Lagenosoma dimorphum Winterton 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Winterton, Shaun L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Stratiomyidae
Lagenosoma
Lagenosoma dimorphum

description: Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n.
(Figs 6; 15A–D; 20; 21B; 24B; 26G–J; 29G, H; 33C, D; 37)
Zoobank. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F2C9C899-5872-4648-80B1-6BA7BAFF56AF
Diagnosis. Antennae relatively elongate, flagellomere VIII plumose distally, flagellomeres IV–VII all short and approximately equal in length; male face bulbous yellow with erect black setae; female scutellum orange with black suffusion laterally; scutum orange (female) or black (male); male abdomen narrow, petiolate; male occiput entirely yellow.
Description. Body length = 8.0–9.0 mm. Head. Yellow, female varies from yellow with pair of black markings on frons (Fig. 26H, J) to entirely black (Fig. 26I); frons rounded; face broadly rounded and bulbous, yellow with pair of black markings below antennae, some erect, black setae, shorter in female; parafacial yellow (or black); ocellar tubercle black; postocular ridge highly carinate in female, not carinate in male; occiput flat, yellow, covered with black setal pile; antenna (length = 3.0 mm) with scape and pedicel dark yellow, flagellomeres I–III dark brown with dark microtrichia, flagellomeres IV–VIII black, flagellomeres V–VII relatively short and combined length equal to length of flagellomere III, ratio of length of flagellomere VII to VIII is 1: 16.5, flagellomere VIII elongate and plumose with microtrichia. Thorax. Black (male) or dark yellow to reddish-brown (female; red when alive), posterior portion of thorax black (katatergite, metanepisternum, metepimeron and mesopostnotum) in female suffused with black; scutum with erect, short, yellow, setal pile in male, short black setae in female; anepisternum whitish along dorsal margin (more distinct in female); scutellum black (male) orange with black suffusion laterally (female); male coxae black, fore and midcoxae yellow, hind coxa black; male legs black to brown, foretibia yellow distally, hind basitarsus dark yellow basally; female leg colour highly variable, frequently fore and mid legs either entirely yellow, hind leg usually entirely black or yellow; hind tibia and tarsus longer and thicker than other legs; haltere yellow to white; wing dark smoky infuscate, venation dark; pterostigma dark. Abdomen. Male abdomen narrow, petiolate basally, segment 1 equal to width of scutellum with segment 5 widest and equal to width of scutum, black with yellow posterolaterally on tergites 1–5; segment 1 with lateral flange well developed; female abdomen wider, variable white with black markings, black paired markings on tergites 1–2, tergite 3–4 black with white posteromedial spot and along lateral margin, remaining segments entirely black. Male genitalia. Epandrium short; gonocoxites similar to L. danielsorum sp. n., rounded with angular posterolateral processes; gonostylus bilobed and well developed; phallus relatively elongate with medial lobe only slightly longer than lateral lobes. Female genitalia not dissected.
Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the Greek di —two, and morpho —form, shape, referring to the highly distinctive sexual dimorphism in this species.
Comments. This species is very similar to L. danielsorum sp. n., as discussed above. The females of both species are remarkable wasp mimics of the hymenopteran family Braconidae occurring in the region (e.g., Campyloneurus Szepligeti, Callibracon Ashmead). The female of L. dimorphum sp. n. varies in the colour of the head, ranging from entirely black through partly suffused with black, to entirely bright yellow (red in life) with black markings on the frons and face. Other morphological features are relatively uniform.
Type material— Holotype female, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 16 km N of Boonah [-27.8599, 152.7328], 17.IX.1994, C.J. Burwell (QM).
Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 2 males, 10 females, Oakwells site 7, [-25.8067, 148.2717], 1.X.2005, C. Eddie, 580 m, ex. stock trough, partly cleared gully, brigalow vine scrub (QM); 2 females, 16 km N of Boonah [-27.8599, 152.7328], 2 IX.1987, 6–7.IX.1997, C.J. Burwell (QM); 1 female, Ipswich [-27.6221, 152.7555], 24.IX.1984, M. Kewley (QM). New South Wales: 1 female, South West Rocks [-30.8843, 153.0344], 10.IX.1987, N.W. Rodd (AM); 2 females, Wambelong Ck, Warrumbungle N.P. [-31.3231, 149.0271], Malaise trap across creek bed, 21.I–9.II.2009, S.L. Winterton (CSCA); 1 female, Gunnedah [-31.0143, 150.2430], 4.IX.1962, C.W. Frazier (ANIC).
description: Published as part of Winterton, Shaun L., 2023, Wasp-mimicking soldier flies of the Australian Region: revision of Ampsalis Walker, Elissoma White and Lagenosoma Brauer (Stratiomyidae: Clitellariinae), pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 5246 (1) on pages 34-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5246.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7673215