David K. McAlpine

Review of the Australian kelp flies (Diptera: Coelopidae)

Abstract. The morphology of the Coelopidae is considered, particularly in relation to taxonomic characters, terminology, and sexual di morphism. Taxonomic relationships and family limits are discussed; the Coelopidae appear to be most closely related to the families Helcomyzidae and Dryomyzidae of the superfamily Sciomyzoidea. The following genera are excluded from the Coelopidae: Listriomastax and Apetaenus (Tethinidae), Orygma (Sepsidae), Heterocheila (or Oedoparea, position doubtful). The position of the genera Malacomyia, Baeopterus and Icaridion in the Coelopidae is confirmed. The Coe lopidae are divided into two subfamilies, Lopinae subfam.n. and Coe‐lopinae. The Coelopinae include four tribes: Glumini trib.n., Coelopini, Coelopellini trib.n., Ammini trib.n. The following genera and species are described as new: Lopa, Gluma, Rhis, This, Amma, Lopa convexa, Gluma keyzeri, G.nitida, G.musgravei, Rhis whitleyi, This canus, Coe‐lopella popeae, Amma blancheae. The subgenera Fucomyia and Neo‐coelopa of the genus Coelopa are rejected as invalid. Chaetocoelopa huttoni Harrison (1959) is a new synonym of Chaetocoelopa littoralis (Hutton, 1881). Coelopa palauensis Hardy (1957) is a new synonym of C.alluaudi Seguy (1941), which is recorded from Australia for the first time. Coelopa africana Malloch (1933a) is a new synonym of C.ursina (Wiedemann, 1824) from southern Africa. Keys are provided to supra‐generic groupings of Coelopidae, to the Australasian genera, and to the species of Chaetocoelopa, Coelopella, Gluma and Icaridion.

A systematic study of Phytalmia (Diptera, Tephritidae) with description of a new genus

The tribe Phytalmiini is defined to include the genera Phytalmia Gerstaecker, Diplochorda Osten Sacken (=Nesadrama Perkins syn.n.) and Sessilina gen.n. (type‐species Dacus nigrilinea Walker), with Ortaloptera Edwards as an outlying member; a key is provided to these genera. The tribe is nearly restricted to the Papuan Subregion; the record of Nesadrama petiolata Hardy from the Philippine Islands is questioned, and this species is synonymized with Diplochorda myrmex Osten Sacken syn.n. Nesadrama longistigma Perkins is a synonym of D.turgida (Walker) syn.n. Keys are provided to the six species of Phytalmia: alcicornis (Saunders), antilocapra sp.n., biarmata Malloch, cervicornis Gerstaecker (=prisca Enderlein syn.n.), megalotis Gerstaecker (= wallacei Saunders syn.n.), mouldsi sp.n.; also the three species of Sessilina, horrida sp.n., literata sp.n., nigrilinea (Walker). The enlarged cheek‐processes may be greatly reduced in P.biarmata and cervicornis. The morphology of the internal reproduction system of mouldsi females is described.

Generic classification of the fern flies (Diptera: Teratomyzidae) with a larval description

Abstract. The seven recognized genera of Teratomyzidae, including the new genera Stepta, Auster, Pous, Camur and Lips, are keyed and described. Vitila is a new subgenus of Teratomyza Malloch. The following five new species are described: Auster pteridii (Australia), Pous manicula (Australia), Camur willii (Brazil), Lips collessi (Australia), Teratomyza (Vitila) undulata (Australia). Stepta latipennis is a new combination for Teratomyza latipennis Malloch. Neogeomyza Séguy, 1938 (Micropachycerina Stuckenberg, 1971, syn.n.) belongs in the Lauxaniidae, not Teratomyzidae. Neogeomyza stenoptera (Stuckenberg, 1971 (from Micropachycerina) is a new combination. The family Teratomyzidae occurs in the Neotropical, Australasian, Oriental and eastern Palaearctic Regions. The third‐instar larva and puparium of Auster pteridii, both of which live externally on fronds of Pteridium (Filicales: Dennstaedtiaceae), are described. Adults of many species also occur on fern fronds.

A new apterous micropezid fly (Diptera: Schizophora) from Western Australia

Abstract. Badisis ambulans gen.n. et sp.n. is described from flower‐inhabiting apterous males. There is a remarkable similarity in structure of abdominal sternite 5 to the Tertiary fossil Electrobata. The relationships of Badisis are discussed and it is referred provisionally to the tribe Metopochetini of the family Micropezidae. A few observations on its habits and ecology are recorded. It is a Batesian mimic of a dolichoderine ant.

