Microphorella bungle, Brooks & Cumming, 2022

Brooks, Scott E. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2022, New Australasian Parathalassiinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae sensu lato), Zootaxa 5188 (6), pp. 521-543 : 536-539

Microphorella bungle sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 39–46 )

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Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ labelled: “AUSTRALIA: New South/ Wales: Warrumbungle NP,/ Buckley’s Crk [ca 31.3083°S 149.0009°E], 12–17.xii.1995,/ M. Sharkey, CNC707570 ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Microphorella bungle / Brooks & Cumming [red label]” ( ANIC) . PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: same data as holotype except, CNC707594 , CNC707622 , CNC707624 , CNC707628 , CNC707690 , CNC707798 , (6♂, ANIC); CNC707472 , CNC707574 , CNC707849 (3♂, CNC)

Diagnosis. Males of M. bungle sp. nov. are distinguished from the other known Australasian Microphorella by the following combination of features: body and legs dark brown with black setation ( Fig. 39 ); palpus dark and narrowly ovate ( Fig. 40 ); hypopygium ( Figs 43–45 ) with phallus relatively short and slender with tip straight and tubular; hypandrium relatively small, slightly wider than epandrial lamellae in lateral view.

Description. Male ( Figs 39–46 ): Body length 1.50–1.88 mm, wing length 1.42–1.72 mm. Head ( Figs 40, 41 ): Dark brown pruinose; about as broad as thorax in dorsal view; ovoid in lateral view (higher than broad); broader than high in anterior view; setae black. Ocellar triangle conspicuous. Occiput weakly concave on upper median part. Eyes covered with short ommatrichia; medial edge of eye lacking distinct emargination adjacent to antenna; ommatidia of uniform size. Frons over 2X broader than high, widening above. Face broad, about width of combined antennal bases. Face and clypeus concolorous, dark brown. Clypeus not separated from face, slightly broader than high, weakly produced medially. Setae of head well differentiated: 1 pair of inclinate fronto-orbitals well-separated from base of antennae; 1 pair of lateroclinate anterior ocellars; 1 pair of small posterior ocellars; 1 pair of strong inclinate inner verticals (sometimes referred to as postocellars); 2 pairs of lateroclinate outer verticals; postocular setae short and uniserial. Antenna entirely dark brown, inserted above middle of head in profile; scape short, funnel-shaped; pedicel subequal in length to scape, spheroidal with subapical circlet of setulae; postpedicel nearly 2X longer than wide, bulb-shaped with basal 3/4 round and distal 1/4 narrow, clothed in fine setulae; arista-like stylus slightly greater than 2X length of postpedicel, with minute hairs. Palpus dark brown, relatively small, narrowly ovate, about 2X longer than wide, with 1 long preapical seta. Proboscis brown, short, projecting ventrally. Gena narrow. Thorax ( Fig. 42 ): Dark brown pruinose, setae black. Mesoscutum moderately arched, prescutellar depression present. Proepisternum bare. Postpronotal lobe with minute seta. Mesonotum about as long as wide. Acrostichal setae absent; other thoracic setae well differentiated, each side of mesonotum with: 5 dorsocentrals (posterior seta stronger), 1 presutural supra-alar (posthumeral), 1 weaker postsutural supra-alar near suture (and a few similar sized setae anteriorly), 2 notopleurals, 1 postalar. Scutellum broadly subtriangular with 1 long, strong, posteriorly projected seta per side. Mesopleuron bare. Halter pale brown. Legs ( Fig. 39 ): Dark brown; with mostly short dark setae; tarsomeres 1–4 of all legs progressively shorter apically with tarsomere 5 slightly longer than 4; tarsal claws, pulvilli and empodium normally developed on all legs. Foreleg: Coxa with fine setae on anterior surface, apical margin with setae longer; femur, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; tarsomere 1 slightly shorter than combined length of tarsomeres 2–5. Midleg: Coxa with lateral seta and several similar setae on apical margin; femur, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; tibia with relatively strong black preapical ventral seta; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–5. Hindleg: Coxa with 2 setae on lateral surface and several similar setae on apical margin; femur subequal in length to tibia; tarsus slightly shorter than tibia; tarsomere 1 slightly shorter than combined length of tarsomeres 2–3. Wing (similar to Fig. 52 ): With brownish tinge, veins dark brown, about 2.5X longer than wide. Pterostigma absent, membrane entirely covered with minute microtrichia, alula absent. Costa circumambient. Extreme anterior base of costa with strong anterodorsal seta and a few shorter proximal setae. Anterior section of costa (between base and R 2+3) with double row of spine-like setae. Posterior section of costa (beyond R 2+3) with setae finer and slightly longer. Radial and medial veins complete and reaching wing margin, CuA+CuP (anal vein) faint and short, Sc faint apically. R 1 terminating near midpoint of wing, just beyond M 2. Base of Rs originating opposite humeral crossvein. R 2+3 subparallel with R 1 in basal 1/3, straight and subparallel with R 4+ 5 in distal part. R 4+5 nearly straight. M 1 straight. M 2 