Bandella tasmanica, Bickel, 2002

Bickel, Daniel J., 2002, Bandella, A New Hilarine Fly Genus from Australia (Diptera: Empididae), Records of the Australian Museum 54, pp. 313-324 : 323

Bandella tasmanica n.sp.

Figs. 2j, 4a

Type material. HOLOTYPE, 3, Tasmania: Pelion Gap , 2 km ENE of Mt Ossa, 41°52'S 146°03'E, 1120 m, 7.iii.1991 – 9.iv.1991, malaise trap, E. Edwards & J. Berry, ANIC . PARATYPES: 23, same data as holotype; 13, Pelion Hut , 3 km S of Mt Oakleigh, 41°50'S 146°03'E, 860 m, iii.1991, malaise trap; 13, Pelion Hut , same data but 6–11.iii.1991, pans (all ANIC) .

Additional material. Tasmania: ♀, Derwent Bridge , 12.ii.1967 ( ANIC) .

Description (male): length: 11.0–11.5; wing: 8.0×2.2; similar to B. duvalli , except as noted. Head also with black hairs on dorsal postcranium, scape and pedicel.

Thorax: pleura and postnotum black and covered with dense grey pruinosity; anterior mesonotum mostly orange; but with black ac band which continues and is slightly wider across posterior slope to scutellum; large black spot laterad of dc row and posteriad of mesonotal suture, and black pa spot, which is sometimes only weakly developed ( Fig. 2j); postpronotum and postalar callus pale yellow; scutellum orange but dark brown at base; dc band with short setulae extending to scutellum, and with some short setulae laterally.

Legs: coxae mostly reddish yellow; but CII and CIII infuscated at very base; trochanters yellow with dark brown apices; all femora and tibiae reddish yellow, except TIII with brown band from 3 5 to 3 4 which varies somewhat in extent; It brownish, IIt mostly yellow, IIIt yellow; coxae with only short pale vestiture, no strong setae; all tarsi curled in repose; It 1–3 each with pairs of ad-pd setae; IIIt 1 ventrally with dense pale pile and some short dark setulae.

Abdomen: tergum 1 black; segments 2–6 entirely orangeyellow; tergum 8 also with lateral flaplike projections; hypopygium ( Fig. 4a) mostly yellow except for dark brown apex and edge of hypandrial keel and apices of epandrium and cercus.

Female. Putative female specimen similar to male except as noted: thoracic pleura with mixed black and yellow patches, and with distal postnotum black; mesonotum entirely orange with only dark brown ac stripe present, thinner than that of male; leg colour similar and TIII also with brown band.

Remarks. Bandella tasmanica is known only from the Central Highlands of Tasmania, and most specimens were collected near Mt. Pelion. This species is close to B. duvalli , but the two species can be readily separated by the set of diagnostic key characters: the pattern of the mesonotum, and colour of coxae and abdomen. Both species have a similar banded tibia III and have a short flap like tergum 8, that rests against the hypopygium.