The taxonomic position of the Ctenostylidae (= Lochmostyliinae; Diptera: Schizophora)

It is shown that Ctenostylidae Bigot (1882) is a valid senior synonym of Lochmostylidae Hendel (1935). The morphology of the Ctenostylidae is considered and compared with the Pyrgotidae. It is concluded that the Ctenostylidae are not closely related to the Pyrgotidae, but form an isolated taxon of obscure relationship. Notes on a speciment of Ctenostylum sp. and a revised key to genera of Ctenostylidae are given.

Signal flies of the genus Bama (Diptera: Platystomatidae) in Papua New Guinea

The genus Bama McAlpine, 2001, is known only from the mainland of Papua New Guinea. The main diagnostic characters for the genus are listed, and a key is given to the 16 available species, several of which are known only from one sex. Xiria strigata Hennig, 1940, is treated as a new junior synonym of Bama papuanum (Hennig, 1940). The following new species are described: Bama aurantium, B. bickeli, B. brevitarse, B. divergens, B. flavifrons, B. flexifer, B.grande, B. gressitti, B. ismayi, B. martini, B. monstrans, B. robertsi, B. signifer. Mcalpine, DaviD K. 2015. Signal flies of the genus Bama (Diptera: Platystomatidae) in Papua New Guinea. Records of the Australian Museum 67(2): 25–53. The small amount of available material of Bama has limited the coverage and accuracy of this taxonomic treatment. Probably many more species occur on mainland New Guinea (including Indonesian West New Guinea) than are here recognised, and significant taxonomic characters of male genitalia are known for only eight of the sixteen species, though other important specific characters are used. Morphological terminology follows that used in my previous studies of Platystomatidae (McAlpine, 1973; 2001) except that I have modified some terms for parts of the aedeagus (see below). The following abbreviations refer to institutions holding specimens. AM Australian Museum, Sydney ANIC Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra BMNH The Natural History Museum, London BPB Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu FRIL Forest Research Institute, Lae, Papua New Guinea MNHN Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris NSMT National Science Museum, Tokyo SDEI Senckenberg Deutches Entomologisches Institut,

Review of the Australian genus Pentachaeta (Diptera: Heleomyzidae), with descriptions of nine new species

The taxonomy of the forest-dwelling flies of the endemic Australian genus Pentachaeta McAlpine, 1985 (family Heleomyzidae or Heteromyzidae), is investigated, with particular reference to structure of the male genitalia. The number of described species is increased from one to ten. The following new species are described: Pentachaeta edwardsi, P. bickeli, P. inserta, P. bassiana, P. skusei, P. gilliesi, P. impar, P. kirkspriggsi, P. pinguis. Mcalpine, DaviD K. 2014. Review of the Australian genus Pentachaeta (Diptera: Heleomyzidae), with descriptions of nine new species. Records of the Australian Museum 66(5): 247–264. The genus Pentachaeta has been known to me for many years, as indicated by the collection dates on some of the material listed below, but only the type species, P. physopus McAlpine, 1985, has yet been described. It now appears that sufficient material is available to characterise most of the species, at least for male specimens, but the females of some species cannot be easily identified from morphological characters. I have placed Pentachaeta, together with the little known Chilean genus Dioche McAlpine, in the tribe Pentachaetini of the subfamily Trixoscelidinae (McAlpine, 1985; 2007). This classification is based on slender morphological evidence and should be subjected to detailed molecular evidence, when suitable material is available. The structure of the protandrium, hypandrium, and aedeagus of the male abdomen varies greatly among the tribes of Heleomyzidae, so that it may be taken to indicate a polyphyletic origin for the so-called family (see Griffiths, 1972). However, some more detailed species-level studies (e.g., in the Allophylopsini by McAlpine, 1967, and the Borboroidini by McAlpine, 2007) indicate that gross divergence in characters of the male postabdomen often begins during or immediately following the speciation process, so that major structural differences can occur between quite closely related groups. In listing material the following collectors’ names are abbreviated to the initials: H. Anderson, D. J. Bickel, B. W. Bradfield, D. H. Colless, G. Daniels, B. J. Day, G. H. Hardy, G. A. Holloway, D. S. Kent, R. de Keyzer, K. C. Khoo, R. Lossin, D. K. McAlpine, S. F. McEvey, E. F. Riek, C. N. Smithers, N. B. Tindale, M. S. Upton, J. C. Wiburd, G. A. Williams, and W. W. Wirth. The following abbreviations refer to institutions holding collections: AM Australian Museum, Sydney ANIC Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra MV Museum Victoria, Melbourne QM Queensland Museum, Brisbane SAM South Australian Museum, Adelaide USNM National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 248 Records of the Australian Museum (2014) Vol. 66 Pentachaeta McAlpine Pentachaeta McAlpine 1985: 212–213. Type species (original designation): P. physopus McAlpine. For diagnostic description see McAlpine (1985). The genus is keyed among the Australian heleomyzid genera by McAlpine (1985: 204–206) and McAlpine (2007: 155–156). The general coloration is distinctive for the genus: thorax largely pale tawny-orange with narrow brown longitudinal stripe on region of humeral callus and notopleuron; wing with one continuous broad brown anterior stripe covering entire costal margin and separate brown mark surrounding discal (posterior or dm-cu) cross-vein (Fig. 1). These features, together with the following conditions of chaetotaxy make the genus easily recognisable among other Australian acalyptrate flies: single vibrissa strongly developed; postvertical bristles rather large, strongly convergent from bases; propleural (proepisternal) bristle large and isolated; mesopleuron (anepisternum) without setulae or bristles; dorsocentral bristles five large subequal pairs (Fig. 2). Size range is indicated by a winglength of between 2.5 and 4.8 mm. Figure 1. Pentachaeta pinguis, northern form, female (13 km N of Ravenshoe).

