Kamabrachys falcata gen. et sp. nov.

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Figs 5A, 28–33

Diagnosis

The species can be recognized by the following combination of characters:

(1) posterior margin of the lateroventral lobes of the pygofer (lvl) oblique and sinuate in lateral view (Fig. 30A) and tapering towards the posterior in ventral view (Fig. 30C), inner margin of lobes concave in ventral view (Fig. 30C), ventral margin roundly tapering in caudal view (Fig. 30E);

(2) posterior margin of laterodorsal process of gonostylus (ldg) strongly emarginate, leaving a widely open angle between laterodorsal process and ventral process of gonostylus (vp) in lateral view (Fig. 30A);

(3) crest of furcate process of periandrium (cfp) only along distal portion and not merging basally (Fig. 32D), in lateral view, tapering in distal portion (Fig. 32E);

(4) laterodorsal process of periandrium (ldp) tapering in distal portion and curved laterad then dorsad, not surpassing outer lateral margin of lateroventral process (lvp) in dorsal view, and slightly shorter than lateroventral process (lvp) (Fig. 32D–E);

(5) lateroventral process of periandrium (lvp) dorsoventrally flattened, falcate and curved, pointing dorsolaterad apically (Fig. 32D–F);

(6) apicodorsal process of aedeagus (adp) strongly sinuate, rather wide and stocky distally and tapering apically, and shorter than apicoventral process (avp) (Fig. 32A–C);

(7) posterior wing with weakly marked whitish marking along sutural margin (Fig. 28A).

Etymology

The species epithet ‘ falcatus ’ is a Latin adjective meaning ‘falcate’. It refers to the typical shape of the lateroventral processes of the periandrium of the males of this species.

Type material

Holotype AUSTRALIA • ♂; [Northern Territory], Wollogorang Station near Settlement Creek; [17°12′40″ S, 137°56′53″ E]; 10 Sep. 1930; T.G. Campbell leg.; “Wollogorang Stn, nr Settlement Ck, North Australia, 10.IX.1930, T.G. Campbell”; ANIC.

Paratypes AUSTRALIA • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; ANIC • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; RBINS • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; BMNH • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; FSAG • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; “ex J.W. Evans Collection Donated 1986”, “MJF Collection, MJF003339 ”; ASCU .

Description

MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. LT: ♂ (n = 5): 8.22 mm (7.92–8.44), ♀ (n = 5): 9.12 (8.67–9.53); BV/ LV: ♂ (n = 1): 3.41, ♀ (n = 1): 4.02; BF/LF: ♂ (n = 1): 1.46, ♀ (n = 1): 1.49; LP+LM/BT: ♂ (n = 1): 0.82, ♀ (n = 1): 0.85; LM/LP: ♂ (n = 1): 3.07, ♀ (n = 1): 3.05; LTg/BTg: ♂ (n = 1): 2.65, ♀ (n = 1): 2.75; LW/BW: ♂ (n = 1): 1.63, ♀ (n = 1): 1.78.

HEAD (Figs 28A–D, 29A–D). Slightly narrower than thorax. Vertex brown irregularly variegated with black; 3.4–4 times as broad as long, concave with all margins slightly carinate; anterior and posterior margins rounded, subparallel. Frons brown irregularly variegated with black, more densely black than vertex; slightly paler transverse band above lateral angles; disc darker under this paler band; sometimes paler also along side margin under lateral angle between margin and peridiscal carina; sometimes a curved narrow paler line at about level of mid-height of eye; well-marked narrow median yellowish line from dorsal margin to broad paler transverse band; about 1.5 times as broad as long, slightly convex, slightly rugulose with peridiscal carina slightly marked; upper margin of frons straight to very slightly rounded in perpendicular view of frons; lateral margin slightly incurved above lateral projection of frons, more or less straight under the projection. Clypeus brown with median black line and regular oblique lines on each side of postclypeus, anteclypeus black with median pale reddish-brown line on carina; clypeus reaching mesocoxae, elongate, with median carina on anteclypeus prolongated with obsolete carina on postclypeus; base of clypeus rounded. Labium dark brown, reaching metacoxae, with apical segment as long as broad, acuminate, shorter and slightly more slender than penultimate. Genae pale yellowish. Ocelli absent. Antennae brown, not surpassing eye, not visible from above; scape about as long as broad, pedicel subcylindrical, elongate, narrowing towards apex.

