Aphiura tasmaniensis, DISNEY, 2003

DISNEY, R. H. L., 2003, Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species, Journal of Natural History 37 (5), pp. 505-639 : 515-518

Aphiura tasmaniensis sp. nov.

(figure 6)

Material

H  : male, Tasmania, Hobart, Battery Point, De Witt Street , garden, 23–31 December 1991 ( R. H. L. Disney —25-4) ( TMH).

P    : 7 males —2 as holotype except ( UMZC); 3 as holotype except 1–11 January 1992 and two ( CSIRO, UMZC); 2 as holotype except 10–12 June 1995 ( TMH, UMZC) .

Etymology Named after the country of the type locality. Diagnosis

Third antennal segment with numerous small SPS vesicles and pre-apical arista; palp relatively small and with irregular pits on outer face; scutellum with four bristles, but inner (posterior) pair weak; right posterolateral lobe of epandrium with irregularly trunctated tip; left lobe of hypandrium much reduced but right lobe large; femora brown.

Male

Frons brown, similar to A. alistairi but with fewer than 40 hairs and two to four supra-antennal hairs. With two or three bristles on cheek and three to five on jowl. Antennae pale brown to brown and as figure 6B. Palps a little paler and as figure 6A. Labrum pale brown and it and labella similar to A. alistairi . Thorax brown, with chaetotaxy as A. alistairi and anterior scutellars about 1.5× as long as posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with short hairs that are only a little longer at rear margins (figure 6C). Venter as A. alistairi . Hypopygium brown, as figure 6C, the paraphyses of the penis complex being mainly dark brown. Legs similar to A. cynthiae . Wing 1.4–2.1 mm long. Costal index 0.50–0.53. Costal ratios 5.3–7.2: 2.1–3.2: 1. Costal cilia 0.08–0.09 mm long. Otherwise wing as A. alistairi but with veins and membrane a little paler and costa not thicker than vein 3. With three to four axillary bristles. Haltere with brown stem and basal third of knob, the distal two-thirds of latter being whitish but in most being lightly tinged brown.