Microchrysa wrightae Lessard & Woodley, 2020

Lessard, Bryan D., Yeates, David K. & Woodley, Norman E., 2020, Review of Australian Sarginae Soldier Fly Genera (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), with First Records of Cephalochrysa, Formosargus and Microchrysa, Records of the Australian Museum 72 (2), pp. 23-43 : 30-33

Microchrysa wrightae Lessard & Woodley , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ C3A3DED4-14DB-4E3E-8920-4866B5B1939C

Figs 5 , 6

Holotype ♂, “Ingham, Qld. / Light Trap / 15 Mar. 1961 / K.I. Harley ”; “ HOLOTYPE ♂ / Microchrysa wrightae / Lessard & Woodley, 2020 ” ANIC 29-037422 . The specimen is in excellent condition . Paratypes 13♀♀ [ ANIC 29- 037423 , 29-059047 to 29-059057 , 29-059077 ], same data as holotype: “ PARATYPE ♀ / Microchrysa wrightae / Lessard & Woodley, 2020 ”; ANIC 29-059047 , 29-059048 and 29-059052 collected 21 Mar.; ANIC 29-059049 and 29-059057 collected by R. Straatman on 20 and 27 Apr., respectively . 16♂♂ [ ANIC 29-059032 to 29-059046 , 29-037462 ], same data as holotype: “ PARATYPE ♂ / Microchrysa wrightae / Lessard & Woodley, 2020 ”; ANIC 29-059039 collected 5–12 Feb. 1963; ANIC 29-059040 and 29-059042 collected 21 Mar.; ANIC 29-059046 collected 27 Apr. by R. Straatman .

Other material examined: Qld: 1♂ [ ANIC 29-059058 ], 1♀ [ ANIC 29-059059 ], 17.17S 145.34E, Curtain Fig , Feb 1988 , D. C. F. Rentz; 1♂ [ ANIC 29-059060 ], 2♀♀ [ ANIC 29-059061 , 29-059062 ], Mt. Bartle Frere (East Base), 80 ft, 25 Apr. 1955 , Norris & Common; 1♂ [ AMS K.453229], Whitfield Range , near Cairns, 3 April 1975 , M. S. Moulds; 3♂♂ [ ANIC 29- 059065 , 29-059066 , 29-059068 ], Ayr , 12-10-1950 , E. F. Riek; 1♂ [ ANIC 29-059067 ], same data as previous, 11-10-1950 ; 1♀ [ ANIC 29-059070 ], same data as previous, 4-9-1950 ; 1♀ [ ANIC 29-059072 ], same data as previous, 12-10-1950 ; 2♀♀ [ ANIC 29-059069 , 29-059071 ], Ayr , 30.ix.1960 , R. Hughes; 3♂♂ [ AMS K.453218–K.453220], 2♀♀ [ AMS K.453216, K.453217], 15.50S 145.20E, 3 km N of Bloomfield , 21 Sep 1992 , at light, P. Zborowski & L Miller; 1♂ [ ANIC 29-059073 ], 3 mls W of Mossman , 13 Mar 1964 , I. F. B. Common & M. S. Upton; 1♀ [ AMS K.453224], Windsor Tableland , NW of Mossman, 810 m, 16°12'51"S 145°0.4'09"E, 4 Jan 1994 , site 1, G. & A. Daniels, R. Eastwood mv lamp; D. H. Colless, at light: 1♀ [ ANIC 29-059063 ], 15.04S 145.145.07E, Mt Webb Nat Pk , 29 Apr 1981 ; 1♀ [ ANIC 29-059064 ], 15.03S 145.09E, 3 km NE of Mt Webb , 1 May 1981 ; 1♂ [ ANIC 29-059074 ], 12 km SE of Daintree , 22 Nov 1981 ; 2♂♂ [ ANIC 29-059075 , 29-059076 ], 17.20S 145.31E, Wongabel State Forest , nrAtherton, 18 Nov. 1981 ; 2♂♂ [ ANIC 29-059078 , 29-059079 ], 15.50S 145.20E, Gap Ck , 5 km ESE Mt Finnigan, 14 May 1981 ; 1♂ [ ANIC 29-059080 ], 15.29S 145.16E, Mt Cook Nat Park , 10 May 1981 ; 1♂ [ ANIC 29-059082 ], 16.30S 145.00E, McLeod R., 14 km W by N of Mt. Carbine, 23 Nov 1981 ; 1♀ [ ANIC 29-059081 ], 15.49S 145.14E, Little Forks Annan River , 18 Oct 1980 , D. H. Colless, Malaise trap.

