Rhabdomastix (Rhabdomastix) wilsoniana Alexander

Theischinger, Günther, Billingham, Zacariah D., Martin, John & Growns, Ivor, 2019, The genus Rhabdomastix Skuse in Australia (Diptera: Tipuloidea: Limoniidae), Zootaxa 4661 (1), pp. 65-100 : 93-97

Rhabdomastix (Rhabdomastix) wilsoniana Alexander

( Figs. 52– 59 )

Rhabdomastix wilsoniana Alexander, 1934: 261 .

Material examined. Holotype ♂: New South Wales , Jenolan Caves , Blue Mts , October 20–30, 1930, F.E. Wilson ( AC); seen ( Fig. 52 ). New South Wales: 1 ♂, Mt Dromedary 1000 ft, 24–xi–1965, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton ( ANIC); 1 ♂, 30 km E of Jamieson, Jan. 1991, G. Theischinger ( AM); 2 ♀♀, Lorien, Landsdowne near Taree, 31.752°S / 152.541°E, 107 m, subtropical rainforest adjacent to small stream, malaise trap, 28–i–04–ii–2018, G. Williams ( AM).

Only the male of R. wilsoniana has been described ( Alexander, 1934). Some significant details and some details that are not available in the original description are presented below. The female, identified by supposition, is described for the first time.

Description. Male (dry specimens and specimens preserved in 70% ethanol) ( Figs. 52 , 53 ). Wing. Cell dm not produced along vein M 1+2. Patch at origin of Rs large, squarish, mainly in basal radial cell, dark patch between cord level and end of R 1 rather weakly fused with patch on cord, a small squarish patch between level origin of Rs and cord level much closer to origin of Rs than to cord; dark patch on R 3 hour-glass-shaped, patch on end of R 4 hardly developed and hardly fused with darkening of wing tip; rather distinct darkening on bscu and m-m, on end of veins R 5 and M 1+2 and on end of CuA; dark smears in cell A 1 rather distinct.

Terminalia. Gonocoxite approximately 2.5 times as long as wide. Outer and inner gonostylus slightly longer than width of gonocoxite. Outer gonostylus slightly arched and narrowing from base to tip, and with tiny apical beak; inner gonostus subconical and very slightly arched. Interbase moderately long, evenly curved, distinctly widened subapically. Aedeagus about as long as rather slim vesica plus rather long rod-like apodeme.

Female ( Figs. 54–59 ). Head. Largely, including rostrum and palpus, variably dark greyish brown to blackish brown, vertex, scape and pedicel pale yellowish brown. Antenna 1.0– 1.3 mm long, flagellum largely pale greyish yellow, only terminal 6–7 flagellomeres greyish brown, pedicellus approximately as long as f1, f2, f3 or f4; f1 rather stout and conical, f3 twice to three times as long as wide; verticils up to about as long as flagellomeres.

Thorax. Pale greyish to brownish yellow with variably well-defined dark greyish brown patches as follows: four stripes on presutural part of scutum; two patches on postsutural part; a less well-defined patch each at median angle of scutal suture and on most of scutellum and mediotergite; several better-defined specs on mesopleuron and sternopleuron (most notably along the pleural suture) and all of meron. Legs pale yellowish brown, increasingly darker from coxa to claws; two thick black bristles near apex of tibiae.

Wing. Membrane slightly suffused with greyish yellow all over and with distinct greyish brown pattern. Cell dm not produced along vein M 1+2. Dark patch at origin of Rs large, squarish not fused with extensive dark but not welldefined cloud in basal radial cell, dark patch between cord level and end of R 1 rather narrowly fused with patch on cord, a small dark patch between patch at origin of Rs and anterior to cord closer to origin of Rs than to cord; dark patch on R 3 rather small and square; patch on end of R 4 broadly to completely fused with extensive and variably strong darkening of wing tip; distinct darkening on m-m and m-cu, on end of vein R 5 and M 1+2 (fused with dark area on wing tip) and on end of CuA; dark smears in cell A 1 rather distinct. Halter with stem and knob dull yellow.

Abdomen. Largely pale to dull yellow, the tergites with approximately anterior half, the sternites with olnly lateral edges, brownish black to black.

Terminalia. Cerci markedly shorter than 0.2 mm, pointed, strongly setose, greyish brown, ventral and dorsal edge appear widely and evenly rounded. Hypogynial valves short and rather pointed, basally blackish brown, apically brownish yellow.

Dimensions. Wing length 4.3–5.0 mm.

Distribution. Eastern: New South Wales, Victoria ( Map 2 ).

Discussion. R. (R.) wilsoniana has a wing pattern similar only to R. collessiana , R. rosae and R. tonnoirana . It markedly differs from these three species by cell dm not being produced along vein M 1+2.

Figures

MAP 2. Distribution of the Australian species of Rhabdomastix (Rhabdomastix) tonnoirana group. R. collesiana sp. nov. R. rosae sp. nov. R. tonnoirana R. wilsoniana

FIGURE 52. Rhabdomastix (Rhabdomastix) wilsoniana Alexander, holotype male: legs; wing; slide + label.

FIGURES 53–59. Rhabdomastix (Rhabdomastix) wilsoniana Alexander. 53: male terminalia, dorsal view; 54–59: female; 54: habitus, dorsal view; 55: head, dorsal view; 56: tibia/tarsus; 57–59: terminalia; 57: dorsal view; 58: lateral view; 59: cerci, lateral view. Scale bar = 2 mm for 54, 0.2 mm for 53, 55, 57, 58.