THORAX (Figs 28A, C, 29A, C). About 1.20 times as broad as combined length of pro- and mesonotum. Pronotum brown irregularly variegated with black, often with a short transverse black line in middle portion between the 2 obsolete impressed points; paranotal lobes yellowish variegated with brown. Mesonotum brown irregularly variegated with black, more densely black and generally darker than pronotum; disc weakly wrinkled, median and peridiscal carinae weakly marked; median carina stopped before scutellum. Tegulae bicolour with dorsal half and outer margin of ventral half pale brown; rest of ventral half black.

TEGMINA (Figs 28A–C, 29A–C). Pale brown irregularly variegated with blackish markings, distal ⅓ slightly paler, then apical 1/₆ darker; anteapical transverse, curved, white line, sometimes reduced to 2 white triangles along margins; small apical white spot extending on 1–3 cells in middle of apical margin, sometimes absent; rarely with a subrectangular blackish brown marking in middle portion of clavus. Flat, elongate, about 2.7 times as long as broad; costal margin weakly rounded along basal fifth, then straight; apex rounded.

VENATION. Veins ScP+RA and RP separated close to base; first fork of MP very basal, at the level of ScP+RA–RP separation; first fork of CuA slightly before apex of clavus; clavus closed; Pcu and A1 fused at about ¾ of clavus length; Pcu+A1 reaching apical angle of clavus; numerous cells along posterior half of costal margin; numerous cross-veins on apical third delimitating small elongate cells.

POSTERIOR WINGS (Figs 28A–B, 29A–B). Pale yellow with apical ⅓ blackish brown; apical margin with white marking extending on up to 9 cells, sometimes absent; base narrowly marked with red; anal lobe slightly infuscate; poorly defined paler area along middle of sutural margin. Well developed, as broad as tegmina, about 1.6–1.8 times as long as broad, rounded apically; anal area well developed; sutural margin weakly trilobous; not reaching apex of tegmina at rest. All main veins visible from base, forked at or after nodal line and forming a few closed cells; few transverse veinlets delimiting elongate cells on apical ¼; veins A1 and A2 sometimes with 2 terminals.

LEGS (Figs 28A–E, 29A–E). Pro- and mesofemora and tibiae brown rather densely variegated with black, less on dorsum of tibiae; pro- and mesotarsi paler than corresponding tibia but dark brown apically; posterior legs brown with tibiae darker than femora and with apex of tibial and tarsal spines darker. Pro- and mesofemora and tibiae dorsoventrally flattened, elongate and slender; metatibiae with 3 lateral and 10 apical spines; first metatarsomere ventrally with grey pad of microsetae at internoapical angle and two rows of 5 spines. Metatibiotarsal formula: (3) 10/4/0.

