Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 1-4 1

FIRST OBSERVATION IN NATURE OF EFFECTIVE PREDATOR

DEFENCE BEHAVIOUR IN THE SPINY FOREST KATYDID

PHRICTA SPINOSA REDTENBACHER (ORTHOPTERA:

PSEUDOPHYLLINAE: PHRICTIND

GARY W. WILSON! and DAVID C.F. RENTZ?

‘Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, Old 4970

College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Old 4970

(Email: gwwilson064@ gmail.com)

Abstract

Phricta spinosa Redtenbacher, 1892 is recorded for the first time using its hind legs to

successfully repel an avian predator, the Little Shrike-thrush, Colluricincla megarhyncha

(Colluricinclidae).

Introduction

Spiny forest katydids of the genus Phricta Redtenbacher are common

inhabitants of most rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests from northern New

South Wales to the Daintree region of northern Queensland, Australia (Rentz

et al. 2005).

Rentz et al. (2005) provided photographs of two species, P. spinosa

Redtenbacher, 1892 and P. tortuwallina Rentz, Su & Ueshima, 2005, turning

and using the hind femora in defence when artificially stimulated. The record

presented here is the first documentation of this behaviour in nature.

Spiny forest katydids are inhabitants of the forest understorey, where they

rest by day on branches and tree trunks, usually with legs akimbo holding

tightly to the substrate (Rentz et al. 2005). If discovered and threatened, the

katydid raises both hind legs simultaneously at right angles to the body and

flicks them vigorously. Both the femur and tibia are endowed with stout

spines. In P. spinosa, there may be an additional defence in that the hind

femora are reddish brown with a dark brown to black spot at the base of each,

seemingly resembling ‘eyes’ (Fig. 1). Other species, such as P. tortuwallina,

lack the spots but have the ventral surface of the femur reddish orange. Rentz

(2010) noted that P. spinosa is often preyed upon by the Black Butcherbird,

Cracticus quoyi (Lesson & Garnot) (Artamidae), which systematically

searches for them, and opportunistically by honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) and

the Australian Brush-turkey, Alectura lathami Gray (Megapodiidae).

Discussion

During a survey of birds in rainforest at 330 m at Kuranda in northern

Queensland, at 1530h in July 2015 a mature female Giant Spiny Forest

Katydid, P. spinosa, was observed to successfully repel attempts by a

Little Shrike-thrush, Colluricincla megarhyncha (Quoy & Gaimard)

(Colluricinclidae), to consume it. The katydid was located 5 m above the

ground, amongst foliage of a pepper vine (Piper sp: Piperaceae) encircling

the trunk of a tree.

THE AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

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COVER

Tellervo zoilus (Fabricius), mating in rainforest understory at Mission Beach, northern

Queensland. This species is one of a handful of true understory dwelling butterflies in

Australia. Males form leks, mating dances of several individuals, in sunny patches in

the morning. Females approach, then are led by a male to the underside of a nearby

leaf where copulation ensues. Sometimes the female leads and initiates genital contact.

As in many butterflies, the male, right, enters a catatonic state during ejaculation. Pen

and ink drawing by Caloundra ESQ member, Dr Albert Orr, whose illustrated books on

butterflies and dragonflies have won awards in Australia and overseas. His second book

on New Guinea Odonata has just appeared (see Australian Entomologist 43 (1): 38).

2 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Fig. 1. Image of Phricta spinosa, showing the reddish-brown hind femora with a dark

brown to black spot resembling ‘eyes’ at the base (Photo by DCF Rentz).

The Little Shrike-thrush made 20-30 unsuccessful attempts to catch the

katydid as it moved around the trunk to avoid the bird. The katydid then

glided down to dense vegetation on the ground and the bird made an

unsuccessful attempt to catch it as it fell. It then perched on a vine and,

briefly and unsuccessfully, looked for the katydid before resuming its search

of adjacent mid-level vegetation. The bird and katydid were photographed

(Fig. 2) immediately before the katydid dropped to the understorey. The

identity of the katydid was determined by DCFR when the image was

displayed on a computer screen. The image, despite being of poor quality,

clearly shows the katydid striking the breast of the shrike-thrush with its hind

legs. The repeated and unsuccessful attempt by C. megarhyncha to prey upon

the katydid and its eventual escape indicates the defensive activity of P.

spinosa was successful. Rentz (2010) reported the Black Butcherbird

frequently consuming this species of katydid but Cracticus quoyi is a larger

(330-410 v. 170-190 mm) and heavier (180 v. 34.5 g) bird (HANZAB 2002,

2006) and, with a longer bill, is better equipped to tackle prey as well

protected as P. spinosa. However, the success of the Giant Spiny Forest

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 3

Katydid in resisting the predation attempt by the shrike-thrush suggests that

adult P. spinosa are capable of repelling predation attempts by smaller,

insectivorous avian species such as monarchs, Monarcha and Arses spp,

honeyeaters, Meliphaga, Myzomela and Xanthotis spp, and trillers, Lalage

spp, common at the site and in similar adjacent habitat.

“3a ey

he s .

7 1

7 j i

j aP, t a J

Tas Ai y

: ade yi

i ay yl

Fig. 2. Image of Phricta spinosa striking with its hind femora the breast of a Little

Shrike-thrush, Colluricincla megarhyncha, attempting to prey upon it (Photo by G.W.

Wilson).

4 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

References

HANZAB 2002. Handbook of Australia, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Vol. 6. Pardalotes to

shrike-thrushes. Snr Eds. P.J. Higgins & J.M. Peter. Birds Australia, Oxford University Press,

Melbourne.

HANZAB 2006. Handbook of Australia, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Vol. 7B. Dunnock to

Starling. Snr Eds. P.J. Higgins, J.M. Peter & S.J. Cowling. Birds Australia, Oxford University

Press, Melbourne.

RENTZ, D.C. 2010. A guide to the katydids of Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood,

Victoria; x + 214 pp.

RENTZ, D.C.F., SU, Y.N. and UESHIMA, N. 2005. Studies in Australian Tettigoniidae. The

genus Phricta Redtenbacher (Orthoptera; Pseudophyllinae; Phrictini). Transactions of the

American Entomological Society 131: 131-158.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 5-8 5

BAMBARA TESTACEA (BRITTEN, 1926), AN ADVENTIVE

FEATHERWING BEETLE (COLEOPTERA: PTILITDAE) NEW TO

THE AUSTRALIAN FAUNA

JASON F. MATE-NANKERVIS

7 Acorus Place, Sunnybank, Qld 4109

Abstract

Recent surveys in and around Brisbane have resulted in the discovery of populations of a

previously unrecorded species of Ptiliidae. The species, Bambara testacea (Britten, 1926), has

been found to be well established in urban and suburban environments in Brisbane as well as in

remnant patches of natural vegetation and in disturbed areas bordering nature reserves. The

newly recorded species is briefly characterised taxonomically and ecologically in the context of

the Australian fauna.

Introduction

The Australian ptiliid fauna is very poorly known. Other than Cedric Deane’s

seminal papers on the Australian fauna (Deane 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934),

where he described the majority of the 57 currently recorded species, and

Colin Johnson’s revision of the fauna of New Zealand and selected Pacific

islands (Johnson 1971, 1977, 1982), only one other paper has dealt with the

taxonomy or faunistics of the Australian ptiliid fauna (Hall 1999). It is

therefore unsurprising that new or adventive species await discovery, even in

urban environments. Recent surveys by the author in and around Brisbane

have resulted in the discovery of a newly recorded adventive species,

Bambara testacea (Britten, 1926).

Materials and methods

All specimens were collected by sieving litter under different conditions and

in different localities. All litter was extracted in Winkler extractors and the

specimens stored in 80% ethanol until mounted. Specimens used for

microscopic examination were cleared in KOH (1%) for 2-3h and then in

lactic acid overnight. They were mounted in glycerol and photographed with

NIKON E995 connected to a NIKON Alfaphot 2 (Y52-H). To create the

photographic montages the program CombineZP was used

(http://www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/). Voucher specimens have

been deposited in the author’s collection and in the Queensland Museum,

Brisbane.

Discussion

Material examined. QUEENSLAND: 49 99: University of Queensland grounds, St

Lucia, -27.4973, 153.0168, 10-15.111.2015; Banksia Park, St Lucia, -27.4988,

153.0033, 21.iv.2013 & 1-5.iv.2015; Jindalee Park, Jindalee, -27.5295, 152.9383,

14.11.2015; Spring Creek Park, Kuraby, -27.6147, 153.0964, 10.11.2015; Moora Park,

Shorncliffe, -27.3238, 153.0843, 17.vii.2015; and Sir John Chandler Park,

Indooroopilly, -27.5190, 153.0089, 8.vii.2015. In addition, the species has been

recovered from Mt Glorious, -27.3291, 152.7541, 20.ix.2014 and Mt Cootha, Bardon,

-27.4645, 152.9672, 1.x.2014, ex flood debris.

6 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Description

Bambara Vuillet is a pantropical genus currently numbering 30 species but

with many additional species awaiting description. Although currently placed

in the subfamily Ptiliinae, its affinities are unclear (Sörensson and Johnson

2004). Bambara testacea can be readily distinguished from the other known

Australian genera by the following combination of characters: compact and

broad habitus reminiscent of a small Acrotrichis Motschulsky yet lighter in

colour (yellow or light fuscous) and slightly convex, with a fine but dense

and decumbent pubescence evenly covering the entire dorsal area (Fig. 1f);

pronotum broader than long, with basal margins bisinuate near angles (Figs

la-b); elytra covering the abdomen except pygidium, distal border of the

latter simple (Fig. le); pro- and mesocoxae contiguous, the prosternum (=

proventrum) much reduced anteriorly; metacoxae contiguous and consisting

ventrally of a large, triangular lamina (Fig. 1d); antenna 11-segmented, with

segments 3-8 filiform and 9-11 lightly moniliform, forming a lose three-

segmented club; eyes well developed, notched posteriorly. For additional

characters and full diagnosis of the genus see Dybas (1966), Johnson (1985)

and Darby (2014).

The spermatheca in Bambara is well developed and sclerotised. In B.

testacea it is C-shaped, elongate and relatively large (Fig. 1c: 150-160 um

long). Morphologically, it is quite invariant intraspecifically and the

populations of B. testacea examined so far from Brisbane all conform to

Dybas’ Florida morph (1966, p 23, fig 4d: appears as B. lutea Dybas, later

synonymised by Johnson 1985). So far as it is known, B. testacea is a fully

parthenogenetic species and therefore examination of the spermatheca is

necessary for positive identification. The spermatheca is very similar to

several other species found in other countries and the positioning of the pump

and gland insertion point in relationship to each other should be very

carefully examined. Dybas (1971) dealt specifically with the separation of B.

testacea.

Distribution and ecology

Bambara testacea is common and widely distributed, occurring during much

of the year (February-April / July-October). It has been assumed to be

associated with decaying woody litter and sawdust (Dybas 1966), but

Johnson (1985) commonly found it in good numbers in Indian Ocean islands

by sieving leaf litter. In Brisbane the species is most common in parks and

gardens, although it is also found in nature reserves with some level of

human modification. In urban environments it has been found in large

numbers in the leaf litter accumulated under bushes and under litter in lawns,

where it is often the only ptiliid species present. Interestingly, although

several piles of grass clipping were examined, no specimens were found in

them, even when the species was found nearby.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) of

Fig. 1. Bambara testacea (Britten, 1926): (a) dorsal habitus; (b) ventral habitus; (c)

spermatheca; (d) ventral view of meso and metathorax showing contiguous mesocoxa

and triangular lamina in metacoxa; (e) pygidium and tergites; (f) dorsal view of right

elytron showing pubescence.

8 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Bambara testacea appears not to be attracted to ultraviolet (UV) light, with

none collected in a UV light trap that the author has been running for the past

year, even though specimens were collected from leaf litter only a few metres

away. Although Dybas (1966) reported that some Bambara species (e.g. B.

frosti Dybas) were captured in light traps, he doubted that they were actively

attracted but instead passively accumulated during mass flights. It is therefore

likely that this species, as well as others in the genus, will be found in other

areas that have not been sampled specifically for ptiliids.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank the Entomological Society of Queensland for enabling access to

the Mt Glorious site during the September 2014 Bug Catch.

References

BRITTEN, H. 1926. The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905. No. IV.

Coleoptera, Ptiliidae (Trichopterygidae). Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, 2nd

Series, Zoology, 19(1): 87-92.