and M 4 slightly divergent beyond cell dm. Costal section between M 1 and M 2 longer than costal section between M 2 and M 4. CuA rounded. Short faint r-m crossvein present in basal portion of wing, distal to base of R 4+5. Crossvein bm-m incomplete. Cell dm present, closed by base of M 2 and dm-m crossvein, cell extending nearly to middle of wing. Cells br, bm and cua in basal fourth of wing. Cell cua closed, ovoid, partially infuscate. Anal lobe not developed. Calypter with fine setae. Abdomen ( Fig. 43 ): Dark brown with weak black setae; segment 7 bare. Segments 6–7 narrowed and laterally compressed to form cavity on right side for hypopygium. Sternite 5 lacking pregenitalic process. Sternite 8 round, with short setae; tergite 8 indistinct. Hypopygium ( Figs 43–46 ): Concolorous with abdomen; lateroflexed to right; inverted with posterior end directed anteriorly; small and compact, about 1/4 length of abdomen; asymmetrical; foramen not formed. Epandrium divided into left and right lamellae. Left epandrial lamella ( Fig. 44 ) partially overlapping left side of hypandrium, posterior margin trifurcate, ventrally fused with hypandrium but margin distinct; ventral epandrial process apparently articulated at base, long and slender with slight upward bend beyond middle, tip flattened. Left surstylus bilobed, dorsal and ventral lobes separated by shallow U-shaped cleft through which left postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of left surstylus short with 2 apical setae, lacking prensiseta. Ventral lobe of left surstylus slightly longer than dorsal lobe with 3 apical setae. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 45 ) partially overlapping right side of hypandrium, ventrally fused with hypandrium but margin distinct, shorter than hypandrium; ventral epandrial process absent. Right surstylus bilobed, dorsal and ventral lobes separated by U-shaped cleft through which right postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of right surstylus short with pair of apical setae and 1 lateral seta of similar size near base, lacking prensiseta. Ventral lobe of right surstylus about 3X longer than dorsal lobe, with 1 short ventral seta near middle, 2 longer ventral setae beyond middle and 1 short preapical seta. Hypandrium bowl-shaped, slightly longer than epandrium in lateral view, posterior margin not pointed below protruding phallus. Left postgonite Y-shaped, apically bilobate ( Fig. 44 ). Right postgonite lobe broad and mitten-shaped, bilobate with broad rounded apical lobe and thumb-like dorsal lobe ( Fig. 45 ). Phallus tubular, J-shaped, projected dorsally, not extending beyond upper margin of postgonite, tip straight and unmodified. Ejaculatory apodeme keel-like. Hypoproct simple, short with rounded margin, left and right sides slightly asymmetrical. Cercus somewhat broad and globular laterally with short pointed apicolateral process, with several setae medially, left and right cercus asymmetrical.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. This species is known only from the type locality of Buckley’s Creek in Warrumbungle National Park, New South Wales, Australia ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Warrumbungle after the type locality in Warrumbungle National Park and should be regarded as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. This species was collected along Buckley’s Creek. Aside from the difference in phallic structure, the hypopygial morphology of M. bungle sp. nov. is very similar to M. viticula sp. nov. and the species appear closely related.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Known geographical distribution and collection localities of Microphorella and Chimerothalassius from Australia and New Zealand. 1. Distribution of M. bungle sp. nov., M. iota Colless and M. viticula sp. nov. 2. Govetts Leap,Australia, type locality of M. viticula sp. nov. (photo by Brad Sinclair). 3. Distribution of C. ismayi Shamshev & Grootaert, C. marshalli sp. nov., Chimerothalassius sp. 1 (female from Takapuna Beach) and “Chimerothalassius” sp. 2 (female from Three Kings Is.). 4. Birdlings Flat, New Zealand, type locality of C. ismayi Shamshev & Grootaert (photo by Rebecca Le Grice).

FIGURES 39–43. Male holotype of Microphorella bungle sp. nov. (CNC707570). 39. Habitus. 40. Head, oblique view. 41. Head, anterior view. 42. Thorax, dorsal view. 43. Abdomen and terminalia, right lateral view. Abbreviations: ph—phallus; plp—palpus.

FIGURES 44–46. Hypopygium of Microphorella bungle sp. nov. (CNC707574). 44. Hypopygium, left lateral view. 45. Hypopygium, right lateral view. 46. Cerci and hypoproct, dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; hyprct—hypoproct; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; (R)—right; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 49–55. Male holotype of Microphorella viticula sp. nov. 49. Habitus. 50. Head and thorax, dorsal view. 51. Head, lateral view. 52. Wing, ventral view. 53. Abdomen and terminalia, left lateral view. 54. Abdomen and terminalia, dorsal view. 55. Abdomen and terminalia, right lateral view.Abbreviations: dm—discal medial cell; dm-m—discal medial crossvein; M1, M2, M4—medial veins; ph—phallus; plp—palpus; R1, R2+3, R 4+5 —radial veins; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process.