Wharia, Brown, Brian V. & Oliver, Hugh, 2008

Brown, Brian V. & Oliver, Hugh, 2008, Two new genera of Phoridae (Diptera) from New Zealand, Zootaxa 1933, pp. 1-11 : 1-5

Wharia n. gen.

( Figs. 1–16 )

Diagnosis. Frons lacking medial furrow except for small pit between supra-antennal setae ( Fig. 13 ); one pair of reclinate supra-antennal setae present; ventral fronto-orbital setae absent ( Figs. 3 , 13 ). Anepisternum without furrows (= undivided), bare ( Figs. 1–2 ). Scutellum with one large and one small seta ( Fig. 4 ). Wing present in both sexes, vein R2+3 absent ( Fig. 14 ). Wing vein Rs with one seta near base only. One alular seta present. Midtibia with one anterodorsal and one dorsal seta near base, with one short anterodorsal seta near apex. Posterior face of hind femur often with rounded basal process covered by thin membrane ( Figs. 5–10 ), although size varies greatly and absent in some specimens ( Figs. 11–12 ). Hind tibia without dorsal, longitudinal setal palisade; with one anterodorsal seta near base and one near apex.

Recognition. Based on the structure of the male genitalia, setation of the frons, and setation of the tibiae, this genus most closely resembles Bothroprosopa Schmitz , also known only from New Zealand. In his revision of phorid genera, Brown (1992) placed Bothroprosopa in his subfamily Hypocerinae , based in part on the strongly curved base of wing vein M1 ( Fig. 17 ), which is found throughout this group. Such a strongly curved vein is not found in Wharia ( Fig. 14 ), whose placement among other phorid genera is unknown. We have extracted DNA from Wharia specimens, however, and they will be included in the molecular phylogenetic analysis of phorid genera (B. Brown & P. Smith, in preparation).

In the latest keys to phorid genera (Disney, 1994), males of Wharia key to couplet 77 of the male key, which was revised by Brown & Kung (2004). They do not key correctly to Tapantia Brown & Kung , nor to lead 77A. To remedy this situation, we herein revise these couplets again:

76. Fork of vein 3 complete [=R2+3 fully developed] .............................................................. Triphleba (part) - Inner branch of fork (R2+3) partly to completely absent.........................................................................77 77. At least left side, and often both sides of male terminalia posterodorsally elongate, forming surstyluslike lobe ...............................................................................................................................................77A - Both sides of male terminalia lacking surstylus-like lobes (although Wharia with median process) ....... .............................................................................................................................................................77B 77A. Restricted to New Zealand.......................................................................................................... Kierania - Found in Holarctic and Neotropical Regions ................................................................... Triphleba (part) 77B. Cerci elongate, pointing dorsally; epandrium without posteromedial, ventrally-pointed, elongate process ( Brown & Kung, 2004, figs. 3–4); costal setae short, numerous ( Brown & Kung, 2004, fig. 2); posterior face of hind femur unmodified; Central America.............................................................. Tapantia - Cerci short; epandrium with elongate, posteromedial, ventrally-pointed process ( Fig. 15 ); costal setae relatively longer and fewer ( Fig. 14 ); posterior face of hind femur often with large, blunt, ventrobasal process ( Figs. 5–10 ); New Zealand................................................................................................ Wharia

Females of Wharia key to Bothroprosopa at couplet 152 in the female key of Disney (1994). They differ in having a shorter costa, less curved vein M1, and a much shorter proboscis than in Bothroprosopa . The other new genus described in this paper also keys to this couplet, so we offer modification to the key that allow identification of both new genera in the Recognition section for Minicosta new genus.

Derivation of name. Wharia is an arbitrary combination of letters, although loosely based on the first two initials of the name of W. H. Robinson, who as been extremely helpful to both authors in the past. For Latinization purposes, we consider it feminine in gender.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Bothroprosopa mirifica Schmitz, wing.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Wharia willcocksorum new species, specimen from Rotopounamu [LACM ENT 223564]. 1, habitus, left lateral. 2, head and thorax, left lateral. 3, head, anterior. 4, thorax, dorsal. 5, hind femur, posterior. 6, hind femur, posterior, basal area.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Wharia willcocksorum new species, hind femur, posterior, and hind femur, posterior, basal area. 7 – 8, specimen from Tree Trunk Gorge [LACM ENT 221624]. 9 – 10, specimen from Raglan [LACM ENT 223165]. 11 – 12, specimen from Desert Road at Oturere River [LACM ENT 221483].

FIGURES 13 – 16. Wharia willcocksorum new species, male. 13, head, specimen from Rotopounamu [LACM ENT 223564]. 14, wing, specimen from Tree Trunk Gorge [LACM ENT 221624]. 15 – 16, male terminalia, right lateral and left lateral, specimen (molecular voucher) from Sandy Bay [LACM ENT 240024].