incision between anterior and median lobes; anterior

lobe black; dorsum of median lobe raised and bearing paired prominences

each of which bears a transversely elongated blue spot on its posterior half;

sides of median lobe somewhat nodular and with extensive blue marking,

well separated from dorsal spots; blue area sweeping up to a point posteriorly

to outflank the posterior lobe and thus forming two short dorsal, internally

dark projections at level of posterior margin of posterior lobe; posterior lobe

black, short and narrow with slight median projection on posterior margin.

Synthorax (Fig. 2a): mesepisternum dark brown marked with broad, pale

blue-green, slightly infuscated antehumeral band tapering slightly posteriorly.

Laterally pale cerulean blue with dark brown markings; broad dark band

covering all but upper one fifth of mesepimeron and a thin pale line bordering

interpleural suture; continuing to mesinfraepisternum except for small blue

patch at its posterior corner. Narrow, dark, spatulate line extending down

from antealar carina along two-fifths length of interpleural suture.

Metepisternum and metepimeron mainly blue, but with moderate infuscation

from the metapleural suture across much of lower part of metepimeron,

contiguous with dark brown streak along suture in upper part of

metepisternum; dark brown area continuing across anterior two-thirds of

metinfraepisternum, the remainder of which is blue. Venter pale blue. Legs

long, bearing long black setae on femora and tibiae; coxae mainly blue with

small irregularly rounded, outer, basal black patches; remainder of legs black

except for broad, pale blue streak of flexor surfaces of femora which stops

just short of apex and continues over trochanters to coxae as a continuous

band of colour. Wings (cf. Fig. 2c) long and narrow with tips rather acute.

Wing membrane overall with light brownish tint; venation normal for genus

but rather dense; Px — 17,16:16,16; pterostigmata black, in both wings kite

shaped, the long axis directed apicad.

Abdomen: Mainly dark with bright cerulean blue markings; expanded at S1,

S2 and from S8-S10, especially evident in dorsal view. S1 (Fig. 2a) blue

postero-laterally and ventrally with irregular margined, black, antero-lateral

mark reaching apex of tergite broadly on dorsum; S2 (Fig. 2b) with paired,

large, squarish basal blue marks dorsally and ventro-laterally with long, blue

streak with irregular margins not reaching hind margin of tergite; $3-S5 with

paired elongated baso-lateral blue marks becoming faint in S4-S5. S6-8

completely black. $9-S10 black with large blue dorsal patches occupying all

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 157

but narrow basal and distal margins in both segments. S9-10 distinctly

clubbed and slightly dorso-ventrally flattened with S10 a little down-turned.

Appendages (Figs 2d-g) entirely dark. Superiors slightly longer than S10, in

basic structure claw-like, tapering gradually to thin point and strongly down-

turned apically, bearing a short, blunt, inner dorsal process medially and a

sharp, robust, ventral process slightly basad of this; in dorsal view tips are

distinctly divergent (Fig. 2e). Inferiors reaching to about mid-point of

superiors, robust, in profile (Fig. 2d) broad basally, somewhat tapered

apically, terminating in a single broad upward pointing spine. This conceals a

second inner spine (Fig. 2g), subequal to the outer one, the whole forming a

broadly forked scoop-like process. Inferiors bearing dense setae, especially

apically and on baso-interior margin.

Measurements: forewing, 25.5 mm; hindwing, 24 mm; abdomen +

appendages, 32.5 mm.

Variation in Paratype. The single paratype (Fig. 1) is a younger specimen

with slightly more extensive pale colouration on the thorax and abdomen; on

S2 the ventro-lateral blue and the dorsal blue areas coalesce. The specimen is

slightly smaller (hindwing 23.5 mm, abdomen + appendages 31.5 mm). The

wings are not tinted brown and the post nodal index is Px — 18,15:15,18.

Etymology. traunae: a noun in the genitive case treating trauna as a Latin

noun. Named after the type locality.

Habitat and biology

The new species was found along a small, very steep and clear rocky stream

that intersects the road from Baiyer River to Jimi Valley in close proximity to

Trauna Gap in the Trauna River Valley. The lower montane rainforest on

adjacent slopes was reasonably intact, but many trees along the stream had

been cleared so the canopy was fairly open. Both specimens were captured

when they descended from the canopy during short periods of sunshine to

perch on vegetation and debris at the top of a large, rocky waterfall. The

species appeared to be uncommon; no additional specimens were observed

despite more than 6 hours of sampling over two days at this site.

Remarks

The new species has no obvious near relatives. The male stands out

particularly in the unique structure of its prothorax and of its terminal

appendages. It shares long, slender, densely reticulated, acuminate wings and

a slightly compressed and down-turned abdomen tip with the recently

described Palaiargia quandti Orr, Kalkman & Richards, 2014 (Orr et al.

2014) but in other respects it is very different. Palaiargia quandti, another

outlier in the genus, has quite unique appendages and an unusual, but quite

different posterior lobe on the prothorax. Lieftinck (1938) redefined the

diagnosis of Palaiargia, including the condition ‘male superior appendages

unarmed’. This character is a little misleading as even in 1938 species with a

158 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

strong baso-ventral spine on the superior appendage were known, but no

species yet described bears any significant processes on the apical three-

quarters of the appendage. Nevertheless, there are some similarities between

the appendages of P. traunae and P. perimecosoma Lieftinck, 1957 from

Halmahera and Batjan. In the latter the terminal segments of the abdomen are

also strongly expanded and S10 is slightly depressed, and the superior

appendages are long, tapered and diverging (but not down-curved) with a

very slight sub-medial inner process. The inferior appendages show some

similarity to those of P. traunae and also stand in similar relationship to the

superiors. The markings of P. perimecosoma are quite similar to those of P.

traunae, but the wings are short and broad, there are significant venational

differences and the abdomen is extremely long. It is clear from Lieftinck’s

(1957) figures that the posterior lobe of its prothorax, while unusual, does not

exhibit modifications homologous with those found in P. traunae. In

describing P. perimecosoma, Lieftinck (1957) wrote ‘Without knowledge of

several of the more aberrant members of Palaiargia, one would perhaps be

inclined to place it in a genus of its own: but ... optata (Hagen) and obiensis

sp. nov. (both from the island of Obi), neatly bridge the gap between

perimecosoma and the rubropunctata-stellata cluster of species, from the

western part of New Guinea.’ No such transition is obvious between P.

traunae and any other Palaiargia species, but we nevertheless feel it retains

sufficient characteristics typical of the genus, which includes several aberrant

forms, to be placed within it.

