A Review of the Australian Species of Thevenetimyia Bigot, 1875 (Bombyliidae, Bombyliinae, Eclimini), with Description of Four New Species and the Pupal Case of T-longipalpis (Hardy)

Abstract

All six known Australian species of the bee fly genus Thevenetimyia Bigot are reviewed, and the following four new species are described as new: T. fergusoni Li and Rodrigues, sp. nov., T. infuscata Li and Yeates, sp. nov., T. major Li and Yeates, sp. nov., and T. nuri Rodrigues and Lamas, sp. nov. The female of T. australiensis, the male of T. tenta and the pupal case of T. longipalpis are described and photographed for the first time. The pupal case of the North American species T. lanigera (Cresson) is redescribed and photographed herein. A key to the 10 Australian species of the genus is provided. Specimens of two species have been reared from decaying Acacia trunks, and one was associated with numerous Bostrychidae (Coleoptera), Buprestidae and Cerambycidae. It is likely that one of these families is the host. Based on these records, and those of Hull (1973), the genus parasitises beetle larvae feeding on dead or decaying wood in both Australia and the USA. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of the wing costa and scutum of T. australiensis shows the short, stout spines in rows on the male costa, which are very similar to the spines found in Comptosia species (Dodson & Yeates, 1990) as well as in species of Lepidophora and Cyrtomyia (Lamas & Rodrigues, 2013; Rodrigues & Lamas, 2013). Males of Comptosia and Thevenetimyia can be collected hilltopping, and it may be that Thevenetimyia males use the spines during aerial combat over territories as Comptosia males do.