DARBY, M. 2014. Studies of Madagascan Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) 4: The genus Bambara

including eight new species and the first account of blindness and aptery in the genus. Zootaxa

3895(2): 151-169.

DEANE, C. 1930. Trichopterygidae of Australia and Tasmania. Desriptions of six new genera

and eleven new species. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 55(4): 477-487.

DEANE, C. 1931. Trichopterygidae of Australia and adjacent islands. Descriptions of five new

genera and twenty new species. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 56(3):

227-242.

DEANE, C. 1932. Trichopterygidae of Australia and adjacent islands. Descriptions of two new

genera and eighteen new species. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 57(3-

4): 181-196.

DEANE, C. 1934. Small beetles. Victorian Naturalist 50(10): 242-244.

DYBAS, H.S. 1966. Evidence for parthenogenesis in the featherwing beetles, with a taxonomic

review of a new genus and eight new species (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) Fieldiana (Zoology) 51(2):

11-52.

DYBAS, H.S. 1971. The identity of Bambara invisibilis (Nietner) from Ceylon (Coleoptera:

Ptiliidae). The Entomologist 104: 321-323.

HALL, W.E. 1999. Generic revision of the tribe Nanosellini (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae: Ptiliinae).

Transactions of the American Entomological Society 125(1-2): 39-126.

JOHNSON, C. 1971. Some Ptiliidae from the Philippine, Bismarck and Solomon Islands

(Insecta, Coleoptera). Steenstrupia 2: 39-47.

JOHNSON, C. 1975. Arthropoda of the subantarctic islands of New Zealand. 8. Coleoptera:

Ptiliidae. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 2(1): 9-14.

JOHNSON, C. 1982. An introduction to the Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) of New Zealand. New Zealand

Journal of Zoology 9(3): 333-376.

JOHNSON, C. 1985. Revision of Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) occurring in the Mascarenes, Seychelles

and neighbouring islands. Entomologica Basiliensia 10: 159-237.

SORENSSON, M. and JOHNSON, C. 2004. The first European records of the pantropical genus

Bambara Vuillet, and a review of the immigrant featherwing beetles in Europe (Coleoptera:

Ptiliidae). Koleopterologische Rundschau 74: 287-302.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 9-12 9

NOTES ON THE PUPA AND HOST PLANT OF MOTASINGHA

DIRPHIA (HEWITSON) (LEPIDOPTERA: HESPERIIDAE)

P.R. WILSON

2 Billabong Drive, Bundaberg, Qld 4670

Abstract

The pupa of Motasingha dirphia (Hewitson) is briefly described and compared with that of M.

trimaculata (Tepper). The putative host plant is Tetraria octandra (Cyperaceae).

Introduction

Motasingha dirphia (Hewitson, 1868) is restricted to the coastal and

subcoastal areas of southwestern Western Australia (Braby 2000), occurring

from Kowatharra Hill north of Geraldton in the north to as far west as

Cocklebiddy and Esperance on the south coast. It often flies in association

with M. trimaculata (Tepper, 1882), with which it was once confused

(Moulds and Atkins 1986). The immature stages and host plant have not been

recorded previously.

Motasingha trimaculata is known from a number of disjunct populations in

southern Queensland, central coastal New South Wales, southwestern

Victoria, southern South Australia and southwestern and central coastal

Western Australia (Braby 2000). The life history of M. trimaculata is well

known, with the larval host plants mainly consisting of Cyperaceae

throughout its range but including Haemodoraceae in Western Australia

(Williams et al. 1993).

During a visit to Perth, Western Australia, in September-October 2015, a

pupa closely resembling that of M. trimaculata was discovered on a sedge at

the base of a Eucalyptus tree in eucalypt woodland near Lesmurdie

(32°00'55" S, 116°02'33" E; WGS 84) on the edge of the Darling Scarp, 17

km east of Perth. The pupa was in a curled, dead leaf attached to a tubular

shelter of a ‘grass-like’ sedge. A search of the surrounding area failed to find

any more immature stages. A male M. dirphia emerged eight days later on 30

September 2015.

Immature stages

Egg. Unknown.

Larva. Unknown.

Pupa. Length 24 mm; head and thorax black, abdomen brown; pupal cap

black with one central and two dorsal raised rugose projections (Fig. 1);

cremaster brown, slightly tapered (Fig. 3).

The pupa of M. dirphia closely resembles that of M. trimaculata occidentalis

Moulds & Atkins, with the main difference being the larger raised dorsal

projections on the pupal cap of M. trimaculata (Fig. 2). The cremaster of M.

dirphia is similar to that of M. trimaculata (Fig. 4).

10 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Figs 1-6. Pupa and host plant of Motasingha spp: (1-2) pupal caps: (1) M. dirphia; (2)

M. trimaculata occidentalis. (3-4) pupal cremasters: (3) M. dirphia (male); (4) M.

trimaculata occidentalis (female). (5-6) Tetraria octandra, host plant of M. dirphia:

(5) plant; (6) flower spike.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 11

Life history

The host plant appears to be Tetraria octandra (Cyperaceae: Figs 5-6), a

‘grass-like’ sedge endemic to southwestern Western Australia (Fig. 7) and

known to occur from north of Geraldton south to Albany. The plant

distribution corresponds closely with that of M. dirphia. However, the

outlying records of M. dirphia at Cocklebiddy and Esperance are outside the

recorded range of T. octandra, suggesting incomplete plant records or an

alternative host plant. The plant habit is clumping, being up to 0.3 m wide

with leaves up to 1.2 min length, but more commonly 0.5-0.8 m long. Leaves

are erect when young or regenerating after fire (Fig. 5), then ‘drooping’ to the

ground when mature.

Tetraria octandra

/\/ Province

Bioregion

è Record

o Chec ed

$ In Review

x Unverifiable

“Halls Creek

= : PY

Karratha

=_—- Kalgoo riie i A; í

14/Dec/2015 Albany =)

OWA eran

Fig. 7. Distribution of Tetraria octandra (Source — FloraBase, Department of Parks

and Wildlife, WA).

12 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

The single pupa collected was in a curled, dead Eucalyptus leaf joined by silk

to a tubular shelter constructed from leaves of the putative host plant.

Whether in an adjacent curled dead leaf, rather than in the tubular shelter on

the host plant, is the usual location for pupation requires confirmation. The

silked, eaten leaves containing the shelter were approximately 15 cm long

and surrounded by extensively eaten leaves.

The egg and larva of M. dirphia are currently unrecorded, but it is hoped that

knowledge of the host plant may assist others in locating and recording

further details of the early stages.

Acknowledgements

I gratefully thank the Queensland Herbarium for identifying the host plant,

Matt Williams (Department of Parks and Wildlife WA) for advice on the life

history, Mark Brundrett (Department of Parks and Wildlife WA) for the plant

photographs and David Merefield (Bundaberg) for photography of the pupae.

References

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

CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne; xx + 976 pp.

MOULDS, M.S. and ATKINS, A.F. 1986. The specific status of Motasingha trimaculata

(Tepper) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) with the description of a new subspecies. General and

Applied Entomology 18: 25-32.

WILLIAMS, A.A.E., WILLIAMS, M.R., HAY, R.W. and TOMLINSON, A.G. 1993. Some

distributional records and natural history notes on butterflies from Western Australia. Victorian

Entomologist 23: 126-131.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 13-16 13

NEW SOUTHERN RANGE LIMIT FOR POLYRHACHIS YORKANA

FOREL (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE), WITH PROVISIONAL

DATA ON CASTES

MICHAEL F. DOWNES

26 Canara Street, Cranbrook, Townsville, Qld 4811 (Email: mikedownes @ bigpond.com)

Abstract

The southernmost range limit of the Australian weaver ant Polyrhachis yorkana Forel, 1915 is

here extended from its previously recorded location in the Queensland wet tropics to Townsville

in the dry tropics. Six P. yorkana nests provided provisional data on relative numbers of the

castes.

Discussion

The Australian arboreal weaver ant Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) yorkana

Forel, 1915 is largely confined to lowland rainforest in Queensland’s wet

tropics but its range extends into Cape York Peninsula (Kohout 2006). The

southernmost point of its recorded range is Russel River, Bellenden Ker

landing (17.273S, 145.948E) (Kohout 2000), 240 km north of Townsville

(dry tropics).

On 16 October and 18 December 2014, I found one and two nests

respectively of this species in a suburban garden in Mundingburra,

Townsville (19.30S, 146.79E). Two of these nests were contained within

small pieces of detached, curled bark. Only one of the three was queenright

and this nest had a disproportionate number (83) of males. On 9 August 2015,

I found two more queenless nests in abandoned nests of the green weaver ant

Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius, 1775 in a fig tree in a suburban garden in

West End, Townsville (19.27S, 146.79E). On 14 October 2015, a sixth

queenless nest was collected from Lou Litster Park in the Townsville suburb

of Hermit Park (19.29S, 146.79E). This nest had also been constructed within

an existing arthropod nest, in this case that of the social spider

Phryganoporus candidus (L. Koch, 1872), which still contained two resident

spiders. The apparent usurpation could have arisen out of a prior scavenging

role tentatively assigned to species of ants associating with P. candidus

(Downes 1994). A lone worker was also collected on 26 February 2015, from

a garden in the adjacent suburb of Annandale (19.31S, 146.79E). In all cases,

P. yorkana was nesting in close proximity to colonies of Polyrhachis

australis Mayr, 1870 (typically in the same tree).

The worker caste of P. yorkana is illustrated in Figs 1-4, where the variation

in propodeal spine length is evident; also the subequal sizes of the dorsal and

lateral petiolar spines, a character separating this species from P. australis in

which the lateral spines are distinctly longer than the dorsal ones. The

alitrunk lengths of the 23 workers from the nest collected on 16 October 2014

were measured, giving a mean + standard deviation of 1.59 + 0.068 mm. Figs

5-6 depict the queen and a male.

14 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

De DN

Arde.

Figs 1-6. Polyrhachis yorkana: (1-3) workers showing the characteristic variation in

the length of the propodeal spines (arrowed); (4) worker showing the petiole with its

subequal dorsal and lateral spines; (5) queen; (6) male. Scale bars (Figs 5-6) = 2 mm.

Details of the nests’ contents are given in Table 1. The limited evidence is

consistent with a seasonal pattern of male production similar to that found in

P. australis, in which male production starts to increase in October and peaks

in November (Downes 2015). The presence of 23 and 152 males respectively,

together with relatively large numbers of brood, in two of the five queenless

nests could be explained by the loss, for unknown reasons, of their recently

resident queen(s). Alternatively, those nests may have been outposts of a

single queen domiciled in another nest, a colony structure exemplified in

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 15

extreme fashion by green weaver ants of the genus Oecophylla Smith (e.g.

Hölldobler 1979). P. yorkana’s five-to-one (83%) queenless nest proportion

contrasts with corresponding data for other Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel

weaver ants in the same region: 32% (12 of 37 nests) for Polyrhachis robsoni

Kohout, 2006 (van Zweden et al. 2007) and 14% (25 of 181 nests) for P.

australis (Downes 2015). However, the sample size is too small for reliable

speculation about polydomy and colony structure, i.e. whether a single queen

might serve several nests.

Table 1. Nest volume, nest height and caste breakdown for six Polyrhachis yorkana

nests: A = 16.x.2014; B = 18.x1i.2014(1); C = 18.xii.2014(2); D = 9.viii.2015(1); E =

9.vili.2015(2); F = 14.x.2015; NR = not recorded.

ee oa

Volume (cm?) 4

Height(m) | 08

Larvae

Males

Queens

Workers

Voucher specimens have been deposited in the collection of the Queensland

Museum, Brisbane. The identification was made using Kohout’ s (2006) key.

Acknowledgements

I thank Rudolf Kohout for alerting me to the variable propodeal spine length

characteristic of P. yorkana, John and Jackie Collins for finding the lone P.

yorkana worker, and Malcolm Tattersall and Brian Malone for giving me the

run of their gardens to hunt for Polyrhachis nests.

References

DOWNES, M.F. 1994. Arthropod nest associates of the social spider Phryganoporus candidus

(Araneae: Desidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 9: 249-255.

DOWNES, M.F. 2015. Annual cycle of nest composition in the queen-dimorphic weaver ant

Polyrhachis australis Mayr, 1870 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in northern Queensland. Austral

Entomology 54: 87-95.

HÖLLDOBLER, B. 1979. Territories of the African weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda

(Latreille): a field study. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 51: 201-213.

16 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

KOHOUT, R.J. 2000. A review of the distribution of the Polyrhachis and Echinopla ants of the

Queensland Wet Tropics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae; Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland

Museum 46(1): 183-209.

