Elissoma brunnea Hardy, 1933

Winterton, Shaun L., 2023, Wasp-mimicking soldier flies of the Australian Region: revision of Ampsalis Walker, Elissoma White and Lagenosoma Brauer (Stratiomyidae: Clitellariinae), Zootaxa 5246 (1), pp. 1-63 : 19-21

Elissoma brunnea Hardy

( Figs 11C, D ; 19A ; 20 ; 21A ; 22A, C ; 23A ; 25K, L ; 28D ; 32C ; 36 )

Elissoma brunnea Hardy, 1933: 410 — Woodley, 1989: 314 [catalogue as E. brunneum ], 2001: 166 [catalogue].

Diagnosis. Flagellum black, flagellomere VII much longer than combined length of flagellomeres IV–VI; foretarsus white; face with extensive black pile; parafacial raised in longitudinal callus; scutellar spines well developed; wing vein M 3 absent, wing infuscate across middle part of wing.

Redescription. Body length = 7.0–9.0 mm. Head. Frons flat, black medially, white to dark yellow laterally; face black medially with short, dark setal pile; parafacial white, protruding anteriorly as vertical ridge; ocellar tubercle black; occiput flat, black, white behind ocellar tubercle (male), covered with fine setal pile (white in male, black in female); postocular ridge not raised and carinate in male; antenna (length = 3.0 mm) with scape and pedicel dark yellow, flagellomeres I–V dark yellow with dark microtrichia, flagellomeres VI–VII black, flagellomere VII much longer than combined length of flagellomeres IV–VI, ratio of length of flagellomere VII to VIII is 1: 2.4, flagellomere VIII elongate and finely plumose with microtrichia. Thorax. Female thorax dark yellow with black laterally on prosternum and black spot on katatergite; male thorax black except for orange scutellum and scutum (with black quadrangular marking anteriorly), yellow line between wing base and mid coxa and yellow spot above hind coxa; scutellar spines well developed, equal to 1/3 of scutellum length; coxae and legs dark yellow, foretarsus white; haltere yellow; wing hyaline, brown infuscate posteriorly in basal 2/3 of wing, cells bm and br hyaline basally; wing vein M 3 absent; pterostigma dark. Abdomen. Narrowed basally, segment 1 equal to width of scutellum with segment 4 widest and slightly wider than scutum; segment 1 with lateral flange well developed; segments 1–2 brown to black, remainder orange, tergites 3–5 with large black spot medially; female abdomen orange with black band anteromedially on tergites 3–5. Male genitalia. Epandrium broadly rounded; gonocoxites relatively short and broad, lacking posterolateral processes, posteromedially ridged; gonostylus large and triangular, medially directed; medial lobe of phallus slightly longer than lateral lobes. Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Comments. Elissoma brunnea exhibits a strong degree of sexual dimorphism in colouration, although both sexes display the characteristic white foretarsi unique to this species; incidentally Hardy (1933) did not mention these in the original description. Hardy (1933) mentions two paratypes amongst the three type specimens, but does not identify which is the holotype. The location of the type series is unknown ( Woodley 2001) and examination of these may clarify their status, but for now they are referred to as syntypes. The description by Hardy (1933) outlines some characteristic markings of this species including the antennal and abdomen colouration and absence of wing vein M 3. The likely existence of the type series and the clearly diagnosable original description means that a neotype is not required at this time. Females are rare in collections. Elissoma brunnea is closely related to E. minuta sp. n. as both species lack vein M 3 ( Fig. 21A ). Another feature found in E. brunnea , along with E. scapula sp. n. and E. hespera sp. n., is the elongation of flagellomere VII so that it is much longer than flagellomeres V–IV combined ( Figs 19B , 20 ). Elissoma brunnea is unique in the genus in that flagellomere VII is much longer than the combined length of flagellomeres IV–VI.

