Meomyia albiceps ( Macquart, 1848 )

Li, Xuankun & Yeates, David K., 2020, Revision of the Australian bee fly genus Meomyia Evenhuis, 1983, with description of three new species (Bombyliidae, Bombyliinae, Bombyliini), Zootaxa 4810 (2), pp. 201-243 : 203-207

1. Meomyia albiceps ( Macquart, 1848)

( Figs 1–3 )

Bombylius albiceps Macquart, 1848: 196 (36). Type-locality: “Nouvelle-Hollande” [= Australia]; Holotype, NHMUK.

Type specimen. Holotype of Bombylius albiceps Macquart, 1848 (NHMUK 010921897).

Other specimens examined. Australia, NSW, ♂ (4) ♀ (5), Wentworth falls, FH Taylor. ♀ Mt. Victoria, 8 Dec 1913, FH Taylor. ♂ (1) ♀ (2), Mt. Wilson, 2 Jan 1953, MF Day. ♂ Mt. Wilson , 7 Jan 1966, VJ Robinson. ♂ Berowra ,

26 Nov 1932, GA Waterhouse. ♂ Basket Swamp , Boonoo S.F ., 25 Dec 1992, J Bugeja. ♀ 8 mls. W. of Nelligen , 12 Jan 1961, Z Liepa. ♂ Woy Woy , 1-7 Nov 1921, A Tonnoir. ♀ Woy Woy , 3 Oct 1925, Mackerras. ♂ Hartley , 29 Dec 1923, Nicholson. ♂ Greigs Flat , 29 Oct 1935, Fuller. ♂ Oxford Falls , near Sydney , 29 Nov 1947, SJ Paramonov. ♀ Wentworth falls , 11 Dec 1926, Mackerras. ♂ (2) ♀ (1), Wilson’s Downfall , 15-19 Dec 1969, E Dahms ( QM). ♂ Bald Rock Nat [ional] Park , 15 Dec 1981, G Daniels, A Daniels, D Yeates ( QM). ♀ (4), Bald Rock N[ational] P[ark], 25km SE Stanthorpe , 5-10 Dec 1982, D Yeates ( QM). ♂ Bald Rock N[ational] P[ark], 25km SE Stanthorpe , 8 Dec 1983, D Yeates ( QM). ♂ Hilltop , 24km W Grafton , 6 Nov 1982, D Yeates ( QM). ♂ Gibraltar Range N [ational] P[ark], Waratah trig track , 17 Dec 1996, Yeates, Palmer, Winterton, malaise ( QM). ♂ (1) ♀ (1), 29.30S, 152.20E, Gibraltar Ra [nge] N[ational] P[ark], Waratah Trig track , 16 Dec 1996, D Yeates, C Lambkin, S Winterton, C Palmer, malaise ( QM). ♂ Boonoo Boonoo , 24 Nov 1980, MA Schneider, G Daniels ( QM). ♀ Mt. Tomah , 22 Dec 1935, GA Waterhouse. Qld., ♀ Rosedale, NW. of Bundaberg , 17 Nov 1973, H Frauca. ♀ 10 km NW by W of Degilbo , 14 Dec 1978, H Frauca. ♀ (2), 17.54S 146.06E, Lacys Creek , Mission Beach , 29 Oct 1977, IFB Common. ♀ Woodford , 15 Nov 1925, Mackerras. ♀ 21 km NE of Atherton , foot of Mt. Haig , 18 Nov 1981, DH Colless. ♂ Stanthorpe , 19 Dec 1966, CF Ashby. ♀ Mt. Glorious , 25 Jan 1964. ♀ Amiens , 16 Dec 1967, CF Ashby. ♀ Brisbane , 5 Jan 1963, CF Ashby. ♀ Highvale , 14mls NW of Brisbane , 20 Dec 1959, R Straatman. ♀ (3), Highvale , 14mls NW of Bris- bane , 13 Dec 1959, R Straatman. ♀ Brisbane , CF Ashby. ♂ Sandy Ck., Adale-Grafton Rd , 5 Jan 1965, A O’Farrell. ♂ Brisbane , 4 Dec 1933, CF Ashby. ♀ 20km NE of Atherton , 18 Nov 1981, DH Colless. ♂ Girraween Nat [ional] Park , 1-2 Dec 1981, G Danials and MA Schneider ( QM). ♀ Stanthorpe , 17 Nov 1964, P Kerridge ( QM). ♀ Mt Barney , 29 Nov 1961, J Bryan ( QM). ♀ Brisbane , 9 Jan 1949, CS Andrew ( QM). ♀ (2), 16°27’S 146°11’E, 3km S M[oun]t Spurgeon , 1100m , 20-22 Nov 1997, CJ Burwell, open forest ( QM). ♀ 24°54’46”S 148°03’12”E, Mt Moffatt Nat [ional] P[ar]k, Top Shelter Shed n[ea]r Mahogany Forest, 1100m , 22 Nov 1995, CJ Burwell ( QM). ♀ 24°52’26”S 148°01’12”E, Mt Moffatt Nat [ional] P[ar]k, Kenniffs Cave, 840m , 22 Nov 1995, CJ Burwell ( QM). ♀ 16°27’S 146°11’E, 3km S Mt Spurgeon , 1100m, 20-22 Nov 1997, CJ Burwell, open forest ( QM). ♂ Amiens State Forest , n[ea]r Stanthorpe , 24-26 Nov 1981, G Daniels, MA Schneider ( QM). ♀ Shiptons Flat , 37km S Cooktown , 29 Nov 1985, D Yeates, open forest ( QM). ♀ Carnarvon Nat [ional P[ar]k, Mt Moffatt sect[ion], The Toombs , 27 Sep 1986, DK Yeates ( QM). ♀ Kroombit Tops , 45km SSW Calliope , 4 Feb 1984, DK Yeates ( QM). ♂ (1) ♀ (2), Amiens State Forest , n[ea]r Stanthorpe , 24-26 Nov 1981, G Daniels, MA Scheider ( QM). ♂ (4), ♀ (1), 28°39’27”S 151°57’03”E, Stanthorpe , Mount Marlay, Hilltop , 3 Jan 2000 J Skevington, A Skevington, M Mathieson ( QM). ♂ (3), 24°52’26”S 148°01’19”E, Carnarvon Nat [ional] Park , Mt Moffatt Section, Kenniffs Cave, 840m , 24 Nov 1995, DK Yeates ( QM). ♀ (2), 30°04’S 152°46’E, Kangaroo River S[tate] F[orest], Black Mountain R[oa]d , 26-28 Dec 1997, S Evans, J Wright ( QM). ♂ Fraser Is [land], Pile Valley , 18 Dec 1979, KJ Lambkin, at light ( QM) .

