Plecia — Hardy 
191 
Ent. 7:254, Figs. 21, 22). Some variation has 
also been seen in the shape of the ninth tergum. 
Type in the Macleay Museum, Sydney. 
Plecia aruensis Edwards 
Fig. 2 a-c 
Plecia aruensis Edwards, 1925, Treubia 6(2): 
159. 
This species belongs in the fulvicollis group 
by having the thorax entirely opaque orange. 
It is distinguished from all known species by 
the presence of a pair of large median lobes at 
the apex of the ninth sternum of the males and 
by the unusual development of the claspers. 
male: Antennae 10-segmented, the apical 
one, however, is very small and inconspicuous. 
The scape and pedicel are yellow, the remain- 
der of the antennae brown to black. Ocellar 
tubercle very well developed. Thorax entirely 
opaque orange, except for a very narrow 
brownish vitta down middle of scutellum. 
Thorax devoid of pile except for a few pale 
hairs on the sternopleura. Halteres dark brown 
to black, with pale bases. Legs all black and 
densely black pilose, all segments slender. 
Wings rather dark brownish fumose, stigma 
scarcely differentiated from the wing mem- 
brane. Vein R2+3 straight and forming about a 
70° angle with R4+5. Costa extending nearly 
one-half the distance between the tips of R4+5 
and Mi. Cubital cell widely open in the wing 
margin but the cubital vein is bent down 
rather sharply at its apex. Abdomen black, 
densely black pilose, about equal in length to 
the head and thorax combined. Genitalia very 
densely covered with long black pile. Ninth 
tergum cleft nearly to its base on the hind 
margin (Fig. 2c). The ninth sternum is de- 
veloped into a pair of strong apical lobes 
which are separated by a V-shaped concavity 
(Fig. 2a). Each of these lobes is partially de- 
veloped into two lobes at its apex and each 
has a small inconspicuous ventral lobe on the 
dorsal surface. The dististyli are very unusual 
and apparently not functional as claspers. 
Fig. 2. Plecia aruensis Edwards, a , Ninth sternum; b, genitalia, dorsal view, ninth tergum removed; c, ninth tergum. 
