Elissoma brunnea Hardy

(Figs 11C, D; 19A; 20; 21A; 22A, C; 23A; 25K, L; 28D; 32C; 36)

Elissoma brunnea Hardy, 1933: 410 — Woodley, 1989: 314 [catalogue as E. brunneum], 2001: 166 [catalogue].

Diagnosis. Flagellum black, flagellomere VII much longer than combined length of flagellomeres IV–VI; foretarsus white; face with extensive black pile; parafacial raised in longitudinal callus; scutellar spines well developed; wing vein M 3 absent, wing infuscate across middle part of wing.

Redescription. Body length = 7.0–9.0 mm. Head. Frons flat, black medially, white to dark yellow laterally; face black medially with short, dark setal pile; parafacial white, protruding anteriorly as vertical ridge; ocellar tubercle black; occiput flat, black, white behind ocellar tubercle (male), covered with fine setal pile (white in male, black in female); postocular ridge not raised and carinate in male; antenna (length = 3.0 mm) with scape and pedicel dark yellow, flagellomeres I–V dark yellow with dark microtrichia, flagellomeres VI–VII black, flagellomere VII much longer than combined length of flagellomeres IV–VI, ratio of length of flagellomere VII to VIII is 1: 2.4, flagellomere VIII elongate and finely plumose with microtrichia. Thorax. Female thorax dark yellow with black laterally on prosternum and black spot on katatergite; male thorax black except for orange scutellum and scutum (with black quadrangular marking anteriorly), yellow line between wing base and mid coxa and yellow spot above hind coxa; scutellar spines well developed, equal to 1/3 of scutellum length; coxae and legs dark yellow, foretarsus white; haltere yellow; wing hyaline, brown infuscate posteriorly in basal 2/3 of wing, cells bm and br hyaline basally; wing vein M 3 absent; pterostigma dark. Abdomen. Narrowed basally, segment 1 equal to width of scutellum with segment 4 widest and slightly wider than scutum; segment 1 with lateral flange well developed; segments 1–2 brown to black, remainder orange, tergites 3–5 with large black spot medially; female abdomen orange with black band anteromedially on tergites 3–5. Male genitalia. Epandrium broadly rounded; gonocoxites relatively short and broad, lacking posterolateral processes, posteromedially ridged; gonostylus large and triangular, medially directed; medial lobe of phallus slightly longer than lateral lobes. Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Comments. Elissoma brunnea exhibits a strong degree of sexual dimorphism in colouration, although both sexes display the characteristic white foretarsi unique to this species; incidentally Hardy (1933) did not mention these in the original description. Hardy (1933) mentions two paratypes amongst the three type specimens, but does not identify which is the holotype. The location of the type series is unknown (Woodley 2001) and examination of these may clarify their status, but for now they are referred to as syntypes. The description by Hardy (1933) outlines some characteristic markings of this species including the antennal and abdomen colouration and absence of wing vein M 3. The likely existence of the type series and the clearly diagnosable original description means that a neotype is not required at this time. Females are rare in collections. Elissoma brunnea is closely related to E. minuta sp. n. as both species lack vein M 3 (Fig. 21A). Another feature found in E. brunnea, along with E. scapula sp. n. and E. hespera sp. n., is the elongation of flagellomere VII so that it is much longer than flagellomeres V–IV combined (Figs 19B, 20). Elissoma brunnea is unique in the genus in that flagellomere VII is much longer than the combined length of flagellomeres IV–VI.

Type material— Syntypes males, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Westwood [-23.6251, 150.1561], 12.XII.1924, A. Burns, Ayr [-19.5691, 147.4072], 24.XII.1930, J.A. Buzacott (Type depository unknown).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 1 male, 7 km E Gayndah [-25.6151, 151.6908], 18.I.1991, G.&A. Daniels (QM); 5 males, 1 female, Mt Scoria, 6 km S Thangool [-24.5328, 150.6002], 16.I.1991, G.&A. Daniels (QM); 2 males, Mulambin Beach, S Yeppoon [-23.1961, 150.7915], 30.XI.1979, G. Daniels (QM); 5 males, Footprint Scrub site 1, [-19.6883, 146.4401], 10.II.2007, S. Wright, 320–363 m, vine scrub (QM); 1 male, ‘ Toomba’ site 1, [-19.9683, 145.5802], 390 m, 13–14.II.2007, C. Burwell, S. Wright, rainforest (QM); 10 males, ‘ Toomba’ site 2, [-19.9667, 145.5801], 400 m, 14.II.2007, S. Wright, vine scrub on basalt (QM); 6 males, ‘ Toomba’ site 3, [-19.9667, 145.5816], 390 m, 13–16.II.2007, QM party, vine-scrub edge/pasture (QM).