Diagnosis. Posterior margin of scutum without black band. Male fore tibiae with black hair tuft on apical half. Anterior margin of male epandrium slightly concave. Apex of epiphallus of male gonocoxite bifid, with wide branch.

Redescription. Male. Body length 8.9–13.1 mm, wing length 8.1–11.2 mm.

Head. Head about 2.0 x wider than long, mostly black with thick pale pruinescence and covered in white hairs and scales. Eye holoptic. Frons long, 4.8 x length of ocellar tubercle, upper narrow and black; lower half triangular, 0.5 x length of upper half, with thick pale pruinescence and white scales. Ocellar tubercle slightly raised, blackish brown to black with sparse grey pruinescence, with short white hairs. Face with thick pale pruinescence and long white hairs. Gena with thick pale pruinescence and sparse white hairs. Clypeus with thick pale pruinescence and otherwise bare. Occiput with thick pale pruinescence and long white hairs. Posterior eye margin slightly concave. Antennal scape and pedicel brown with thick pale pruinescence, scape with long black hairs on dorsal half, and white hairs on ventral half, pedicel with short black hairs; flagellum black without pruinescence, bare. Scape 2.2 x as long as wide, and 2.7 x as long as pedicel, uniform from base to apex. Pedicel as long as wide. Flagellum 12.0 x as long as wide, 2.8 x as long as scape + pedicel, 3.4 x as long as scape, conical and slightly laterally compressed, one-segmented with apical stylus ( Fig. 2c ). Palpus not extending beyond oral cavity, black with short white hairs, one-segmented, without palpal pit. Mouthparts slender, 3.7 x as long as eye length, 2.2 x as long as head length, labellum large and fleshy ( Fig. 2h ).

