Australian Fruit Flies — Hardy 
125 
Length: Body, 6. 0-7.0 mm.; wings, 5.5- 
6.2 mm. 
TYPE LOCALITY: Bowen, Queensland. 
Type in the Queensland Museum. 
About two dozen specimens are in the 
Krauss collection from: Smithfield, near 
Cairns, Queensland, ex cucumber, June, 1949; 
and Ellis Beach, near Cairns, ex Glochidion 
harveyanum, Feb., 1950. 
Dacus (Daculus) Speiser 
Daculus Speiser 1924. Beitr. Tierk. Konigs- 
berg 140. 
The subgenus Daculus is characterized by 
the absence of prescutellar and anterior 
supra-alar bristles. It is similar in most respects 
to Dacus {Strumeta). This group definitely 
occupies a borderline position and intergrades 
into related subgenera. Many specimens of 
D. murrayi which have distinct prescutellar 
bristles have been examined. Some of the 
abnormal individuals would have to be clas- 
sified as Afrodacus. Other specimens possess 
just a single prescutellar bristle or rudiments 
of one or more of the bristles. Specimens of 
D. signatifer Tryon show definite intergrading 
toward Austrodacus because of the presence of 
rudimentary secondary scutellar bristles. 
Two species of Dacus (Daculus) are now 
known from Australia. Both of these have 
been taken in the vicinity of Cairns, Queens- 
land. There are no other known Australian 
records for this group. 
genotype: Dacus oleae (Gmelin). 
« 
KEY TO AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF 
Dacus (Daculus) 
Mesonotum with three yellow vittae; 
abdomen without definite black 
bands or a black median vitta; costa] 
band narrow, not extending beneath 
vein R3 except at apex . . .signatifer Tryon 
Mesonotum with just two yellow vit- 
tae; abdomen with a black basal band 
on segment 3 and a black median 
vitta down terga 3 to 5; costal band 
extending below vein R3 
murrayi (Perkins) 
Dacus (Daculus ) murrayi (Perkins) 
Fig. Aa-c 
Daculus murrayi Perkins 1939. Univ. of 
Queensland, Dept. Biol. 1 (10): 25-26. 
This species is readily recognized from the 
other members of the subgenus by the ab- 
sence of a median yellow vitta on the mesono- 
tum, by the presence of a black median vitta 
on abdominal segments 3 to 5 as well as by 
the differences in wing coloration, the female 
ovipositor, the shape of the facial spots, and 
the general body coloring. 
The species has been adequately described 
by Perkins (1939) and figured by Perkins and 
May (1949). Only the diagnostic characters, 
with the addition of wing characteristics and 
a description of the female ovipositor, are 
presented here. 
MALE and FEMALE. A comparatively pale 
species, without dark markings except for the 
facial spots, the black marks on the abdomen, 
and the darkened tibiae of the hind legs. 
Head'. The front is about two times longer 
than wide. The facial spots vary somewhat in 
size and shape, they are subcircular, and ex- 
tend nearly to the oral margin. The front has 
two pairs of inferior fronto-orbital bristles. 
Thorax: Mesonotum chiefly reddish with a 
light tinge of brown in ground color. This is 
covered with grayish pruinosity except for 
the lateral yellow vittae and for three sub- 
shining lines extending the entire length of 
the dorsum. One of these lines is median in 
position, and the other two lie just inside the 
lateral yellow vittae. The original description 
states that "the median line and a line on the 
outer border of the hoary bands are dark 
brown.” The series of specimens from 
Queensland show variation from distinctly 
brownish tinged to entirely rufous. Legs: 
Yellowish, the hind tibiae and the apical 
subsegments of the tarsi discolored with 
brown to black. Wings: First two sections of 
costa distinctly yellow-fumose but devoid of 
microtrichia except for the apical part of the 
second section and for a line of hairs along 
