Austrothaumalea chilensis Edwards, 1930

Pivar, Robert J., Sinclair, Bradley J. & Moulton, John K., 2020, Revision of the South American species of Austrothaumalea Tonnoir (Diptera Thaumaleidae), Zootaxa 4853 (4), pp. 509-526 : 514-515

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4853.4.2

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:948793DC-3873-4C14-8239-E30ED790E56A

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4410955

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038F6D29-FFCC-FFA6-85DB-FC25FF6B157E

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Austrothaumalea chilensis Edwards
status

 

Austrothaumalea chilensis Edwards View in CoL

( Figs 3C View FIGURE 3 , 4B View FIGURE 4 , 5B View FIGURE 5 , 6B View FIGURE 6 , 7B View FIGURE 7 , 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9A View FIGURE 9 )

Austrothaumalea chilensis Edwards, 1930: 111 View in CoL .

Other references: Stuardo, 1946: 42 (catalogue); Stone, 1966: 1 (catalogue); Arnaud, 1977: 284 (distribution); Theischinger, 1986: 316 (phylogenetic discussion); Sinclair, 2008b: 11 ( capricornis View in CoL species group).

Type material examined. Holotype: ♂, minuten pinned with abdomen mounted in resin, labelled: “Ancud./ 17–19.xii.1926.”; “ Austrothaumalea / chilensis Edw./ F.W. Edwards / det. 1930.”; “ S. Chile:/ Chiloe I./ F. & M. Edwards. / B.M. 1927 – 63.”; “HOLO-/ TYPE [white label with red margin]”; “ NHMUK010210688 About NHMUK ” ( BMNH) . Allotype: ♀, same label data as holotype ( BMNH) . Paratypes: CHILE: Region X (Los Lagos): Casa Pangue (1♂, BMNH); Ancud (3♂, 1♀, BMNH) .

Recognition. The gonocoxal plate with long, lateroapical teeth, and the cruciate paramere are characters that readily distinguish this species. The lateral, cross-like projections on the paramere are located apically, not concealed by the gonocoxal plate and are much shorter than those of A. fredericki . This is also the only known thaumaleid in South American to have the gonocoxal plate secondarily fused to the ventral surface of the hypandrium.

Redescription. Male. n = 4. Length 2–2.3 mm. Colouration ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Head dull, dark brown; pronotum and postpronotum brown; postpronotal lobe brown; mesoscutum and pleura brown, somewhat shiny; scutellum and mediotergite brown, shiny; katepisternum dark brown; halter brown, dark at apex of knob; legs pale brown, apices of femora and tarsi darkened; abdomen dark brown; terminalia brown.

Head. Eyes above antennae broadly joined, frons above antennae barely exposed. Flagellomeres 1–3 expanded, subquadrate; 1 as long as 2 and 3 combined; flagellomeres 4–10 thin, cylindrical, becoming progressively more elongate. Vertex clothed in golden setae of uniform length, with sparse, long, black orbital setae.

Thorax. Pronotal setae longer than scutal setae. Scutum clothed dorsally in short, golden setulae; notopleural, supra-alar and postsutural setae long, black. Pteropleuron bare. Fore- and mid legs with tarsi simple, hind leg with tarsomere 4 bilobed.

Wing. Wing length: 2.2–3.0 mm. Lightly infuscate throughout, apex broadly rounded; C and posterior wing margin with fringe of microtrichia; Sc incomplete; R 1 and R 1 (+R 2+3) without weakenings or depigmented gaps, with uniseriate row of microtrichia along entire length, remaining veins bare; R flexed into cell br; R 2+3 crossvein strong, situated toward apex of R 1 (+R 2+3); bend in R 4+5 well-defined; R 4+5 and M 1 running parallel toward margin; M 1 and M 2 straight; M 4 slightly sinuous; CuA with basal spur shorter than crossvein m-cu.