Acknowledgements

The survey during which this new species was discovered was supported by

the National Government of Papua New Guinea through the Department of

Environment and Conservation (DEC), with funds provided by the Prime

Minister's Office. It is part of a project being undertaken by the Mul Baiyer

Lumusa District Administration to redevelop the Baiyer River Sanctuary and

we particularly thank the Honourable Koi Trappe MP, Douglas Kilipi, Bevi

Korua, Clem Kila and Ogla Makindi, the Mul Baiyer District Administrator,

for their support. Assistance from Gunther Joku (Acting Secretary) and

Barnabas Wilmott from DEC ensured the success of the biodiversity survey

and SJR is most grateful to them. The communities at Baiyer River warmly

welcomed the survey team to the area and their hospitality and willingness to

share their extensive knowledge with the team is greatly appreciated.

References

DIJKSTRA, K.-D.B., KALKMAN, V.J., DOW, R.A., STOKVIS, F.R. and VAN TOL, J. 2013a.

Redefining the damselfly families: a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera

(Odonata). Systematic Entomology 39: 68-96.

DIJKSTRA, K.-D.B., BECHLY, G., BYBEE, S.M., DOW, R.A., DUMONT, H.J., FLECK, G.,

GARRISON, R.W., HAMALAINEN, M., KALKMAN, V.J., KARUBE, H., MAY, M.L., ORR,

A.G., PAULSON, D., REHN, A.C., THEISCHINGER, G., TRUEMAN, J.W.H., VAN TOL, J.,

VON ELLENRIEDER, N. and WARE, J. 2013b. The classification and diversity of dragonflies

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 159

and damselflies (Odonata). In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (ed.), Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-

level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3703: 36-45.

FORSTER, F. 1903. Odonaten aus Neu-Guinea. III. Annales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 1: 509-

554.

KALKMAN, V.J. and ORR, A.G. 2013. Field guide to the damselflies of New Guinea.

Brachytron Supplement 16: 3-120.

LIEFTINCK, M.A. 1938. The dragonflies (Odonata) of New Guinea and neighbouring islands.

Part V. Descriptions of the new and little known species of the families Libellaginidae,

Megapodagrionidae, Agrionidae (sens. lat.). and Libellulidae (genera Rhinocypha, Argiolestes,

Drepanosticta, Notoneura, Palaiargia, Papuargia, Papuagrion, Teinobasis, Nannophlebia,

Synthemis and Anacordulia). Nova Guinea (N .S.) 2: 47-128.

LIEFTINCK, M.A. 1957. Notes on some argiine dragonflies (Odonata) with special reference to

the genus Palaiargia Förster, and with descriptions of new species and larval forms. Nova

Guinea (N.S.) 8: 41-80, pls II-V excl.

ORR, A.G., KALKMAN, V.J. and RICHARDS, S.J. 2014. Four new species of Palaiargia

Forster, 1903 (Odonata Platycnemididae) from New Guinea with revised distribution records for

the genus. International Journal of Odonatology 16(4)[2013]: 309-325.

RIS, F. 1915. Neuer Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Odonaten-Fauna der Neu-Guinea-Region. Nova

Guinea 13: 81-131.

WATSON, J.A.L., THEISCHINGER, G. and ABBEY, H.M. 1991. The Australian dragonflies:

A guide to the identification, distributions and habitats of Australian Odonata. CSIRO, Canberra

and Melbourne; vii + 278 pp.

WESTFALL, M.J. and MAY, M.L. 2006. Damselflies of North America. Revised Edition.

Scientific Publishers, Gainesville, Florida; vii + 503 pp.

160 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON SOME SPECIES OF RIOXOPTILONA

HENDEL (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE: ACANTHONEVRINI)

DAVID L. HANCOCK

8/3 McPherson Close, Edge Hill, Cairns, Qld 4870

Abstract

Notes are included on three SE Asian species of Rioxoptilona Hendel, including the first known

male of R. continua (Hardy), new locality records for R. continua and R. ceramensis (de Meijere)

and the return of R. ochropleura (Hering) to the synonymy of R. gravelyi (Munro).

Discussion

The East and Southeast Asian fruit fly genus Rioxoptilona Hendel was

reviewed by Hancock (2011), with an additional species, R. inermis (Hering,

1951), transferred to it by Hancock (2012). Recent examination of unsorted

material in the Natural History Museum, London (BMNH), has provided

further taxonomic or distributional notes on three of these species.

Rioxoptilona ceramensis (de Meijere, 1913). Previously known with certainty

only from Seram in eastern Indonesia, two males from Java (1 4, Mt Gede,

Lekah Sive, 5000’, iv.1938; 1 ĝ, Tjigoeha, Djampang Wetan, ii.1938, E. le

Moult) appear to belong here; both have vein R>+;3 distinctly undulate.

