Pentachaeta kirkspriggsi, McAlpine, 2014

McAlpine, David K., 2014, Review of the Australian Genus Pentachaeta (Diptera: Heleomyzidae), with Descriptions of Nine New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 66 (5), pp. 247-264 : 260-261

Pentachaeta kirkspriggsi n. sp.

Figs 37–39

Type material. Holotype ♂. New South Wales: Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains [c. 33°45'S 150°22'E], 2.ii.1957, D.K.M. ( AM K310598 ). Glued to card point . Paratypes. New South Wales: 6♂♂, 3♀♀, same locality as holotype, Feb., Nov., Dec. , 1957–1982, D.K.M., B.J.D., K.C.K. ( AM) ; 1♀, Katoomba , Nov. 1958, G.H.H. ( AM) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Sassafras Gully, Springwood, Sept. , Nov., 1956–1972, D.K.M. ( AM) ; 3♂♂, 2♀♀, Mount Wilson, Blue Mountains, Oct. , Nov. 1958 –1982, D.K.M. ( AM) ; 1♀, Kurrajong , Oct. 1966, D.K.M., G.A.H. ( AM) ; 1♂, 1♀, Cambridge Plateau, near Tunglebung, Kyogle district , Nov. 1993, S.F.M. ( AM) ; 3♂♂, 1♀, Never Never Creek, Promised Land, near Bellingen , Nov. 2003, D.K.M. ( AM) ; 1♂, Wilson River Reserve, near Bellangry , Nov. 1966, D.K.M. ( AM) ; 1♂, “ Tuglo ”, 48 km N of Singleton, Dec. 1981, G.A.H. ( AM) ; 2♀, Upper Allyn, near Eccleston , Nov. 1965, D.K.M. ( AM) ; 21♂♂, 21♀♀, Mooney Mooney Creek, near Gosford, Jan. , Nov. , Dec. 1975 –1989, D.K.M., B.J.D. ( AM, ANIC, USNM) ; 2♀♀, Church Point, near Sydney, Feb. , Nov. 1983 –1989, D.K.M. ( AM) ; 1♂, 1♀, Wahroonga, near Sydney , Oct. 1926, anon. ( AM) ; 1♀, Soldiers Memorial Park, Lindfield, near Sydney , May 1976, C.N.S., G.D. ( AM) ; 1♀, Bankstown, near Sydney , Apr. 1981, B.J.D. ( AM) ; 1♂, 2♀♀, Royal National Park, near Sydney, Nov. , Dec. 1965 –2003, D.K.M. ( AM) ; 1♂, Colo Vale, near Mittagong , Jan. 1957, W.W.W. ( USNM) ; 1♀, East Kangaloon, near Robertson , Nov. 1989, D.K.M. ( AM) .

Description (male, female)

Coloration of head, body, and wings, as for genus. Antenna and palpus tawny-yellow, latter without trace of darkened apex. Fore femur almost entirely dark brown; mid and hind femora yellow, latter sometimes slightly darkened apically; fore tibia brown in male, yellow in female, brown at most only on extreme base; mid tibia yellow; hind tibia brown in male, yellow with brown apex in female; tarsi yellowish, becoming darker distally.

Thorax. All tibiae strongly swollen in male, slender in female.

Abdomen (male). Epandrium with two pairs of large dorsal bristles and numerous setulae; surstylus ( Fig. 37 ) slightly curved, almost parallel-sided, but often slightly narrowed towards base, broadly rounded at apex, with numerous microtrichia on somewhat less than basal half of outer surface but none on inner surface, and with scattered setulae, some of which are moderately large; inner basal prominence of surstylus broadly transverse, with very few setulae; subepandrial process ( Fig. 39 ) prominent, usually not much narrowed distally, with usual large distal setulae; gonostylus with few long setulae and posterodistal tuberculose zone; cercus ( Fig. 38 ) rather stout, with large setulae and numerous microtrichia on entire length, with anterior lobe moderately produced and apically dilated and bilaterally compressed to slightly variable degree.

Dimensions. Total length, ♂ 2.4–2.9 mm, ♀ 2.6–2.9 mm; length of thorax, ♂ 1.2–1.4 mm, ♀ 1.3–1.4 mm; length of wing, ♂ 3.0– 3.4 mm, ♀ 3.1–3.4 mm.

Distribution. Eastern New South Wales —mainly sub coastal areas and nearby ranges from Kyogle district to near Robertson, also Blue Mountains. Map references 7J, 7K, 8H, 8I ( Fig. 4 ).

Notes

Pentachaeta kirkspriggsi belongs among those species with all tibiae much thickened in the male, and the fore tibia yellowish without apical brown mark in the females. Among these species, distinctive features include the entirely yellow palpus and the absence of a broad brownish zone on the upper part of the sternopleuron. In the male, the shape of the anterior lobe of the cercus is distinctive ( Fig. 38 ), and the shape of the surstylus ( Fig. 37 ) distinguishes it from some species.

The specific epithet refers to Ashley H. Kirk-Spriggs, who has generously provided study material of African Diptera .

Figures

Figure 4. Reference map for distribution of Pentachaeta species in eastern Australia. Numbers in each rectangle (2° longitude by 2° latitude) are numbers of recorded species. Map references are given under Distribution for each species.

Figures 37–39. Pentachaeta kirkspriggsi, Wentworth Falls (37) left surstylus, outer surface view; scale 0.1 mm; (38) pair of cerci, left lateroventral view; scale = 0.1 mm. Pentachaeta kirkspriggsi, Mooney Mooney Creek (39) left gonostylus, subepandrial process, and associated parts;scale =0.05 mm.as, articulating sclerite;g, gonostylus;pl, posterolateral extension of basiphallus;sp, subepandrial process.