MALE TERMINALIA (Figs 30–32). Pygofer (Py) rather short, as high as long and oblique, abruptly and strongly narrowing in uppermost portion in lateral view (Fig. 30A), about 2.2 times as wide as high in caudal view (Fig. 30E); basal apodeme (bap) slightly elongate, well developed and sclerotized, sinuate in dorsal view (Fig. 30A–C); dorsal portion narrow (Fig. 30A–B); lateroventral lobe (lvl) projecting posterolaterally and rounded towards the anterior but tapering towards the posterior in dorsal view (Fig. 30B); in ventral view, moderately narrowly rounded anteriorly, tapering and narrowly rounded posteriorly, rather broadly rounded laterally and with inner margin concave (Fig. 30C); in lateral view, posterior margin sinuate with posteroventral angle more or less rounded, anteroventral angle rounded and ventral margin broadly rounded (Fig. 30A); ventral portion separated from lateroventral lobe by a well-marked, rather narrow and deep depression (Fig. 30C, E); ventral lamina (vlp) about 3.3 times as broad as long with anterior and posterior margins subparallel in ventral view, posterior margin very slightly bisinuate with posterolateral angles rounded and weakly projecting posterad (Fig. 30C). Anal tube (An) 1.1 times as broad as long, dorsoventrally flattened (Fig. 30A), oval with base and apex more strongly rounded than side margins; side margins tapering towards apex; apical margin indented in middle (Fig. 30B); paraprocts (pa) at basal ¼, well developed. Gonostyli (G) 1.4 times as broad as long in ventral view (Fig. 30C); ventral process (vp) in ventral view subtriangular, rather short with lateral margin weakly excavate, then rounded apically (Fig. 30C); laterodorsal process (ldg) not visible in ventral view (Fig. 30C), strongly sinuate in caudal view with mediolateral angle (mla) well-marked (Fig. 30E), mediolateral angle projecting laterally (Fig. 30A, D), posterior margin deeply, emarginate on ventral half in lateral view (Fig. 30A), posterior margin in emargination slightly roundly projecting posterad, upper and lower margins rounded; dorsal hook (dhg) subtriangular in lateral view, with anterior margin concave and posterior margin oblique (Fig. 30A), apically curved anterolaterad (Fig. 30B), directed dorsolaterad in caudal view (Fig. 30E). Connective (cv) strongly developed, about 1.5 times as long as aedeagus s. lat., with anterior pair of lateral apodemes forming a moderately broad lateral lamina directed posterolaterad and tapering apically; posterior pair of apodemes ribbon-like, well developed laterally and sinuate (Fig. 31A–D). Aedeagus s. lat. moderately upcurved with periandrium reaching more or less level of apex of aedeagus s. str. posteriorly (Fig. 31E–I). Aedeagus s. str. (Fig. 32A–C) with apical processes about 6.3 times as long as broad at mid-length; apicoventral process (avp) smoothly tapering towards the posterior and narrowly rounded apically, weakly sinuate in ventral view; apicodorsal process (adp) in dorsal view (Fig. 32A) rather strongly sinuate, strongly inflated, rather regularly tapering towards apex forming a subtriangular blunt point, and shorter than apicoventral process. Dorsal periandrium (Fig. 32D–F) with laterodorsal processes (ldp) abruptly narrowing at mid-length in lateral view, then regularly tapering and curved dorsad towards acutely pointed apex, abruptly curved laterad at about mid-length in dorsal view; lateroventral processes (lvp) dorsoventrally flattened, falcate with short apical acute point directed laterodorsad slightly beyond laterodorsal processes; basomedian processes (bmp) apically oblique in dorsal view and with sides parallel in ventral view; median furcate process (mfp) with furca as long as shaft (Fig. 31I) and strongly upcurved in lateral view slightly before base of crests (Fig. 32E), dorsal crest (cfp) on apical half of arms of furca, vertical in dorsal view (Fig. 32D), crest abruptly starting basally then broadening to half-length, then regularly tapering towards pointed apex and with dorsal margin slightly irregular in lateral view (Fig. 32E), inner and outer lateral walls of furca weakly granulose (Fig. 32D).

FEMALE TERMINALIA (Fig. 33). Abdominal sternite VI (As VI) with sides upcurving in posteroventral view (Fig. 33C); posterior margin in ventral view (Fig. 33B) projecting posteriorly on sides; median subquadrate emargination wide, slightly wider basally (Fig. 33C); subtriangular processes moderately developed, apically rounded and directed mesad and posterodorsad (Fig. 33B–C); emargination between subtriangular processes and lateral projection rather deeply rounded (Fig. 33B–C); processes of furca of sternite VI (FAs VI) pointed, diverging, moderately developed and rather strongly curved posterodorsad (Fig. 33B–C). Inner portion of gonocoxa VIII (Gx VIII) moderately curved dorsad (Fig. 33C); posterior margin of gonapophysis VIII (Gy VIII) moderately projecting posterad and lateroapically rounded (Fig. 33A–B). Lateroventral excavate membranous fold of gonocoxae VIII between sternite VI and gonapophysis VIII in posteroventral view rather widely open (Fig. 33C). Inner portion of gonapophysis VIII, subtriangular processes and adjacent part of posterior margin of sternite VI, and processes of furca of sternite VI (FAs VI) densely covered in short strong setae (Fig. 33B–C). Gonoplacs (Gp) unilobed, large and semicircular, mostly hiding the anal tube (Fig. 33D). Gonocoxal bases IX (Gb IX) projecting laterally (Fig. 33C). Gonapophysis IX (Gy IX) flattened laterally, reflexed posterodorsad and strongly tapering apically (Fig. 33B–D). Anal tube (An) elongate and narrow, curved posteroventrad, v-shaped in cross section beyond anus, lanceolate in dorsal view (Fig. 33A, C–D).

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. Female about 11% larger than male.

Distribution and biology

The species is currently recorded from a single location of northeastern Northern Territory near the interstate border with Queensland, Wollogorang Station (Fig. 5A). Bioregion: Gulf Coastal.

The eleven specimens of the type series were all collected on the same day during the month of September.

Host plant unknown.