Rioxoptilona continua (Hardy, 1986). Two specimens were located, both

from Sarawak, East Malaysia (1 9, Matang Road [Kuching], 14.x.1909, ex

FMS Museum; 1 3, ‘Sarawak’, 1907-1909, C.J. Brooks). The previously

unrecorded male is similar to the female but the pterostigma is longer,

reaching the outer apex of the hyaline indentation (which is brown within the

pterostigma) and vein R34; is very distinctly undulate. Previously known only

from Sabah, East Malaysia. Some specimens considered to be this species by

Hancock (2011), including Fig 9a in Hardy (1986), evidently belong

elsewhere, possibly to R. ceramensis as suggested by Hardy (1986).

Rioxoptilona gravelyi (Munro, 1935). A series of specimens from Burma,

West Malaysia and Java show that the characters previously used to separate

R. ochropleura (Hering, 1951) intergrade and R. ochropleura is therefore

returned to synonymy with R. gravelyi.

Acknowledgement

I thank Daniel Whitmore (BMNH) for access to specimens in his care.

References

HANCOCK, D.L. 2011. An annotated key to the species of Acanthonevra Macquart and allied

genera (Diptera: Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini). Australian Entomologist 38(3): 109-128.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2012. A note on the identity of ‘Acanthonevra’ inermis Hering (Diptera:

Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini). Australian Entomologist 39(3): 195-196.

HARDY, D.E. 1986. Fruit flies of the subtribe Acanthonevrina of Indonesia, New Guinea, and

the Bismarck and Solomon Islands (Diptera: Tephritidae: Trypetinae: Acanthonevrini). Pacific

Insects Monograph 42: 1-191.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3): 161-162 161

AN ADDITIONAL RECORD OF EUPLOEA TULLIOLUS TULLIOLUS

(FABRICIUS) (LEPIDOPTERA: NYMPHALIDAE: DANAINAE)

FROM SOUTH OF NATURAL BRIDGE, SOUTH-EAST

QUEENSLAND

R.B. LACHLAN

Entomology Department, Australian Museum, 6 College St, Sydney, NSW 2010

Abstract

An additional distribution record from south-east Queensland is provided for Euploea tulliolus

tulliolus (Fabricius, 1793).

Introduction

Euploea tulliolus tulliolus (Fabricius, 1793) is primarily a coastal tropical

species often found along the margins of creeks and rivers where its host

plant, Trophus scandens (Lour.), grows (Lambkin 2010). Recorded from

numerous Torres Strait islands (Lambkin and Knight 2007), Common and

Waterhouse (1981) stated it was rare on Cape York Peninsula, common from

Cairns to Gladstone and rare south of Brisbane, noting it had been reported as

far south as the Clarence River and Urunga in northern New South Wales.

Lambkin (2010) noted that it occurred sporadically in remnant riparian forest

along some creeks in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. Braby (2000) noted

that few specimens had been collected south of Brisbane. Scheermeyer

(1993, 1999) stated that it has a patchy distribution, tends to occur in

localised populations and occurs only sporadically in southern Queensland

and northern New South Wales, a view shared by the present author.

Between 10-12 February 2014, five males were collected and at least that

number additionally sighted in an overgrown, darkish patch of riparian forest

in a small, 40 m section of a creek at 28°15°03”S, 153°14’01”E, about 6 km

south of Natural Bridge and less than 500 m from the Qld-NSW border.

Euploea tulliolus tulliolus (Fabricius, 1793) (Fig. 1)

Material examined. QUEENSLAND: 5 33, 6 km south of Natural Bridge,

28°15°03”S, 153°14’01”E, ca 355 m, 10-12.ii.2014, R.B. Lachlan (in RBL coll.).

Comments. Apart from the five retained, several specimens were netted and

released but no females were observed during the three-day survey. Despite

exploring the creek extensively for several hundred metres, both above and

below the small section of the creek where all specimens were seen and

collected, no other specimens were sighted or collected elsewhere. The

author has explored numerous creeks in the eastern Lamington National Park

region of south-east Queensland and over the border in New South Wales,

particularly near and around the Limpinwood Nature Reserve area over many

years without previously sighting a single specimen of E. t tulliolus. The

absence of females suggests the population observed might have been an

aestivating aggregation during what was a hot, dry period.

162 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

Fig. 1. Male Euploea tulliolus tulliolus collected from the newly recorded locality.

Acknowledgements

I thank Ted Edwards (ANIC, Canberra) for helpful comments on the

manuscript, Derek Smith and Russell Cox (Entomology Department,

Australian Museum, Sydney) for assistance in preparing Fig. 1.

References

BRABY, M.F. 2000. Butterflies of Australia: their identification, biology and distribution.

CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood; xx + 976 pp.

COMMON, I.F.B. and WATERHOUSE, D.F. 1981. Butterflies of Australia. Angus and

Robertson, Sydney; xiv + 682pp.

LAMBKIN, T.A. 2010. The early stages of Euploea tulliolus tulliolus (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera:

Nymphalidae: Danainae) from Brisbane, Queensland. Australian Entomologist 37(4): 129-136.

LAMBKIN, T.A. and KNIGHT, A.I. 2007. Confirmation of Euploea leucostictos (Gmelin) and

E. netscheri erana (Fruhstorfer) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Torres Strait, Queensland, and

the first record of E. tulliolus dudgeonis (Grose-Smith) in Australia. Australian Entomologist

34(1): 15-26.

SCHEERMEYER, E. 1993. Overwintering of three Australian danaines: Tirumala hamata

hamata, Euploea tulliolus tulliolus and E. core corinna. Pp 345-353, in: Malcolm, S.B. and

Zalucki, M.P. (eds), The biology of conservation of the Monarch butterfly. Natural History

Museum of Los Angeles County. Los Angeles; xii + 419 pp.

