Calliphora xanthocera Malloch 1927
Creators: name: Johnston, Nikolas P.
name: Szpila, Krzysztof
name: Pape, Thomas
name: Meiklejohn, Kelly A.
name: Foley, Liam B.
name: Wallman, James F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Calliphoridae
Calliphora
Calliphora xanthocera

description: Calliphora xanthocera Malloch, 1927
Fig. 5A–H
Diagnosis
This species can be distinguished from other members of the clarki -group by the unique combination of the basicosta dark brown or black; arista plumose, 1.5× length of postpedicel; acrostichal setae 2+3; abdominal tergites with very weak or no microtomentum; pleural suture between anepisternum and anepimeron pronounced, dark red-brown, distinct from the ground colour of the pleura.
Type material
Holotype AUSTRALIA – NSW • ♂; Kosciuszko National Park; 5 Dec. 1921; ANIC.
Other material examined
AUSTRALIA – NSW • 1 ♀; Wee Jasper; 29 Jan. 1933; C. Fuller leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; Mt Kosciuszko; 29 Jan. 1933; I. Mackerras leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; Tin Mine Creek; 30 Nov. 1959; D.F. Waterhouse leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; Kosciuszko; 27 Jan.–25 Mar. 1965; D.E. Havenstein leg.; ANIC • 2 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Tinmine Hut Track, Snowy Mountains; 20 Mar. 1971; K.R. Norris leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; Tinmines, Snowy Mountains; 20 Mar. 1971; K.R. Norris leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; Mt Tingaringy; 25 Feb. 1972; K.R. Norris leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; Charlotte Pass; 22 Jan. 1986; K.R. Norris leg.; ANIC • 2 ♂♂; Rainbow Lake Walking Track, Kosciuszko; 36°22′08″ S, 148°28′30″ E; 30 Jan. 2023; N.P. Johnston, J.F. Wallman, A. Grzywacz and K. Szpila leg.; ANIC. – VIC • 1 ♂; Quambat Flat; 20 Mar. 1971; K.R. Norris leg.; ANIC.
Description
This species is morphologically similar to C. clarki, except for the following character states.
Male
HEAD. Scape and pedicel dark brown. Postpedicel twice length of pedicel, orange with slight darkening in anterio-lateral 0.25, with white microtomentum (most visible when viewed dorsally).
THORAX. Anterior spiracle orange, reduced, smaller than proepisternum. Posterior spiracle complete, dark brown, contrasting in colour to anterior spiracle. Pleural suture between anepisternum and anepimeron pronounced, dark red-brown, distinct from ground colour of pleura.
CHAETOTAXY. 4 strong basal postpronotal setae; 1 pair of discal scutellar setae.
WING. Basicosta black or dark brown. Upper calypter white, with contrasting brown margin.
ABDOMEN. T1+2–T5 metallic green, with no microtomentum.
MALE TERMINALIA. Cercus. Equal in length to phallus; in lateral view, hooked with weak concave region in basal half; in posterior view, fused in proximal 0.30. Surstylus. Equal in length to cercus, setose; in lateral view, curved slightly downwards; in posterior view, curved slightly towards phallus. Phallus. In lateral view, epiphallus equal in length to post-gonite, hooked in distal 0.10. Pre-gonite half of length of post-gonite, triangular. Post-gonite curved, with broad rounded tip. Hypophallic lobe serrated on anterior margin, sclerotised for entire length. Paraphallus weakly curved, not reaching posterior margin of hypophallic lobe, tip of paraphallus hooked. Acrophallus straight; mesohypophallus weakly sclerotised in distal half, with small break, then sclerotised in proximal half.
Female
External morphology of the female is identical to the male, except in the following respects:
HEAD (Fig. 5D). Fronto-orbital and parafacial plate with gold microtomentum, one pair of outer vertical setae.
ABDOMEN. S5 uncleft.
Ecology
Unknown.
Distribution
AUSTRALIA: NSW and VIC.
description: Published as part of Johnston, Nikolas P., Szpila, Krzysztof, Pape, Thomas, Meiklejohn, Kelly A., Foley, Liam B. & Wallman, James F., 2025, A species-group framework to unravel blowfly diversity: integrative revision of the Calliphora clarki-group (Diptera: Calliphoridae), pp. 94-118 in European Journal of Taxonomy 989 on pages 110-112, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.989.2887, http://zenodo.org/record/15351100