Zalea earlyi, McAlpine, 2007

McAlpine, D. K., 2007, The Surge Flies (Diptera: Canacidae: Zaleinae) of Australasia and Notes on Tethinid-Canacid Morphology and Relationships, Records of the Australian Museum 59 (1), pp. 27-64 : 52-53

Zalea earlyi n.sp.

Figs 60, 61

Material examined. HOLOTYPE!, New Zealand: Medlands Beach , Great Barrier Island, North Island vicinity, 4.xi.2001, J.W.E. ( AMNZ). “Intertidal rocks … swept L11022.” In alcohol . PARATYPE. 1!, New Zealand: Ike Island , Noisies Islands , Hauraki Gulf, North Island vicinity, 9.xii.1979, K.A.W. ( AMNZ). Dry-mounted on card .

Description (!,? unknown). Somewhat similar to Z. johnsi , agreeing with description of that species, except as indicated.

Coloration (based mainly on dry-mounted paratype). Postfrons rusty-brown, with orbits and frontal triangle dark greyish; face, parafacial and cheek pale yellowish; hypofacial and prelabrum pale grey. Palpus tawny-yellow. Halter dull yellowish. Abdomen: anterior section of tergite 7 quite black, its lateral plates grey-brown; cercus grey-brown.

Head and eye both higher than long; height of cheek c. 0.30 of height of eye; face slightly concave; vibrissal angle not prominent in profile; postgenal setulae well developed, c. four of them forming an almost vertical series; postvertical bristles slightly divergent to almost parallel, a little smaller than ocellars and larger fronto-orbitals. Palpus slightly clavate.

Thorax. Prosternum with narrow, distinct precoxal bridge. Mid femur without differentiated posteroventral bristles; fore tibia with several dorsal setulae almost as long as tibial diameter; those on mid and hind tibiae shorter. Wing: cell-4 index = 0.54–0.59.

Abdomen. Sternite 1 divided into two well developed but widely separated plates; sternites 3 to 6 well sclerotized, undivided; tergite 6 not noticeably sinuate or desclerotized divided into three separate plates. Zalea wisei and sp. 1 have similar postgenal setulae, but lack the precoxal bridge and have apical scutellar setulae and much smaller C-4 index; the latter species has female sternite 7 in one piece, though deeply lobed.

Although the male is unknown and female material is minimal, there is adequate evidence that the species is distinct, and the unusual postabdominal characters should ensure reidentification of females.

The specific epithet refers to John W. Early who collected the holotype and other useful material of Zalea for this project.

on posterior margin; tergite 7 with separate anteromedian and paired posterolateral plates; anteromedian plate smooth with long anterior apodeme and pair of slender lateral arms arising from short central plate; each lateral plate rather short, about as broad as long, setulose; dorsal membrane between lateral plates with pair of setulae; sternite 7 apparently divided into two plates but details not observed.

Dimensions. Total length 1.8 (dried, abdomen deflexed)- 2.3 mm; length of thorax 0.93–0.98 mm; length of wing 2.0 mm.

Distribution. New Zealand: North Island vicinity—Great Barrier Island and Hauraki Gulf.

Notes

Zalea earlyi resembles other New Zealand Zalea species with prothoracic precoxal bridge (e.g., Z. horningi , Z. johnsi etc.), but these all lack the well-developed set of postgenal setulae, and the females, where known, do not have tergite 7