SCHEERMEYER, E. 1999. The crows, Euploea species, with notes on the blue tiger, Tirumala

hamata (Nymphalidae: Danainae). Pp 191-216, in: Kitching, R.L., Scheermeyer, E., Jones, R.E.

and Pierce, N.E. (eds), Biology of Australian butterflies. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera,

Vol. 6. CSIRO Publishing, Canberra.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3): 163-176 163

AN ANNOTATED KEY TO THE DACOPSIS COMPLEX OF

GENERA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE: ACANTHONEVRINI), WITH

TWO NEW GENERA AND ONE NEW SPECIES

DAVID L. HANCOCK

8/3 McPherson Close, Edge Hill, Cairns, Qld 4870

Abstract

The 15 recognised species of the primarily Australasian Dacopsis complex are referred to 7

genera: Austronevra Permkam & Hancock (3 spp), Austrorioxa Permkam & Hancock (l sp.),

Copiolepis Enderlein (2 spp), Dacopsis Hering (5 spp), Piocolepis gen. n. (2 spp), Paradacopsis

gen. n. (1 sp.) and Stymbara Walker (1 sp.). The new genus Piocolepis comprises P. caeca

(Bezzi), comb. n. [type species] and P. medioflava (Hardy), comb. n. from the Philippines, both

transferred from Dacopsis. The new genus Paradacopsis comprises only P. sulaensis sp. n. from

Sulawesi and Sula I., Indonesia. The male of Dacopsis signata (Walker), previously

misidentified as D. mantissa (Hering), is recorded for the first time and illustrated. Where

known, larvae of at least Austronevra and Dacopsis develop beneath the bark of newly felled or

fallen logs.

Introduction

This is the fourth in a series of papers reviewing and keying Indo-Australian

and East Asian fruit flies referred to the Acanthonevra group in tribe

Acanthonevrini (sensu Korneyev 1999). It deals with the Dacopsis complex,

which occurs from Sumatra and the Philippines eastwards to Australia, the

Solomon Islands and New Caledonia. Previous papers dealt respectively with

the Acanthonevra, Sophira and Rioxa complexes (Hancock 2011a, 2012,

2014).

Permkam and Hancock (1995) placed Austronevra Permkam & Hancock,

Austrorioxa Permkam & Hancock, Copiolepis Enderlein and Dacopsis

Hering in a group of genera within the tribe Acanthonevrini. Hancock and

Drew (2003) subsequently included them in the Acanthonevra subgroup of

Korneyev (1999). Hancock (2012) termed it the Dacopsis complex and

included Stymbara Walker. Four additional, monospecific genera,

Anchiacanthonevra Hardy, Gressittidium Hardy, Mimoeuphranta Hardy and

Parachlaena Hering, were also included in this group by Korneyev (1999)

and/or Hancock and Drew (2003); however, all have a short pterostigma on

the wing and unknown hosts. Gressittidium was transferred to tribe Phascini

by Hancock (2011b); the other genera were referred to the Dirioxa group of

genera by Hancock (2012), together with Dirioxa Hendel, Griphomyia

Hardy, Lumirioxa Permkam & Hancock and Micronevrina Permkam &

Hancock.

Two Philippine species currently included in Dacopsis, D. caeca (Bezzi) and

D. medioflava (Hardy) (Hardy 1980, Norrbom et al. 1999), differ

significantly from the other included species and are referred here to a new

genus described below. An additional new genus is proposed for a new

species from the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Sula. In total, 15 species

in 7 genera are included in the Dacopsis complex.

164 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

Host records are available for four species: Austronevra australina (Hendel),

A. bimaculata Permkam & Hancock and Dacopsis flava (Edwards) were

reared from beneath the bark of recently fallen Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum

(Meliaceae) trees (Hardy 1986, Dodson and Daniels 1988, Permkam and

Hancock 1995), while Dacopsis signata (Walker) (Fig. 1) was reared from

beneath the bark of [Malaysian] timber intercepted by Plant Quarantine

authorities in Guangzhou, China (Hancock and Drew 1994, as D. mantissa, a

misidentification).

Fig. 1. Dacopsis signata (Walker): male habitus.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 165

Piocolepis gen. n.

Type species Rioxa caeca Bezzi, 1913, by present designation.

Diagnosis. Head higher than long, with 2 pairs each of black frontal and

orbital setae; ocellars rudimentary; postocular row thin and black; antenna

with third segment apically rounded and arista plumose. Thorax pale yellow

on pleura and distinctly darker with a tinge of brown on scutum; setae black:

1 postpronotal, 2 notopleural, 1 presutural, 1 supra-alar, 1 postalar, 1 intra-

alar, 1 pair each of dorsocentral and prescutellar acrostichal; 1 anepisternal

(often with 1 weaker seta below it); anepimeral and katepisternal setae

absent; 6 (3 pairs) scutellar setae, the medial pair distinct. Legs fulvous; front

femur with numerous yellow hairs posteriorly; middle tibia with 1 long apical

spine. Abdomen brown laterally and on tergites V and/or VI, yellow

medially. Wing with vein R2,3 moderately curved; vein Ry,; setulose almost

along its entire length; R-M crossvein placed at apical 2/3 of cell dm;

pterostigma elongate, narrow and apically acute, a little longer than cell c in

both sexes; cell bcu with an acute apical extension; pattern largely brown,

paler brown to subhyaline at apex; cells bc and c yellow-brown to brown; cell

T4+5 With a small hyaline spot near level of DM-Cu crossvein; cell dm with a

hyaline subapical spot near level of R-M crossvein and with or without an

additional posterior spot; cell m with 1 or 2 hyaline indentations; cell cu, with

2 hyaline indentatiins, the basal one larger and diffuse.

Male genitalia with epandrium arched and with short, erect setae; surstyli

broad; aedeagus with a prominent appendage distally. Female oviscape

elongate, about as long as tergites I-VI; aculeus apically rounded, with 2

pairs of distinct preapical setae; 3 spermathecae, smooth and rounded with

short, thick necks. For illustrations see Hardy (1974).

Etymology. Piocolepis is an anagram of Copiolepis, its apparent sister genus.

