Helosciomyza fuscinevris (Macquart)

McAlpine, David K., 2012, Notes and Descriptions of Australian Helosciomyzidae or Comb-winged flies (Diptera: Schizophora), Records of the Australian Museum 64 (1), pp. 51-70 : 60

Helosciomyza fuscinevris (Macquart)

Figs 16, 17

Sciomyza fuscinevris Macquart, 1851: 276–277 . Not homonym of Sciomyza fuscinervis Zetterstedt, 1838 , now in Tetanocera Duméril.

Helosciomyza ferruginea Hendel, 1917: 33 . N.syn. Not H. ferruginea: Steyskal, 1979: 736 , mixture of other species.

Helosciomyza aliena Malloch, 1928: 324–325 , synonymized D. McAlpine, 1992: 90.

Helosciomyza fuscinevris (Macquart) .—D. McAlpine, 1992: 90.

Type material. Holotype ♂ of Sciomyza fuscinevris, Nouvelle-Hollande [New Holland = continental Australia, east coast added in publication— Macquart, 1851], anon. ( PM, examined by D. McAlpine, 1990) . Holotype ♂ of Helosciomyza ferruginea , Victoria, 1888 ( NMW, examined by D. McAlpine 1969, P. Sehnal 2008) . Holotype ♂ of Helosciomyza aliena, Broken Hill [western New South Wales], 9.vi.1925, anon. ( AM K264571 , formerly in SPHTM) .

Other material examined (localities only given). Northern Territory: Todd River , 9 km NE of Alice Springs ( ANIC) . Queensland: Eidsvold ( ANIC) . New South Wales: many specimens seen from many localities (not listed here), ranging from coast to far west of state and including higher ranges, mostly S of 32°S ( AM, ANIC) . Australian Capital Territory: numerous localities in Canberra district ( ANIC) . Victoria: Delegate River ( AM) ; Benalla ( AM) ; La Trobe University ( AM, MV) . Tasmania: Miena ( ANIC) ; Lake Saint Clair ( AM) . South Australia: Mount Gambier ( ANIC) ; Waite Park ( ANIC) ; Mount Lofty ( SAM) ; Ravine des Casoars, Kangaroo Island ( AM) ; Stockport ( ANIC) ; Maree ( ANIC) ; Old Alton Downs , Simpson Desert ( ANIC) . Western Australia: Thomas River estuary, Esperance district ( ANIC) ; Meerup Springs Farm , near Northcliffe ( AM) ; near Mount Chudalup ( AM) ; Frankland River ( AM) ; Margaret River ( AM) .

Distribution. Temperate Australia generally, approaching the tropics in Queensland and Northern Territory (near Alice Springs), south to Victoria, Tasmania, and southern coast of Western Australia; including some high-rainfall and arid areas, sea-level to moderate altitudes.

Notes

Helosciomyza fuscinevris is the only Australian species of the genus with pteropleural (anepimeral) setulae. Hypopleural setulae are usually also present, except in a few of the smallest specimens, and abdominal sternite 1 is setulose except in a small number of females, in which this sternite is more reduced than in males.

According to Barnes (1981) this species is extremely similar to H. subalpina Tonnoir & Malloch , the only New Zealand species now retained in Helosciomyza . Barnes seems to infer that the c. 80 specimens of H. subalpina which he examined lack setulae on the ventral surface of vein 1 (or R1). I have carefully examined 41 Australian specimens of H. fuscinevris , of which 40 possess one or more minute ventral setulae on vein 1. Also the dorsal striping of the thorax is less distinct in H. subalpina . These data seem to indicate a significant genetic difference between New Zealand and Australian populations, but this needs confirmation by more detailed morphological and molecular studies.

The surstyli are slightly variable in shape, but in most specimens form an asymmetrical pair ( Figs 16, 17 ); the cuticle on much of the posterior surface is thinner than elsewhere, almost membranous; pruinescence may be apparently absent or is present on part of the basal third.

Figures

Figures 14–18. (14) Neosciomyza peckorum (Boyd River), terminal part of epandrium and associated structures, anterior view, right anterior epandrial process cut away for clarity, scale = 0.5 mm. (15) Helosciomyza bickeli (Cobcroft Creek), left surstylus, outer view, scale = 0.2 mm. (16) H. fuscinevris (Clarence, near Lithgow), left surstylus, outer view. (17) same specimen, right surstylus, outer view. (18) H. subacuta (Wannon River), left surstylus, outer view. Figs 15–18 all same scale. aep, anterior epandrial process; bsp, basal surstylar process; c, cercus; ep, epandrium; ss, surstylus.