Minipteryx robusta, Theischinger, 2015

Theischinger, G., 2015, Minipteryx robusta-a New Genus and Species of Micropterous Limnophilinae (Insecta: Diptera: Tipuloidea: Limoniidae) from Australia, Records of the Australian Museum 67 (6), pp. 201-206 : 202

Minipteryx robusta sp. nov.

Figs 1–16

Type material. Holotype. ♂ (unique, ♀ unknown): Australia, New South Wales: Kosciuszko National Park, Pipers Creek downstream from Smiggin Holes , adjacent to Summit Road (36.39829°S 148.43555°E, 1638 m a.s.l.), 6-v-2015, G. Theischinger leg. ( AMS).

Description ♂ (♀ unknown). Large almost completely black micropterous crane fly.

Head ( Figs 1 , 8 ) largely black, setose. Rostrum almost atrophied. Maxillary palp 2-segmented. Antenna 12- segmented: scape cylindrical and about twice as long as wide; pedicel at least as wide as scape, oval and about 1.3 times as long as wide; first flagellar segment oval, narrow at base, widest subapically, 1.5 times as long as wide; segment 4 slightly longer than wide; segments 5–10 almost globular, in one antenna segment 11 almost twice as long as preceding segments, and segment 12 only slightly longer than wide, in the other antenna segments 5–11 similar in length and segment 12 distinctly longer than wide. Palp and antenna, but in particular antennal flagellum paler greyish brown than remainder of head.

Thorax ( Figs 2 , 9, 10 ) rather short and narrow, largely brownish grey to brownish black. Legs with coxae and trochanters and basal portion of femora dark brown, remainder of femora, tibiae and tarsi black and very hairy. Wing greatly reduced, pale, without interpretable venation details, narrow in basal ⅓, dilated into broad blade in distal ⅔; halter very short, pale, almost conical, without distinct knob.

Abdomen ( Fig. 3 ) long and slender. Tergites black, particularly segments 4 and 5 with lateral bumps slightly past mid-length ( Fig. 11 ), sternites slightly paler.

Terminalia ( Figs 4–7 , 12–16 ): Segment 9 a simple ring that is apically not produced, lobed or indented; aedeagal complex ( Figs 6, 7 , 14, 15 ) strongly sclerotized, the parameres narrow rods, widely and rather evenly curved dorsad, reaching beyond half-length of aedeagus, which is claw-shaped, bifid, apically pointed and directed distinctly ventrad; gonocoxite simply subconical, not modified; two pairs of gonostyli, the inner an only partially sclerotized, simple, thick blade, the outer strongly sclerotized, basally very wide, tapering into bifid tip ( Fig. 16 ).

Dimensions. Total length about 14.5 mm; antenna 1.4 mm; length of metafemur 11.0 mm; wing 1.2 mm.

Etymology. Robustus, -a, -um is a Latin adjective meaning robust, referring to the apparent robustness of the species.

Figures

Figures 1–7. Minipteryx robusta, male. (1) head, lateral; (2) head and thorax, dorsal; (3) head, thorax and part of abdomen, dorsal; (4, 5) terminalia: 4, dorsal; 5, ventral; (6, 7) aedeagal complex: 6, lateral; 7, ventral.

Figures 8–16.Minipteryx robusta, male:(8) head, lateral; (9) head and thorax, dorsal;(10) thorax, lateral; (11) abdominal segments 4 and 5, dorsal; (12, 13) terminalia: 12, dorsal; 13, ventral; (14, 15) aedeagal complex: 14, lateral with body axis horizontal; 15, ventral; (16) tip of gonocoxite and gonostyli, ventral.ae—aedeagus; c1—procoxa; c2—mesocoxa; c3—metacoxa; ge—gonocoxite; h—halter; ig—inner gonostylus; og—outer gonostylus; p—paramere; s4—segment 4; s5—segment 5; s9—segment 9; w—wing.