Comments. This genus differs significantly from Dacopsis in abdominal

pattern, dark costal cells and length of the male pterostigma (greatly elongate

in male Dacopsis). Hardy (1980) also noted that the head and thoracic setae

are black (yellow to brown in Dacopsis) and male genitalia appear to be

distinctive. An elongate oviscape is typical of the Dacopsis complex.

Piocolepis appears to be most closely related to Copiolepis, particularly in

the dark wing pattern with its apex paler brown or subhyaline and the thorax

being distinctly paler and yellower laterally than dorsally. It differs in having

the head and thoracic setae all black (rather than mostly fulvous), 3 pairs of

scutellar setae (rather than 2) and in the lack of abdominal plumes in males.

Two species are known, both from the Philippines: P. caeca (Bezzi, 1913),

comb. n. (Figs 2-3) from Luzon and P. medioflava (Hardy, 1974), comb. n.

(Fig. 4) from Mindanao and Samar, both transferred from Dacopsis.

166 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

Figs 2-4. Piocolepis species: (2) P. caeca, female from Mt Makiling, Luzon, lateral

view; (3) P. caeca, wing of female; (4) P. medioflava, male from Mt Malindang,

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 167

Paradacopsis gen. n.

Type species Paradacopsis sulaensis sp. n., by present designation.

Diagnosis. Head higher than long, with 2 pairs each of fulvous to red-brown

frontal and orbital setae; ocellars weak; inner vertical and postocular row

black, other setae fulvous to red-brown; antenna with third segment apically

rounded and arista plumose. Thorax fulvous with indistinct darker markings

on scutum; setae fulvous: 1 postpronotal, 2 notopleural, 1 presutural, 1 supra-

alar, 1 postalar, 1 intra-alar, 1 pair each of dorsocentral and prescutellar

acrostichal; 1 anepisternal (often with 1 weaker seta below it); an additional

lower medial anepisternal seta present; anepimeral and katepisternal setae

present; 6 (3 pairs) scutellar setae, the medial pair distinct. Legs fulvous;

front femur with numerous yellow hairs posteriorly; middle tibia with 1 long

apical spine. Abdomen fulvous with or without dark lateral markings. Wing

with vein Ras; straight; vein R4,5 setulose almost along its entire length; R-M

crossvein placed a little beyond middle of cell dm; pterostigma not longer

than cell c in both sexes; cell bcu with an acute apical extension; pattern

largely brown, hyaline at apex of cell r45; cells be and c yellow-brown to

brown; cell r4+s with a small hyaline spot near level of DM-Cu crossvein;

numerous subhyaline discal spots present; cell m with 1 hyaline indentation;

cell cu; with 2 hyaline indentations.

Comments. Paradacopsis closely resembles Hexacinia Hendel, particularly in

the presence of a distinct lower medial anepisternal seta; however, the wing is

narrower, the pterostigma longer, cell m has only 1 hyaline indentation, cell

143 lacks the distinct hyaline indentation below the apex of vein Rz», the

frontal setae are not distinctly reclinate and the abdomen is not distinctly

spotted. It resembles Copiolepis in having the head and thoracic setae largely

fulvous except for the inner vertical and postoculars; it differs in having the

pleurae not distinctly paler than the scutum, the pterostigma shorter, 6

scutellar setae and no male abdominal plumes. It differs from Piocolepis in

the pale head and thoracic setae and from Dacopsis in the dark wing pattern

and lack of sexual dimorphism in the length of the pterostigma.

Paradacopsis sulaensis sp. n.

(Figs 5-12)

Types. Holotype 3, INDONESIA: labelled ‘Dutch East Indies, Sula Is., ?Collector.’

Also labelled ‘Sul’ [round label] and ‘congruens’ [F. Walker manuscript name] (Fig.

6). Paratype 2, Sulawesi Utara, Dumoga-Bone N.P., Project Wallace, at light,

Mogoganipo, 25.xi.1983, B.R. Pitkin. Both in Natural History Museum, London.

Description. Male (Figs 5, 7). Length of body, 6.2 mm; of wing, 6 mm. Head

(Fig. 8) higher than long, fulvous; setae: 2 frontals (incurved), 2 orbitals,

medial verticals and postocellars all fulvous; genal pale red-brown; lateral

verticals and postocular row black; ocellars weak; antenna fulvous, shorter

than face, third segment apically rounded, arista plumose.

168 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

Figs 5-9. Paradacopsis sulaensis sp. n.: (5-8) holotype male: (5) dorsal view; (6)

labels; (7) lateral view; (8) head. (9) paratype female: head. Photos by D. Whitmore,

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 169

Thorax fulvous; scutum with indistinct, thin, pale brown medial and

dorsocentral vittae, the medial broadening and greyish posteriorly;

postpronotal and notopleural lobes fulvous; a brown streak along upper

margin of postpronotal lobes anteriorly. Setae all dark fulvous: 1

postpronotal, 1 presutural, 2 notopleural, 1 supra-alar, dorsocentrals just

anterior to line of supra-alars, 1 postalar, 1 intra-alar, 1 prescutellar

acrostichal, 2 anepisternal (lower weaker) and 1 posteromedial anepisternal, 1

anepimeral, 1 katepisternal, 6 (3 pairs) scutellars, the middle pair distinct.

Legs fulvous; fore femur with row of fulvous ventral setae; mid tibia with a

long black apical spine.

