258 
Records of the Australian Museum (2009) Vol. 61 
intercept trap, 30.xi-13.xii.1987 1$, ANIC), 5.x. 1987 (1$, ANIC), 
13.32S 143.19E, Mcllwraith Range, vi-vii.1989,1. Naumann (1<A ANIC), 
Sirakan, ii.1924, G.H. Hardy (1$, UQIC), Atherton Tablelands, Lake 
Eacham, sweep, 5-8.iv. 1999, S.A. Marshall (1 $, DEBU), Brisbane Forest 
Pk, 27°25'5"S 152°50'13"E, Malaise over creek, 13—19.vi.1998, N. Power 
(16\ DEBU), Mt Glorious, 27°19'54"S 152°45'29"E, Malaise, 24-30. 
xi.1998, T. Hiller (3$$, DEBU), 24-301.1998 (1$, DEBU), SE QLD, 
Brisbane, Griffith Uni., Nathan Campus, 23.x.2002, 27.33S/153.04E, 
dry&wet sclrophyll forest, ferns, B. Merz (1<3\ MHNG), N QLD, Mt. 
Spurgeon, wet sclera. For., 1250 m, 18-19.iv. 1994, B.J. Sinclair, 16°26’S 
145°12’E (1$, CNC), Monga State Forest, 19-241.1984, L. Masner (1$, 
CNC), Mt. Glorious, x.1978, A. Hiller, Malaise (1$, ANIC), Mt. Haig, 
21km NE by E of Atherton, 18.xi.1981, D.H. Colless, Malaise trap (1<A 
ANIC), 15.50S 145.20E, Gap Ck„ 5km ESE Mt. Finnigan, 15.V.1981, 
D.H. Colless, Malaise trap (1$, ANIC), Great Sandy Nat. Pk., Cooloola 
Section, 25°56'49"S 153°05’30"E, 1-5.x. 1996, D.K. Yeates, G. Lambkin 
& S. Winterton, Malaise trap (1<3\ UQIC), Noosa Natl. Pk., Palm Trail, 
sweeping, 30.iv.1999, S.A. Marshall (1 <$, DEBU). Tasmania: Claytons, 
i. 1991, Nielsen & Edwards (1(4 1$, ANIC). Victoria: Sherbrook Forest 
near Melbourne Via., 211.1966, D.K. McAlpine (1$, AMS). 
Redescription 
Male (Figs 1, 2, 5). Body length 2.1-52 mm. Anepisternal 
disc present. First flagellomere orbicular. Bristles black. 
Arista pubescent. Vibrissa relatively long and curved. 
Ocellar bristle thin and approximately as long as tubercle. 
Two dorsocentral bristles with small bristle in front of 
anterior dorsocentral. Gena relatively high and somet im es 
with inward bend at mid-height (not as distinct as in H. 
laticornis). Face and buccal cavity velvety and meeting at 
slightly rounded angle. Head yellow with posterior % of frons 
(usually excluding lateral and posterior margins) dark brown 
(remainder orange) and back of head above foramen dark 
brown; first flagellomere sometimes with narrow infuscation 
along anterior margin or around base of arista; USNM 
specimen with distal % of first flagellomere dark brown; 
occiput brown (venter often yellow in southern specimens) 
and gena yellow with posterior half sometimes brown (more 
frequently brown in northern specimens); clypeus brown; 
anterior half of frons pilose and dorsal margin of gena silvery 
tomentose. Thorax dark brown with proepisternum yellow 
and posterolateral margin of scutum to anterolateral margin 
of scutellum sometimes with variably yellow to orange tint 
(more common northwards). Legs yellow with fore coxa 
white, fore tarsi dark brown and laterally compressed, fore 
tibia brownish (lighter to base), and fore femur with long, ill- 
defined spot on inner apex. Abdomen dark brown. M 1+2 ratio 
3.7-5.3. Wing with basal band confluent with second band 
through cells br and bm; second and third bands (confluent 
through first radial cell) separated evenly by thin clear strip. 
Halter white with base and side of stalk infuscated. 
