Bradysia maesta ( Skuse, 1888 ) Skuse, 1888

Broadley, Adam, Kauschke, Ellen & Mohrig, Werner, 2016, Revision of the types of male Sciaridae (Diptera) described from Australia by F. A. A. Skuse, Zootaxa 4193 (3), pp. 401-450 : 427

Bradysia maesta ( Skuse, 1888) comb. n.

( Fig. 16 A‒C)

Sciara maesta Skuse, 1888 [ Skuse (1888): 691 ‒692].

Type locality. Australia, New South Wales, Middle Harbour , near Sydney.

Lectotype (here designated): Male. Slide bears original label data verbatim ‘ Sciara maesta / Ƌ (ink) TYPE./ F. A. A. Skuse’ (print), ‘Mid. Harb./ S’ (ink), ‘Antennae broken’ (ink). Mounted in Canada balsam Dec. 2015. ( ANIC; Slide No. 033-1).

Paralectotype. Female (not studied).

Remarks. Original description states “ Hab.—Middle Harbour, near Sydney (Skuse); Berowra (Masters). August.”

Preservation. Flagellomeres, with the exception of the first two segments, missing. All other structures in good condition.

Additional description. Male. Head. Brown. Eye bridge 4 facets wide. 2nd flagellomere with l/w-index of 2.0, robust, with moderately long brown neck, densely hairy, brownish, as long as the width of the basal node; palpus 3- segmented; basal segment without deepened sensory area, with 4‒5 fine bristles. Thorax. Brownish, scutum centrally darkened, with very short fine hairs, lateral hairs not any longer; scutellum without longer marginal bristles; postpronotum bare; katepisternum darkened in the ventral half. Wing brownish, with strong posterior veins; R1 = 3/4 R; R5 with ventral macrotrichia in distal third only; C = 4/5 w; y slightly longer than x, with 1‒2 macrotrichia; posterior veins without macrotrichia. Haltere short, brownish. Legs yellowish-brown; fore tibia with a comb of brownish bristles; spurs of middle and hind tibia equal in size, longer than the width of the tibia apex; claws without teeth. Abdomen. Brownish, with short, sparse, fine pale hairs. Hypopygium brownish, with rounded ventral base, without lobe or bristle patch, but with hairs on the ventral membrane; gonocoxite with short fine hairs on the inner ventral margin; gonostylus much shorter than gonocoxite, without apical tooth, apically hairy, with 5‒6 short awl-like subapical spines; tegmen apically rounded, with a large area of teeth; ventral parameral apodeme long; aedeagus rather long. Body length: 3.2 mm.

Comments. The species is characterized by rather robust, densely hairy flagellomeres, with hairs as long as the width of the basal node; wing with a very long C, a short gonostylus, without any teeth, and with 5 short awl-like subapical spines and a hairy apex.

Distribution. Australia (New South Wales).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Bradysia maesta (Skuse, 1888). A. Hypopygium; B. Apex of gonostylus; C. Thorax with head and basal segments of antennae.