Wing relatively narrow; 2 small costal spines above apex of vein Sc; veins Ry

and R4,5 setulose; R-M crossvein a little beyond midline of cell dm; pattern

mostly brown; cell c yellow-brown, with 2 indistinct yellower indentations;

pterostigma about as long as cell c, brown with a medial subhyaline

indentation; cell r; with a subhyaline indentation across apex of vein Rj, 2

smaller indentations medially and 1 larger indentation faintly crossing vein

Ro43 subapically; cell r4+s with a narrow hyaline apical margin; cells m with a

single hyaline indentation; cell cu; with 2 marginal and 1 submarginal

hyaline indentations; disc of wing with subhyaline yellowish spots in cells

r243 (1 medially), r4+s (3, elongate and more or less crossing cell), br (in outer

third), dm (2 elongate and transverse in outer third and 1 small basally), cu,

(1 medially in upper half); lower half of cell cu; greyish-hyaline; cell bcu

brown, with a distinct and apically acute extension; alula greyish-hyaline.

Abdomen fulvous with darker (greyish) anterior bands transversely on

tergites III and IV and laterally on tergite V [possibly faded].

Female (Figs 9-12). Similar to male except as follows: wing pattern more

uniformly brown in cell cu, cell r4+s with a broader, oval apical margin that

does not reach vein M and cell c with more distinct brown bands. Face with a

black streak at posterolateral margin; frontal, genal and 3 anteriorly directed

setae along epistome darker red-brown Abdomen (Fig. 12) with tergites I-VI

yellow medially and blackish brown laterally, partially interrupted with

yellow areas on each segment to form incompletely separated spots; oviscape

blackish brown, about as long as tergites IV-VI; aculeus not exposed.

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Comments. This species bears a superficial resemblance to Hexacinia

stellipennis (Walker, 1860) but differs in characters noted above under

generic comments. Although the male has both wings damaged, all the pieces

are present (in a separate vial attached to the pin) and it is a Francis Walker

manuscript specimen; hence, it has been selected as Holotype and the female

as a paratype. The male characters also best show the differences from

Dacopsis and other genera. It is known only from northeastern Sulawesi and

nearby Sula Island.

170 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

et a l

Figs 10-12. Paradacopsis sulaensis sp. n., paratype female: (10) lateral view; (11)

Museum, London.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 171

Key to genera and species

This key is based in part on those of Hardy (1974, 1980) and Permkam and

Hancock (1995), plus an examination of specimens in the Natural History

Museum, London [BMNH], including all eight species of Dacopsis,

Piocolepis and Paradacopsis. * = new island or country records based on

material in BMNH.

Wing vein Rə distinctly undulate with an anteriorly directed spur from

second loop; veins R4+s and M strongly divergent apically; cell r; with 2

hyaline indentations from costa; cell r4+s with a small anteromedial spot;

apex narrowly subhyaline; pterostigma not longer than cell c; 4 scutellar

setae [eastern Indonesia (Waigeo, Papua) and Papua New Guinea;

Stymbara vagaria Walker, 1865 and Curvinervus walkeri Hardy, 1959

(unjustified replacement name) are synonyms; Curvinervus Hardy, 1959

is a generic synonym; illustrated by Hardy 1988] ..............cecceeeeeeeeees

RPA Oro Reo ie eens Stymbara concisa (Walker, 1864)

Wing vein R+; not distinctly undulate and without a spur vein; veins R445

and M usually apically parallel or nearly so, if not then pattern not as

above; pterostigma often longer than cell c; 4 or 6 scutellar setae ......... 2

Scutum fulvous with oblique brown to black lateral bands along margins

of postpronotal lobes to notopleural calli and a similar band (sometimes

interrupted) along posterior margin; wing pattern brown with numerous

hyaline spots, bands or indentations; cell 14,5 apically dark ................ 3

Scutum fulvous to dark fulvous with at most a pair of dark submedial

vittae; wing pattern often largely hyaline or yellowish with at most dark

costal or cubital bands, apical spot or discal patch; if pattern largely

brown then either apex paler brown or subhyaline or cell r4,; with a broad

Omnarrowshyalinelapexerscs seater st ee eae een ne: nn ent nn nee 6

Wing veins R+; and R4+s distinctly curved in apical portions and strongly

divergent; pterostigma greatly elongate in male, about twice length of cell

c; wing pattern distinctly dimorphic; cells br-and dm with hyaline

longitudinal bands, shorter in female with the latter subdivided with an

apical band or spots, almost filling cells in male; cell r4+s with hyaline

basal patch and oblique subapical band in female, largely united in male;

cells m and cu, with broad hyaline indentations in female, diffuse hyaline

margins in male [Australia (eQld, eNSW); illustrated by Permkam and

Hancock 1995 (GQ)] ......eeee Austrorioxa acidiomorpha (Hendel, 1928)

Wing veins R+; and R4+5 evenly curved in apical portions, not strongly

divergent; pterostigma not greatly elongate in male, about as long as cell

c; wing pattern not distinctly dimorphic; cells br and dm with isolated

hyaline spots not longitudinal bands, if cell br with a broadly oval hyaline

spot then cell r4 without an obliquely elongate subapical band

Shor CEMC ta LRAT TE NCIS IT Austronevra Permkam & Hancock ... 4

172 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

4 Wing cell r; with 1 hyaline indentation from costa, at apex of pterostigma;

cells r23 and 14,5 each with a hyaline subapical spot above apical half of

cell m; 4 scutellar setae [New Caledonia; illustrated by Norrbom and

Hancocks20 04) Pessusseeseseatcceecses A. irwini Norrbom & Hancock, 2004

— Wing cell r, with 2 hyaline indentations from costa beyond apex of

pterostigma; cells r3 and r4+s without hyaline spots above apical half of

cellim6jscutellamSetacieersscsreseeectee there rete tee EEAO EET 5

5 Abdominal tergite II marked with black laterally; wing cell c hyaline

except at edges and cell m with 1 hyaline indentation [Australia (neQld:

Cow Bay to Tully); illustrated by Permkam and Hancock 1995; this is the

type species of Austronevra] ...........0.06006 A. australina (Hendel, 1928)