KOHOUT, R.J. 2006. Review of Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:

Formicinae) of Australia, Borneo, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with descriptions of

new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52: 87-146.

van ZWEDEN, J.S., CAREW, M.E., HENSHAW, M.T., ROBSON, S.K.A. and CROZIER, R.H.

2007. Social and genetic structure of a supercolonial weaver ant, Polyrhachis robsoni, with

dimorphic queens. Insectes Sociaux 54: 34-41.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 17-30 17

A REVIEW AND KEYS TO GENERA AND SOME SPECIES

OF THE FRUIT FLY TRIBES PHYTALMIINI, PHASCINI AND

EPACROCERINI (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE: PHYTALMIINAE)

DAVID L. HANCOCK

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

Abstract

The tribes Phytalmiini, Phascini and Epacrocerini are considered to form a related grouping that

includes 18 primarily New Guinea genera: Phytalmiini with Diplochorda Osten Sacken,

Ortaloptera Edwards, Phytalmia Gerstaecker and Sessilina McAlpine & Schneider; Phascini

with Diarrhegmoides Malloch, Epinettyra Permkam & Hancock, Gressittidium Hardy,

Othniocera Hardy, Paraphasca Hardy, Phasca Hering, Stigmatomyia Hardy and Xenosophira

Hardy; and Epacrocerini with Epacrocerus Hardy, Proepacrocerus Hardy, Sophiropsis Hardy,

Tanaodema Hardy, Tanymetopus Hardy and Udamolobium Hardy. Three genera occur in

Australia. A key to genera and keys to the species of Ortaloptera and Diplochorda are included.

The type locality of Diplochorda myrmex Osten Sacken, 1881 is considered to be in Papua New

Guinea and ‘D. trineata’ de Meijere, 1913 is regarded as a nomen nudum, with the species

correctly named as D. trilineata de Meijere, 1915. Known host plants are newly fallen logs.

Introduction

Although sometimes treated in the past as a separate family or subfamily (e.g.

Malloch 1939), there is general agreement among recent authors (e.g.

Korneyev 1999, Hancock and Drew 2003) that the Phytalmia group

represents a tribe (Phytalmiini) closely related to the Acanthonevrini and

contains the genera Diplochorda Osten Sacken, Phytalmia Gerstaecker,

Sessilina McAlpine & Schneider and Ortaloptera Edwards, which all have

mid tibiae with 1 long, 1 medium, 1 short and several very short and thin

apical black spines. The Phytalmiini appear to belong in a grouping within

subfamily Phytalmiinae that also includes the tribes Phascini and

Epacrocerini (sensu Korneyev 1999), which also have 1 long and several

shorter midtibial spines.

With the possible exception of Paraphasca biangulata (de Meijere) (see

Hancock 201 1a), this group is restricted to the mainland of New Guinea and

surrounding islands such as Salawati, Waigou, Biak, Japen and New Britain,

plus northeastern Queensland, Australia, where three species occur.

Host records are available for three species in the Phytalmia complex:

Phytalmia alcicornis (Saunders) and P. mouldsi McAlpine & Schneider were

reared from beneath the bark of recently fallen Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum

(Meliaceae) trees (Hardy 1986, Dodson and Daniels 1988, Dodson 1989,

1999, Permkam and Hancock 1995); Phytalmia cervicornis Gerstaecker was

attracted to D. gaudichaudianum (Dodson 1999) and reared from

Xanthophyllum sp. (Xanthophyllaceae) (Dodson and Daniels 1988). The

biology of P. mouldsi and other Phytalmia species has been studied in detail

by Moulds (1977) and Dodson (1989, 1999), while an additional species was

described by Schneider (1993) and their phylogenetic relationships were

discussed by Schutze et al. (2007).

18 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

No host or biological information is available for either Phascini or

Epacrocerini but, as with Phytalmiini, they appear to be rainforest dwellers,

with several species of Ortaloptera, Phytalmia, Othniocera Hardy,

Paraphasca Hardy, Phasca Hering, Stigmatomyia Hardy, Epacrocerus Hardy

and Sophiropsis Hardy collected in logging areas in Papua New Guinea

(Hardy 1982, 1986, 1988, Schneider 1993).

The following generic key is based on the works of Hardy (1982, 1986) and

McAlpine and Schneider (1978). Terminology follows White et al. (1999).

Key to genera of Phytalmiini, Phascini and Epacrocerini

1 Wing with R-M crossvein placed above basal third of cell dm, well before

midline; wing pattern in apical half with a large oval brown area separated

from a narrow costal band by an elongate, C-shaped hyaline band [2

species, keyed below] ............::sscccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeees Ortaloptera Edwards, 1915

— Wing with R-M crossvein placed at or beyond middle of cell dm; wing

pattern not as above 5. .raaccecenssy zssaanaa ceccoaeaa te aaamuiers) J iesemmannsedeunmnananerneceeesd >? 2

2 Wing distinctly elongate; pterostigma elongate, if not much longer than

cell c then very narrow and meeting costa at a sharply acute angle; cell

bcu apically acute but at most weakly produced; wing pattern not

dimidiate; scutellum with only 1 pair of strong, apical setae; head often

with genal processes in males but not distinctly elongate; metathoracic

postcoxal bridge strongly sclerotised (Tribe Phytalmiini) .......00... 3

— Wing usually not distinctly elongate and pterostigma usually not narrow

and elongate, if so then pattern dimidiate, brown anteriorly and reticulate

posteriorly; cell bcu often distinctly produced at apex; scutellum usually

with 2-3 pairs of strong marginal setae, if only 1 then head distinctly

elongate and wing pattern dimidiate; metathoracic postcoxal bridge

MEDIDOS eeina eee tata areias bihderehibhtitel cearhieSesisnsdesbbberecckbhltitetes 5

3 Wing with veins Ri, R23 and R4+5 closely approximate for much of their

length and vein M strongly downcurved before R-M crossvein;

pterostigma much longer than cell c; males with costa strongly arched in

its outer half and with or without short, broad genal processes [9 species,

keyed below; Nesadrama Perkins, 1939 is a synonym (McAlpine and

Schneider 1978)] .............ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees Diplochorda Osten Sacken, 1881

— Wing with veins R;, Rz, and Ry,5 not closely approximate for much of

their length and vein M not downcurved before R-M crossvein;

pterostigma not much longer than cell c; genal processes variable .......... 4

4 Abdomen not petiolate, tergite 1+2 not constricted basally, anterior

notopleural seta well developed, as long as posterior one; pterostigma

about as long as cell c; males with or without short genal processes [3

species, keyed by McAlpine and Schneider (1978)]

EATE EEE E STEET, Sessilina McAlpine & Schneider, 1978

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 19

— Abdomen distinctly petiolate, tergite 1+2 constricted basally; anterior

notopleural seta much weaker than posterior one or absent; pterostigma

much shorter than cell c; males with long, antler-like genal processes [7

species, six keyed by McAlpine and Schneider (1978) plus one (P.

robertsi Schneider) added by Schneider (1993); Elaphomyia Saunders,

1861 and Archiphytalmia Edwards, 1936 are synonyms (McAlpine and

Schneider 1978); male genal processes illustrated by Dodson (1999) and

Schutze et al. (2007)] ssesssisssooctttitresseesesssaana Phytalmia Gerstaecker, 1860

5 Wing cell bcu apically truncate or weakly acute but not produced into a

distinct apical lobe; usually 2 pairs of scutellar setae, rarely 1 or 3; 1 pair

each of long frontal and orbital setae, sometimes a weak upper orbital seta

also present and sometimes all absent (Tribe Epacrocerini) .................04. 6

— Wing cell bcu produced into a distinct apical lobe; usually 3 pairs of

scutellar setae, rarely 2; usually 2-3 pairs of frontal setae, rarely 1; usually

2 pairs of orbital setae, if 1 then short and placed well behind middle of

frons (Tribe Phascini) ............cccccccccccccccecccseesssscsecccccssseuseeeseeeseceeseteseeeaeees 11

6 Second antennal segment not lobate; face gently concave; wing pattern

with brown apical area broadly separated from brown transverse band

from costa over R-M crossvein into cell dm ...sssssssssooneesssesesssesssssrsssserree 7

— Second antennal segment lobate on inner margin and extending beyond

base of arista; face vertical or convex; wing pattern not as above ........... 8

7 Two pairs of scutellar setae; cell bcu apically blunt [1 species, illustrated

by Hardy (1988)] cee ceeeeesseeestnneeeeeeees Proepacrocerus Hardy, 1988

— Three pairs of scutellar setae; cell bcu apically acute [2 species, illustrated

by Hardy C193 6). .cc Reslaataaatssanantee ane ddeamentts Sophiropsis Hardy, 1986

8 Scutellum with only 1 pair of distinct, apical setae; head narrow and

elongate in lateral view; wing narrow and elongate, the pattern dimidiate,

brown anteriorly and largely reticulate posteriorly [1 species, illustrated

by Hardy (1987)] «eoneiacdececassadddenaaaereeseeaeoeeseaennees Tanaodema Hardy, 1987

— Scutellum with 2 pairs of distinct setae; head broad in lateral view, often

globose; wing relatively narrow but not distinctly elongate, the pattern not

AS ADOVE: TETESI EEEE E AET anal rpc ta TEE EEIE 9

9 Head higher than long; face almost vertical; upper occiput narrow; thorax

normal in shape, not elongate and slender [4 species, keyed by Hardy

OESE 2AN ES Epacrocerus Hardy, 1982

— Head longer than high; face strongly receding; occiput inflated; thorax

SION SAL and Slendër sssrini iiine naes | aaide iaeiae 10

10 Wing hyaline except a tinge of brown near apex; pterostigma less than

half length of cell c; 1 long and 1 short costal spines above apex of vein

Sc [1 species, illustrated by Hardy (1982)] ...... Tanymetopus Hardy, 1982

20 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

— Wing with a complex pattern of brown and hyaline markings; pterostigma

large, longer than cell c; 2 short costal spines above apex of vein Sc [1

species, illustrated by Hardy (1982)] 0.0.0.0... Udamolobium Hardy, 1982

11 Wing with R-M crossvein placed below middle or basal half of

pterostigma, well before its apex ....... cee ccssseeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeetaeeeeees 12

— Wing with R-M crossvein placed below or well beyond apex of

PEL ORISAIIA seieren reann at re retete rran n errr E rreren tern ces 14

12 Wing with a distinct costal spine at apex of vein Sc; veins R3 and Rais

strongly arcuate; intrapostalar setae distinct [1 species, illustrated by

Hardy (1986)] .eeeseessseesseesessssssssrrereesssssssssssse Stigmatomyia Hardy, 1986

— Wing without a distinct costal spine at apex of vein Sc; veins Rz, and

R4 not strongly arcuate; intrapostalar setae absent ............ccsseeeeeeeeeeeees 13

13 Wing with a hyaline transverse band from costa to just below vein M in

cell dm and cell dm mostly brown; 3 pairs of scutellar setae [1 species,

illustrated by Hardy (1986)] -eeen Gressittidium Hardy, 1986

— Wing without a hyaline transverse band from costa to just below vein M

and cell dm mostly subhyaline to pale fulvous; 2 pairs of scutellar setae [1

species, illustrated by Permkam and Hancock (1995) and Hancock

(2011b: 9, not ĝ as stated)] ......... Epinettyra Permkam & Hancock, 1995

14 Wing with a broad hyaline transverse band from costa in cell rı at apex of

pterostigma across base of cell dm to posterior wing margin [2 species,

keyed by Hancock (201 1a)] ......eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees Paraphasca Hardy, 1986

— Wing without a complete hyaline transverse band from cell rı to posterior

margin, the hyaline indentation triangular and not crossing vein M ..... 15

15 Two pairs of scutellar setae [2 species, illustrated by Hardy (1980)]

ETE AA TA EIE EEA E A ETE Xenosophira Hardy, 1980

— Three pairs of scutellar setae 0... eee eeceeeeeenneceeecesnseeeeeeeessneeeeeeeeaeees 16

16 Third antennal segment large and broad, with antennae at least half height

of eye and usually as long as face; if antennae only 2/3 length of face then

only 1 pair of frontal setae; middle pair of scutellar setae weak [3 species,

keyed by Hardy (1986)] o.... eee eeseeeeeseeeeeeeees Othniocera Hardy, 1986

— Third antennal segment not large and broad, with antennae less than half

height of eye and distinctly shorter than face; 2-3 pairs of frontal setae;

middle pair of scutellar setae distinct 2.0... eee eeeeeesneeeeeeneeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeees 17

17 Intrapostalar setae absent; arista with short hairs on dorsal surface only [1

species, illustrated by Hardy (1986)] ....... Diarrhegmoides Malloch, 1939

— Intrapostalar setae present; arista long-plumose on both dorsal and ventral

surfaces [6 species, keyed by Hardy (1986)] ............ Phasca Hering, 1953

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 21

Figs 1-3. Ortaloptera callistomyia females from Upper Manki logging area near

Bulolo, Papua New Guinea: (1) lateral view; (2) dorsal view; (3) mid tibial spines.