Type material— Syntypes males, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Westwood [-23.6251, 150.1561], 12.XII.1924, A. Burns, Ayr [-19.5691, 147.4072], 24.XII.1930, J.A. Buzacott (Type depository unknown) .

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 1 male, 7 km E Gayndah [-25.6151, 151.6908], 18.I.1991, G.&A. Daniels ( QM) ; 5 males, 1 female, Mt Scoria , 6 km S Thangool [-24.5328, 150.6002], 16.I.1991, G.&A. Daniels ( QM) ; 2 males, Mulambin Beach, S Yeppoon [-23.1961, 150.7915], 30.XI.1979, G. Daniels ( QM) ; 5 males, Footprint Scrub site 1, [-19.6883, 146.4401], 10.II.2007, S. Wright, 320–363 m, vine scrub ( QM) ; 1 male, ‘ Toomba’ site 1, [-19.9683, 145.5802], 390 m, 13–14.II.2007, C. Burwell, S. Wright, rainforest ( QM) ; 10 males, ‘ Toomba’ site 2, [-19.9667, 145.5801], 400 m, 14.II.2007, S. Wright, vine scrub on basalt ( QM) ; 6 males, ‘ Toomba’ site 3, [-19.9667, 145.5816], 390 m, 13–16.II.2007, QM party, vine-scrub edge/pasture ( QM) .

Figures

FIGURE 11. A. Elissoma australis (Kertész), female, lateral view; B. Elissoma australis, female, oblique view; C. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, male, dorsal view; D. Elissoma brunnea, male, oblique view; E. Elissoma gilva sp. n., female, lateral view; F. Elissoma gilva sp. n., female, dorsal view; G. Elissoma hauseri sp. n., male, oblique view; H. Elissoma hauseri sp. n., male, lateral view.

FIGURE 19. Antennae. A. Elissoma brunnea Hardy; B. Elissoma scapula sp. n.; C. Lagenosoma pictum Brauer; D. Eudmeta marginata Wiedemann.

FIGURE 20. Stylised illustrations of the antenna of Eudmeta, Ampsalis, Elissoma and Lagenosoma.

FIGURE 21. Wings. A. Elissoma brunnea Hardy; B. Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n.; C. Lagenosoma propinquum Brauer; D. Lagenosoma pictum Brauer.

FIGURE 22. Male epandrium. A. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, lateral; B. Lagenosoma pictum Brauer, lateral; C. Elissoma brunnea, dorsal; D. Lagenosoma pictum, dorsal.

FIGURE 23. Male genitalia, (dorsal and ventral views). A. Elissoma brunnea Hardy; B. Elissoma hauseri sp. n.; C. Lagenosoma danielsorum sp. n.

FIGURE 25. Heads of Ampsalis and Elissoma. A. Ampsalis acta sp. n., male; B. Ampsalis acta sp. n., female; C. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n., male; D. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n., female; E. Elissoma australis sp. n., female; F. Elissoma gilva sp. n., female; G. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., male; H. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., female; I. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n., female; J. Elissoma hespera sp. n., male; K. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, male; L. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, female; M. Elissoma minuta sp. n., male; N. Elissoma lauta White, male.

FIGURE 28. Ampsalis and Elissoma scutellums.A. Ampsalis acta sp. n.; B. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n.; C. Elissoma australis sp. n.; D. Elissoma brunnea Hardy; E. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., F. Elissoma gilva sp. n.; G. Elissoma hespera sp. n.; H. Elissoma hauseri sp. n.; I. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n.; J. Elissoma lauta White.

FIGURE 32. Ampsalis and Elissoma abdomens. A. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n., male; B. Elissoma australis sp. n., female; C. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, male; D. Elissoma lauta White, male; E. Elissoma minuta sp. n., male; F. Elissoma gilva sp. n., female; G. Elissoma hespera sp. n., male; H. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n., female; I. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., male; J. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., female.

FIGURE 36. Distribution of Elissoma species.