The Froggattimyia-Anagonia Genus Group (Diptera: Tachinidae)
Creators: name: Colless, Donald H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy

description: Anagonia zentae sp. nov.    
Figs 52, 53, 87  
 Types. Holotype male in ANIC no. 29-029370, Black Mtn, ACT, light trap, 25 Feb. 1966, IFBC; terminalia in tube 88. Paratypes:— Australian Capital Territory: 26 males, all as for holotype but: 23 Mar. 1960, T.t. 134; 18 Feb. 1961, T.t. 89; 31 Dec. 1961, T.t. 90; 25 Feb. 1965, T.t. 196; 6 Jan. 1965, 3 specs., T.t. 151, 168, 164; 11 Jan. 1965, T.t. 103; 22 Jan. 1965, T.t. 188; 14 Jan. 1966, T.t. 155; 3 Feb. 1966; 21 Mar. 1966, T.t. 132; 20 Dec. 1966; 2 specs., 6 Jan. 1967; 2 specs., 9 Jan. 1967; 13 Jan. 1967; 16 Jan. 1967; 2 specs., 20 Jan. 1967; 14 Feb. 1967; 27 Feb. 1967; 28 Feb. 1967; 6 Mar. 1967; 4 Jan. 1968, T.t. 297; 2 specs., 7 Jan. 1968; also 1 male each: Black Mtn, Jan. 1968, M. E. Irwin, Malaise trap.— Western Australia: 60 W Coolgardie, 29 Oct. 1958, E. F. Riek, T.t. 185; Millstream, 23 Oct. 1970, DHC, T.t. 432.— Northern Territory: Roe Ck, 12 mi SW Alice Springs, 23–28 Sep. 1972, E. F. Matthews, T.t. 429.— South Australia: Sleaford Bay, Oct. 1959, J. Casanova.   
Other specimens: 57 putative females from various localities.  
A small to medium sized species, with very dark integument and major bristles exceptionally strongly developed.  
 Male. Head. Width 1.8–2.4, mean 2.12 mm. Eye quite strongly haired in specimens from ACT but very sparsely so in those from other areas. Gena narrow, ratio Gnw/Eyh 0.2–0.3, mean 0.27 (the lowest for the group); parafacial also narrow, reflected in ratio Ivb/Vb-E 1.5–1.9, mean 1.75 (the highest for the group). Fronto-orbital plate and parafacial with very dark brown integument and silvery frosting. Ocellar bristles strongly developed. Reclinate upper frontal bristles stout and usually continuous with 2 stout reclinate orbital bristles. Upper occiput with 1–2 rows of black setae behind the postocular row, becoming 3–4 rows laterally, the pale occipital setae off-white and rather inconspicuous.   
 Thorax. Presutural median dark vitta variable. Presutural intra-alar bristle well developed on both sides. Intrapostalar seta well developed. Scutellum (as usual) with paler integument, but with a large dark patch on about the basal third; rather narrow basally, ratio Sbs/Ssa 2.2–2.9, mean 2.34 (the lowest for the group). Apical scutellar setae upcurved.   
 Wing. Tegula and basicosta both dark brown. Lower calypter grey-brown on about basal half.   
 Legs. All dark. Foretibia with preapical ad spine stout, about half as long as adjacent d spine. Hindtibia with ad comb coarse, of sparse, spiny setae; Pd1 very short, ratio Pd1/ Sdd 0.5–1.0, mean 0.75in posterior direction (often visible in dried specimens).   
 Terminalia (Figs 52, 53). Surstylus with slender stem and expanded, leaf-like apical half, with short, spiny setae and a sharp, anteriorly directed tip; cercus characteristically slender and curved in posterior direction (often visible in dried specimens); postgonite remarkable, almost teratological in appearance, difficult to resolve (or illustrate) but apparently rather “twisted” and spoon-like, with a stout flange on external surface.   
 Female. A long series of specimens closely resemble the male in provenance, chaetotaxy and colouration differing significantly as follows: eye with very sparse hairing or none at all; integument of head paler, mid-brown. Proepisternal hairs pale. Lower calypter uniformly creamy in colour. Basicosta pale brown, lighter than tegula.   
 Terminalia (Fig. 87). Tergite 6 completely divided; sternite 6 with a median triangular process but scarcely protruding ventrally. Tergite 7 with apical hemitergites very narrow and fine but joined to their basal sections, associated membrane finely spiculate; sternite 7 strongly curved and sclerotized, its base scarcely emarginate. Dorsal membrane of tergite 8(?) with coarse black denticles, much more conspicuous than in 2 preceding species.   
 Distribution. Recorded from all mainland states but Queensland, where it no doubt occurs as well.   
 Biology. Nothing known except that the species comes readily to light. However, the structure of the female terminalia suggests strongly that, like other members of the group, A. zentae also parasitizes larvae of leaf-eating curculionids.   
 Notes. I am fairly convinced of the above association of the sexes, based on their close similarity in many attributes and co-occurrence in light traps in Canberra. It is curious that practically all males are from Canberra, while some 30% of females came from areas of very arid semidesert. However, the latter were all taken in early spring, when males may not yet have been active.   
 The relationship to other members of the group seems beyond doubt, in view of the close similarity in the remarkable female terminalia. Likewise, in the male the shapes of the surstylus and cercus clearly resemble those of A. dayi. However, in many other features, e.g., the male ocellar bristles and postgonite, A. zentae is remarkably unlike most other members of the group.   
The species name commemorates my friend and colleague—and tireless collector—the late Zenta Rosalia Liepa.
description: Published as part of Colless, Donald H., 2012, The Froggattimyia-Anagonia Genus Group (Diptera: Tachinidae), pp. 167-211 in Records of the Australian Museum 64 (3) on pages 198-199, DOI: 10.3853/j.0067-1975.64.2012.1590, http://zenodo.org/record/4684127