Photos by Barbara Baehr (Queensland Museum).

22 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Key to Ortaloptera species

This genus is known only from mainland New Guinea and the following

material was examined: O. cleitamina Edwards — holotype 2°, Dutch New

Guinea, Mimika River, vii.1910, A.F.R. Wollaston, 1911-229 (in Natural

History Museum, London); O. callistomyia Hering — 1 £, 2 299, Papua New

Guinea: Upper Manki logging area, near Bulolo, 5000’, 15.xii.1972 (Q),

29 .xii.1972 (Q), 9.iii.1973 (4), F.R. Wylie and P. Shanahan, sticky trap (in

Australian Museum, Sydney).

1 Thorax and abdomen uniformly black without pale longitudinal vittae;

legs blackish brown [Indonesia (Mimika River, Papua Province) |

eA RATE PAA maa AERO TREE TT tf Ot ETRE na TE O. cleitamina Edwards, 1915

— Thorax and abdomen reddish brown to black with distinct pale or yellow

markings; legs mostly yellowish with a tinge of brown [Indonesia (Papua

Province) and northern Papua New Guinea; illustrated by Hardy (1988)

and in Figs TH]. eesasssonsverssssnndanpnudereeecetinesyes O. callistomyia Hering, 1941

Key to Diplochorda species

This key is derived largely from Malloch (1939), with additional information

provided by Osten Sacken (1881), Perkins (1939), Hardy (1974) and

Permkam and Hancock (1995). Diplochorda is a mainland New Guinea

genus, with one species extending as far west as Salawati Island and one as

far south as Cape York Peninsula, NE Australia. In males the costa is

strongly arched in its outer half and the genae in at least three species are

expanded into short, blunt processes. The type species is Dacus turgidus

Walker, 1865 (a synonym of Dacus concisus Walker, 1861).

1 Wing with apex of costal band extending broadly across R-M crossvein

and apex of cell dm and into cell m almost to vein Cu,; hyaline discal area

hatchet-shaped, subquadrate in centre of wing, extending along its length

anteriorly across vein Ry,5 to vein R»,3; male unknown [southern Papua

New Guinea (Western and Central Provinces: 1 9 examined, Central

Province, 5 km NW Brown River bridge, forest, 29.xii.1985, J.W. Ismay,

in Natural History Museum, London); Nesadrama petiolata Hardy, 1974

(described from Mindanao, Philippines but presumably mislabelled) is a

synonym (McAlpine and Schneider 1978); illustrated as ‘N. petiolata’ by

Hardy (1974)] ertiecreherrtreneseaneusennenvereiukneld D. myrmex Osten Sacken, 1881

[The type female of D. myrmex was collected by L.M. D’Albertis at

Katau (= Binaturi River, 09°08'29"S 142°57'10"E, ca 30 km west of Daru

in Western Province, Papua New Guinea) during his 1876-77 expedition

to the Fly River, not in Indonesian Papua as indicated by Norrbom et al.

(1999). D’ Albertis (1880) made no mention of Katau during his travels in

Indonesia’s West Papua Province in 1872-73 but recorded it (as ‘Kataw’ )

during his 1876-77 expedition. Note that ‘D. myrmex’ of Malloch (1939)

is a misidentification of D. trilineata de Meijere.]

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 23

— Wing with apex of costal band not extending broadly into cell m; hyaline

discal area elongate and not extending anteriorly across vein R445 to vein

R543 Pererr eee ere ee rarer eee rece rere EERE ETTI rere Tere rer ee Tee reyerer ee eT ee ere ee Serer Tee Tee eee Tere ec ee eee eee 2

2 Thorax with scutum anterior to suture largely or entirely black, without

distinct longitudinal yellow vittae; male with broad genal processes ...... 3

— Thorax with scutum anterior to suture yellow with 3 longitudinal black

vittae; male unknown or without broad genal processes 1.0... ceeeeeeeeeee 5

3 Wing with costal band crossing R-M crossvein and filling most of cell r4,5

[northern Papua New Guinea; wing and head illustrated by Malloch

CFDS 95] T a aaae AA AE aE aa ANa EAN D. aneura Malloch, 1939

— Wing with costal band not crossing R-M crossvein and filling none or

Gnily-part, faintly otee Tys araara aN NR nes 4

4 Scutum posterior to suture largely yellow, with a medial longitudinal

black vitta; scutellum yellow [Papua New Guinea and Australia (Iron

Range, northern Qld); illustrated by Permkam and Hancock (1995)]

beau E EE EE D. australis Permkam & Hancock, 1995

— Scutum posterior to suture almost entirely black; scutellum black [eastern

Indonesia (West Papua Province); illustrated by Saunders (1861: male

GTi) ITEE E E T D. brevicornis (Saunders, 1861)

5 Legs yellow with faint vestiges of a brownish ring on femora; abdomen

mostly yellow, with yellow band on tergite 1+2 not isolated and with a

pair of large black lateral patches from tergites 2 to 4; face yellow; male

unknown [eastern Indonesia (Arfak Mts, West Papua Province)]

NECETE ELIO DIAE AT A LOEN ec dake D. ophion Osten Sacken, 1881

— Legs with mid and hind femora broadly brown to black medially;

abdomen mostly brown to black, often paler posteriorly and with yellow

band on tergite 1+2 isolated; face with or without dark spots or band;

male with genal processes represented by low ridges ...........ccseceeeeeeeeeeeees 6

6 Wing cell cu, hyaline; face yellow; abdomen with yellow band on tergite

1+2 large, separated from hind margin by less than half its own length

[Papua New Guinea (Central and Eastern Highlands Provinces above

200m] enses A aeae RA D. unistriata Malloch, 1939

— Wing cell cu; brown at least anteriorly; face with a pair of black spots or

band near epistome; abdomen with yellow band on tergite 1+2 small,

separated from hind margin by about its own length or more ................. 7

7 Wing with costal band crossing R-M crossvein and filling all or most of

cell r445 [eastern Indonesia (northern Papua Province) and northern Papua

New Guinea; ‘D. myrmex’ of Malloch (1939) is a misidentification; wings

illustrated by Malloch (1939)] wee D. trilineata de Meijere, 1915

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

[The name ‘Diplochorda trineata’ appeared in a list of taxa reported at a

meeting by de Meijere (1913) two years before its formal description (de

Meijere 1915) as D. trilineata. De Meijere’s original (1913) report stated:

‘Diplochorda trineata, eene nieuwe soort, waarbij de 63 de eigenaardige

kopaanhangels missen, welke eenige der overige soorten kenmerken.’

[Diplochorda trineata, a new species, where the @ lack the peculiar

genal processes, which feature in some of the other species.] However,

use of the word ‘eenige’ [some] indicates that this absence also applies to

other species [e.g. D. concisa (Walker)] and the above does not constitute

a description or definition under the strictly defined terms of the ‘Code’

(ICZN 1999) but merely records ‘a new species’ that lacks a character

also lacking in other known species. Furthermore, de Meijere (1915) did

not mention ‘trineata’ or refer to his previous note when describing D.

trilineata, clearly neither accepting nor having intended it as a valid

name. Hence, the name D. trineata is regarded here as a nomen nudum,

having appeared without a valid description, definition or indication, with

D. trilineata de Meijere, 1915, thus regarded as the valid name.]

Wing with costal band not crossing R-M crossvein and filling none or

only part, faintly, of cell r445 ..eesessesssssesesssseesessssreeessssreeessssereessssereessssrrresss 8

Wing with costal band not crossing vein R445 into cell r4,5 or at most very

faintly at its apex [northern Papua New Guinea; wing illustrated by

Malloch (1939)] 2 ccsazalistssemmerttteaee ssi deaaaunisss D. minor Malloch, 1939

Wing with costal band crossing vein R445 into apical half to two-thirds of

cell r4,5 in its anterior half and extending weakly as a narrow patch almost

to apex of vein M [eastern Indonesia (West Papua Province) and southern

Papua New Guinea; Dacus turgidus Walker, 1865 and Nesadrama

longistigma Perkins, 1939 are regarded as synonyms; male illustrated by

Saunders (1861, as ‘Elaphomyia brevicornis female’, a misidentification)

and female wing illustrated by Perkins (1939, as ‘N. longistigma’ )]

Lubes) ppp a A re A A erh D. concisa (Walker, 1861)

[Diplochorda turgida (Walker) (= N. longistigma Perkins: synonymised

by McAlpine and Schneider (1978) after examination of their types) was

listed as a separate species by Norrbom et al. (1999) but it is not known

on what basis this was done; it had been treated previously as a synonym

of D. concisa by both Osten Sacken (1881) and Hardy (1959) after

examination of their types and, in the absence of further information, that

arrangement is followed here. Walker’s (1861, 1865) descriptions are

essentially identical, with that of the third antennal segment in D. concisa

(‘about one-third of the length of the 2nd’) clearly a lapsus; it is actually

about 2.5 times the length of the second (D. Whitmore pers. comm.). This

is a widespread species, known from Salawati Island, Ramoi (near

Sorong) and Manokwari in West Papua, plus Kokoda and Mt Lamington

in Papua New Guinea. ]

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 25

Discussion

Tribe Phytalmiini

The composition of this tribe — genera Phytalmia, Diplochorda, Sessilina and

Ortaloptera — was suggested by McAlpine and Schneider (1978) and

accepted by Korneyev (1999), who noted that the female aculeus was only

half the length of the oviscape (apomorphy). The presence of male genal

processes in at least some species in all four genera, the apically acute but

non-lobate wing cell bcu, the narrow and apically sharply acute pterostigma

and the lack of a costal spine above the apex of vein Sc also support this

association. At least two of the midtibial apical spines are well developed.

Ortaloptera differs from the other genera in retaining two pairs of scutellar

setae and a membranous metathoracic postcoxal bridge (plesiomorphies) and

is presumably the most primitive of the tribe. In Sessilina, Diplochorda and

Phytalmia there is only one pair of scutellar setae and the metathoracic

postcoxal bridge is broadly sclerotised (apomorphies). In Diplochorda and

Phytalmia the abdomen is petiolate and the anterior notopleural seta is weak

or absent (apomorphies); the latter is well developed in Ortaloptera and

Sessilina and the abdomen is not petiolate (plesiomorphies). Phytalmia, with

its well developed genal processes and Diplochorda, with its strongly arched

costa in males (both apomorphies), are the most speciose of the genera.

In a phylogenetic study by Schutze et al. (2007), morphological and

morphological + mitochondrial DNA data supported the monophyly of

Phytalmia, whereas the mitochondrial data alone (COII, 16S and combined

COII+16S) resulted in paraphyly with respect to Sessilina and/or

Diplochorda, with each resulting cladogram different from the others. This

casts considerable doubt on the reliability of molecular evidence, in isolation,

as an indicator of phylogenetic relationships.

All four genera occur in New Guinea, with single species of Phytalmia (P.

mouldsi McAlpine & Schneider) and Diplochorda (D. australis Permkam &

Hancock) occurring at Iron Range in northeastern Queensland.

Tribe Phascini

This tribe was regarded as distinct and defined by Korneyev (1994, 1999) to

include five genera — Diarrhegmoides, Othniocera, Paraphasca, Phasca and

Xenosophira, all with similar wing patterns and bare spermathecae with

protruding nipple-like apices. Stigmatomyia, Gressittidium and Epinettyra

were added subsequently by Hancock and Drew (2003) or Hancock (201 1b).

Although Epinettyra has an atypical wing pattern, its spermathecae are

similar to those of Othniocera (cf. Permkam and Hancock 1995 and Hardy

1986). The genera form an apparently closely related and monophyletic

group but their interrelationships are difficult to determine.

Korneyev (1999) noted that the Phascini and Phytalmiini both had the vanes

of the phallapodeme fused into a Y-shaped structure (a homoplasious

26 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

apomorphy that also occurs in most genera of Acanthonevrini and is thus

possibly plesiomorphic within the subfamily). The distinctive, ivory-white

medial vitta against a black scutum, seen in most species of Phascini (e.g.