Abdomen. Abdominal sternite 1 narrow, spectacle-shaped; sternite 2 reduced to slender median sclerite, few setae on posterior margin; sternites 3–6 rectangular, weakly sclerotized, setae largely restricted to posterior half; sternite 7 semi-circular, a few setae on posterior margin, weakly sclerotized except for anterior margin, arched slightly into preceding sternite; sternite 8 crescent-shaped, bare, well sclerotized, strongly arched into preceding sternite.

Terminalia ( Figs 4B View FIGURE 4 , 5B View FIGURE 5 ). Epandrium elongate-oval from ventral aspect; apical third slightly tapered; posterior margin broad and rounded; lacking pointed posterolateral processes. Hypandrium broad in ventral view, wider than basal width of gonostylus; anterior margin not concave. Gonocoxite broadest basally, inner margin parallel, smooth. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxite, gently curved throughout, tapered to point. Parameres distally fused, three-quarters length of epandrium, apex cruciform. Gonocoxal plate with well sclerotized base divided into two lateral, sclerotized arms terminating in 2–4 long apical teeth, arranged irregularly; nearly three-quarters length of gonocoxite; inner basal third lightly sclerotized, apical two-thirds membranous; secondarily fused to ventral surface of hypandrium. Cercus weakly sclerotized, situated along midline of epandrium.

Female. n = 2. Similar to male except as follows: Length: 1.8–2.1 mm. Abdomen: Tergites 8–9 noticeably more sclerotized than preceding segments; only anterior margin of sternite 7 well-sclerotized. Terminalia ( Figs 6B View FIGURE 6 , 7B View FIGURE 7 ): Hypogynial valve slightly shorter than tergite 9; posterior margin with rounded shallow cleft in ventral view; densely setose. Tergite 9 rectangular in lateral view, wider than tergite 8, posterodorsal corner projected posteriorly. Sternite 9 (genital fork) connected anteriorly, then divided into two thin arms, projecting laterally before cleft of hypogynial valve and expanded into rounded sclerite; lateral arms extended slightly beyond hypogynial valve, arms nearly meeting along midline; spectacle-shaped in lateral view, with anterior portion circular and posterior portion trapezoidal. Cercus rounded, projected posteriorly; bearing numerous setae. Spermathecal ducts not observed; spermathecal pump located in middle of lateral arm, short, thickened.

Immature Stages. Unknown.

Additional Material Examined. CHILE: Region RM (Santiago) : El Canelo , 10-I-1967, 33°37′S 71°35′W, 950 m, E.I. Schlinger (1♂, CAS) GoogleMaps . Region IX (Araucanía): Rte. 71, 15-XII-2016, 38°13′20.3″S 71°44′41.1″W, elev. 1047 m, seep, J.K. Moulton & R GoogleMaps . J. Pivar (1♂); Region X (Los Lagos): Isla Chiloé, Ancud , XII-1926, R & E Shannon (1♂ (USNMENT01115810), 2♀ (USNMENT01115808-09) USNM) .

Distribution. Known from the Andes of central Chile, south to Isla Chiloé along the Chilean Coastal Range ( Figs 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9A View FIGURE 9 ).

Remarks. We visited the locality based on GPS coordinates given on the Schlinger specimen label and arrived at a site near the coastal town of San Antonio, where no appropriate thaumaleid habitat was visible. We also visited a site in the Andes, in a small town named ‘El Canelo’, which has a number of mountain creeks with suitable habitat, although the creek, Estero el Canelo (33°34′31″S 70°26′47″W), was fenced off and inaccessible for collecting attempts.

RM

McGill University, Redpath Museum

CAS

California Academy of Sciences

R

Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Chile

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Thaumaleidae

Genus

Austrothaumalea

Loc

Austrothaumalea chilensis Edwards

Pivar, Robert J., Sinclair, Bradley J. & Moulton, John K. 2020
2020
Loc

Austrothaumalea chilensis

Edwards, F. W. 1930: 111
1930
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