Blaena mediocarinata Froeschner, 1960

Blaena mediocarinata Froeschner, 1960

( Figs 33–40 View Fig View Figs 34–40 )

Blaena mediocarinata Froeschner, 1960: 459 ; Lis, 1995: 139, 1996: 183.

Redescription

Body. Length 5.15–5.40 (female), 4.70–5.20 (male - Fig. 33 View Fig ).

Head ( Fig. 34 View Figs 34–40 ). Black, shiny, paraclypei coarsely punctured, forming a ridge paralleling clypeus on either side; lateral margins almost parallel in front of eyes; paraclypei longer than clypeus and joined anteriorly, but its apex usually visible in dorsal view; the latter strongly convex; each paraclypeus with four setigerous punctures bearing long hair-like setae, among them a single preocular; bucculae somewhat narrowed posteriorly; eyes castaneous, ocular index 3.80–4.60 (male), 4.21–4.71 (female); ocelli small, a distance between ocelli about 3.6–4.2 times greater than the distance between an ocellus and the eye, ocellar index 6.3–9.6; rostrum extends beyond middle coxae, and almost reaches the posterior coxae; length of antennal segments: I 0.22–0.25, II 0.15–0.19, III 0.54–0.63, IV 0.59–0.64, V 0.69–0.78.

Prothorax. Pronotum about 1.5–1.7 times broader than long ( Fig. 35 View Figs 34–40 ), black, shiny, coarsely punctured, laterally conspicuously explanate ( Fig. 33 View Fig ); dorsal surface of disc with four long hairs close to anterior margin and four in the postmedial impression; anterior margin broadly concave, posterior margin almost straight; lateral margins with a strong prebasal angular projection; each submargin with a single setigerous puncture bearing long hair-like seta on anterior lobe, and a single setigerous puncture on the prebasal projection of posterior lobe ( Fig. 35 View Figs 34–40 ); transverse postmedial impression deep and well-developed, abruptly interrupted by carinate midline ( Fig. 33 View Fig ). Prosternum black, punctured; prosternal carinae well-developed, high, bearing a few short hairs. Propleuron black, coarsely punctured, its anterior margin bare, lateral parts shallowly punctured, bare.

Mesothorax. Scutellum blackish brown, shiny, slightly wider than long, punctation on disc almost as dense as on pronotum, scutellar apex sparsely punctured, median discal carina prominently developed, except for its extreme apical part ( Fig. 33 View Fig ); scutellar disc bare, its lateral parts with deep impressions and strongly elevated tuberosities anteriorly. Anterior part of mesopleuron punctured, shiny; evaporative area rounded, elongated and reaching lateral margin. Corium dark brown to black, shiny, coarsely punctured, costal margin without setigerous punctures bearing long hair-like setae; membrane semihyaline, normally developed, reaching or almost reaching the tip of abdomen, veins irregularly branched, sometimes reticulate; base of membrane with pale spots.

Metathorax. Metapleural evaporatorium large, almost reaching lateral margin of metapleuron, peritreme strongly elongated.

Legs. Femora dark brown, finely pilose, without spines; tibiae straight, brown, bearing short black fine spines; male posterior tibiae not specifically modified.

Abdomen. Sterna convex, blackish brown, shiny, punctation dense and coarse, except lateral impunctate bands on segments IV and V in males; lateral margins of each segment with a single setigerous puncture bearing long hair-like seta, and a weakly posteriorly projecting lobe. Sterna almost bare, with few erect hairs. Male genital capsule as in Fig. 40 View Figs 34–40 , paramere as in Figs 37—39 View Figs 34–40 . Female genital plates broad ( Fig. 36 View Figs 34–40 ), sparsely punctate.

Material examined. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 2 males 1 female, Gum Lagoon, 36.17'S 140.02'E, pitfall, 24-26 March 1992, E.G. Matthews, Jafforest ( SAMA, DBUO) ; 1 male 1 female, 90 mile desert, Comet Bare Heath Litter , 10 Oct. 1977, P.J.M. Greenslade ( SAMA) ; 2 females, Muston K.I., Pelican Lagoon , 30 Sept. 1966, H.M. Cooper ( SAMA, DBUO) .

Distribution. South Australia (first record), Western Australia.