Phasca trifasciata Hardy: Hancock and Drew 2003), resembles that of

Ortaloptera callistomyia (Fig. 2) and suggests a close relationship. Phascini

differ from Phytalmiini and Epacrocerini in having only one of the midtibial

apical spines well developed (apomorphy).

All genera occur in New Guinea with the exception of Epinettyra, with its

sole species E. setosa Permkam & Hancock known only from Iron Range and

the Atherton Tableland in northeastern Queensland.

Tribe Epacrocerini

This tribe was regarded as distinct and defined by Korneyev (1994, 1999),

based on the Epacrocerus group of Hardy (1982), to include four genera —

Epacrocerus, Proepacrocerus, Tanymetopus and Udamolobium, with

Sophiropsis later added by Hancock and Drew (2003). Proepacrocerus and

Sophiropsis do not have the lobate second antennal segment seen in all the

other genera but are associated on other characters, including the non-lobate

wing cell bcu and the presence of one pair each of long frontal and orbital

setae; these two genera are likely to be primitive within the tribe.

Tanaodema Hardy is added to the group here; although unusual in many

respects (Hardy 1987), it has the characteristic lobe on the inner margin of

the second antennal segment (apomorphy), plus a non-lobate cell bcu and a

greatly modified head, the latter apparently an extreme version of the

modifications present in Tanymetopus and Udamolobium that are much less

developed in Epacrocerus. In Udamolobium and Tanaodema the lobe of the

second antennal segment is broadly rounded [anteriorly produced in

Epacrocerus (sharply) and Tanymetopus (bluntly)], the wing pattern is

somewhat reticulate posteriorly and the pterostigma is longer than cell c

(apomorphies); these appear to be the most specialised genera. Several other

apomorphies seen in Tanaodema — the narrow and sharply acute pterostigma,

lack of a costal spine above the apex of vein Sc and presence of only one pair

of scutellar setae — appear to be homoplasious with Phytalmiini.

Korneyev (1999) noted that the eversible membrane of the ovipositor in

Epacrocerini is impregnated by sclerotised, apparently dentiform structures,

similar to that in tribe Phascini. The aculeus, with its blunt apex and four

pairs of preapical setae, is very similar (although broader subapically) to that

of Paraphasca, while the spermathecae (bare with a protruding, nipple-like

apex, at least in Sophiropsis), closely resemble those of the Phascini, also

suggesting a close relationship. As in Phytalmiini, at least two of the

midtibial apical spines are well developed.

The six genera are known only from New Guinea, with one species,

Tanymetopus claripennis Hardy, extending as far east as New Britain.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 27

Tribal status

It appears likely that all 18 genera recognised here belong in a single tribe,

Phytalmiini, defined largely by the number and form of the midtibial spines,

with the Phascini and Epacrocerini representing no more than groups of

genera. However, since life history details are unknown for both Phascini and

Epacrocerini, synonymy at this stage would be premature. It is likely,

however, that all breed in newly fallen logs, sharing a similar life history with

some groups in tribe Acanthonevrini such as the Rioxa and Dacopsis

complexes and some genera in the Acanthonevra complex (Hancock 2013,

2014a, 2014b). Other groups of Acanthonevrini — the bamboo stem-breeding

Sophira complex (Hancock 2012) and the primarily tree trunk-breeding

Aethiothemara, Diarrhegma, Dirioxa and Themaroides groups (Hancock

2015) — are possibly more distantly related and the whole tribal classification

within subfamily Phytalmiinae requires further examination. If needed, the

tribal name Terastiomyiini is available for the Sophira complex.

List of known species

Forty-eight species have been described in the three tribes reviewed here.

These are listed below, together with their synonyms.

Tribe EPACROCERINI

Epacrocerus apiculatus Hardy, 1982

E. maculatus Hardy, 1982

E. quadrivittatus Hardy, 1982

E. splendens Hardy, 1982

Proepacrocerus pallidoviridus Hardy, 1988

Sophiropsis calcarata Hardy, 1986

S. improbata (Hering, 1941)

Tanaodema porrecta Hardy, 1987

Tanymetopus claripennis Hardy, 1982

Udamolobium pictulum Hardy, 1982

Tribe PHASCINI

Diarrhegmoides hastatum Malloch, 1939

Epinettyra setosa Permkam & Hancock, 1995

Gressittidium flavicoxa Hardy, 1986

Othniocera aberrans Hardy, 1986

O. pallida Hardy, 1986

O. pictipennis Hardy, 1986

Paraphasca biangulata (de Meijere, 1924)

Pa. taenifera Hardy, 1986

Phasca bicunea Hardy, 1986

P. connexa Hardy, 1986

P. maculifacies Hardy, 1986

P. ortaloides (Walker, 1865) (= bidens (Hering, 1953))

P. sedlaceki Hardy, 1986

28 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

P. trifasciata Hardy, 1986

Stigmatomyia arcuata Hardy, 1986

Xenosophira invibrissata Hardy, 1980

X. vibrissata Hardy, 1980

Tribe PHYTALMIINI

Diplochorda aneura Malloch, 1939

. australis Permkam & Hancock, 1995

. brevicornis (Saunders, 1861)

. concisa (Walker, 1861) (= turgida (Walker, 1865); = longistigma (Perkins, 1939))

. minor Malloch, 1939

myrmex Osten Sacken, 1881 (= petiolata (Hardy, 1974))

. ophion Osten Sacken, 1881

. trilineata de Meijere, 1915 (= trineata de Meijere, 1913, nomen nudum)

. unistriata Malloch, 1939

Ortaloptera callistomyia Hering, 1941

O. cleitamina Edwards, 1915

Phytalmia alcicornis (Saunders, 1861)

. antilocapra McAlpine & Schneider, 1978

. biarmata Malloch, 1939

. cervicornis Gerstaecker, 1860 (= prisca (Enderlein, 1936))

. megalotis Gerstaecker, 1860 (= wallacei (Saunders, 1861))

. mouldsi McAlpine & Schneider, 1978

. robertsi Schneider, 1993

Sessilina horrida McAlpine & Schneider, 1978

S. literata McAlpine & Schneider, 1978

S. nigrilinea (Walker, 1861) (= wollastoni (Edwards, 1915))

Soeuyyogyyyd

dwd

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Dan Bickel and Jacquie Recsei (Australian Museum, Sydney)

for the loan of Ortaloptera specimens, Barbara Baehr (Queensland Museum,

Brisbane) for Figures 1-3, David Britton (Department of Agriculture, Cairns)

for locating the current name for Katau and Albert Orr for help in translating

de Meijere’s (1913) note. Kim Goodger and Daniel Whitmore (Natural

History Museum, London) kindly provided access to specimens and

information on the type of Diplochorda concisa. I also thank David

McAlpine and Allen Norrbom for earlier comments on the relationships of

Ortaloptera that led to a clearer understanding of the genus.

References

D’ ALBERTIS, L.M. 1880. New Guinea: What I did and what I saw. 2 vols. Sampson Low,

Marston, Searle & Rivington, London; x + 424 pp; x + 406 pp.

DE MEIJERE, J.C.H. 1913. [Onderzoek der Diptera, door den heer Dr. P.N. van Kampen in

Noord-Nieuw-Guinea]. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 56: xxxviii-xli.

DE MEIJERE, J.C.H. 1915. Diptera aus Nord-Neu-Guinea gesammelt von Dr. P.N. van Kampen

und K. Gjellerup in den Jahren 1910 und 1911. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 58: 98-139.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 29

DODSON, G. 1989. The horny antics of antlered flies. Australian Natural History 22(12): 604-

611.

DODSON, G.N. 1999. Behavior of the Phytalmiinae and the evolution of antlers in tephritid

flies. Pp 175-184, in: Aluja, M. and Norrbom, A.L. (eds), Fruit flies (Tephritidae): phylogeny

and evolution of behavior. CRC Press, Boca Raton; xviii + 944 pp.

DODSON, G. and DANIELS, G. 1988. Diptera reared from Dysoxylon gaudichaudianum (Juss.)

Miq. at Iron Range, northern Queensland. Australian Entomological Magazine 15(2): 77-79.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2011a. A note on the status of Colobostrella biangulata de Meijere (Diptea:

Tephritidae: Phytalmiinae). Australian Entomologist 38(2): 89-90.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2011b. Epinettyra setosa Permkam & Hancock, an Australian representative

of tribe Phascini (Diptera: Tephritidae: Phytalmiinae). Australian Entomologist 38(4): 197-200.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2012. Bamboo-stem flies: an annotated key to the species of the Sophira

complex of genera (Diptera: Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini). Australian Entomologist 39(1): 5-32.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2013. Themara maculipennis (Westwood) and Themara hirtipes Rondani

(Diptera: Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini): a case of confused synonymies. Australian Entomologist

40(2): 93-98.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2014a. An annotated key to the Rioxa complex of genera (Diptera:

Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini). Australian Entomologist 41(1): 45-54.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2014b. An annotated key to the Dacopsis complex of genera (Diptera:

Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini), with two new genera and one new species. Australian

Entomologist 41(3): 163-176.

HANCOCK, D.L. 2015. A review of the tree, fig and fruit-infesting flies of the Aethiothemara,

Diarrhegma, Dirioxa and Themaroides groups of genera (Diptera: Tephritidae: Acanthonevrini).

Australian Entomologist 42(3): 107-126.

HANCOCK, D.L. and DREW, R.A.I. 2003. New species and records of Phytalmiinae (Diptera:

Tephritidae) from Australia and the south Pacific. Australian Entomologist 30(2): 65-78.

HARDY, D.E. 1959. The Walker types of fruit flies (Tephritidae-Diptera) in the British Museum

collection. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 8(5): 159-242, pls 11-

16.

HARDY, D.E. 1974. The fruit flies of the Philippines (Diptera: Tephritidae). Pacific Insects

Monograph 32: 1-266, pls 1-6.

HARDY, D.E. 1980. The Sophira group of fruit fly genera (Diptera: Tephritidae:

Acanthonevrini). Pacific Insects 22: 123-161.

HARDY, D.E. 1982. The Epacrocerus complex of genera in New Guinea (Diptera: Tephritidae:

Acanthonevrini). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Washington 10: 78-92.

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.

HARDY, D.E. 1987. The Trypetini, Aciurini and Ceratitini of Indonesia, New Guinea and

adjacent islands of the Bismarks and Solomons (Diptera: Tephritidae: Trypetinae).

Entomography 5: 247-373.

HARDY, D.E. 1988. Fruit flies of the subtribe Gastrozonina of Indonesia, New Guinea and the

Bismarck and Solomon Islands (Diptera, Tephritidae, Trypetinae, Acanthonevrini). Zoologica

Scripta 17: 77-121.

30 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature). 1999. International code of

zoological nomenclature. 4th edition. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London;

306 pp.

KORNEYEV, V.A. 1994. Reclassification of Palaearctic Tephritidae (Diptera). Communication

2. Vestnik Zoologii [27](1): 3-17. [In Russian]

KORNEYEV, V.A. 1999. Phylogenetic relationships among higher groups of Tephritidae. Pp

73-113, in: Aluja, M. and Norrbom, A.L. (eds), Fruit flies (Tephritidae): phylogeny and

evolution of behavior. CRC Press, Boca Raton; xviii + 944 pp.

MALLOCH, J.R. 1939. The Diptera of the territory of New Guinea. IX. Family Phytalmiidae.

Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 44: 169-180.

McALPINE, D.K. and SCHNEIDER, M.A. 1978. A systematic study of Phytalmia (Diptera:

Tephritidae) with description of a new genus. Systematic Entomology 3: 159-175.

MOULDS, M.S. 1977. Field observations on behaviour of a north Queensland species of

Phytalmia (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 16: 347-352.

NORRBOM, A.L., CARROLL, L.E., THOMPSON, F.C., WHITE, I.M. and FREIDBERG, A.

1999. Systematic database of names. Pp 65-251, in: Thompson, F.C. (ed.), Fruit fly expert

identification system and systematic information database. Myia 9: ix + 524 pp.

OSTEN SACKEN, C.R. 1881. Enumeration of the Diptera of the Malay Archipelago collected

by Prof. Odoardo Beccari, Mr L.M. D’Albertis and others. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia

Naturale di Genova (1880-1881) 16: 393-492.

