Zentula tropica, Mcalpine, David K., 2013

Mcalpine, David K., 2013, Supplementary descriptions of Australian Rhinotorini (Diptera: Heteromyzidae), Zootaxa 3680 (1), pp. 130-138 : 136

Zentula tropica n. sp.

Figs 9–11

Type material. Holotype 3. Queensland: 1 km N of Rounded Hill, N of Cooktown, 15°17ʹS 145°13ʹE, 5.v.1981, D.H. Colless ( ANIC). Paratypes. Queensland: 1 3, 1 Ƥ, 1 km and 4 km N of Rounded Hill, May 1981, D.H. Colless (AM, ANIC); 1 Ƥ, Mount Cook National Park, 15°29ʹS 145°16ʹE, May 1981, D.H. Colless ( ANIC).

Description (male, female).

Agreeing in most features, including chaetotaxy, with Z. vittata (see McAlpine 1985).

Coloration. Head largely pale yellowish-buff pruinescent; vertex with dark brown spot on each side from which both inner and outer vertical bristles arise; large dark brown ocellar spot present; variable orange-tawny to brown central zone extending across full width of postfrons; anterior margin of postfrons on each side with transverse dark brown zone, separated from central tawny-orange zone by horizontal buff-pruinescent band; parafacial with brown spot just below upper extremity; antenna and palpus yellow; arista brown. Thorax brown; mesoscutum with yellow-grey somewhat variable, often broken median stripe, dorsocentral pale stripe (on each side of median stripe) very broad at and in front of transverse suture, abruptly narrowed just behind suture, with separate lateral stripe behind suture; scutellum with pair of brown dorsal zones, with each bristle arising from a dark brown spot; pleura with brown markings on yellowish-pruinescent areas; sternopleuron very largely brown. Femora largely brown, with some paler suffusions; tibiae yellow, each with basal, subcentral, and apical dark brown zones; tarsi yellow. Wing whitish-hyaline, with numerous brown spots approximately as in Fig. 9 ; halter yellow. Abdominal tergites largely tawny, laterally more greyish with dark brown dot at base of each setula.

Head approximately as in Z. vittata .

Thorax. Mesoscutum with variable bristling just in front of scutellar suture, but prescutellar acrostichal bristle usually distinct.

Abdomen broad. Male postabdomen: surstylus approximately obovate, very broadly rounded distally, setulose; cercus apparently minute, not visible in undissected specimens.

Dimensions. Total length, 3 2.8–2.9 mm, Ƥ 3.5–3.8 mm; length of thorax, 3 1.5–1.7 mm, Ƥ 2.0– 2.1 mm; length of wing, 3 2.7–2.8 mm, Ƥ 3.4 mm.

Distribution. North-eastern Queensland—Cooktown district.

Notes. Zentula tropica and Z. vittata appear to be strongly differentiated in features of coloration as indicated in the above key. Compare also Figs 11, 12 . Zentula tropica also differs from Z. vittata in having the scutellum not explanate but very slightly convex, generally with denser setulosity towards the lateral margins of its dorsal surface, and with the apical scutellar bristles longer. The known distributions of the two species are widely separated by a gap between 16°S and 33°S whence no Zentula specimens are known, though it is possible that they are present. It is desirable that more specimens be obtained for detailed study of male genitalia and possible geographic variation.

The specific epithet is a Latin adjective—tropical, referring to the geographic distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 9 – 12. Zentula spp. 9, Z. tropica, female, whole insect. 10, the same, head. 11, the same, dorsal view of thorax. 12, Z. vittata, male (Mount York, New South Wales), dorsal view of thorax.