Diagnosis. A small (length 5.0– 5.5 mm) species, with metallic golden or purplish green thorax, pale yellow legs with a dark brown marking on the apical half of the hind tibiae, and antennae and palpi yellow in males, darker brown in females. This species can be distinguished from M. flaviventris by the abdomen without green colouration in males (tergite 5 with green colouration in M. flaviventris ), and both sexes with anterior portion of discal cell between r-m and M 1 well developed and distinctly visible (faint in M. flaviventris ; Woodley 2009), and hind femora entirely yellow (marked with dark brown apically in M. flaviventris ), and the male terminalia with the posterior margin of the synsternite with a bilobed process with the lobes narrowly separated (deeply emarginate in M. flaviventris ; Nagatomi 1975: fig. 4B).

Description. Male. Length 5.0– 5.5 mm. Head. Eyes holoptic, contiguous about one-third the length of frons from vertex, with distinct demarcation of change in size of ommatidia just above antennae. Upper frons blackish, bare, lower frons diverging ventrally at margins, with a distinct linear impression, cuticular surface subshining, upper half pale brown, lower half black, hair-like setae relatively short, dense, golden; ocellar tubercle relatively bulging at each ocellus, ocelli almost in the shape of an equilateral triangle, slightly elongated anteriorly, black with reflections of green, hair-like setae relatively short, yellowish. Occiput not visible in lateral view, occipital plate relatively bare, with short, yellowish hair-like setae limited to lateral margins. Face wide, narrowly visible in profile, shining metallic green and gold, hair-like setae relatively short, dense, golden yellow. Antennae relatively s, scape+pedicel+flagellum about equal to length of head, scape about equal to length of pedicel, pedicel slightly expanded and curved gently apically on inner surface, both segments pale yellow, flagellum basal complex yellow, with small, irregular, circular presumably sensory pits, apical margin with short, golden hair-like setae, apical flagellomere yellowish brown, about 1.7 times as long as scape+pedicel. Palpi very short, yellow, with short, yellowish hair-like setae. Proboscis yellowish, with short, yellowish hair-like setae.

Thorax. Scutum shining metallic golden green, occasionally with purplish reflections, with relatively short, dense, appressed, golden hair-like setae; scutellum slightly raised relative to scutum, same colour as scutum, with relatively short, dense, golden hair-like setae; mediotergite same colour as scutum, with a few moderately long, golden hair-like setae; pleura brownish with reflections of green to gold, with a prominent, narrow, whitish horizontal strip encompassing postpronotal lobe and upper margin of anepisternum, hair-like setae pale yellow to whitish. Legs with pale yellow coxae, femora, tibiae and tarsi, brown on apical half of hind tibiae, hair-like setae pale yellowish on all segments. Wings hyaline; cell r 1 stained entirely pale yellow; R 2+3 arising distal to r-m, exceeding length of discal cell; discal cell small, slightly elongate, about 1.3 times as long as wide; all medial veins terminating before reaching margin, M 1 and M 3 the weakest, both occasionally reduced to appendices or appearing as absent, M 4 issued separately from discal cell by dM 3+4; CuA relatively straight, curving at extreme end toward margin, petiole vein CuA+CuP short; alula large, slightly expanded and relatively pointed apically, surface without microtrichia; post-tegula yellowish, with yellowish hair-like setae; lower calypter with small straplike lobe present, hair-like setae dense, relatively long, pale golden yellow.