— Abdominal tergite II entirely yellow; wing cell c with a medial brown

band and cell m with 2 hyaline indentations [Australia (nQld: Cape York

Peninsula); illustrated by Permkam and Hancock 1995] .................008

A. bimaculata Permkam & Hancock, 1995

6 Thorax with pleura distinctly paler and yellower than the darker scutum;

wing largely brown with apex broadly paler brown or subhyaline ........ 7

— Thorax with pleura not distinctly paler and yellower than scutum; if wing

largely brown then only apex of cell r4+5 hyaline ................ sc ec ee eeeee 10

7 Head and thoracic setae mostly fulvous; wing veins Ry,; and M apically

divergent; vein Rə» distinctly curved upwards apically; pterostigma about

1.5 times length of cell c; male abdomen with long, plume-like setae

arising from base of tergite IV; 4 scutellar setae ...............ceceeeee ees

BEAR BESS DSC ECHO oc noe TE A Sah saodaceiaadaoag Copiolepis Enderlein ... 8

— Head and thoracic setae black; wing veins R45 and M apically parallel or

nearly so; vein R+; not distinctly curved upwards apically; pterostigma

only a little longer than cell c; male abdomen without long, plume-like

setae Orscutellansetacherscste cst ater Piocolepis gen. n. ... 9

8 Wing with pterostigma yellowish along costal margin; cell dm without

hyaline markings; male abdomen with 2 pairs of long, plume-like setae

[eastern Indonesia (Papua) and Papua New Guinea (including New

Britain); illustrated by Hardy 1988; this is the type species of Copiolepis]

paboasbononnondactcoguacnEModsocanosnatdot C. quadrisquamosa Enderlein, 1920

— Wing with pterostigma entirely brown; cell dm in male with irregular

hyaline markings, absent in female; male abdomen with 3 pairs of long,

plume-like setae [Australia (nQld: Iron Range); illustrated by Permkam

and Hancock 1995 (4) and Hancock 2013 (Q)] ......:ssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeess

pdcshodasondudoc unonngonocnon rar C. colpopteris Permkam & Hancock, 1995

9 Wing cell r; without a large hyaline indentation at apex of pterostigma;

wing apex dull brown [Philippines (Luzon); illustrated by Hardy 1974;

Higsy2=3)] 2%. ema s.r en ae P. caeca (Bezzi, 1913), comb. n.

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 173

— Wing cell r; with a large hyaline indentation at apex of pterostigma; wing

apex subhyaline [Philippines (Mindanao, Samar); illustrated by Hardy

1974 Ship tA Peeeee eee eee P. medioflava (Hardy, 1974), comb. n.

10 Abdomen mostly fulvous or dark laterally, pale medially; wing cell c

yellow-brown or with brown patches; pattern mostly brown with

subhyaline discal spots and hyaline apex to cell ry,5; sexes weakly

dimorphic; pterostigma in both sexes about as long as cell c [Indonesia

(Sulawesi, Sula I.); Figs 5, 7-12] .... Paradacopsis sulaensis gen. et sp. n.

— Abdomen fulvous with 0, 2 or 4 dark spots posteriorly; wing cells be and

c hyaline to pale yellow; pattern mostly hyaline to yellowish; sexes

distinctly dimorphic, females with a narrow brown costal band and often a

narrow cubital band, males sometimes with a brown discal patch or apical

spot; male pterostigma at least twice as long as cell c

bBdcoanpaddaoarinbnuDanddocoomducknaronsododononbadedtrmedons Dacopsis Hering ... 11

Thorax with 2 longitudinal dark brown vittae on scutum; abdomen with a

pair of dark spots on each of tergites IV and V; wing of female pale

yellowish with a narrow dark costal band and a narrow dark band along

vein Cu;; male unknown [Indonesia (Sumatra) and East Malaysia

(Sarawak: 19, 4th Div., 3°49°N 113°46’E, Niah, 9-17.x.1976, P.S.

Cranston*); illustrated by Hering 1952 and Hardy 1958] ........:seeeeese

E N p00: oon 20 Sar aneoantandenbiosndirnn D. mantissa (Hering, 1952)

— Thorax without longitudinal dark vittae on scutum; abdomen without a

pair of dark spots on tergite IV (usually present on tergite V) ............ 12

12 Wing crossvein R-M placed before the mid-line of cell dm, especially so

in male; male with a broad, brown, inverted U-shaped discal patch, absent

in female [eastern Indonesia (Papua Province: Mimika), Papua New

Guinea and Australia (nQld: Cape York Peninsula); D. picturata Hardy,

1980 is a synonym (Hardy 1986); illustrated by Hardy 1980 (4Q) and

Permkam and Hancock 1995 (Q)] ............0.0e D. flava (Edwards, 1915)

— Wing crossvein R-M placed beyond the mid-line of of cell dm, especially

so in male; both sexes without a dark discal patch ............ecc.c0ececeee 13

13 Abdomen without a pair of dark spots on tergite V, entirely fulvous; wing

largely hyaline with a large dark brown apical spot in male or a narrow

costal band in female [NE Papua New Guinea (New Britain, New Ireland,

Huon Peninsula and Admiralty Islands: 19, Manus, 11.iii.1937, J.L.

Froggatt*); a record from Sarawak (Hardy 1986) is a misidentification of

D. mantissa: specimen examined; D. apicalis Hardy, 1980 is a synonym

(Hancock and Drew 2003); illustrated by Hardy 1980 (4Q)] .....000..0.

AdobadananadonutnaolaGauapubsbtipogansasornsbomydogur D. holoxantha (Hering, 1941)

— Abdomen with a pair of dark spots on tergite V; wing largely yellowish or

VellOwsUMOSCErerssscettcncssreeitrrtoatr eettre ener ae nnn eee 14

174 Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3)

14 Wing largely pale yellow, hyaline posteriorly; with a narrow dark costal

band (including apical part of pterostigma) in female, absent in male (Fig.

