<Unknown Taxon>

Colless, Donald H., 2012, The Froggattimyia-Anagonia Genus Group (Diptera: Tachinidae), Records of the Australian Museum 64 (3), pp. 167-211 : 194-195

Anagonia major (Malloch)

Figs 40–43

Delta major Malloch, 1930:334. Synonymy by Crosskey (1973:138).

Type. Holotype male in ANIC, Eccleston, Allyn River, NSW.

Male. Structurally rather similar to A. anguliventris but rather smaller and paler; differing as follows:

Head. Paler, fronto-orbital plate brown in ground colour, parafacial and gena pale brown, with stout silver dust. Hdw 2.6–3.2 mm, mean 2.94 mm; gena a little narrower on average, but still broader than in other species, Gnw/Eyh 0.2–0.3, mean 0.25. Reclinate upper frontal bristles usually stouter, less strongly cruciate, the upper pairs often reclinate. Postocellar setae usually 2; parafacial setulae usually fine and sparse; upper occiput rarely with at most a few dark hairs

behind the postocular row.

Thorax. Strongly silver pollinose on mesoscutum and scutellum; presutural median vitta absent. Apical scutellar bristles relatively long, straight, and parallel. Proepisternal hairs sometimes pale, especially in specimens from the tropics.

Legs. Foretibia with apical ad bristle rarely vestigial, usually small but clearly differentiated, about 0.3–0.5 times length of adjacent d bristle.

Wing. Tegula brown to pale brown; basicosta pale yellowish brown.

Abdomen. Strongly silver pollinose, in posterior glancing view little or no dark area visible, presenting an almost uniform silver-grey field with strongly contrasting dark spots around seta bases.

Terminalia ( Figs 40–43 ). Surstylus typically blade-like, more or less quadrilateral, with apex somewhat diagonally truncate (occasionally rather more elongate than those figured); cercus a little longer than surstylus, strongly tapering to a rounded apex. Shape of syntergosternite 6–8 characteristic, elongate and curving ventrad (a feature often visible in dried specimens). Epiphallus tiny, c. 0.2 of length of postgonite; pregonite lightly bristled. S5 usually with spiny bristles.

Female. No reliable differences have been found from females of A. anguliventris. The A. major specimens are, perhaps, somewhat paler on average, and some have a few pale brown hairs on the pleura; but I have found nothing of diagnostic value.

Distribution. From all states and territories except Tasmania. Unlike the preceding and very similar species, it is common in the tropics.

Biology. Commonly taken in light traps. In Western Australia, reared from Trachymela tincticollis and Paropsisterna picta; also, and most unusually, from a curculionid, Gonipterus sp. (the latter a single specimen only, but from a reliable source).

Notes. The sexes were associated on the basis of a small but convincing series co-reared from Perth. It is extraordinary that two species (this and anguliventris) can be so similar—

indeed, virtually indistinguishable as females—while differing so markedly in their male terminalia.

Malloch’s allotype is an Anagonia, but not major. I cannot identify it further.

Figures

Figs 40–43. Anagonia major, male terminalia, (40, 41) lateral, and (42) posterior, (43) aedeagus.