Female. As described for male except as follows: pale spots 
on scutum faded or absent; anterior and inner-distal margins 
of first flagellomere infuscated, sometimes with distal % of 
inner face dark; frons shiny or with small pilose anteromedial 
patch; only anterior and lateral margins of frons with orange 
tint; face and gena with piceous tint; fore tibia and tarsi 
evenly brown; terminalia yellow. 
Male terminalia (Figs 73-77). Length of epandrium 
slightly more than half width and height. Surstylus % 
height of epandrium, very thin and pointed, with few 
inner-apical tubercle-like bristles and outer face bare. Cerci 
approximately as high as surstylus, heart-shaped and heavily 
setose. Hypandrium+pregonite bilobed (anterior lobe with 
two stout bristles and posterior lobe setulose at apex and 
base). Phallapodeme shorter than hypandrium. Distiphallus 
with membrane on basal half strongly spinulose; with small 
serrated process medially (vestigial, shallow, slightly longer 
than wide, or very long and blade-like); wide and heavily 
elaborated apically with serrated subapical ridge. 
Female terminalia (Figs 104, 105). Ventral receptacle 
rounded apically and flagellum very long, thin and coiled 
(coils tighter to apex). Spermatheca barrel-shaped (widest 
subapically) and long with several basal wrinkles. 
Comments. Based on external and internal examination of 
male and female specimens of Heteromeringia spinulosa 
and H. pulla from across both of their ranges, it now 
appears that these two taxa belong to the same species. Their 
colouration is nearly identical, as are the female genitalia, 
surstylus and most of the hypandrial complex. The absence 
of a serrated blade-like process on the phallus and its 
associated bell-shaped apical lobe (Fig. 77) was previously 
considered diagnostic of H. pulla (although D.K. McAlpine 
(1960) noted some polymorphism), but these are actually 
present in a number of males, although the blade is rarely 
much longer than wide if present and the lobe is frequently 
underdeveloped (Fig. 75). The other character previously 
considered diagnostic of either species was whether or not 
the venter of the gena was entirely ( H. spinulosa ) or only 
partially ( H . pulla ) yellow. While the presence of either 
character is generally indicative of whether or not the 
phallic blade is present, it is sometimes not, and specimens 
collected in and south of the Australian Capital Territory 
almost always have an entirely yellow gena (the occiput is 
also predominantly yellow) regardless of whether the blade 
is developed or not. The presence of a strong yellow patch 
extending from the side of the scutellum to the posterolateral 
corner of the notum is slightly more correlated with the 
presence of a well developed phallic blade, but the intensity 
of this patch often varies and is sometimes associated with 
the “opposite” genitalic state, particularly to the north. Since 
all of the specimens examined appear to belong to a single 
(albeit unusually polymorphic) species, H. pulla is here 
treated as a junior synonym of H. spinulosa under the first 
reviser principle (ICZN Article 24.2.1). 
In addition to the material listed above, there are several 
specimens that range from the Australian Capital Territory to 
Queensland that vary as follows: first flagellomere entirely 
white; ventral margin of gena and occiput entirely yellow; 
notum with faint yellowish posterolateral tint; wing pattern 
relatively indistinct; surstylus much longer than epandrium 
(Figs 78, 79); phallus branched at midpoint, with branch 
short, smooth and directed distally (Fig. 80). The elongate 
surstylus is the most striking feature of these males, but 
given the amount of genitalic variability already discussed 
for this species, they will be treated as H. spinulosa for the 
time being. Label data: ACT: 35.22S 148.50E, Blundells Ck., 
ii. 1987, D.H. Colless, Malaise trap ANIC). NSW: 
Carrai SF, 30°54’35"S 152°16’26"E, 1090 m, E. Tasker, 
11-164.1998, sticky trap on£. obliqua, CC-FK-018-5 (1$, 
AMS). QLD: 18.55S 146.10E, S2 Mt. Spec, 880 m, 5.vi-3. 
vii.1995, M. Cermak, FI trap, JCU (East) (1$, ANIC). 