1); female abdomen without dark spots on tergite VI [Philippines

(Mindanao), ?East Malaysia [locality uncertain], Indonesia (Sulawesi,

Ambon); D. dacina Hering, 1944 and Psila bipunctifera Walker, 1860 are

synonyms; illustrated by Hering 1944 (Q), Hardy 1974 (2) and Hancock

and Drew 1994 (3), the latter misidentified as D. mantissa; this (as D.

dacina) is the type species of Dacopsis] ......... D. signata (Walker, 1860)

— Wing largely yellow fumose, grey-brown fumose posteriorly; with a

narrow dark costal band (not including pterostigma) in female; male

unknown; female abdomen with a pair of black spots on tergite VI

[Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal); illustrated by Hardy 1958] ............0...

A nona D. quadripunctata (Malloch, 1939)

Discussion

The Dacopsis complex occurs primarily in New Guinea and northeastern

Australia, with extensions to the Philippines and Sumatra in the north and

west, New Caledonia in the east and New South Wales in the south. The

centre of origin is difficult to determine but its major development appears to

have occurred in the New Guinea region, which it presumably reached early

in the evolution of the complex.

Austronevra, Austrorioxa and Stymbara are all endemic to New Guinea or

Australia, with one species (Austronevra irwini) known from New Caledonia.

They are characterised by the dark anterolateral and posterior bands on the

scutum, the abdomen largely brown laterally and yellow medially and the

wing pattern largely brown with numerous hyaline spots and/or indentations.

The largely Australian distribution of this series suggests that it resulted from

an early dispersal to the region.

Dacopsis, Copiolepis, Piocolepis and Paradacopsis all lack the dark

anterolateral and posterior scutal bands and appear to form another related

series. Piocolepis from the Philippines and Copiolepis from New Guinea and

Australia share many characters (e.g. largely brown wing pattern, costal cells

subhyaline to brown, apex of cell 14,5 often hyaline to pale brown, cell cu,

largely subhyaline, pleura distinctly paler than the scutum [cf Figure 1 in

Hancock 2013] and rounded spermathecae) that suggest a sister-genus

relationship. Piocolepis retains well developed medial scutellar setae but

lacks male abdominal plumes and is thus likely to be the more primitive of

the two. The superficial similarity between Paradacopsis (at least in wing

pattern) and Hexacinia (in the Rioxa complex), which appears to be of SE

Asian origin (Hancock 201 1a, 2013), suggests that Sulawesi might be the

centre of origin of this series. Paradacopsis is placed here in the Dacopsis

complex since the combination of a relatively narrow wing and lack of a

hyaline marginal indentation below the apex of vein Rz is characteristic of

Australian Entomologist, 2014, 41 (3) 175

that complex; in the Rioxa complex the hyaline indentation is normally

present except in Sophiroides Hendel and Hexamela Zia, which (like

Hexacinia) have distinctly broader wings. Nevertheless, these two complexes

are clearly closely allied and a future review is likely to combine them.

Dacopsis occurs widely from Sumatra, Borneo, Mindanao and Sulawesi to

the Solomon Islands and northeastern Australia. It is the most widespread and

speciose of the Dacopsis complex genera. Although both it and Austrorioxa

have sexually dimorphic wing patterns and a distinctly elongate pterostigma

in males, about twice as long as cell c, the wing patterns are very different

and the elongate pterostigma also occurs in Rioxa Walker, suggesting

homoplasy. The pair of dark submedial scutal vittae seen in Dacopsis

mantissa and both Copiolepis species suggests a closer relationship between

these two genera than with Austrorioxa. In Dacopsis the dark abdominal

markings are reduced to at most isolated spots on posterior segments IV, V or

VI and the wing pattern is largely hyaline to yellowish rather than brown. In

D. flava, from New Guinea and northeastern Australia, the R-M crossvein is

positioned above the basal half of cell dm rather than the apical half and this,

coupled with the large discal brown patch in males, suggests it is the most

derived species. On the other hand, the presence of the dark submedial scutal

vittae, distinct dark band along vein Cu, (in females) and paired submedial

abdominal spots on both tergites IV and V in D. mantissa, known from

Sumatra and Borneo, suggest that it is the most primitive, leaving open the

possibility that Dacopsis (and the complex) originated in Sundaland with a

sister genus Paradacopsis in Sulawesi and Piocolepis in the Philippines, with

both Dacopsis and Piocolepis (as Copiolepis) subsequently spreading

eastwards to New Guinea and beyond as a second wave of dispersal.

Acknowledgements

I thank Susan Phillips for preparing Figure 1 and Daniel Whitmore (BMNH)

for access to specimens and Figures 2-12.

References

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(Juss.) Miq. at Iron Range, northern Queensland. Australian Entomological Magazine 15(2): 77-

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genera (Diptera: Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini). Australian Entomologist 38(3): 109-128.

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73-113, in: Aluja, M. and Norrbom, A.L. (eds), Fruit flies (Tephritidae): phylogeny and

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THE AUSTRALIAN

Entomologist

Volume 41, Part 3, 14 July 2014

iak

CONTENTS

BORDONI, A.

New data on the Australasian Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), 7: New Caledonian

species in the Queensland Museum

HANCOCK, D.L.

Additional notes on some species of Rioxoptilona Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae:

Acanthonevrini)

HANCOCK, D.L.

An annotated key to the Dacopsis complex of genera (Diptera: Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini),

with two new genera and one new species

Danainae) from south of Natural Bridge, south-east Queensland

LAMBKIN, K.J.

The Mesopsychidae (Mecoptera) of the Queensland Triassic

ORR, A.G. AND RICHARDS, S.J.

Palaiargia traunae sp. n. (Odonata: Platycnemididae), a new idiocnemidine damselfly from

Papua New Guinea

THOMPSON, F.C.

Flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean