Myotrioza serrulatae Taylor, sp. nov.

Myotrioza serrulatae Taylor, sp. nov.

(Figs 137, 197–204, 215–216, 221; Tables 1–8)

Types. AUSTRALIA, Western Australia: Holotype: 1 ♂ (dried, point) Lochada, granite outcrop, N of Killarinie Well, - 29.08872°S, 116.54558°E, 266 m, 15 Sep 2009, C. Symonds, Eremophila serrulata (Pursh), WA0909 L03 H10 (WAM); 3 ♀ (dried), 3 ♂, 4 ♀ (slide), same data as holotype (WAM, WINC).

Description. Adult (Figs 197–200). Colouration. Male: [specimen in ethanol] Dark brown to black with pale cream-coloured ventral abdomen: vertex dark brown; eyes red; antennal segments 8–10 suffused light brown; pronotum, mesopraescutum and mesoscutum glossy dark brown to black; fore and hind wings clear; fore wing veins R+M+Cu, R and R1 pigmented very slightly darker brown than other wing veins; legs pale yellow-brown with dark brown to black dorsal infuscation; abdominal tergites 1–5 glossy dark brown; sternites pale creamcoloured, almost white; proctiger, subgenital plate and parameres dark brown. Female: [specimens in ethanol] as for male except considerably paler, yellow-brown with brown markings; vertex pale yellow-brown with brown medial marking in vicinity of fovea; pronotum with pale medial marking; mesopraescutum with a pair of brown longitudinal markings; mesoscutum with 2 pairs brown longitudinal markings; mesoscutellum pale yellow; abdominal tergites brown each with a transverse pale suffusion; sternites light brown each with a transverse pale yellow suffusion; proctiger pale yellow-brown with brown apex; hooked setae contrasting black; subgenital plate pale yellow-brown with apex dark brown.

Structure. Measurements as in Tables 4–8. Body short, compact (Figs 197–200). Head (Figs 201–202); vertex with weak medial suture, moderately sunk in vicinity of fovea; genal processes short, 0.39–45 times as long as vertex; antenna (Fig. 137) short, 0.96–1.11 times width of head, with segments 3–4 swollen to bear multiple subapical rhinaria, with 24–30 rhinaria on segment 3, 15–18 on segment 4, 4–8 on segment 6, and 1–2 subapical rhinaria on segments 8 and 9; segment 10 with a long pointed seta and a short bluntly rounded seta. Fore wing (Figs 203–204) 4.34–5.17 times as long as head width, 2.40–2.86 times as long as wide, short, broad with slightly pointed apex; vein Rs evenly curved to costa, terminating well short of wing apex, considerably shorter than vein M, RsM: 0.63–0.74; medial cell smaller than cubital cell; veins M1+2 and M3+4 short, broadly diverging with corresponding low m1 cell value: 1.08–1.19; veins Cu1a and Cu1b short, each widely divergent with corresponding low cu1 cell value: 1.38–1.91; metatibia 0.94–1.02 times as long as width of head, longer than metafemur, without sclerotised apical spurs. Male terminalia (Figs 215–216); proctiger conoid, without expanded lateral lobes; subgenital plate broadly rounded; parameres (Fig. 216) short, broad with incurved sclerotised apices; distal portion of aedeagus short, with asymmetrical apical expansion (Fig. 215). Female terminalia (Fig. 221): proctiger short, triangular, posterior margin flat from lateral aspect and with weakly sclerotised apex; subgenital plate, triangular with tapering, weakly sclerotised apex; distal portion of proctiger with long pale setae and dense brush of hooked setae; subgenital plate with sparse long setae.

Comments. Myotrioza serratulae sp. nov. can be distinguished by the following unique combination of characters: habitus as in Figs 197–200, antenna with supernumerary rhinaria (24–30 on antennal segment 3, 15–18 on segment 4, 4–8 on segment 6 and 1–2 on each of segments 8 and 9) (Fig. 137), fore wing short, broad with slightly pointed apex, fore wing veins R+M+Cu, R and R1 pigmented little darker than other wing veins, Rs considerably shorter than vein M (Figs 203–204), female proctiger short, dorsoposterior margin even rounded with subapical dense field of hooked setae, valvula ventralis little curved, ventral profile of female subgenital plate flat (Fig. 221), male proctiger ovate-conoid, aedeagus short, paramere short, broad with rounded apex (Figs 215–216), host Eremophila, with eremean distribution. For diagnosis from closely related species, see Comments for M. desertorum sp. nov.

Etymology. Named after Eremophila serrulata, the host species.

Host-plant association and distribution. (Tables 2–3). Myotrioza serrulatae sp. nov. is recorded from Eremophila serrulata (Cunn. ex A. DC.) Druce, from a single locality, Charles Darwin Reserve, Western Australia. It is one of 11 species of Myotrioza gen. nov. and 17 species of Triozidae recorded for Western Australia. It is considered endemic to that state, although it is likely to occupy a broad distribution given that its host is widely distributed in eremean central Australia. It is the only species to occur on E. serrulata. Eremophila serrulata is an erect shrub 1–2.5 m high with spreading interwoven branches. It occurs in mulga, mallee and mixed woodlands and grassland on rocky hills and drainage lines in rock outcrops and on stony and alluvial loams, extending from central western Western Australia, central South Australia (including southern Northern Territory to central western New South Wales (Chinnock 2007).