Suffomyia ismayi, McAlpine, 2007

McAlpine, D. K., 2007, The Surge Flies (Diptera: Canacidae: Zaleinae) of Australasia and Notes on Tethinid-Canacid Morphology and Relationships, Records of the Australian Museum 59 (1), pp. 27-64 : 62-63

Suffomyia ismayi n.sp.

Figs 90, 91

Material examined. HOLOTYPE?, Papua New Guinea: S of Idler Bay , Central Province, 14.xii.1980 … “Swept decaying seaweed”, J.W.I. ( AM). Double-mounted on micro-pin . PARATYPES. 2??, same data as holotype ( AM, one to be later placed in a Papua New Guinea institution). One paratype has been cleared in lactic acid, and is now preserved in glycerol .

Description (?,! unknown). Somewhat resembling S. sabroskyi and agreeing with description of that species except as indicated below.

Coloration. Head largely grey-pruinescent; postfrons tawny, becoming grey posteriorly; face, parafacial, and cheek (except posterior part) pale yellowish. Antenna tawny; arista dark brown. Wing entirely pale, translucent, without pigmented areas of membrane; veins brownish yellow. Halter yellow.

Head, in profile ( Fig. 90) less oval and ventrally narrowed than in S. sabroskyi ; eye larger than in S. scutellaris , but smaller than in S. sabroskyi ; postfrons broader than in that species; proportions of parts of head capsule approximately as in Fig. 90 (measurements not given because of distortion of all specimens); postgenal region without setulae.Antenna resembling that of S. sabroskyi ; segment 4 much reduced but visibly sclerotized; segment 5 notably larger than in S. sabroskyi .

Thorax. Scutellum similar in shape to that of S. sabroskyi , with two bristle pairs only; acrostichal setulae well developed, but hindmost not enlarged, slightly in advance of hindmost dorsocentral; bristling of mesopleuron obscured by pin. Fore femur with one prominent posteroventral bristle near apical quarter, with dorsal setulae not much enlarged, but variable; fore tibia with dorsal setulae only slightly enlarged; mid femur with anterior setulae only slightly enlarged, with few distinct posteroventral bristles; mid and hind tibiae without enlarged setulae; hind femur with few slightly enlarged anterior setulae distally; fore basitarsus apparently without bifid setulae (confirmation with SEM desirable); claws very slender, falcate, not compressed (CLM). Wing slightly more narrowed across anal region than in S. sabroskyi ; veins 3 and 4 very slightly diverging distally; cell-4 index = 0.34; ultimate section of vein 5 c. 1.2 times as long as penultimate section of vein 4.

Abdomen. Tergites 3, 4, and 5 of approximately similar length; dorsal protandrial sclerite 2.7 times as long as tergite 5; epandrium coarsely setulose, but without pair of outstanding bristles, with thickened ventral and anterior margins, thickening of anterior margin broadly interrupted medially; surstylus unequally bilobed, with larger, anterior lobe asymmetrically emarginate apically, posterior surface of surstylus in part densely pubescent, anterior margin with sparse fine setulae, but spinescent setulae (as in S. scutellaris ) absent; basal articulation not oblique, with two condyles (anterior and posterior) as in S. scutellaris ; cercus moderately long, with pubescence and few long setulae.

Dimensions. Total length 0.91–0.92 mm; length of thorax 0.40–0.47 mm; length of wing 0.88–0.96 mm.

Distribution. New Guinea: southeast coast.

Notes

Suffomyia ismayi is apparently the smallest fly in the Zaleinae , though precise dimensions were not given for S. scutellaris . In the absence of seriate postgenal setulae, it resembles most Zalea species , rather than the other Suffomyia species , but in Z. earlyi and Z. wisei the unusually long setulae of the (upper) postocular series are continued further ventrally than in other Zalea spp. , and in Z. johnsi there is sometimes a rudimentary upper postgenal series.

In addition to the characters given in the key to species, S. ismayi differs from the other Suffomyia species and from other known zaleines in its simple, slender claws.As it shares apparent synapomorphies with other Suffomyia spp. , and as the total number of known species is small, I consider it best to keep it in the same genus.

The specific epithet refers to John W. Ismay, who collected the type series.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. B.J. Day, D.J. Bickel, J.W. Early, J.W. Ismay, W.N. Mathis, and K.A. Wise collected significant material for this project. P.M. Johns greatly facilitated field work in New Zealand. S. Lindsay carried out the electron microscopy. B.J. Moulds and S. Cowan processed the words. The following provided material, information, or advice: K. Arakaki, T.K. Crosby, J.W. Early, J.W. Ismay, W.N. Mathis, J.F. McAlpine, S.F. McEvey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.K. Yeates.