Ommatius aquilonaris, Daniels, Greg, 2017

Daniels, Greg, 2017, Australian species of Ommatius Wiedemann (Diptera: Asilidae) with an anepimeral bristle, Zootaxa 4231 (4), pp. 535-563 : 539-543

Ommatius aquilonaris sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 4 , 10–27 , 110 )

Diagnosis. The combination of shining tomentum on the thoracic sclerites, a very weak anepimeral bristle ( Fig. 2 ), semi-transparent legs, and in males, sternites 3 and 4 with lateral bristles, barbed setae on the apical portion of the gonocoxite ( Figs 10, 11 ) and the basally fused hypandrium and gonocoxite ( Figs 13 , 19 ) characterize this species. Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, AUSTRALIA. Queensland . rainforest // West Claudie River, / 4 km SW road junction / Qld 1244’ S 14315 ’E / 29 Nov 1986 / G. Daniels / M.A. Schneider / (QM Reg. No. UQIC 7554 ). PARATYPES. Queensland . 2 ♀, 4–5 km SW Portland Roads 6.vii.1982 G. Daniels M.A. Schneider (QM) ; 1 ♀, approx. 11 km from Portland Roads on Iron Range Road 21.ix.1974 M.S. Moulds (AM) ; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, Gordon Creek area, Claudie Riv. district 24.vi.–4.vii.1982 M.A. Schneider G. Daniels UQIC 7342 (QM) ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀, Gordon Creek, Claudie Riv. district 1242’ S 14317 ’E 10.xii.1986 G. Daniels M.A. Schneider (QM) ; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, Gordon Ck, Claudie Riv. District 1242.79’S 14317.97’E 50 m 2–4.i.1995 G. and A. Daniels rain forest (AM) ; 2 ♂, same data except 28.xii.1995 – 2.i.1996 (AM); 1 ♂, same data except 7.xii.1997 G. Daniels (AM) ; 2 ♂, 4 ♀, hut nr East Claudie Riv. , Iron Ra. Nat. Pk 1242’37” S 14317 ’32”E 1–4.i.1996 G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 1 ♀, beginning of Mt Lamond track, Iron Ra. Nat. Pk 1243’34 S 14217 ’06”E 2.i.1996 20 m G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 1 ♂, East Claudie Riv. Iron Range site 2, 12.43’41” S 143.17 ’01”E 3.i.1996 20 m G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 1 ♀, Iron Ra., West Claudie R., r’forest 7.xii.1985 D. Yeates (QM) ; 1 ♀, Phillip Hill, Iron Range, Claudie Riv. Dist. 1244’ S 14318 ’E 9.i.1994 G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 7 ♂, 3 ♀, same data except 4.i.1996 140 m (AM) ; 2 ♂, same data except 7.vi.1995 G. Daniels (AM) ; 12 ♂, 4 ♀, Middle Claudie Riv., Iron Range 11.ix.–2.xi.1974 G. Daniels (AM) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Iron Range 1.v.–2.vi.1975 M.S. Moulds (AM) ; 1 ♂, West Claudie Riv. , Iron Ra. 20.ix.1974 M.S. Moulds (AM) ; 5 ♀, West Claudie Riv. , Iron Range Nat. Park 1244.48’S 14314.81’E 50 m 2.i.1995 G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 2 ♀, West Claudie R., Iron Range 50m 3–10.xii.1985 G. Monteith & D. Cook rainforest (QM) ; 3 ♂, 5 ♀, same data except 1243’ S 14312 ’E 50 m 11.vi.1995 G. Daniels (AM) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same data except 19.ix.2000 50 m G. and A. Daniels on twig, rain forest (AM) ; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, West Claudie Riv. x-ing, Iron Range , 50 m 1244’ S 14319 ’E 8–9.i.1994 G. and A. Daniels R. Eastwood (AM) ; 1 ♀, West Claudie Riv., 3.5 km W of road junction, Iron Range 1244’09 S 14315 ’43”E 20 m 2.vii.1997 G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 2 ♀, same data except 19.ix.2000 on twig, rain forest (AM) ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀, West Claudie River , 4 km SW road junction 1244’ S 14315 ’E 26.xi.–6.xii.1986 G. Daniels M.A. Schneider (QM) ; 8 ♂, 4 ♀, same data except 28.xi.–8.xii.1986 malaise (QM) ; 1 ♂, 1♀, West Claudie River , 4 km SW road junction 1244.05’S 14315.84’E 40 m 31.xii.1994 G. Daniels rain forest (AM) ; 1 ♀, 1 km N of ' Eclectus' , Iron Ra. 1245’45” S 14317 ’11”E 5.vii.1997 G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 1 ♀, ' Eclectus', Iron Range , 1245’46” S 14317 ’10”E 20 m 10.vi.1995 G. Daniels (AM) ; 1♂, 2 ♀, same data except 28.xii.1995 – 3.i.1996 G. and A. Daniels (AM); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, same data except 4.xii.1997 G. Daniels (AM) ; 1 ♀, same data except 26.vii.1999 G. and A. Daniels (AM) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data except 20.v.2002 G. Daniels on twig in rainforest (AM) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, same data except 9.x.2004 G. and A. Daniels on twig rain forest (AM) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same data except 1.viii.2006 (AM) ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀, same data except 13– 20.ix.2005 G. Daniels on twig rain forest (AM) ; 13 ♂, 18 ♀, same data except 16–18.x.2003 rain forest on twig 15– 30 cm above ground (AM) ; 1 ♀, same data except 31.vii.2006 G. and A. Daniels rain forest (AM) ; 1 ♂, swamp nr lower Claudie Riv. sthn bank, Cape York Pen. 25.ix.1974 M.S. Moulds (AM).

