© The Author, 2009. Journal compilation © Australian Museum, Sydney, 2009 
Records of the Australian Museum (2009) Vol. 61: 229-262. ISSN 0067-1975 
doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.61.2009.1531 
The Heteromeringia 
(Diptera: Clusiidae: Clusiodinae) 
of Australia 
Owen Lonsdale 
Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, California Department of Food & Agriculture, 
3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832-1448, United States of America 
Neoxabea@hotmail.com 
Abstract. The Heteromeringia of Australia and Tasmania are revised, with illustrations and a key to 
species provided. Thirteen of the twenty Australian Heteromeringia are described here as new: H. asteia 
n.sp., H. bisetosa n.sp., H. digitula n.sp., H. helina n.sp., H. hypobrunnea n.sp., H. limacens n.sp., H. 
macropa n.sp., H. magnicauda n.sp., H. montana n.sp., H. patula n.sp., H. ptenopa n.sp., H. stegna n.sp. 
and H. trisetosa n.sp. Heteromeringia pulla D.K. McAlpine, new synonym, is treated as a junior synonym 
of H. spinulosa D.K. McAlpine. A key to the six genera of Clusiidae occurring in Australia is also provided. 
Lonsdale, Owen, 2009. The Heteromeringia (Diptera: Clusiidae: Clusiodinae) of Australia. Records of the Australian 
Museum 61(3): 229-262. 
Heteromeringia Czerny (Schizophora: Clusiidae: Clusio¬ 
dinae) is found in all biogeographic regions, and along with 
Craspedochaeta Czemy, is the most dominant clusiid taxon of 
the Old World tropical and south temperate regions. Like other 
clusiids (also known as “druid flies”), Heteromeringia has an 
angulate extension on the outer-distal margin of the pedicel 
(Fig. 1), but it is unique in having a long, coiled, double-ribbed 
distiphallus (Fig. 60). The genus is further characterized by 
an absence of all preapical tibial bristles, one pair of minute 
lateral scutellar bristles (not two well developed pairs), and 
only three (rarely two) pairs of fronto-orbital bristles, the 
anterior pair of which are inclinate (Fig. 2). 
Lonsdale & Marshall (2007a, 2008) recently treated 
Heteromeringia in their New World and Fijian revisions, 
redefining the genus, erecting several species groups and 
discussing the biology and behaviour of several species. 
The Australian Heteromeringia was last treated by D.K. 
McAlpine (1960) in his landmark revision of the family. 
He recognized nine species, one of which he tentatively 
described as “species A”. His “species A” is here included 
in H. montana n.sp., 12 other new species are described, H. 
pulla D.K. McAlpine n.syn. is included as a junior synonym 
of the morphologically variable H. spinulosa D.K. McAlpine, 
the eggs of eight species are described, and all continental 
Australian and Tasmanian species are keyed and illustrated. 
Twenty species of Heteromeringia are now recognized to 
occur in Australia, only one of which (H. bisetosa n.sp., also 
found in Papua New Guinea) is known to occur outside of 
Australia. 
Almost all Australian Heteromeringia are known to 
occur along the eastern and southeastern coastal regions of 
the continent, although H. norrisi D.K. McAlpine is found 
only in Western Australia. Four species are restricted to 
the north: H. stegna n.sp. (Cape York Peninsula, Northern 
Territory), H. bisetosa n.sp. (Cape York Peninsula, Papua 
New Guinea), H. hypobrunnea n.sp. and H. limacens n.sp. 
(Cape York Peninsula). Heteromeringia laticornis D.K. 
McAlpine is the most widespread Australian species, known 
