Alara australiensis Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 19

Alara australiensis Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 128)

Description. Forewings 2.2 times longer than wide, length about 3.6 mm. Colour white to stramineous. Carinae in front and above eyes greyish purple. Tip of rostrum, tips of fore and middle femora, and tips of all tibiae greyish brown; an additional grey-brown ring on middle of first and second tibiae. Forewings white, powdered, with two very faintly infuscated bands crossing them, veins white, but a faint, short orange section on base of costa, and a faint, brown mark on base of Sc+R+M. Antennae twice as long as wide, rostrum surpassing middle of abdomen. Forewings with Ms1 branched slightly before its middle, bases of Ms1 and Cu1 connected by a cross-vein.

Etymology. Derived from Australia, the latinized species name ( australiensis , -iensis, -iense) is an adjective.

Type material. Holotype ♀ (forewing 3.6 mm), AUSTRALIA; labels: 1) Kuranda/ QLd/ May 04/ F.P. Dodd 2) Queensland / F.P. Dodd / 1902-319 ( BMNH).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland).

Diagnosis. Alara australiensis is similar to A. hyalina (Melichar) from the Philippines and A. linigera sp. nov. from New Guinea. It can be distinguished from these by the dark rings at the middle of the tibiae of the first two pairs of legs.