Signal Flies of the genus Duomyia (Diptera: Platystomatidae) in the Northern Territory, Australia

A key is given to the species of Duomyia Walker, 1849, (approximately 26) recognized in the Northern Territory of Australia. The following new species are described: D. nodosa, D. rapida, D. grahami, D. tricurva, D. bucina, D. recta, D. prensans, D. praeflava, D. korneyevi, D. lana, D. collessi, D. maceveyi, D. whittingtoni. Duomyia sericea Hendel and D. serra McAlpine are newly recorded for the Northern Territory; D. foliata McAlpine is newly recorded for New South Wales; D. tomentosa Hendel is newly recorded for Western Australia; and D. eremia McAlpine is newly recorded for South Australia. The question of possible recent extinction of D. irregularis Malloch is raised, and the urgent need to establish the population status of other rarely seen species is mentioned. Mcalpine, DaviD K. 2012. Signal flies of the genus Duomyia (Diptera: Platystomatidae) in the Northern Territory, Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 64(2): 121–148. Nine of the 26 recorded Australian genera of Platystomatidae, or signal flies, are known in the Northern Territory, viz. Achias, Aetha, Duomyia, Elassogaster, Euprosopia, Lamprogaster, Plagiostenopterina, Rhytidortalis, and Rivellia (see McAlpine, 2001, for key to genera). This compares with 25 genera living in Queensland, and illustrates the decline in wet forest taxonomic diversity, as one proceeds from east to west in the Australian tropics, and a degree of isolation of the NT seasonally wet zone from that of the eastern Australian tropics. The endemic Australian platystomatid genus Duomyia includes 70 previously described species (see McAlpine, 1973, 2001, 2011), but study of collections indicates that over 110 species exist. About 26 species are here recognized for the NT, of which 13 appear to be endemic to the Territory. Several apparent species, represented by material that is inadequate for precise characterization, are assigned provisional numbers. The larger number of Duomyia species in the NT compared with that in other NT platystomatid genera correlates with the ability of numerous Duomyia species to survive in relatively dry climates. By contrast, the genus Euprosopia has only two species in the NT, compared with at least 29 species in the Queensland tropics (some undescribed). Duomyia irregularis Malloch, from vicinity of Darwin, has apparently not been collected for more than 100 years (see p. 147). As it is a small, inconspicuous insect and recent collecting in the area has not been thorough, I do not regard this as firm evidence of extinction. The following species have each been collected on only one occasion: Duomyia rapida n.sp., D. bucina n.sp., D. prensans n.sp., D. lana n.sp.; also, some other species are known from very few specimens. Investigation of the population status of these insects by locally resident entomologists is needed. A summary of general information on the genus Duomyia, including generic synonymy and a little information on habits and ecology, was previously given (McAlpine, 2001). A key to species was given by McAlpine (1973, supplemented by McAlpine, 2011). The division of such a large genus as Duomyia into subgenera or species groups seems desirable, but this desideratum has not yet proved attainable. Although there are some small groups of evidently related species, many other species do not readily fit into groups or are intermediate between such groups. Malloch (1929) proposed the subgenus Duomyza for D. tomentosa Hendel. Some species are closely