Aphiura alistairi, DISNEY, 2003

DISNEY, R. H. L., 2003, Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species, Journal of Natural History 37 (5), pp. 505-639 : 509-512

Aphiura alistairi sp. nov.

(figures 1, 2A, B)

Material

H  : male, Tasmania, Lake St Clair, near Cynthia Bay , 20 September 1998 ( R. H. L. Disney —25-26) ( TMH).

P    : 6 males, 3 females, Tasmania, Fern Tree, Grays Road , 147°15∞E, 42°57∞S (grid ref. 203474), 540 m altitude, 7–17 August 2000 ( RHLD —25-41-44) ( TMH, UMZC, CSIRO).

Etymology The species is named after my grandson Alistair Climie.

Diagnosis

Palps relatively long and lacking pits on outer faces; SPS vesicles of third antennal segment relatively few but large; arista pre-apical; posterior pair of scutellar bristles relatively short; femora brown; right postero-lateral lobe of male epandrium as figure 1D; female costa swollen from end of first quarter of section 1.

Male

Frons brown with dense microsetae and much wider than long. Anterolaterals (AL) and pre-ocellars (P-Os) form a transverse row of bristles between the antials and the anterior ocellus with the P-Os further apart than either is from an AL bristle. Mediolaterals level with posterior ocelli. Otherwise with 42–44 hairs plus two supra-antennal hairs. With a single bristle on cheek but a row of bristles on jowl that gradually merges with postorbitals. Antenna pale brown and as figure 1B. Palps pale brown, shading to pale yellow towards base, and as figure 1A. Labrum brown and about 1.5–1.6× as long as broad and 0.6× as wide as third antennal segment. Labella pale dusky yellow. Thorax brown. Chaetotaxy of each side of scutum comprising a humeral, three notopleurals, an intra-alar, a postalar and a prescutellar dorsocentral bristle. Anterior scutellars about 2.4× as long as posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with short hairs, which are only a little longer at rear margins (figure 1C). Venter tinged brown, with hairs below segments 3–6 and isolated hairs near spiracles on segments 4–6 and at rear of 6 on sides. Hypopygium, including anal tube, brown and as figure 1C, D. Legs brown, the front pair being a little paler. Posterodorsal hair palisade present on segments 1–4 only of front tarsus. Hairs below basal half of hind femur clearly longer than those of anteroventral row of distal half. Wing 1.8–2.3 mm long. Costal index 0.56–0.57. Costal ratios 4.2–5.6:2.4–3.1:1. Costal cilia 0.08–0.10 mm long. All veins brown and membrane tinged brown (evident to naked eye when viewed against a white background). Costa a little thickened from end of first third of section 1 to beginning of section 2. Sc strong and ending in R. No hair at base of vein 3. Axillary ridge 1

with four feathered setae, which are clearly longer but not as robust as costal cilia. Haltere brown.

Female

Head similar to male but labrum much larger and third antennal segment a little smaller, the labrum being about 1.2× as long as greatest width, which is about 1.4× as wide as greatest width of third antennal segment. Thorax similar to male. Abdomen coloured as male. Tergites with small hairs, which are not longer at rear margins. T 1 divided into two small subtriangular pieces. T 2 wider than T 3, which is a little wider than T 4. T 5– T 6 as figure 2A. T 7 and sternite 7 are each a narrow longitudinal strip with scattered hairs and a longer pair at rear. T 8 shorter but broader and with several long hairs at rear margin. Segments 2–7 with numerous short hairs dorsolaterally, adjacent to tergites, and also below on segments 2–6. Cerci pale yellowish brown, just over twice as long as broad, and with about 10 hairs, of which the posterior pre-apical hair is conspicuously longer than the rest. Internally, the furca (sternite 9) is a pale oval hoop whose wall is extended rearwards in its posterior sector. There is no Dufour’s crop mechanism evident. Legs similar to male. Wings likewise, except costa in part swollen (figure 2B). Length 2.1–3.0 mm. Costal index 0.58–0.60. Costal ratios 3.7–4.3:2.9–3.1:1. With four to seven axillary setae. Haltere as male.

Natural history

The females were gravid, with 6, 20 and 26 typical phorid eggs (cf. figure 2.3(a) in Disney, 1994b).