Dasyrhicnoessa serratula Malloch, 1935

Munari, L., 2004, Beach Flies (Diptera: Tethinidae: Tethininae) From Australia and Papua New Guinea, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Ten New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 56 (1), pp. 29-56 : 45

Dasyrhicnoessa serratula Malloch, 1935 , sp.inq.

Mathis & Sasakawa, 1989: 667; Mathis & Munari, 1996: 12; Munari, 2002: 550.

Distribution. Australia (QLD).

After examining Malloch’s holotype labelled “Townsville

/ Queensland / col. by J. Claffy // Dasyrhicnoessa / serratula / Type / det. JRMALLOCH // SPHTM / Coll.”, I have come to the conclusion that the nomenclatural status of this species remains unresolved (Munari, 2002), as the holotype is female and no male specimen is known, and the species of Dasyrhicnoessa are distinguished primarily by structures of the male terminalia. Considering the external morphology and colour of this species as well as its chaetotaxy, including the presence of a strong ctenidial comb on entire distal half of the fore femur, I have not found any consistent character that could safely bring D. serratula near any species. It shares a very similar habitus and identical chaetotaxy with various other congeners. Thus, I here consider Malloch’s species as species inquirenda.

Also, it should be stressed that in most Dasyrhicnoessa species there is no consistent external character useful for identification. The colour of the body and legs generally shows considerable variability. On male specimens it is possible to evaluate the consistency of the chaetotactic pattern of the mid femur posteroventral armature as well as, obviously, to study the morphology of the terminalia, the latter being always distinctive. Therefore, considering the range of variability that occurs in the species of Dasyrhicnoessa from the Indo-Pacific area, it would be irresponsible to associate a given male specimen to this unresolved species.