Bradysia bishopi Steffan, 1973

Mohrig, Werner, Kauschke, Ellen & Broadley, Adam, 2019, Revision of black fungus gnat species (Diptera, Sciaridae) described from the Hawaiian Islands by D. E. Hardy and W. A. Steffan, and a contribution to the knowledge of the sciarid fauna of the Galápagos Islands, Zootaxa 4590 (4), pp. 401-439 : 406

Bradysia bishopi Steffan, 1973

( Fig. 3 A–D)

Bradysia bishopi Steffan, 1973 [Steffan (1973a): 353 – 355, fig. 1 a – f].

Selected literature: Hardy (1960): 227 – 228, fig. 75 c – e [as Sciara (Lycoriella) radicum Brunetti , misinterpretation]; Steffan (1969): 719 – 722, fig. 20 a – g [as Bradysia radicum (Brunetti) , misinterpretation]; Menzel & Smith (2009): 24 – 26, figs 4 – 6; Köhler & Menzel (2013): 68; Mohrig (2016): 12 – 13, fig 12 a – c (as Bradysia mutuata ); Mohrig et al. (2018): 212 – 213, fig 7 A – C (as Bradysia centidens ).

Material studied: Holotype : Male, Hawai‘i, O‘ahu I., HW 162, F 9, leg. unknown (BPBM No. 9943). 3 males, Hawai‘i, O‘ahu, Kailua, 11.xi.1968, blacklight, leg. W.A. Steffan (1 in PWMP). Conservation status: Embedded in Euparal. Body and head separated, all details in good condition.

= Bradysia centidens Vilkamaa, Hippa & Mohrig, 2012 , syn. n.

Bradysia centidens Vilkamaa, Hippa & Mohrig, 2012 [Vilkamaa et al. (2012c): 28, fig. 2 A – D].

= Bradysia mutuata Mohrig, 2016 (syn. to B. centidens Vilkamaa, Hippa & Mohrig, 2012 ).

Literature: Mohrig et al. (2018): 212-213, fig.7 A–C.

Comments. Two specimens from the Hawaiian Islands, O‘ahu, Kailua, 6.xi.1968, 157, blacklight, leg. W.A. Steffan and one specimen from O‘ahu, Kailua, 2.xi.1968, HW 162, F 9, leg. W.A. Steffan, were misinterpreted by Steffan as B. radicum . The illustration of the hypopygium of B. radicum ( Figure 20 ) in Steffan (1969) is very similar to the illustration of B. bishopi Steffan ( Figure 1d ) in Steffan (1973a) and Figure 4 in Menzel & Smith (2009).

The species is characterized by 2 dorsally inserted spines distinctly separated from the 4–5 apical spines of the gonostylus. A comparison with the paratype of Bradysia centidens Vilkamaa, Hippa & Mohrig, 2012 from New Caledonia showed that B. bishopi , B. centidens and B. mutuata are conspecific.

The slide labelled holotype bears the number BPBM 9943 which differs from the number listed in Steffan’s original description and in his types catalog (BPBM 9942) (Steffan 1973 a, Steffan 1976). Steffan (1973a) reported that the types were generation F 9, reared from a single female captured on the 11.xi.1968.

The distribution of B. bishopi was reported by Menzel & Smith (2009) and Köhler & Menzel (2013) to include French Polynesia (Tahiti, Marquesas Islands), American Samoa (Tutuila), Samoa (Upolu, Savaii), and Fiji (Vanua Levu); however these were based on erroneous records by Edwards (see comments for B. radicum ). The presence of B. bishopi on these islands requires confirmation.

Distribution. Widespread in the Southern Hemisphere. Hawai‘i; Australia; New Caledonia; Thailand (Bangkok); Seychelles Islands; Galápagos Islands.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Elmo Hardy in 1978. Photo courtesy of Neal Evenhuis.

FIGURE 3 A–D. Bradysia bishopi Steffan, 1973. Holotype. A. Hypopygium; B. Flagellomeres 4–5; C. Tibial organ of fore tibia; D. Wing.

FIGURE 4 A–C. Bradysia crassicornis (Skuse, 1890). Specimen from Barbers Point, O’ahu. A. Hypopygium; B. Head with basal segments of flagellomeres; C. Tibial organ of fore tibia.

FIGURE 20 A–D. Scatopsciara hoyti (Hardy, 1956). Holotype. A. Wing; B. Basal segments of antenna; C. Palpus; D. Apex of fore tibia.