PERKINS, F.A. 1939. Studies in Oriental and Australian Trypetidae. Part 3: Adraminae and

Dacinae from New Guinea, Celebes, Aru Is., and Pacific Islands. University of Queensland

Papers, Department of Biology 1(10): 1-35, 1 pl.

PERMKAM, S. and HANCOCK, D.L. 1995. Australian Trypetinae (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Invertebrate Taxonomy 9: 1047-1209.

SAUNDERS, W.W. 1861. On Elaphomyia, a genus of remarkable insects of the Order Diptera.

Transactions of the Entomological Society of London (N.S.) 5: 413-417.

SCHNEIDER, M.A. 1993. A new species of Phytalmia (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Papua New

Guinea. Australian Entomologist 20(1): 3-8.

SCHUTZE, M.K., YEATES, D.K., GRAHAM, G.C. and DODSON, G. 2007. Phylogenetic

relationships of antlered flies, Phytalmia Gerstaecker (Diptera: Tephritidae): the evolution of

antler shape and mating behaviour. Australian Journal of Entomology 46: 281-293.

WALKER, F. 1861. Catalogue of the dipterous insects collected at Dorey, New Guinea, by Mr.

A.R. Wallace, with descriptions of new species. Journal of Proceedings of the Linnean Society

of London, Zoology 5: 229-254.

WALKER, F. 1865. Descriptions of some new species of dipterous insects from the island of

Salwatty, near New Guinea. Journal of Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology

8: 130-136.

WHITE, I.M., HEADRICK, D.H., NORRBOM, A.L. and CARROLL, L.E. 1999. Glossary. Pp

881-1924, in: Aluja, M. and Norrbom, A.L. (eds), Fruit flies (Tephritidae): phylogeny and

evolution of behavior. CRC Press, Boca Raton; xviii + 944 pp.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 31-34 31

THE SPIDER OECOBIUS CONCINNUS SIMON (ARANEAE:

OECOBIIDAE) IN NESTS OF THE ANT POLYRHACHIS AUSTRALIS

MAYR (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) IN TOWNSVILLE,

QUEENSLAND: A NEW DISTRIBUTION RECORD

MICHAEL F. DOWNES! and MARK HARVEY?

126 Canara Street, Cranbrook, Townsville, Old 4814 (Email: mikedownes@ bigpond.com)

° Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool

DC, WA 6986 (Email: mark.harvey @ museum.wa.gov.au)

Abstract

The pantropical spider Oecobius concinnus Simon is newly recorded from Townsville in

Queensland, where it associates with the formicine weaver ant Polyrhachis australis Mayr,

probably feeding on the ants’ brood.

Introduction

Spiders of the genus Oecobius Lucas are tiny and move swiftly, so it is not

surprising that our knowledge of their distribution is fragmentary and biased

in favour of urban locations. Oecobius concinnus Simon, 1892 is a

pantropical species whose occurrence in Australia has to date been noted only

for limited locations in the Northern Territory (Framenau et al. 2014). Precise

specimen records are available on the OZCAM (2015) website for specimens

collected in Berrimah, Darwin (12.413S, 130.912E) and Kapalga, West

Arnhem Land (Kakadu National Park, at 12.383S, 132.3E (Site B) and 12.7S,

132.367E (Naramu Camp)). Here we record its presence in Townsville,

Queensland where, besides occurring in its familiar synanthropic haunts, it

was found to associate closely with the formicine weaver ant Polyrhachis

(Cyrtomyrma) australis Mayr, 1870. For a diagnosis of the subgenus

Cyrtomyrma Forel, together with a species key and distributions, see Kohout

(2006).

Discussion

More than 400 P. australis nests were dissected as part of a six-year and

ongoing study in Cranbrook, Townsville (19.302S, 146.751E) (Downes

2015). Arthropod nest associates were systematically recorded and included

18 specimens of O. concinnus collected in four of the six years (2011, 2013,

2014, 2015) in all months of the year except February, April and June and

covering all stages of the free-living part of the spider’s life cycle, i.e.

juvenile, adult female (Fig. 1) and adult male (Fig. 2).

Spiders were found both inside and outside the nests and it can be inferred

from other studies (Jackson and Nelson 2012, Garcia et al. 2014), as well as

from the size (6 mm) and armour of the worker ants, that the spiders were

feeding primarily, if not solely, on the ants’ brood. However, it should not be

concluded that O. concinnus is myrmecophagous by trophic habit, since by

selecting ants the spiders are merely selecting the most commonly available

prey (Voss et al. 2007, Liznarova et al. 2013).

32 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Figs 1-2. Oecobius concinnus, dorsal view: (1) adult female; (2) adult male. Sizes

indicated by the 2 mm graph paper background.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 33

Nonetheless, the spider-ant association is unlikely to be simply fortuitous.

One reason for this is that the ants’ brood is only accessible to predators that

have some mechanism preventing the worker ants from recognizing the

intruder as alien. Another is that spiders of the genus Oecobius are typically

sit-and-wait webspinners, not free hunters (Glatz 1967, Voss et al. 2007), so

their operating base would seem to be the ants’ nest. The spiders’ own web

retreats, if constructed, are presumably either integrated into the ants’ nest or

located close by. In this connection it is germane to note that the weaver ants

also use spider silk, as well as silk from their own larvae, to construct their

nests and line the interior (Dwyer and Ebert 1994).

The lateral and marginal cephalothoracic spots, used in part by Santos and

Gonzaga (2003) in their diagnoses of O. navus Blackwall, O. concinnus and

O marathaus Tikader, would seem to be unreliable characters for species

identification, given the clearly prominent elliptical laterals and triangular

marginals of the Townsville specimens of O. concinnus. Structure of the male

and female genitalia, as illustrated in Santos and Gonzaga (2003), remains the

decisive diagnostic criterion. Adult female, adult male and juvenile

specimens have been deposited in the Western Australian Museum, Perth.

References

CUSHING, P.E. 2012. Spider-ant associations: An updated review of myrmecomorphy,

myrmecophily, and myrmecophagy in spiders. Psyche Article ID 151989, 23 pages.

doi: 10.1155/2012/15 1989.

DOWNES, M.F. 2015. Annual cycle of nest composition in the queen-dimorphic weaver ant

Polyrhachis australis Mayr, 1870 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in northern Queensland. Austral

Entomology 54: 87-95.

DWYER, P.D. and EBERT, D.P. 1994. The use of spider silk in the initiation of nest-building by

weaver ants (Formicidae: Formicinae: Polyrhachis). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 37:

115-119.

FRAMENAU, V.W., BAEHR, B.C. and ZBOROWSKI, P. 2014. A guide to the spiders of

Australia. New Holland, Sydney; 448 pp.

GARCIA, L.F., LACAVA, M. and VIERA, C. 2014. Diet composition and prey selectivity by

the spider Oecobius concinnus (Araneae: Oecobiidae) from Columbia. Journal of Arachnology

42: 199-201.

GLATZ, L. 1967. Zur biologie und morphologie von Oecobius annulipes (Araneae, Oecobiidae).

Zoomorphology 61: 185-214.

JACKSON, R.R. and NELSON, X.J. 2012. Specialized exploitation of ants (Hymenoptera:

Formicidae) by spiders (Araneae). Myrmecological News 17: 33-49.

KOHOUT, R.J. 2006. Review of Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:

Formicinae) of Australia, Borneo, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with descriptions of

new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52: 87-146.

LIZNAROVA, E., SENTENSKA, L., GARCIA, L.F., PEKAR, S. and VIERA, C. 2013. Local

trophic specialisation in a cosmopolitan spider (Araneae). Zoology 116: 20-26.

34 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

OZCAM. 2015. http://ozcam.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?taxa=Oecobius+concinnus#

tab_mapView

SANTOS, A.J. and GONZAGA, M.O. 2003. On the spider genus Oecobius Lucas, 1846 in

South America. Journal of Natural History 37: 239-252.

VOSS, S.C., MAIN, B.Y. and DADOUR, I.R. 2007. Habitat preferences of the urban wall spider

Oecobius navus (Araneae, Oecobiidae). Australian Journal of Entomology 46: 261-268.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 35-37 35

A RECORD OF DACTYLOPLUSIA IMPULSA (WALKER, 1865)

(LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE: PLUSIINAE) NEW TO FIJI

SITERI TIKOCA!, JOHN CLAYTON‘, SIMON HODGE””, MARIKA

TUIWAWA]|, SARAH PENE! and GILIANNE BRODIE”

"Institute of Applied Sciences, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji

*School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji

Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand

*15 Whinny Brae, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, United Kingdom

*quthor for correspondence: Email: stikoca@ gmail.com

Abstract

The species Dactyloplusia impulsa (Walker, 1865) is recorded from Fiji for the first time. This

considerably extends its known range. The single female specimen is illustrated and the genitalia

are figured for the first time.

Introduction

A single specimen of the plusiine species Dactyloplusia impulsa (Walker,

1865) was taken in lowland forest in southeastern Viti Levu, Fiji. There are

no published records of this species from any part of Fiji and it is not listed in

the recent checklist of Fijian Lepidoptera by Evenhuis (2013).

Materials and methods

The specimen was taken on 30 October 2012 at a mercury vapour light in

Colo-I-Suva Forest Park (grid reference: -18.32847°, 178.274073°), close to

Suva on the main island of Viti Levu. This is an area of mahogany plantation

interspersed with regrowth of native plant species. The specimen was

dissected and a genitalia slide prepared. The slide and the specimen were then

clearly labelled and retained as voucher specimens at the South Pacific

Regional Herbarium, Suva, Fiji.

This work was part of a systematic programme of light trapping carried out in

a number of lowland forest locations close to Suva, which forms the basis of

a study to investigate potential metrics for the evaluation of forest quality.

Light trapping was carried out using a mercury-vapour light trap, which was

operated for four hours between 6.30 pm and 10.30 pm across three different

forest types during the months of October and November 2012. The details of

the methods used and results obtained were described by Tikoca (2015).

Family Noctuidae

Subfamily Plusiinae

Genus Dactyloplusia Chou & Lu, 1979

Chou and Lu (1979) reviewed the Chinese Plusiinae and introduced the

monotypic genus Dactyloplusia Chou & Lu for Walker’s Plusia impulsa.

36 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Dactyloplusia impulsa (Walker, 1865)

Holloway (1985) discussed this species and illustrated the adult male and its

genitalia. An image of the female Fijian specimen is included here for

comparison (Fig. 1), and for completeness the female genitalia are also

illustrated (Fig. 2). In the adult, the three lines in the terminal third of the

wing, each approximately parallel to the termen, are diagnostic, as is the dark

basal suffusion combined with the orange shading in the central area.

Figs 1-2. Dactyloplusia impulsa female: (1) adult; (2) genitalia.

Genitalia: The ductus bursae is strongly expanded and sclerotised centrally;

the sterigmata is heavily sclerotised with anterior and posterior lamellae

fused and bears six sharp processes directed posterobasally; the bursa

copulatrix bears a signum consisting of a pair of small, crescent shaped,

somewhat diffuse markings that are ribbed and fade away marginally.

Occurrence

Holloway (1985) recorded the geographical range of D. impulsa as Sri Lanka,

India, S. China, Sundaland, Sulawesi and New Guinea. Species of subfamily

Plusiinae are known for their dispersal and propensity for individuals to turn

up outside their normal established range and Holloway (1985) noted this

behaviour for three of the five species previously known from Fiji. It is likely

that this is also the case with the current record.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 37

Only this single specimen of D. impulsa was obtained from a total of 491

macro-moth individuals belonging tol0 families and 92 taxa, collected over

12 nights of light trapping (Tikoca 2015). This suggests that the species either

is currently not abundant in forests in the Suva area or was a vagrant.

Dactyloplusia impulsa is sufficiently unmistakable and striking that it is

unlikely to have been overlooked during previous recording in Fiji if it were

resident, and it remains to be seen by further sampling effort whether the

species becomes or is already established.

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by The Faculty of Science, Technology and

Environment at the University of the South Pacific. Site access and collection

permission was granted by The Department of Forestry, Fiji Islands. We

gratefully acknowledge the following staff of The South Pacific Regional

Herbarium for their logistical and fieldwork assistance: Alifereti Naikatini,

Hilda Waga-Sakiti, Tokasaya Cakacaka, Apaitia Liga, Manoa Maiwaqa and

Ratu Filimoni Rokotunaceva. We also thank Drs David Britten and Albert

Orr for a number of helpful and constructive comments on the manuscript.

References

CHOU, I. and LU, T. 1979. Two new genera and four new species of Plusiinae and revision of

some known species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Entomotaxonomia 1(1): 15-22.

