Amenia imperialis

Colless, D. H., 1998, Morphometrics in the genus Amenia and revisionary notes on the Australian Ameniinae (Diptera: Calliphoridae), with the description of eight new species, Records of the Australian Museum 50 (1), pp. 85-123 : 109-110

Amenia imperialis , "arid form"

I am using this name for a set of eight males, from arid areas of inland New South Wales and Queensland, that are seemingly intermediate between typical A. imperialis and A. albosquamata . They cluster with the latter in the ordination described in Part 1, having, for instance, the typically long face and narrow gena and the long antennal segment 3 (ratio 3.2-4.6 for males). However, the calypters resemble those of imperialis , as does the M-bend index.

I suspect that this "form" actually belongs to A. albosquamata , and that the morphological separation of the latter from A. imperialis is slighter than I am here recognising; indeed, the two "species" may represent the extremes of a cline. But without additional material, I am unable to take the matter further.

Specimens examined. NEW SOUTH WALES: Mt Boppy, near Cobar , 25 November 1949, S.J. Paramonov, 5cS cS; 1 mile

NE of Bohena, Pilliga Scrub , 5 April 1951, Key & Chinnick, 10. QUEENSLAND : 28 km NNE of Charleville , 18 October 1978, D.H. Colless, 10; 17°12'S 144°33'E , 6 km SE of Chillagoe , 27 November 1981, D.H. Colless, 10 .