Therophilus stephensae Stevens, 2011
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2887.1.1 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/16742D5F-FFB4-6A7C-FF34-FB10FBA16EC8 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Therophilus stephensae Stevens |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Therophilus stephensae Stevens , n. sp.
( Figs 7E View FIGURE 7 , 9B View FIGURE 9 , 15A, B View FIGURE 15 , 20B View FIGURE 20 )
Diagnosis. Broad groove between antennae, subdividing elevated region into two broad mounds; wings clear, not infuscate; propodeum extensively rugose; ovipositor relatively short; with BROW colour pattern.
Description (female). Body length 2.8 (3.0–4.6) mm; ovipositor 1.4 (1.4–1.5) mm; head mostly orange, except black dorsally, antenna black to dark brown; mesosoma mostly black to dark brown except anterior region where propleuron, pronotum and mesoscutum entirely or mostly orange; both fore and mid legs mostly yellow except tarsomeres dark brown to black; hind coxa mostly black to dark brown with yellow distally, hind trochantellus and trochanter entirely yellow, hind femur mostly yellow with darker shading on outer (anterior) surface, tibia mostly yellow except for distal portion, tarsomeres dark brown to black; metasoma entire ventral surface including laterotergites yellow with thin white bands on sternite margins, dorsal surface mostly dark brown to black except for T2 and latero-posterior corners of median T1 yellow (T1, T2 and anterior T3 sometimes entirely yellow with remain- der of tergites dark brown to black).
Head width 0.8 (0.7–0.85) mm, length 0.4 (0.3–0.44) mm, height 0.6 mm; eye width 0.2 mm, length 0.2 mm, height 0.3 mm; head rounded in anterior view; inter-orbital distance 0.45 mm; median ocellus diameter 0.06 mm; distance between lateral ocelli and median ocellus 0.06 mm; distance between lateral ocelli 0.12 mm; a single, broad groove between antennae, subdividing elevated region into 2 broad mounds, groove beginning on face and extending unbroken to ante-ocular region; triangular ante-ocular pit absent; antenna with 26 flagellomeres; clypeus width 0.24 mm, height 0.09 mm; malar space height 0.14 mm; distance from ventral eye margin to latero-ventral mouth margin 0.19 mm; labial palpomere 3 length 0.2x labial palpomere 4 length (lengths 0.01 and 0.05 mm, respectively); labial palpomere 2 length 0.05 mm; posterior margin of head, when viewed dorsally, excavated (incursion 0.07 mm); posterior genal margin distinctly carinate, with no expansion ventro-posteriorly.
Mesosomal width 0.7 mm, length 1.3 (1.1–1.4) mm, height 0.9 mm; pilosity mostly 0.04–0.08 mm in length and sparse, particularly dorsally; antescutal depression with slightly carinate anterior margin with short setal fringe; subpronope distinct, bordered posteriorly by pair of carinae, posterior carina extending closer to anterior pronotal margin than shorter anterior carina; notauli absent (faintly present with no associated sculpturing); scutellar sulcus divided into 4 main pits by 3 distinct longitudinal carina, both anterior and posterior walls steep, nearly vertical; propodeal surface extensively and distinctly rugose; propodeal spiracle round (diameter 0.02 mm); suture line between metapleuron and propodeum delineated by scrobiculate groove; hind coxal cavities ranging from narrowly open to narrowly closed to metasomal foramen by thin hind coxal bridge (minimum width 0.01 mm) that does not have carinate lateral margins; sternalus distinctly scrobiculate and relatively straight and horizontal, only marginally sinuate; metapleuron surface smooth except for punctation associated with setae, no setal field present.
Legs with basal lobe of all claws large and triangular; mid tibia with 3 apical and 3 preapical spines; preapical spines on anterior surface placed at intervals in distal half; hind tibia with 3 apical and 4 preapical spines; preapical spines clumped just basal to apical spines.
Both fore and hind wings clear; fore wing maximum width 1.1 (1.0–1.3) mm, length 3.9 (3.1–3.9) mm; cell 1- Rs petiolate and triangular with maximum distance across 0.07 mm; width of cell petiole vein 0.03 mm, length 0.06 mm; basal third of M+Cu unpigmented; hind wing maximum width 0.5 (0.5–0.6) mm, length 2.5 (2.4–2.7) mm.
Metasomal length 1.3 (1.1–1.3) mm, maximum width 0.6 mm; dorsal surface median T1 lightly striate, remainder of dorsal surface smooth; T1 median area triangular when viewed dorsally, length 0.5 mm; anterior width 0.2 mm, posterior width (maximum) 0.4 mm; fused T2–3 not marked by any transverse grooves, both T2 medial transverse groove and T2–T3 boundary groove absent.
Male. Unknown.
Holotype: ♀, ‘ South Australia: Fleurieu Peninsula, Mount Billy Conservation Park , 28/06/2002, C. Stephens, emergence trap, open sclerophyll woodland’ ( SAMA).
Paratypes: ACT: 1 ♀, Black Mountain, Malaise site 2, V.1980, D.H. Colless ; New South Wales: 2 ♀, Wilton, 7/12/1964 & 28/12/1964 ( ANIC) ; Queensland: 1 ♀, Stanthorpe, 12/08/25 ( UQIC) ; South Australia: 1 ♀, same data as holotype except collected 5/07/2002 ( WINC) .
Comments. Therophilus stephensae is considered a member of the BROW mimicry complex even though the white on the metasoma is not as vivid as that of many other species with this colour pattern. It is readily distinguished from other Australian species by the broad groove between the antennae, the relatively short ovipositor and clear wings. The species is found in the south-east of the Australian mainland in the Kosciuskan biogeographic region ( Fig. 20B View FIGURE 20 ) and is named after the collector of the holotype, Ms Claire Stephens.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.