Non-type material examined. 1 ♀, Phillip Hill , Iron Range , Claudie Riv. Dist. 12°44’S 143°18’E 9.i.1994 G. and A. Daniels (AM); 2 (damaged), West Claudie River, 4 km SW road junction 12°44’S 143°15’E 29.xi.– 5.xii.1986 malaise (QM).

Description. Male. Body length, 8.2–8.9 mm; thoracic length, 2.1–2.3 mm; wing length, 6.2–6.6 mm. Head. Face gently rounded, barely protruding beyond eyes in profile and with shining pale yellowish to white tomentum. Mystax with two vertical rows of long thin black bristles; with a medial group of stouter, white bristles above epistoma; lower half of face and along epistomal margin white setose. Ocellar tubercle with short (rarely long) black reclinate setae. Occiput with 4 to 6 long black setae dorsally, weaker and white ventrally. Beard sparse and with branched hairs. Flagellum conical, slightly flattened laterally and longer than pedicel. Style with setae in one rank on basal half, then two distally. Thorax. Ground-colour orange-yellow, mesonotum dorsally and scutellum brown-black. Lateral pleural sclerites silvery tomentose; mesonotum with sparse coppery tomentum, becoming silvery laterally; postpronotal lobe with a few long, pale setae anteriorly. Acrostichal setae seemingly absent but visible when viewed in profile. Presutural dorsocentral bristles absent; 2 pairs of postsutural dorsocentral bristles and 2 long marginal scutellar bristles present; scutellar disc with a few weak, scattered setae. Anepisternum with a few weak setae. Anepimeral bristle ( Fig. 2 ) poorly developed and barely discernable from other nearby setae; anepimeron with a group of fine setae anterior to the anepimeral cleft. Wing ( Fig. 110 ). With microtrichia distributed over apical fourth of wing, present apically in cell r1, cell r2+3, cell r5, cell m1 and cell m2. Costal dilation absent. Vein R4+5 not fused basally to vein R3. Vein r-m well beyond middle of discal cell. Legs. Semitransparent. Femora black, narrowly orange-brown apically. Tibiae orange-brown, darker apically, hind tibia dark brown-black on apical half. Fore and mid metatarsi orange-brown, hind metatarsus brown-black; remainder of tarsal segments brown-black. Fore femur with a ventral row of long, weak setae. Mid femur with an anterior bristle at about middle and another at apical third; a posteroventral row of 4 or 5 weak bristles and a ventral row of weak bristles. Hind femur with an anterior bristle at about middle and another at apical third; an anteroventral row and a posteroventral row of 4 or 5 short, stout bristles. Fore tibia with 2 long posteroventral setae; a short subbasal dorsal seta; a ventral row of 5 weak setae. Mid tibia with a stout anterodorsal bristle at about apical fourth and a similar ventral bristle at about apical third; an anteroventral bristle at about basal third, and a posteroventral row of 3–5 long fine setae, the basal one being the longest and about half the femoral length. Hind tibiae with a subapical anterodorsal bristle and another longer anterior one at apical third; a dorsal and an anteroventral bristle at about middle. Abdomen. Tergites brown, tergites 1–5 pale yellowish posterolaterally, tergites 2–4 pale yellowish on posterior margin. Posterolateral tergal bristles very weak or absent. Terminalia. ( Figs 10–13 , 17–23 ). Brown. Tergite 8 ( Fig. 21 ) about half the width of tergite 7; tergite 8 with anterior margin deeply indented and with numerous black, bristles on posterior margin. Sternites 1–7 pale yellowish in dried specimens, transparent in ethanol stored specimens. Sternite 3 with a posterolateral bristle, sternite 4 with a row of lateral bristles, sternite 5 often with an anterolateral bristle. Sternite 8 ( Fig. 22 ) with convex posterior margin and deeply emarginate anterior margin. Cerci ( Fig. 12 ) about 6 times longer than wide, about half the length of epandrium and extending almost to its apex. Subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 23 ) long and narrow, deeply emarginate on posterior margin and setose laterally. Epandrium ( Figs 17, 18 ) long and narrow, not fused basally but with a narrow, sub-basal apodeme; attenuate and with a complex, 3-pronged distal margin. Hypandrium and gonocoxite ( Figs 10 , 19 ) fused basally and almost tubular. Hypandrium ( Figs 10, 13 , 19 ) with a subapical fan of numerous, stout bristles; apically with a brush of branched or barbed bristles ( Fig. 11 ); dorsal margin apically with a complex bilobed, proximally toothed process. Gonostylus long and narrow. Aedeagal complex ( Fig. 20 ) with short, narrow, tubular distiphallus; basiphallus proximally with a dorsal, toothed, domed process; ejaculatory apodeme extremely long and narrow; ventral aedeagal apodeme less than half as long as ejaculatory apodeme and dorsally directed proximally.