EVENHUIS, N.L. 2013. Checklist of Fijian Lepidoptera. [Accessed 2nd November 2015].

hbs.bishopmuseum.org /Fiji/checklists/lepidoptera.html

HOLLOWAY, J.D. 1985. The moths of Borneo: Part 14 — Family Noctuidae, Subfamilies

Euteliinae, Stictopterinae, Plusiinae, Pantheinae. Southdene Sdn. Bhd, Kuala Lumpur; 317 pp.

TIKOCA, S. 2015. Diversity and community structure of macro-moths (Lepidoptera) in lowland

forest habitats on Viti Levu, Fiji islands. MSc Thesis, University of the South Pacific.

WALKER, F. 1865. List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British

Museum. Part 33. Supplement.- Part 3. British Museum (Natural History), London; pp 707-

1120.

38 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

BOOK NOTICE

Field Guide to the

dragonflies of

New Guinea

Brachytron

Albert Orr & Vincent Kalkman

Illustrated by Albert Orr

This book, published in December 2015 as a Supplement to the Dutch Society for

Dragonfly Studies’ journal Brachytron, is a companion to the ‘Field Guide to the

damselflies of New Guinea’ published in 2013 by the same authors (see Australian

Entomologist 40(4): 248). It covers the ‘true’ dragonflies or Anisoptera and enables

the reader to identify the approximately 175 species presently known from mainland

New Guinea, its satellite islands and the Bismarck Archipelago. As well as

introducing students and researchers to the beauty of dragonflies, this guide provides a

basis to study them and use them in biodiversity studies supporting the conservation

of freshwater habitats. The guide contains nearly 250 colour drawings and over 300

line drawings by Albert Orr and 36 colour photographs taken in the field, mostly by

Stephen Richards. Many species included have never been depicted in colour before.

The book is dedicated to the memory of Henk van Mastrigt (1946-2015).

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1): 39-45 39

A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE TRIBE ZOLINI FROM

SOUTHEASTERN AUSTRALIA (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE:

ZOLINI)

MARTIN BAEHR

Zoologische Staatssammlung Miinchen, Miinchhausenstr. 21, D-81247 Miinchen, Germany

(E-mail: martin. baehr@ zsm.mwn.de)

Abstract

Thayerella newtoni gen. n., sp. n., a new genus and species of the carabid tribe Zolini, is

described from southern Victoria. A key is provided for the Australian genera of Zolini.

Introduction

Zolini (or Merizodini) is a small tribe of carabid beetles of the Trechinae

lineage that has a decidedly southern distribution in southern South America,

southern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and on some subantarctic

islands. Four genera with 14 species have been recorded from Australia,

namely the cave-inhabiting [dacarabus Lea, 1910 and the epigean ground-

living species of Percodermus Sloane, 1920, Pterocyrtus Sloane, 1920 and

Sloaneana Csiki, 1933 (Sloane 1920, Moore et al. 1987, Baehr 2002, 2015,

Lorenz 2005, Eberhardt and Giachino 2011).

Among borrowed material from the Australian National Insect Collection,

Canberra, I detected a few specimens from Victoria that did not match any of

the known Zolini genera. They are described below as a new species

belonging to a new genus. A key is provided for the Australian genera of the

tribe.

Methods

Standard methods are used in the taxonomic procedure. The habitus

photograph was taken with a digital camera using ProgRes CapturePro 2.6

and AutoMontage and then worked with Corel Photo Paint 14. Measurements

were taken using a stereo microscope with an ocular micrometer. Body

length was measured from the apex of the labrum to the apex of the elytra, by

addition of the lengths of head, prothorax and elytra; length of pronotum was

measured along midline; length of elytra is a straight line from the most

produced part of the humerus to the most produced part of the apex.

The types are in the Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra (ANIC)

and in the working collection of the author at Zoologische Staatssammlung,

Miinchen (CBM).

Genus Thayerella gen. n.

Type species: Thayerella newtoni sp. n., by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Genus of Zolini, by means of presence of a seta in the mandibular

scrobe, terminal palpomere of both palpi conical, presence of pilosity on the

penultimate palpomere of the maxillary palpus and crossed epipleura of the

40 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

elytra. The shape of the basal male tarsomeres of the protarsus is unknown,

because only females are available. The genus is distinguished from other

Australian Zolini by its convex, almost semicircular prothorax and short and

laterally and dorsally convex elytra, the chaetotaxy of head and pronotum,

absence of a submarginal carina on the pronotum and absence of a preapical

submarginal carina on the elytra.

Description. Rather small, laterally and dorsally convex species; head with

two supraorbital setae; clypeus with one elongate seta on each side; labrum

six-setose, the lateral setae very elongate, the four median ones short, those in

middle very short; mandible with an elongate seta in the scrobe; mentum with

a distinct, sharply triangular tooth, with one elongate seta on either side;

submentum with a single elongate seta on each side; glossa rather wide,

apicad gently widened and transverse at apex, bisetose, setae elongate;

paraglossa narrow, apically separated from glossa; lacinia with few very

elongate teeth; apical palpomeres of both palpi elongate, conical, sparsely

setose, in the maxillary palpus the penultimate palpomere also sparsely

setose; antenna rather densely pilose from middle of 4" antennomere, but

also the 2™ and 3" antennomeres very sparsely setulose; frons with a deep,

approximately triangular groove on each side close to the clypeal suture, with

a shallow, oblique frontal furrow which almost attains the anterior

supraorbital seta. Eye large but little protruded laterally.

Pronotum almost orbicular, dorsally convex, with evenly rounded basal

angle; lateral margin with a single elongate seta slightly in front of middle.

Elytra short, somewhat oviform, dorsally convex; basal margin oblique,

reaching the base of the 2™ stria; apex evenly rounded, with extremely

shallow preapical sinuosity where the internal ridge distinctly crosses the

lateral margin; dorsal surface near apex without an externally careniform

submarginal plica; striation complete, all striae deep and coarsely punctate,

reaching the apex, only in apical third impunctate but even deeper than in

basal half; 1“ stria at base out-turned to meet the 2™ stria; scutellary stria

extremely short, just visible in front of the out-turned 1“ stria; scutellary

puncture and seta located at origin of the 2™ stria, seta elongate; 3™ interval

with two setiferous punctures on either side; series of marginal punctures

widely interrupted in middle.

Lower surface of prothorax impunctate; prosternum margined between the

procoxae; mesepisternum with a dorsoventrad directed row of coarse

punctures; metepisternum quadrate, with a few coarse punctures; abdomen

impunctate; terminal sternum in the female six-punctate.

Legs rather short and robust; tarsi impilose on the dorsal surface; lower

surface of the 5" tarsomeres asetose; claws elongate, glabrous.

Male genitalia unknown.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 41

Female gonocoxite 2 fairly elongate, slightly curved, with one large

dorsomedian ensiform seta, two large and elongate ventrolateral ensiform

setae, and one elongate, subapical nematiform seta.

Etymology. The name is a patronym in honour of one of the collectors of the

type species, Margaret Thayer of the Field Museum, Chicago.

Distribution. Known only from the Cape Otway area, extreme southern

Victoria, Australia, the type locality of the single known species.

Thayerella newtoni sp. n.

(Figs 1-3)

Types. Holotype 2, VICTORIA: ‘38.398 143.42E, Haines Junct. 525 m, 1.9 km W.on

Turtons Track 809, 25Jan.-8Feb.1987, A. Newton & M. Thayer / wet scler. forest

FMHD ’87-215 Berl. leaf & log litter’ (ANIC). Paratypes: 2 99, same data (ANIC,

CBM). The latitude and longitude should be read as 38°39’S, 143°42’E.

Diagnosis. As for genus: easily recognized by the wide, yellow margins of

pronotum and elytra, the laterally convex pronotum with almost rounded

basal angle, and the oviform, convex elytra with complete striation and

deeply impressed, coarsely punctate striae.

Description. Measurements. Length: 3.65-3.75 mm; width: 1.4-1.45 mm;

ratio width/length of pronotum: 1.25-1.28; ratio width of pronotum/width of

head: 1.54-1.58; ratio length/width of elytra: 1.52; ratio width of elytra/width

of pronotum: 1.25-1.27.

Colour (Fig. 1). Black, very glossy. Pronotum and elytra with wide,

conspicuous, well delimited dark yellow margin. In the pronotum the margin

narrowly extends along the base, on the elytra the margin covers most of the

base and almost meets at the apex. Apical margin of clypeus, labrum and

basal half of mandibles dark red, palpi and antenna yellow, the four basal

antennomeres very slightly darker. Femora yellow, tibiae and tarsi slightly

darker, pale red to reddish piceous. Lower surface black, but epipleurae of

pronotum and elytra bright yellow.

Head (Figs 1-2). Rather narrow in comparison with the prothorax. Frons

convex. Eye large, though laterad but little protruded, orbit short, convex.

Posterior orbital seta located at posterior margin of the eye. Clypeo-frontal

suture distinct. Labrum rather elongate, with straight apex. Mandibles of

moderate length, evenly curved, acute. Terminal palpomeres elongate, acute.

Antenna rather short, not attaining the base of the pronotum, median

antennomeres ca 1.2-1.3 times as long as wide. Labrum with distinct,

isodiametric microreticulation, rest of surface without microreticulation, very

glossy, with very sparse, extremely fine punctures which are only visible at

very high magnification.

Pronotum (Fig. 1). Wide, laterally markedly convex, almost orbicular. Apex

about as wide as base, very slightly concave, anterior angles slightly

42 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

produced, obtuse. Lateral margins almost evenly rounded, widest slightly in

front of middle. Basal angle completely rounded, base very slightly convex.

Apex feebly bordered but border interrupted in middle, lateral margins

narrowly, strongly bordered, border not widened apicad. Base only bordered

near basal angle. Lateral channel narrow. Disk evenly convex. Median line

distinct, well impressed, almost reaching base, but anteriorly only reaching

the anterior transverse sulcus that is present only in middle. Prebasal sulcus

absent. Basal grooves barely evident. The anterior marginal seta situated

slightly in front of middle at the widest diameter, the posterior marginal seta

absent. Surface in basal half with some irregular, transverse strioles, without

microreticulation, very glossy. Base in middle with some fairly coarse

punctures.

Fig. 1. Thayerella newtoni gen. n., sp. n. Habitus. Body length: 3.75 mm.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 43

Figs 2-3. Thayerella newtoni gen. n., sp. n.: (2) lower surface of head. Scale bar: 0.25

mm; (3) female gonocoxites 1 and 2. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Elytra (Fig. 1). Rather short and wide, somewhat oviform, widest about at

middle, dorsally convex. Base comparatively wide. Humerus widely rounded,

lateral margins moderately convex, but with a shallow sinuation in basal

third. Marginal channel narrow throughout. Epipleurae distinctly crossed near

apex. All striae coarsely punctate in basal two thirds, towards base

impunctate but still deeply impressed, intervals convex. Discal punctures

situated in middle of 3™ interval, slightly behind middle and about at apical

fourth. Marginal series consisting of five setiferous punctures in the basal

group and six in the apical group, both groups widely separated. Also with a

setiferous puncture near apex at the end of the 3™ stria. Surface without

microreticulation, very glossy, but intervals with a series of faint punctures.

Metathoracic wings almost completely reduced.

Lower surface. Whole lower surface impilose and without microreticulation,

very glossy.

Legs. Shape and pilosity of the male protarsus unknown.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Female gonocoxites (Fig. 3). Gonocoxite 1 rather elongate, with 3 short setae

at the lateral part of the ventral apical margin. Gonocoxite 2 fairly elongate,

narrow, slightly curved, with acute apex; with a very elongate dorsomedian

ensiform seta located about at middle, two large and elongate ventrolateral

ensiform seta in basal half, and one fairly elongate, subapical nematiform seta

near apex that originates in an oblong pit.

Variation. Slight variation noted only in relative width of pronotum.

44 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

Etymology. The name is a patronym in honour of one of the collectors of the

type species, Alfred Newton of the Field Museum, Chicago.

Distribution. Cape Otway area, extreme southern part of Victoria. Known

only from the type locality.

Collecting circumstances. Sieved from ‘leaf and log litter’ in wet sclerophyll

forest.

