Australian male specimens
AR about 2.4 - 2.9.
Frontal tubercles about 33 - 39 µm.
Palp proportions: 44 : 53 : 189 : 222 : 315
Wing length: 2.85 - 3.15 mm; wing width 0.30 - 0.67 mm.
VR about 0.95
Leg lengths (microns) and proportions as follows:
|
|
Fe |
Ti |
Ta1 |
Ta2 |
Ta3 |
|
PI |
1350 |
975 |
1820 |
925 |
837 |
|
PII |
1305 |
1155 |
750 |
393 |
268 |
|
PIII |
1478 |
1385 |
1180 |
595 |
448 |
|
|
Ta4 |
Ta5 |
LR |
F/T |
BR |
|
PI |
712 |
362 |
1.82-1.96 |
1.35-1.44 |
1.7-2.2 |
|
PII |
168 |
125 |
0.62-0.67 |
1.11-1.17 |
|
|
PIII |
262 |
152 |
0.81-0.92 |
1.05-1.09 |
|
Bristles on 9th tergite: 9 - 12
Important features are the LR of about 1.8 - 2.0 (though known range: 1.6 - 1.8) and the relatively long anterior Ta5, which is about 0.35 - 0.4 length of anterior Ti. In Australia, it is the only presently known species with a boot-shaped superior volsella.
Found: Northern Territory - Radon Creek, Kakadu National Park.
Queensland - 3 km w. Sarina Beach.
Originally described from Apia, Western Samoa.
Also found in Micronesia and Japan.
Indian specimens described by Chattopadhyuy et al. (1991), however, do not appear to be the same species,
as the LR is reported as 1.4; the ant. Ta5 is only about 0.25 - 0.28 length of Ti, and the frontal tubercles are only about 18 - 25 micron.
This species can be bred in the laboratory, as fertile egg masses were obtained from adults reared from wild collected larvae. Japanese specimens have also been maintained in a laboratory culture (Elbetieha & Kalthoff 1988).