Female. Differs from male as follows: Body length, 7.5–9.0 mm; thoracic length, 2.0– 2.4 mm; wing length, 6.0– 7.2 mm. Abdomen. Tergite 2 pale yellowish on posterior margin; sternites 3–5 lacking lateral bristles. Terminalia. ( Figs 14–16 , 24–27 ). Sternite 8 ( Fig. 25 ) with 3 or 4 long, stout bristles and numerous shorter stout bristles; distal margin somewhat rounded and with 2 membranous, submedial areas and a very small medial emargination. Genital fork ( Fig. 27 ) simple, basal half semi-membranous, arms weakly sclerotized and anterior part even less sclerotized. Tergite 9+10 ( Figs. 14–16 , 24 ) extremely narrow medially (approx. 0.01 mm) and wider laterally (approx. 0.03 mm); anterior margin more or less straight, posterior margin concave. Sternite 10 ( Figs. 14– 16 , 24 ) present as two small, elongate sclerites. Hypoproct (figs 15, 16) not fused, longer than cerci. Cerci fully visible in pinned specimens.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin aquilonaris , ‘northern’, the most northerly species dealt with in this revision.

Distribution ( Fig. 4 ). Known only from the Iron Range area, Cape York Peninsula, northern Qld.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. (1) Ommatius distinctus Ricardo. Branched setae on postgena (vertical, near centre) and lower occipital area (remainder). (2 – 3). Anepimeral bristle of (2) O. aquilonaris sp. nov. (poorly developed) and (3) O. musselbrookensis sp. nov. (well developed).

FIGURES 4 – 9. Distribution of Ommatius spp. with anepimeral bristle. (4). O. radamnis sp. nov. (red circle) and O. aquilonaris sp. nov. (green circle); (5). O. musselbrookensis sp. nov.; (6). O. melasmus sp. nov.; (7). O. burwelli sp. nov.; (8). O. imaginis sp. nov.; (9). O. limbatus sp. nov.

FIGURES 10 – 16. Ommatius aquilonaris sp. nov. (10 – 13) Male terminalia. (10). Lateral view; (11). Enlarged section of Fig. 10 showing barbed setae; (12). Dorsal view; (13). Ventral view. (14 – 16). Female terminalia. (14). Dorsal view; (15). Lateral view; (16). Ventral view. Abbreviations: st, sternite; tg, tergite. For # 2 and # 3 see figs 17 – 18. Scale bar, 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 17 – 27. Ommatius aquilonaris sp. nov. (17 – 20). Male terminalia (17). Epandrium dorsal view; (18). Epandrium lateral view (1, 2 and 3 refer to the epandrial lobes); (19). Hypandrium, gonocoxite and gonostylus, lateral view; (20). Aedeagal complex; (21). Tergite 8; (22). Sternite 8; (23). Subepandrial sclerite and cerci, ventral view (24 – 27). Female terminalia (24). Tergite 9 + 10, sternite 10, cerci; (25). Sternite 8; (26). Tergite 8; (27). Genital fork. Abbreviations: st, sternite; tg, tergite. Scale bar, 0.25 mm and as indicated.

FIGURES 107 – 116. (107 – 109). Terminalia of Ommatius radamnis sp. nov. (107). Genital fork; (108). Sternite 8; (109). Tergite 8. (110 – 116). Right wing of male Ommatius spp. (110). O. aquilonaris sp. nov.; (111). O. burwelli sp. nov.; (112). O. imaginis sp. nov.; (113). O. limbatus sp. nov.; (114). O. melasmus sp. nov.; (115). O. musselbrookensis sp. nov.; (116). Ommatius radamnis sp. nov. (female). (110). Scale bar, 1.00 mm and as indicated.