92 R. W. CROSSKEY 



setae; humeral setae arranged as three in a straight line with one in addition set forwards of 

 the main line (this fourth seta occasionally missing) ; lower calypter with well defined inner 

 posterior angle and inner margin closely following edge of the scutellum. Other tribes possess 

 some of these characteristics, or some members of them do, but usually not all simultaneously 

 (for example, Winthemia and Carcelia have a sturmiine type of lower calypter in which the 

 inner edge abuts closely to the scutellum). All Australian Sturmiini, in addition to the 

 characters mentioned, have a strong submedian v seta on the mid tibia and have the ventral 

 surface of the second costal sector bare. 



The endemic forms include a well-developed group in which the parafacials are 

 strongly haired, the eyes densely haired, the ocellar setae absent, the lateral 

 scutellar setae absent (exceptions in Polychaeta), and in which there is only one 

 definite pair of reclinate orbital setae. In some of these forms the antennae are 

 exceptionally long and the second aristal segment elongate, but such forms are 

 interconnected by intermediates with other forms in which the antennae are not 

 specially elongate and both basal aristal segments short. At present several 

 genera (e.g. Tritaxys, Eurygastropsis, Polychaeta) are recognized in this complex, 

 but future study may well suggest that some of these genera ought to be 

 amalgamated. Eurygastropsis, for instance, is hardly distinguishable from 

 Tritaxys (syn. Goniophana) by more than the abdominal pollinosity and colour. 

 The genus Polychaeta exhibits some baffling variability in the scutellar setae; 

 normally in sturmiines these are extremely stable in strength and complement, 

 but in Polychaeta what appears to be the same species may have no lateral scutellar 

 setae at all, or may have one or two pairs extremely strongly developed (or even 

 be bilaterally asymmetrical in bristle complement in the same specimen). 



The non-endemic forms found in Australia include well known genera of the 

 palaeotropics such as Palexorista, Sisyropa, Sturmia and Zygobothria. Genera 

 such as these occur (as would be expected) mainly in Queensland, though some 

 are represented widely throughout Australia; as a rule the non-endemic sturmiine 

 genera are unrepresented in Tasmania, though Blepharipa at least occurs there. 

 The widespread genera Drino and Pales are found in New Guinea, and their eventual 

 discovery in Queensland seems a possibility; they have accordingly been entered 

 in the key that follows. 



The genus Winthellia (described by Mesnil under the preoccupied name Thyellina) 

 is here placed in the Sturmiini, although described as a winthemiine. Its 

 characters appear to ally it closely with Tasmaniomyia, which has all the main 

 diagnostic features of Sturmiini. 



Key to Australian Genera of STURMIINI 



i Wing cell R b normal, distinctly open at the wing margin ..... 2 



— Wing cell i? 5 closed just at or before the wing margin ..... 24 

 2 Wings distinctly bicolorous, creamy yellowish near base and suffused with brown 



anteromedially. Interfrontal area very reduced, under half as wide at mid point 

 as parafrontal. Apical scutellar setae exceptionally strong and horizontal, as 

 large as or larger than the subapical scutellar setae . . PALIANA Curran 



— Wing not so, hyaline or at most only faintly yellowish or brownish anterobasally. 



Interfrontal area not exceptionally narrow, subequal in width to parafrontal or 

 at least half as wide. Apical scutellar setae usually weak or very weak (some- 