Thorax. Integumental colour of scutum mostly black with sparse grey pruinescence. Scutum covered with white hairs, hairs denser on anterior half, posterior margin admixed with black hairs, postalar callus with six brownish yellow setae and admixed with black hairs. Nine brownish yellow notopleural setae present. Scutellum black with sparse grey pruinescence, pruinescence denser on the margin, covered with black hairs, posterior margin admixed with brownish yellow hairs and setae. Pleura black with thick pale pruinescence, mostly covered in long white hairs, except anterodorsal area of anepisternum with yellow setae, anepimeron, meron, laterotergite and mediotergite bare.

Legs. Legs mostly brown except fore and mid tibia yellow; femora mostly covered in white scales and hairs, except covered in black scales on apical area; fore and mid tibia covered in white scales, except outer face admixed with black scales, and apical area covered in black scales, hind tibiae covered in black scales. Fore femur with one anterior bristle; mid femur with one row of anterior bristles; hind femur with one row of anteroventral bristles, and more separate bristles on apical half. Fore tibiae with outer tuft on apical half, nearly as wide as fore tibiae, consisting of dense long black hairs ( Fig. 2e ); mid tibiae sometimes with unconspicuous outer tuft on apical half, much narrower than mid tibiae. Bristles and other hairs on legs brown. Fore tibia 2.3 x longer than fore basitarsus, mid tibia 2.7 x longer than mid basitarsus, hind tibia 2.2 x longer than hind basitarsus.

Wings. Wing membrane hyaline. Cell r 5 closed; cell br shorter than cell bm, crossvein r-m arising from base of cell dm; crossvein m-m 0.7 x as long as crossvein r-m; cell cua open ( Fig. 2d ). Haltere stem and knob blackish brown.

Abdomen. Integumental colour of tergites black mostly with thick grey pruinescence. Tergite 1 with dense white hairs; tergite 2 with dense black hairs; tergites 3–4 with dense white hairs; tergites 5–7 with dense black hairs, except median bare; tergite 8 with dense white hairs. Sternites black with thick pale pruinescence, sternites 1–4 covered in dense white hairs, sternites 5–7 covered in dense black hairs. Genitalia. Epandrium anterior and posterior margins slightly concave ( Fig. 3d ). Lateral margin of gonocoxite nearly straight ( Figs 3 a–b); apex of epiphallus bifid, branch wide and acute apically ( Fig. 3c ).

Female. Body length 9.1–12.5 mm, wing length 9.3–13.0 mm. Very similar to male, except frons black with thick pale pruinescence, 2.6 x as wide as ocellar tubercle, frons with short white scales admixed with brownish yellow setae ( Fig. 2l ). Ocellar tubercle covered with admixed long black hairs and short white hairs. Occiput covered in white hairs admixed with brownish yellow setae. Nine acanthophorite spines present on each side of tergite 9+10 ( Fig. 3g ).

Remarks. Roberts (1928: 417) considered Bombylius vetustus and Bombylius penicillatus as synonyms of Bombylius albiceps . However, this synonymy was not followed by Evenhuis & Greathead (1999). Based on our examination of the types, we confirm all three species are valid (see ‘7. Meomyia penicillata ( Macquart, 1850) ’ and ‘9. Meomyia vetusta (Macquart, 1849) ’ later).

Distribution. Australia (NSW, Qld.).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Meomyia albiceps (Macquart, 1848). Holotype of Bombylius albiceps Macquart, 1848 (NHMUK 010921897). (a) dorsal; (b) lateral. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Meomyia albiceps (Macquart, 1848). External (a–i (♂); j–o (♀)): (a, j) dorsal; (b, k) lateral; (c) antenna, lateral; (d) wing; (e) fore tibia, posterior; (f, l) head, dorsal; (g, m) head, frontal; (h, n) head, profile; (i, o) head, lateral. Scale bars = 1 mm (a, b, d–o); = 0.1 mm (c).

FIGURE 3. Meomyia albiceps (Macquart, 1848). Genitalia (a–e (♂); f, g (♀)): (a) genital capsule, dorsal; (b) genital capsule, ventral; (c) genital capsule, lateral; (d) epandrium, dorsal; (e) epandrium, lateral; (f) sternite 8, ventral; (g) genitalia and spermathecae. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.