Tachyphron townsvillensis, Brown, 2005

Brown, G. R., 2005, A revision of Tachyphron Brown and description of two new genera within the Ariphron group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae), Journal of Natural History 39 (2), pp. 197-239 : 235

Tachyphron townsvillensis sp. n.

( Figures 47, 48 , 57 , 60 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: „. Australia: Queensland: 1 km S of Piper’s Lookout, Development Road, Herveys Range , by sweeping, 19 ° 219800S, 146 ° 289500E, 28 April 1998, J. E. Purdie, in NTM.

Distribution. Known only from Herveys Range near Townsville, Queensland ( Figure 60 ).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Male: parameres with ventral margin straight and produced such that they appear digitate apically ( Figure 47 ). Hypopygium with apical spine triangular and distinctly longer than the lateral spines ( Figure 57 ).

Description. Male: black; apex of clypeus (longer so medially), line above antennal insertions, anterior margin of pronotum (discontinuous medially), spot on tegula, and disc of metanotum, yellow; wings hyaline, veins and stigma brown to dark brown; setae white.

Clypeus closely and finely punctate, apically truncate, sagittally carinate. Frons and vertex rugosely punctate. Gena finely rugosely punctate, slightly oblique, less than half length of minimum eye diameter. Occipital carina visible dorsally. Genal cavity not visible dorsally. Pronotum rugosely punctate with anterior surface closely punctate. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum rugosely punctate. Metanotum finely punctate. Propodeum and mesopleura rugosely punctate. T1–6 very shallowly punctate; T7 closely and coarsely punctate, medially impunctate; T1 with length: width 1.5:1. S1 closely punctate; S2–8 shallowly punctate, punctures deeper on posterior segments. Hypopygium ( Figure 57 ) subparallel, lateral spines acute, apical spine triangular. Genitalia ( Figures 47, 48 ) with parameres subparallel with apex twisted and appearing flattened apically, ending before apex of aedeagus and slightly beyond level of apices of cuspides; basiparameres in dorsal view triangular, margins slightly sinusoidal, apex acute, ending before level of apices of cuspides, narrow in lateral view; aedeagus with basal and apical sections, basal section long, subparallel and slightly curved, without ventral lobes, apical section with ventral margin curved upwards apically and dorsal margin sinusoidal, ending beyond level of apices of parameres. BL: 9; FW: 7; HW: 5.

Figures

Figure 60. Distribution of Tachyphron spp. (rarer species).

Figures 41–48. Tachyphron spp., male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views. (41, 42) T. athertonensis. (43, 44) T. aculeatus (note: basal ring partially detached). (45, 46) T. mantonensis. (47, 48) T. townsvillensis. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

Figures 53–58. Tachyphron spp., male hypopygia. (53) T. planus. (54) T. halmaherensis. (55) T. athertonensis. (56) T. mantonensis. (57) T. townsvillensis. (58) T. aculeatus. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.