Tachyphron mantonensis, 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 : 229

Tachyphron mantonensis sp. n.

( Figures 45, 46 , 56 , 60 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: „. Australia: Northern Territory: Manton River crossing, Stuart Hwy , 12 ° 50.349S, 131 ° 07.989E, 8 January 1996, G. R. Brown, in NTM.

Distribution. Known only from a roadside picnic area at Manton River south of Darwin, Northern Territory ( Figure 60 ).

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

Diagnosis. Male: hypopygium with the apical spine broad and subparallel apically with apex upturned, but appearing blunt when viewed ventrally ( Figure 56 ). Aedeagus with a long narrow ventral lobe ( Figure 45 ).

Description. Male: black; apex of clypeus (longer so medially), line above antennal insertions (discontinuous medially), anterior margin of pronotum (discontinuous medially), large spot on tegula, and disc of metanotum, pale yellow; wings hyaline, fore wing weakly infuscate on distal half, veins and stigma dark brown to black; setae white. Clypeus closely and finely punctate, apically truncate, slightly emarginate medially, sagittally carinate. Frons, vertex and gena rugosely punctate. Gena slightly oblique, less than half length of minimum eye diameter. Occipital carina visible dorsally. Genal cavity not visible dorsally. Pronotum rugosely punctate, anterior surface closely punctate. Mesoscutum deeply rugosely punctate. Mesoscutellum rugosely punctate. Metanotum finely punctate. Propodeum closely to rugosely punctate, posterior punctures aligned in transverse lines. Mesopleura rugosely punctate. T1–6 very shallowly punctate, T1 sparsely punctate, T2–6 closely punctate; T7 closely and coarsely punctate, medially impunctate; T1 with length: width 2:1. S1 closely and shallowly punctate; S2–8 shallowly punctate, punctures deeper posteriorly on posterior segments. Hypopygium ( Figure 56 ) subparallel, lateral spines acute and curved, apical spine broad and subparallel with upturned apex but appearing blunt when viewed dorsally. Genitalia ( Figures 45, 46 ) with parameres subtriangular, apices rounded, slightly down-turned, slightly divergent, ending before the apex of aedeagus; basiparameres in dorsal view subtriangular, apex weakly emarginate and ending before the level of apices of cuspides, narrow (especially basally and apically) in lateral view; aedeagus with basal and apical sections, basal section narrow with long narrow ventral lobe, apical section long, narrow and subparallel over most of length then abruptly narrowed near apex, ending beyond apex of level of apices of cuspides. BL: 8; FW: 6; HW: 5.

Remarks. I have been unable to collect further specimens of this species, despite frequent attempts.

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.