Establishment of a subfamily Aphyssurinae for the Australian genus Aphyssura Hardy (Diptera : Calliphoridae), with a review of known forms and descriptions of new species

Abstract

The subfamily Aphyssurinae, herein established, comprises only the precinctively Australian genus Aphyssura Hardy. These flies are all small (overall length up to ca. 5 mm) and of fairly uniform structure. The subfamily and genus are characterised as follows: the long arista is sparsely plumose on the basal quarter of its third segment, and thence spiculate to the apex; the prosternum is sparsely bristled; some bristles (anterior presutural intraalar, immediately presutural intraalar, lateral scutellars and intrapostalar) are lacking; cell r 4+5 is closed or even has a short appendix; the calypteres are bare; the males have a relatively narrow frons, an uncleft fifth sternite armed with a down-turned subapical spine; the cerci are completely fused. The females often completely different from the males in coloration, and the dorsal sclerites of the ovipositor are greatly reduced; reproduction is by larviparity. The previously described species – A. minuta (Malloch), A. dubia (Walker) and A. pusilla (Macquart) – are characterised. The following new species are described: A. arenicola, A. attonita, A. banksi, A. contexta, A. crassigaster, A. cygnea, A. eyrei, A. halli, A. humei, A. ioannes, A. liepae, A. mongensis, A. narrogina, A. nigricans, A. rubida, A. rustica, A. southcotti, A. sturti, A. tanni, A. territorialis, A. therribriana, A. tonnoiri, A. ungarrana, and A. zentae. A key to species is given. Illustrations of diagnostic features of the male and female terminalia are given.