Collessiama Lambkin

Lambkin, Christine L. & Turco, Federica, 2013, Collessiama (Diptera: Therevidae: Agapophytinae: Taenogera genus-group), a new genus from eastern Australia, with a key to the Australian genera of Therevidae, Zootaxa 3680 (1), pp. 96-117 : 99-100

Collessiama Lambkin , gen. nov.

(Figs 1, 5–49)

Type species: Collessiama narelleae Lambkin sp. nov. by present designation.

Diagnosis. Head shape laterally subtriangular. Occiput with silver or gold pubescence over postocular ridge, broad velvet matte black pubescent band or triangle below postocular setae, silver or gold pubescent band over supracervical sclerite. Antennae long, flagellum longer than scape and pedicel combined. Pleuron shiny, overlain with very indistinct vertical silver pubescent bands. Legs with single subapical anteroventral macroseta on hind femur. Wings with open cell m3, orange infuscation basally, two black infuscate bands separated by either hyaline or orange band, orange apically except in males of Collessiama damani which have orange-grey infuscation. Male gonocoxites with well developed outer gonocoxal process and ventral flange, dorsal to ventral ridge bearing distinct clump of strong setae, long apically spatulate inner gonocoxal process, gonostylus with subapical dorsally directed triangular flange. Distiphallus short, broad, with apical or lateral ventrally-directed lobes; dorsal apodemes forked with arms curved over basiphallus; ventral apodemes long. Female reproductive system with three spermathecae and trilobate spermathecal sac arrangement with all 3 spermathecal sacs joining common spermathecal sac duct via broad tubes at single ovoid chamber; large ovoid median spermathecal sac with short tube to smaller outer round lobe, laterally two spermathecal sacs enlarged apically at join to round spermathecal sacs.

Description. Head shape laterally subtriangular. Upper frons flat, width at least equal to width of ocellar triangle, overlain with dense matte black pubescence, short, dark setae on ocellar triangle; lower frons with silver or gold pubescence laterally along compound eye, and around antennal base; longer, dark setae laterally above antenna; face overlain with dense pubescence, silver except for matte pubescent spot beside compound eye below antennae (Fig. 33). Occiput convex laterally; silver or gold pubescence over postocular ridge; broad velvet matte black pubescent band or triangle below postocular setae; broad silver or gold pubescent band over supracervical sclerite (Fig. 9); strong occipital setae laterally; clothed with long fine setae ventrally. Gena rounded, narrowing to point ventrally; clothed with long, pale setae; overlain with silver pubescence except for matte triangle at base of compound eye, only obvious from lateroventral view. Antenna long (antenna length/head length> 0.75), scape covered with admixed numerous short and a few long thickened, dark setae; dark setae on pedicel and base of F, scape shorter than flagellum (postpedicel + basal stylomere + apical stylomere) (scape length/flagellum length> 0.42); flagellum longer than scape and pedicel combined (flagellum length/pedicel length> 4.8); postpedicel (1st antennal flagellomere) long broad cylinder, laterally flattened; basal stylomere (2nd antennal flagellomere) globular short broad cylinder, apical stylomere (3rd antennal flagellomere) globular with short pointed medial style.

Thorax. Scutum with numerous short dark setae, medial and lateral pubescent stripes. Scutellum with dark velvet matte pubescence dorsally, silver or gold pubescent band apically. Pleuron shiny, overlain with indistinct vertical silver pubescent bands, denser ventrally. Scutal chaetotaxy: np 3; sa 1; pa 1; dc 0; sc 1. Legs with dense short setae, single subapical anteroventral macroseta on hind femur, dense apically-directed spicules cover fore tibia and tarsi; indistinct pale silver pubescence on posteroventral surfaces of all femora, not in discrete patches. Wing with open cell m3, orange infuscation basally, two black infuscate bands separated by either hyaline or orange band, orange apically except in males of Collessiama damani which have orange-grey infuscation. Veins within orange infuscation distinctly orange. Veins within black infuscation distinctly dark.

Genitalia. Female (Figs 11, 34): T8 quadrate, apodeme short; furca well sclerotised, length greater than 2x width, narrowed posteriorly, closed; T8-10 joined through sclerotised band; acanthophorites A1 setae broad, 6–8; A2 setae 10–12; S10 diamond-shaped, narrowed posteriorly and anteriorly, S8 posterior margin deeply indented medially; three spermathecae; all three spermathecal ducts entering into common spermathecal sac duct basally, close to anterior margin of furca, spermathecal ducts half length of furca, narrow into very fine tube of same length as furca, spermathecae indistinct, unpigmented, unsclerotised; spermathecal sac arrangement trilobate with all 3 spermathecal sacs joining common spermathecal sac duct via broad tubes at single ovoid chamber; spermathecal sac duct to large ovoid median spermathecal sac with short tube to smaller outer round lobe, laterally two spermathecal sac ducts enlarged apically at join to round spermathecal sac.