Abdomen. Ovoid, about 1.2–1.4 times as long as wide, tergites 3–5 relatively quadrate, widest at tergite 5, cuticular surface pale yellow, contrasting with golden green thorax, hair-like setae short, dense, appressed, brown, becoming more yellow and erect at lateral margins, most obvious on tergites 2, 3 and apical margins of tergite 6. Sternites pale yellow, hair-like setae short, dense, appressed and entirely golden yellow. Terminalia yellowish brown: gonostyli semitriangular, relatively acutely pointed posterolaterally, with a depressed groove at centre, hair-like setae relatively long, dense, brownish; gonocoxites nearly quadrate, evenly tapered anteriorly, posterior margin of genital capsule emarginate with a pair of rounded sublateral processes separated by a deep, quite narrow emargination, gonocoxal apodemes relatively short, not reaching anterior margin, anteriorly pointed; epandrium relatively short, anterior margins blunt, rounded laterally, proctiger wider than long, semi-triangular, cerci longer than wide, rounded at tip, exceeding length of proctiger, hair-like setae long, dense, brownish.

Female. Length 5.0– 5.5 mm. Similar to males, but slightly more bluish purple in colouration on the thorax and the abdomen, abdomen is concolorous with the scutum. Eyes with ommatidia of uniform size, with extremely sparse, short, whitish hair-like setae. Frons wide (index 1.4–1.5), with a strong medial impression, margins converging ventrally, shining metallic purplish to aqua blue, with relatively sparse, short, dull yellowish white setae, lower frons with a pale yellowish brown horizontal band. Occiput well developed, shining metallic purplish to aqua blue, dorsal half visible in lateral view. Antennae darker yellowish brown. Palpi dark brown. Abdomen with tergites blackish with strong reflections of green to purplish blue, concolorous with thorax, lateral hair-like setae whitish; sternites dark brown to black, with subtle bluish reflections, hair-like setae whitish.

Distribution. Northern Qld ( Fig. 2 ).

Etymology. This specific name is in honour of Susan Wright, Collection Manager of Entomology, QM, for assistance and access to the collection.

Remarks. At least four undescribed species of Microchrysa are known in collections from: (a) Pine Creek and Curtain Fig, Qld [ANIC 29-059299 to 29-059301]; (b) Townsville to Brisbane, Qld [7♂♂ ANIC 29-059289, 29-059290, 29- 059291, 29-059292, 29-059293, 29-059295, 29-059298; 3♀♀ ANIC 29-059291, 29-059294, 29-059295; 1♀ AMS K.453226, 3♂♂ AMS K.453230–K.453232; 1♀ USNM; 2♂♂ QM] and Carnarvon Golf Club, NSW [9♀♀ AMS K.478683–K.478691]; (c) Davies Creek, Qld, [N.E. Woodley Collection donated to USNM]; and (d) Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park [AMS K.453227, K.453225]. Material is also known from Berry Springs, Larrakeyah, Casuarina Point, Black Point, and Rimbija Islands, NT , that superficially resemble M. wrightae .

Although little is known regarding the biology of the Australian sargine fauna, this genus appears to be associated with vegetation, based on collection labels of specimens belonging to three undescribed species: two specimens from Brisbane (AMS K.453231, K.453232) were collected from leaves of Physallis peruviana (Solanaceae) ; a series of females from Carnarvon Golf Club, NSW (AMS K.478683–K.478691) were collected from a woodchip pile, and; a female from Snake Bay (presumably NT; ANIC 29-059096) and male from Melville Island (NT, ANIC 29-059101) were collected from the native shrub Opilia amentacea (Opiliaceae) .

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of the Sarginae from Australia, including the first records of Formosargus James, 1939 and Microchrysa Loew, 1855.ACT, Australian Capital Territory; NSW, New South Wales; NT, Northern Territory; Qld, Queensland; SA, South Australia; Tas, Tasmania; Vic, Victoria; WA, Western Australia.

Figure 5. Microchrysa wrightae Lessard & Woodley, sp. nov. holotype ♂ (ANIC 29-037422): (a) dorsum; (b) lateral; (c) head, frontal; (d) head, anterolateral;paratype ♂ (ANIC 29-037462):(e) genital capsule and phallic complex, dorsal;(f) genital capsule and phallic complex, ventral, and; (g) epandrium, proctiger and cerci, dorsal. Abbreviations: c, cercus; ep, epandrium; gc, gonocoxite; gs, gonostylus; pr, proctiger.

Figure 6. Microchrysa wrightae Lessard & Woodley, sp. nov. paratype ♀ (ANIC 29-037423): (a) dorsum; (b) lateral; (c) head, frontal; (d) head, anterolateral.