Key to the genera of Zolini recorded from Australia

1 Eye very small, depressed; prothorax narrow, without submarginal carina;

legs unusually slender and elongate [Tas] ............... Idacarabus Lea, 1910

- Eye of normal size, laterad more or less protruded; prothorax wider, with

or without submarginal carina, but if latter, prothorax very wide and

almost semicircular; legs not very slender and elongate .......... eee 2

2 Head with two supraorbital setae ...... ee eee eseesesneceeceeeeeeeeesseenaeeeeeeees 3

- Head with a single supraorbital seta [Tas, Vic] .. Pterocyrtus Sloane, 1920

3 Pronotum without a submarginal carina and without the posterior

marginal seta [S. Vic] .........eeeeeesssseeeeeceeeeeeeseeeeeenaaeeeeeees Thayerella gen. n.

- Pronotum with a submarginal carina; when body oval-shaped, the

posterior marginal seta present; when body rather parallel-sided, the

posterior marginal seta absent 20... ee eeeeeeeseneeceeceeeeeeeeeeeeennneeeeeeeeeeeeees 4

4 Posterior marginal seta of pronotum present; body oval-shaped [Tas, Vic,

NSW Be Qld J altana datae aaahh aanpak Sloaneana Csiki, 1933

- Posterior marginal seta of pronotum absent; body rather parallel-sided

EAST rire idolen ae eet eed arpa orea AT Percodermus Sloane, 1920

Remarks

The new species adds a morphologically quite aberrant genus to the

Australian Zolini and renders this tribe even more diverse in its external

morphology and chaetotaxy. Actually, the Australian Zolini are not easily

recognized by use of body shape, surface structure or colouration, but a

number of special character states are needed to place genera in this tribe, e.g.

chaetotaxy of the head, setosity of the palpi and structure of the male

protarsus. This high grade of morphological diversity may demonstrate the

rather ancient origin of the tribe and, at the same time, suggests the loss of

connecting links between the still existing genera.

The new species was collected by sieving litter in fairly dense forest which is

the common habitat of most Australian Zolini species, except the cave-

dwelling species of the genus Idacarabus Lea. The Cape Otway area is well

known for a number of cool to cold-adapted carabid species of southern

origin, some of which have their nearest relatives in similar environments in

Tasmania: e.g. in Migadopini, amblyteline Psydrini and Agonicini.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 45

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to Cate Lemann and Tom Weir of ANIC, Canberra, for the

loan of the specimens and for their kind assistance during my visits to the

collection.

References

BAEHR, M. 2002. Two new species of Sloaneana Csiki from southern Queensland (Coleoptera,

Carabidae, Merizodinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 48: 9-15.

BAEHR, M. 2015. A new species of the genus Sloaneana Csiki from Tasmania (Insecta,

Coleoptera, Carabidae, Zolini). Spixiana 38: 31-35.

CSIKI, E. 1933. Carabidae: Harpalinae VIII. Coleopterorum Catalogus W126): 1599-1933. W.

Junk, Berlin.

EBERHARD, S. and GIACHINO, P.M. 2011. Tasmanian Trechinae and Psydrinae (Coleoptera,

Carabidae): a taxonomic and biogeographic synthesis, with description of new species and

evaluation of the impact of Quaternary climate changes on evolution of the subterranean fauna.

Subterranean Biology 9: 1-72.

LEA, A.M. 1910. On some Tasmanian cave-inhabiting beetles. Tasmanian Naturalist 2: 53-58.

LORENZ, W. 2005. Systematic List of extant Ground Beetles of the World (Insecta Coleoptera

“Geadephaga”: Trachypachidae and Carabidae incl. Paussinae, Cicindelinae. Rhysodidae). 2™

ed. Tutzing, printed by the author; 530 pp.

MOORE, B.P., WEIR, T.A. and PYKE, J.E. 1987. Rhysodidae and Carabidae. In: Zoological

Catalogue of Australia 4: 17-320. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

SLOANE, T.G. 1920. The Carabidae of Tasmania. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New

South Wales 45: 113-178.

46 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

BOOK REVIEW

The naming of Australia’s dragonflies, by Yan Endersby and Heinrich

Fliedner. 2015. Busybird Publishing, Eltham, Victoria; xiii + 278 pp. ISBN

9781925260625. Print copies available free of charge from Ian Endersby

(endersby@mira.net) or from Heinrich Fliedner (h.fliedner @t-online.de) for

European and UK residents. The book is also available as a free pdf

download (contact Ian Endersby for further details).

The Naming of

Australia’s | Dragon flies

IAN ENDERSBY

geet. FLIEDNER _

Formal zoological nomenclature follows the binomial system of genus and species

originally established by the Swedish biologist Carl Linné, or Linnaeus, in his

Systemae Naturae of 1758. In principle, any animal can be uniquely identified in this

way, with the genus invariably being a noun and the species an adjective or another

noun which qualifies the genus. The language chosen for this nomenclature was Latin,

at that time the universal language of science, understood by all educated people.

Equally important was Classical Greek in its Latinised form.

With changing educational practices, knowledge of even basic Latin has become

comparatively rare, knowledge of Greek even more so; hence the scientific names of

animals and plants learned by modern biology students have become totally divorced

from any meaning, especially among native English speakers and speakers of non-

European languages. Whereas Linnaeus’ contemporaries would have recognised in

Linnaean names the gods, demi-gods and heroes of Classical mythology and

literature, the modern lepidopterist who cares to read Homer’s The Iliad or The

Odyssey, finds a dramatis personae consisting entirely of familiar Swallowtail and

Morpho butterflies.

Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1) 47

In recent times there has been a virtual plethora of books attempting to explain the

meanings of Latin and Greek-based Latin names. Many, such as Latin for Bird Lovers

(Lederer and Burr 2014) or The Naming of the Shrew (Wright 2014), attempt to

entertain as much as to instruct, producing a result which is somewhat frothy and

short on detail. Fortunately, odonatologists have been rather better served by scholarly

articles explaining the meanings and origins of dragonfly and damselfly scientific

names (e.g. Fliedner 1997, 2006, Endersby 2012) and now these two authors have

joined forces to produce ‘The Naming of Australian Dragonflies’.

This volume, a substantial tome of xiii +278 pages in octavo format, gives us the most

comprehensive account we might wish for on the origins and meanings of every

available species-group or genus-group name for Australia’s dragonflies. These

include not only the ca 324 accepted species names and 106 genus names, as well as

species such as Rhinocypha tincta and Neurobasis australis which are not reliably

recorded from Australia and are retained in faunal lists out of sheer obstinacy, but also

all available synonyms and homonyms, of which there are more than a few.

The book begins with a brief account of the history of the naming of the Australian

Odonata, a brief introduction to Latin and Greek prefixes and suffixes and the

declensions of the latter and a general discussion of where names come from (people,

places, appearance; including colour, pattern, size etc.). There is a detailed tabular

breakdown by taxon author of eponyms (named after people, real or legendary) and

toponyms (named after a place). The most valuable part of this chapter is the

grammatical section. With the odd lapsus (e.g. the topographic suffix -ensis should be

declined: -ensis, -ensis, -ense), this section provides an admirable introduction to the

Latin grammar and Greek orthography and the rules for transliteration from Greek to

Roman script that is needed to understand how names are formed and modified under

gender agreement requirements. I certainly learned a great deal from reading it and

while readers unfamiliar with Latin or Greek might find it heavy going, a little effort

taken to master these basic rules and to learn the Greek alphabet will be repaid with

interest by affording a full understanding of the detailed etymologies which come

later.

The next chapter provides engaging and interesting biographies of the 41 individuals

who have authored or co-authored an Australian dragonfly genus or species name.

These are admirable in their detail and are generally accompanied by a thumbnail

black and white portrait, allowing us to put a face to the name, and serve the very

useful purpose of demystifying nomenclature. These names were bestowed by flesh

and blood human beings who lived on average a respectable 71.5 + 11 years, not

including the six who are still with us. Indeed, even in cases where I have been long

acquainted with the individuals concerned I learned several diverting facts. Quite a

few of my own cohort can empathise directly with Gunther Theischinger, whose first-

class education lead initially to employment on the railways.

The next and largest chapter deals with the individual etymologies of every available

species-group or genus-group name ever given to an Australian dragonfly. It is well

researched, erudite and complete. Where necessary, extracts from original

descriptions in their original language are included (with English translations for non-

English texts). For those of us attempting to construct generic names of odonates, this

section has much information of relevance far beyond the Australian fauna. It has

been a custom among odonatologists to use Greek roots when naming genera and

Latin for species-group names. Generally, Latin is fairly accessible using a good

48 Australian Entomologist, 2016, 43 (1)

dictionary, but Greek is a completely different proposition. Even with the fattest

Lexicon available, a lot of background knowledge is needed to tease out the

component roots and it is not difficult to completely misunderstand them. The

etymologies in this book do the work for us. Anyone studying dragonfly nomenclature

working in any region will find their knowledge vastly expanded and deepened by

studying these examples. Of course, as earlier authors rarely explained their sources,

there remain unresolved mysteries and educated guesses. Why did Fabricius write

Aeshna, not Aeschna for example? The authors’ explanation that this might have

come from him adopting an English style of spelling is the most convincing argument

I have heard yet. I was particularly taken by the conjectured meaning for

Aethriamanta — loving the bright sky. I disagree that Rhyothemis braganza should be

regarded as incertae sedis (see pp 11, 123, 268) but rather agree with Hämäläinen

(2015) that is was named after a Brazilian monarch as a result of a comedy of errors.

This, however, is the only point of difference I can find in the entire book. Some

names simply defy decoding — the meanings of both generic and specific names of the

common and widespread Tholymis tillarga remain unclear.

The book includes an extensive main bibliography of 274 entries, in addition to

subsidiary reference lists totalling about 150 items in earlier sections. It is rounded off

by five appendices, the first three giving comprehensive statistics on authorship and

details of the categorisation of names. The most valuable are Appendix four, which

establishes the gender of all generic names and Appendix five, which gives the rules

for transliteration from Greek to the Roman alphabet. I thought I knew these rules, but

in fact several important gaps in my knowledge were exposed and have now been

filled.

In summary, to anyone with a special interest in zoological etymology or anyone

actively involved in zoological nomenclature (i.e. naming new species), I cannot

recommend this book too highly. It is well researched, erudite and thorough, with

relevance well beyond Australian shores. Both authors are to be warmly congratulated

for having produced such an impressive, informative and useful piece of scholarship.

References

ENDERSBY, I.D., 2012. The naming of Victoria’s dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata). Proceedings

of the Royal Society of Victoria 123: 155-178.

FLIEDNER, H., 1997. Die Bedeutung der wissenschaftlichen Namen europäischer Libellen.

Libellula, Supplement 1: 1-111.

FLIEDNER, H., 2006. Die wissenschaftlichen Namen der Libellen in Burmeisters ‘Handbuch

der Entomologie’. Virgo 9: 5-23.

HAMALAINEN, M. 2015. Catalogue of individuals commemorated in the scientific names of

extant dragonflies, including lists of all available eponymous species-group and genus-group

names. International Dragonfly Fund - Report 80: 1-168.

LEDERER, R. and BURR, C., 2014. Latin for bird lovers. Timber Press, Portland; 224 pp.

WRIGHT, J. 2014. The naming of the shrew: A curious history of Latin names. Bloomsbury,

London; xvi + 303 pp.

Reviewed by Albert Orr

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THE AUSTRALIAN

Entomologist

Volume 43, Part 1, 22 March 2016

BAEHR, M.

Anew genus and species of the tribe Zolini from southeastern Australia

(Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zolini)

DOWNES, M.F.

New southern range limit for Polyrhachis vorkana Forel

(Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with provisional data on castes

DOWNES, M.F. and HARVEY, M.

The spider Oecobius concinnus Simon (Araneae: Oecobiidae) in nests

of the ant Polyrhachis australis Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in

Townsville, Queensland: a new distribution record

HANCOCK, D.L.

A review and keys to genera and some species of the fruit fly

tribes Phytalmiini, Phaseini and Epacrocerini

(Diptera: Tephritidae: Phytalmiinae)

MATE-NANKERVIS, J.F.

Bambara testacea (Britten, 1926), an adventive featherwing beetle

(Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) new to the Australian fauna

TIKOCA, S., CLAYTON, J., HODGE, S., TUIWAWA, M., PENE, S. and

BRODIE, G.

A record of Daetyloplusia impulsa (Walker, 1865)

(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Plusiinae) new to Fiji

WILSON, G.W. and RENTZ, D.C.F.

First observation in nature of effective predator defence behaviour in

the spiny forest katydid Phricta spinosa Redtenbacher (Orthoptera:

Pseudophyllinae: Phrictini)

WILSON, P.R.

Notes on the pupa and host plant of Morasingha dirphia (Hewitson)

(Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

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