Male ( Figs 18–28 , 39–46 ). Gonocoxae orange to dark red, distinct clump of very long yellow to reddish ventrally-directed setae along each basomedial margin; very short gold reflective setae lining surface from ventral ridge medially. Epandrium orange, distinctly narrowed posteriorly, hidden beneath T7; cerci long narrow, cream to white. T8 broadly narrowed medially, long dark setae along each posterolateral margin; lateral spiracle present. Gonocoxae with dorsally directed distinct triangular flattened ventral flange; fused to hypandrium basolaterally leaving large linear unsclerotised area medially. Outer gonocoxal process well developed, broad, narrowing to rounded point, incurved apically, as long as inner gonocoxal process. Ventral lobe well developed, ¼ length of gonostylus, rounded, sclerotised, dorsally directed, dense short setae on dorsal surface and margin. Gonocoxal apodeme short, dorsally joining a broad plate, here termed the gonocoxal apodeme plate, extending dorsally over half length of outer gonocoxal process, free medially. Inner gonocoxal process long, narrow, apically spatulate and cup-shaped on ventral surface; ventrally-directed, glabrous. Gonostylus longer than inner gonocoxal process, basally broad and twisted, long setae on basomedial surface; sharply pointed, triangular subapical dorsal process (gonostylar dorsal process) bearing many long setae on medial surface; apically gonostylus broad long lobe, recurved dorsomedially, cup-shaped on medial surface, bearing setae. Hypandrium large, ovoid, fused to gonocoxae laterally and ventrally. Distiphallus short, broad, with apical or lateral ventrally-directed lobes with rows of small setiferous teeth; dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath forked with arms curved over basiphallus; ventral apodeme of parameral sheath long; ejaculatory apodeme broad anteriorly; lateral ejaculatory process narrow band-like; base of ejaculatory apodeme linear, narrowing apically.

Included species: Collessiama narelleae Lambkin sp. nov. and Collessiama damani Lambkin sp. nov..

Etymology. The name Collessiama honours the lifetime of work on Diptera and systematics by the late Dr. Donald H. Colless who was unfailing, both when working and retired, with his help and advice to students and colleagues. The name includes ‘siam’ referring to the intense coloration of these flies, reminiscent of Asian art and culture. The generic name is a noun in the nominative singular, hereby considered feminine in gender.

Comments. Collessiama is placed within the Taenogera genus-group within Agapophytinae based on cell m3 open; femoral velutum patches absent; and hind femur with a single subapical av setae. These characters together with the basal and apical orange infuscation on the darkly bi-banded wings (and medially in Collessiama narelleae ) distinguishes this genus easily from all others.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 28. Male Collessiama narelleae. 16. Dorsal. 17. Lateral. 18. Genitalic complex dorsal, epandrium removed. 19 – 20. Genitalic complex lateral: DP distiphallus; E epandrium; GAP gonocoxal apodeme plate; G gonocoxa; GS gonostylus; GSDP gonostylar dorsal process; H hypandrium; IGP inner gonocoxal process; OGP outer gonocoxal process; VF ventral flange. 21 – 22. Genitalic complex ventral, epandrium and aedeagus removed: VL ventral lobe, VR ventral ridge. 23. Genitalic complex lateral, epandrium removed. 24. Epandrium dorsal. 25. Aedeagus dorsal. 26 – 27. Aedeagus lateral: BEA base of ejaculatory apodeme; DA dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath; EJA ejaculatory apodeme; LEP lateral ejaculatory process; VA ventral apodeme of parameral sheath. 28. Aedeagus ventral.

FIGURES 37 – 46. Male Collessiama damani. 37. Dorsal. 38. Wing. 39. Genitalic complex lateral. 40. Genitalic complex dorsal, epandrium removed. 41. Genitalic complex ventral, epandrium and aedeagus removed. 42. Genitalic complex lateral, epandrium and aedeagus removed. 43. Epandrium dorsal. 44. Aedeagus dorsal. 45. Aedeagus lateral. 46. Aedeagus ventral.