Australian Fruit Flies — HARDY 
169 
I have not been able to find characters on 
the specimens available which will separate 
this as a distinct species. It apparently inter- 
grades with var. sarcocephali, and in several 
series at hand it is impossible to place speci- 
mens which occupy a borderline position be- 
tween the two forms. This is apparently just 
a melanistic form of D. tryoni. The female 
ovipositor and other structural characteristics 
of the specimens which have been studied are 
identical with typical tryoni. According to the 
original description, Strumeta melas Perkins 
and May is very close to tryoni var. sarcocephali 
"from which it differs in the shape of the 
facial spots and the colour of the mesonotum 
and abdomen. Though closely resembling 
S. humeralis in general colouration it differs in 
the colour of the humeral calli.” 
Specimens of Strumeta melas from the type 
locality have been sent to me for study by 
Mr. Alan May. In this series, as well as in 
other series at hand, the facial spots, from 
circular to pointed below, show the same 
variations in shape as in the typical form. 
They are definitely blacker than in var. sarco- 
cephali but structurally do not seem to differ 
from typical tryoni. The range in size is also 
the same as in the typical form in the speci- 
mens at hand. The ovipositors appear to be 
identical. 
TYPE LOCALITY: Not designated in original 
description. Described from "four specimens 
'bred’ from grapefruit in Gayndah, Nambour 
and Palmwoods." 
Type series in the University of Queensland 
collection. 
Typical melas are in the collection from 
many localities. In most cases they are mixed 
with series of typical tryoni and var. sarco- 
cephali. Specimens are from Cairns, Queens- 
land, "resting on guava fruit," Feb., 1950; 
Atherton Tableland, Queensland, ex Eugenia 
sp. {luenmanniiT) , Nov., 1949- Specimens are 
also mixed in with several of the series of 
typical tryoni reported above. 
Dacus tryoni var. neohumeralis 
new name 
Chaetodacus humeralis Perkins 1934. Roy. Soc. 
Queensland, Proc. 45(9): 42-43. This name 
is preoccupied in Dacus by D. humeralis 
Bezzi 1915. Ent. Res. Bui. 6: 95. 
I am quite skeptical about this form (or 
species.^). Numerous specimens are on hand 
which fit the description of Strumeta humeralis 
Perkins, but they appear to be just specimens 
of D. tryoni with discolored humeri. The 
general body color in the series at hand varies 
from predominantly pale, as in typical D. 
tryoni, to chiefly black, as in D. tryoni var. 
melas. Specimens in the present collection 
compare exactly with specimens which had 
been determined as D. humeralis by Perkins. 
The ovipositor and other structural charac- 
teristics are identical with those of tryoni. 
Mr. Alan May feels that this is a distinct 
species. He has stated (in correspondence) 
that ''humeralis Perkins can be separated 
quite readily from tryoni, particularly when 
you are handling either field specimens or 
fully coloured material. Young flies of tryoni 
do discolour and the humeral calli may 
change to brown as the pinned specimens 
age. However, humeralis has an extensive 
black pattern on the mesonotum while the 
humeral calli are also black." The specimens 
which Mr. May sent to emphasize his point 
showed the same variations in the color of 
the humeri present in the series at hand — 
from dirty yellow to brownish (not black). 
This may be entirely due to the age (before 
killing) of the specimens, but since I have 
not been able to find supporting structural 
differences I prefer to treat this as a variety of 
tryoni. 
TYPE LOCALITY: Mackay, Queensland, ex 
Passiflora suherosa. 
Type in the Queensland Museum. 
Specimens are in the Krauss collection from 
the following localities and hosts: Ellis Beach, 
near Cairns, ex Granophyllum falcatum, Jan.; 
1950, and ex Capparis lucida, Jan., 1950; 
