Tachyphron athertonensis, 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 : 223-225

Tachyphron athertonensis sp. n.

( Figures 41, 42 , 55 , 60 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: „. Australia: Queensland: 17 ° 179S, 145 ° 349E, Curtain Fig , 2 km SSW of Yungaburra, pan trap, 28 January 1988, D. C. F. Rentz, in ANIC. PARATYPES: 1 „?, 17 ° 179E, 145 ° 299E, Atherton, fan trap, 25 January 1988, D. C. F. Rentz, in ANIC; 1 „, Atherton, 4–17 April 1994, J. Kojima, in NTM.

Distribution. Atherton Tablelands, north Queensland ( Figure 60 ).

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

Diagnosis. Male: hypopygium with apical spine long and narrowly triangular ( Figure 55 ). Aedeagus long, narrow and straight with the apex expanded, and the dorsal margin of the ventral lobe straight ( Figure 42 ).

Description. Male: black; apex of clypeus, margin of antennal prominences, anterior margin of pronotum (narrowly discontinuous medially), spot on tegula, and disc of metanotum, yellow; wings strongly infuscate (less so basally), veins and stigma brown; setae white, slightly yellow on frons, vertex, gena and dorsum of thorax. Clypeus closely and finely punctate, apically truncate, sagittally carinate. Frons and vertex rugosely punctate. Gena finely rugosely punctate, slightly oblique, approximately quarter length of minimum eye diameter. Occipital carina visible dorsally. Genal cavity not visible dorsally. Pronotum including anterior surface, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum rugosely punctate. Metanotum closely finely punctate. Propodeum and mesopleura rugosely punctate. T1–5 very shallowly punctate; T6 closely punctate, T7 closely and coarsely punctate, medially impunctate; T1 with length: width 1.8:1. S1 closely punctate; S2–8 shallowly punctate. Hypopygium ( Figure 55 ) subparallel, lateral spines acute and slightly divergent, apical spine long and narrowly triangular. Genitalia ( Figures 41, 42 ) with parameres broad and subparallel basally, long and narrow apically, apices twisted laterally and ventrally, strongly downturned, acute, divergent, ending before apex of aedeagus; basiparameres in dorsal view narrowly triangular, strongly emarginate apically and ending near level of cuspides apices, narrow in lateral view; aedeagus with distinct basal and apical sections, basal section with large, straight and apically acute ventral lobe, apical section long, straight, filamentous and apically expanded, longer than parameres. BL: 8–13; FW: 7–9; HW: 5–6.

Tachyphron comatus ( Smith 1864) comb. nov.

( Figures 31 , 37, 38 , 60 )

Aelurus comatus Smith, 1864: 27 .

Tachynomyia comata: Turner, 1907: 290 ; Turner, 1910: 28; Given, 1954: 54; Salter, 1954: 285; Salter, 1963: 238; Brown, 2001: 35.

Tachynomia comata: Kimsey, 1996: 308 (misspelling).

Aelurus comata: Kimsey, 1996: 308 (lapsus calami).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: „. Indonesia: Pulau Waigeo (type number HYM: 840), Waigeo [as Wagiu] Island, Wallace, in OUM.

Distribution. Known only from Waigeo Island off the north-west coast of Irian Jaya ( Figure 60 ).

Diagnosis. Male: hypopygium with apical spine long and narrow and upturned apically and broadly triangular basally ( Figure 32 ). Aedeagus expanded and truncate apically ( Figure 37 ). Parameres long, narrow and curved over much of their length. Metasoma black.

Description. Male: black; wings weakly infuscate, veins and stigma 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 including anterior surface, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum rugosely punctate. Metanotum closely finely punctate. Propodeum and mesopleura rugosely punctate. T 1–5 very shallowly punctate; T 6–7 closely and coarsely punctate, medially impunctate; T 1 with length: width 1.8:1. S1 closely punctate; S2–8 shallowly punctate, punctures deeper on posterior segments. Hypopygium ( Figure 31 ) subparallel, lateral spines acute, apical spine long and narrow and upturned apically, broadly triangular basally. Genitalia ( Figures 37, 38 ) with parameres subparallel basally, long, narrowly subparallel and strongly downturned on apical half, apices rounded, slightly twisted, divergent, ending slightly before apex of aedeagus; basiparameres in dorsal view narrowly triangular, apex not clearly differentiated from aedeagus, ending near level of apices of cuspides, narrow in lateral view; aedeagus with distinct basal and apical sections, basal section narrow and subparallel without ventral lobes, apical section narrow and slightly curved, narrowed gradually over most of length from base to swollen apex, ending beyond level of apices of parameres. BL: 12; FW: 9; HW: 6.

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.

Figures 29–32. Tachyphron spp., male hypopygia. (29) T. fragilis. (30) T. neosubfragilis. (31) T. comatus. (32) T. nigrisetatus. Scale bar: 0.25 mm.

Figures 33–40. Tachyphron spp., male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views. (33, 34) T. fragilis. (35, 36) T. neosubfragilis (note: basal ring partially detached). (37, 38) T. comatus. (39, 40) T. nigrisetatus. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.