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The endemic Australian genus Actenomeros Winterton & Irwin, 1999b is reviewed. Three species are transferred from Nanexila Winterton & Irwin, 1999a: Actenomeros aureilineata (Winterton & Irwin, 1999a) comb. n., Actenomeros intermedia (Winterton & Irwin, 1999a) comb. n. and Actenomeros paradoxa (Winterton & Irwin, 1999a) comb. n. A new species (Actenomeros budawang sp. n.) is described and figured from New South Wales. A key to species is presented.
Asiloidea, Therevidae, Australia
The completely endemic Australasian stiletto fly (Diptera: Therevidae) fauna is composed of 370 described species in 26 genera, exclusively placed in two subfamilies, Agapophytinae and Therevinae (
Adult morphological terminology follows
The following collection acronyms are cited in the text:
CAS California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
ANIC Australian National Insect Collection (Canberra)
ASCU New South Wales Dept of Agriculture, Orange Agricultural Institute, Agricultural Scientific Collections Unit
TaxonomyActenomeros corniculaticaudus Winterton & Irwin, 1999b: 280.
Head sub-spherical; frons grey to gold pubescent; minute, dark setae sometimes present; frons flat to rounded, width sexually dimorphic, male frons narrower, but eyes not contiguous; occiput concave; two-three poorly defined rows of postocular macrosetae, rarely a single row in female; antenna length shorter than head; scape and pedicel short cylindrical, with strong dark setae; flagellum conical, compressed laterally, style terminal; sternopleuron glabrous medially; legs pale yellow, tarsi darkened distally; mid coxa without setae on posterior surface; hind femur with dark, anteroventral setae sub-apically; fore and hind femora without velutum patches; scutal chaetotaxy: np, 3–4; sa, 2; pa, 1; dc, 2–4; sc, 1; wing cell m3 open; abdomen black, male often with extensive abdominal velutum, female often with triangular patches of velutum laterally on segments; male genitalia without velutum patches on ventral surface of gonocoxites; gonocoxite with outer process present, often long, upward directed and horn-like; articulated gonocoxal process greatly reduced or absent; ventral lobe of gonocoxite sometimes greatly enlarged; hypandrium triangular, glabrous, fused to gonocoxites laterally; gonocoxal apodeme relatively short; distiphallus narrow, straight; dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath ‘T’-shaped; ejaculatory apodemes relatively small, narrow; ventral apodeme forked; female genitalia with A1 and A2 acanthophorite spines well developed; tergite 8 with narrow process on anterior margin; furca sclerotized in a narrow ring; three spherical spermathecae; spermathecal sac shape trilobate, spermathecal duct arrangement paired, one spermathecal duct joining to each spermathecal sac duct or rarely alternating along common spermathecal sac duct (Actenomeros intermedia).
Actenomeros aureilineata (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n., Actenomeros budawang sp. n., Actenomeros corniculaticaudus Winterton & Irwin, Actenomeros intermedia (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n., Actenomeros onyx Winterton & Irwinand Actenomeros paradoxa (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n.
1 | Wing with costal area dark infuscate; scutal pubescence brown with gold medial stripe | Actenomeros aureilineata (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n. |
– | Wing hyaline or at most, uniformly smoky infuscate | 2 |
2 | Postocular macrosetae with anterior row black, posterior row yellowish; single pair of supra-alar macrosetae; three notopleural macrosetae | Actenomeros intermedia (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n. |
– | Postocular macrosetae black; two pairs of supra-alar macrosetae; four or more notopleural macrosetae | 3 |
3 | Gonocoxite without enlarged, ‘horn’-like process; articulated gonocoxal process absent | 4 |
– | Gonocoxite with greatly enlarged, ‘horn’-like process posterolaterally; articulated gonocoxal process present, greatly reduced | 5 |
4 | Setae along costal margin short, length approximately equal to width of costal vein; posterior margin of scutellum with yellow margin (sometimes faint); male terminalia yellow with brown medially; ventral lobe of gonocoxite elongate, rounded (Fig. 5 F-G) | Actenomeros paradoxa (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n. |
– | Setae along costal margin elongate, length approximately twice width of costal vein; scutellum uniform grey pubescent; male terminalia brown-black; ventral lobe of gonocoxite shorter, anvil shaped (Fig. 5 B-C) | Actenomeros budawang sp. n. |
5 | Male gonostylus with two narrow, ventrally directed processes, one basal and the other distal | Actenomeros corniculaticaudus Winterton & Irwin |
– | Male gonostylus with single, ventrally directed process near apex | Actenomeros onyx Winterton & Irwin |
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E80EF2AB-394D-44C6-B70C-32DAAF665FE5
http://species-id.net/wiki/Actenomeros_budawang
Figs 1–4, 5A-E, HHolotype male, AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Budawang National Park, ca. 5km on Western Distributor Road, 250m asl, MV lamp & UV fit, [-35.334, 150.034], 22.ix.2004, A. Zwick (ANIC).
Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: female, same data as holotype (CAS); male, 2 km W Thirlmere Lakes National Park, 25.ix.1988, G.R. Brown, M.A.Terras [-34.228, 150.536] (ASCU); 4 males, Warrumbungle National Park, Wambelong Creek, [-31.323, 149.027], 21.i–9.ii.2009, Malaise trap across creek, S.L. Winterton (CAS).
Setae along costal margin elongate, length approximately twice width of costal vein; scutum uniform grey pubescent; articulated gonocoxal process completely absent; process on gonocoxite straight, elongate, not horn-like; ventral lobe of gonocoxite relatively short, anvil shaped, female with two rows of dark postocular macrosetae.
Body length: 8.0–9.5 mm [male]; 10.0 mm [female]. Head: Frons gold pubescent, short dark setae present in female, male frons narrower than anterior ocellus and narrowest point; occiput grey pubescent, postocular ridge with 2–3 poorly defined rows of black setae in both sexes; gena grey pubescent, admixed with fine dark setae; parafacial grey pubescent, without setae; mouthparts pale orange; scape and pedicel yellow, combined length approximately equal to flagellum length, numerous strong, dark setae present except on medial surface (Fig. 5H); flagellum with 3 segments, yellow with dark suffusion dorsally and distally, without dark setae on basal flagellomere; style dark. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum grey pubescent with three irregular brown pubescent stripes, numerous fine dark setae scattered over surface, longer in male; pleuron and coxae grey pubescent; fine pale setae sparsely scattered over proepisternum, anepisternum, katepisternum, pteropleural callus and coxae; strong dark macrosetae on anterior surface of coxa; legs pale yellow, trochanters brown, tarsi darkened distally; halter dark yellow to brown; wing uniformly smoky infuscate, venation dark; setae along costal margin elongate, length approximately twice width of costal vein. Scutal chaetotaxy: np, 4–5; sa, 2 (rarely 3); pa, 1; dc, 3–5; sc, 1 (rarely 2). Abdomen: Abdomen glossy brown-black, male with extensive silver velutum on segments 1–7, reduced to posterior margins of tergites 2–6 in female; numerous fine, white setae on all segments, shorter in female; terminalia brown with black setae. Male Genitalia (Fig 5A-E): Epandrium elongate, sub-quadrangular, narrowed posteriorly, numerous strong, dark setae laterally; posterior margin of tergite 8 medially emarginate, posteriorly directed setae on posterolateral corners; hypandrium triangular, relatively small, fused to gonocoxites laterally; gonocoxite with strong dark setae over outer surface; ventral lobe dark sclerotized with ventral directed process apically; gonocoxal apodeme relatively short; posteriorly directly process of gonocoxite straight, narrowed apically; articulated gonocoxal process completely absent; gonostylus well developed with strong spinose processes laterally and dorsally, setae along lateral surface; distiphallus straight, ridged like dorsally; dorsal apodeme broadly T-shaped; minute spines on distiphallus and dorsal apodeme; lateral ejaculatory apodeme relatively small, narrow. Female genitalia: tergite 8 with narrow process on anterior margin; furca sclerotized in a narrow ring, spermathecal sac shape trilobate as in figure 5I, spermathecal duct arrangement paired, one spermathecal duct joining to each spermathecal sac duct.
This species is named after the type locality, Budawang National Park, in central-southern New South Wales.
Actenomeros budawang sp. n. is similar in appearance to Actenomeros paradoxa comb. n., suggesting a likely close relationship. The former can be distinguished by the greatly enlarged ventral lobe, lack of ‘horn’-like gonocoxal process and complete absence of the articulated gonocoxal process. The scutal chaetotaxy is variable in this species Actenomeros budawang sp. n.
Actenomeros budawang sp. n. Male habitus, lateral. Body length = 8.5 mm.
Actenomeros budawang sp. n. Male habitus, oblique view. Body length = 8.5 mm.
Actenomeros budawang sp. n. Female habitus, lateral. Body length = 10.0 mm.
Actenomeros budawang sp. n. Female habitus, oblique view. Body length = 10.0 mm.
Actenomeros spp. Actenomeros budawang sp. n.: male genitalia: A epandrium, dorsal view B gonocoxites, ventral view C gonocoxite, lateral view D aedeagus, lateral view E aedeagus dorsal view. Actenomeros paradoxa (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n.: male genitalia: F gonocoxites, ventral view G gonocoxite, lateral view H Actenomeros budawang sp. n.: male head, lateral view. Actenomeros paradoxa (Winterton & Irwin) comb. n.: female internal genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: ag, accessory gland; c, cercus; d, distiphallus; da, dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath; ea, ejaculatory apodeme; f, furca; ga, gonocoxal apodeme; gs, gonostylus; h, hypandrium; lea, lateral ejaculatory apodeme; s, spermatheca; ss, spermathecal sac; va, ventral apodeme of parameral sheath; vl, ventral lobe. Scale line = 0.2 mm.
This paper is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under DEB Award Number 0614213. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF. Thank you to Christine Lambkin, Kevin Holston and Torsten Dikow for their critical reviews of the draft manuscript.