Prophylactis albiflorallax Hilton, Young & Kallies, 2025

5.4.2.2. Prophylactis albiflorallax Hilton, Young & Kallies sp. nov.

Figures 10 A, B View Figure 10 , 12 I View Figure 12 , 14 I, S 1 I, S 3 D View Figure 14

Description.

Grey-beige heliozelids with slight silver, gold and violet sheen (Fig. 10 A, B View Figure 10 ). Wingspan 7.5-8.5 mm (7.9 ± 0.3 mm, n = 9) in females and 7.0-8.0 mm (7.3 ± 0.3 mm, n = 9) in males. — Head: Grey-beige dorsally. Eyes dark red. — Thorax: Grey-beige dorsally. — Forewings: Dorsal surface grey-beige with slight silver-golden sheen; ventral surface grey-brown. — Hindwing: Dorsal surface grey-brown with slight gold sheen; ventral surface silver-grey. Males with prominent grey-brown androconial brush. — Abdomen: Females grey dorsally, males brown-grey dorsally. In females, tergite VIII invaginated to form a linear flytrap-like pollen-collecting structure (Figs 12 I View Figure 12 , S 1 I); lips of the structure meeting at anterior tip, widening anteriorly in dried specimens but possibly opening wider during pollen collection. Inner lateral surfaces of cleft with long spines, outer lip with short spines and striations; spines on posterior part of tergite VII. Oviscapt extensible, occasionally visible in some set specimens. — Male genitalia (Fig. 14 I View Figure 14 ). Tegumen transverse, uncus broad triangular, with blunt end; gnathos very short and broadly rounded. Pectinifer about 1 / 5 of valva length, pecten with 12 sensilla. Phallus apical spine weakly curved; phallocrypt with a pair of sharp subapical spines pointing cephalad.

Diagnosis.

Prophylactis albiflorallax sp. nov. is one of two species of Prophylactis associated with B. albiflora . The other species is a larger undescribed non-pollinator group species, in which females do not have a pollen-collecting structure and males lack the androconial brush at the base of the hindwing. Male P. albiflorallax differs from all other pollinator species, except its sister species P. octandrallax sp. nov., by the following combination of characters: forewings with the silver-gold sheen and hindwings with an androconial brush. Female P. albiflorallax sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species except P. octandrallax sp. nov. and P. crenulatallax sp. nov. by the linear abdominal pollen-collecting structure. Female P. albiflorallax sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. octandrallax sp. nov. by the pollen-collecting structure, which is open in dry specimens of P. albiflorallax sp. nov. but closed with overlapping lips in P. octandrallax sp. nov. Distinguishing males of P. albiflorallax sp. nov. and P. octandrallax sp. nov. and females of P. albiflorallax sp. nov. and P. crenulatallax sp. nov. requires knowledge of the hostplant and / or CO 1 sequences.

Etymology.

The species name is a combination of its hostplant species name “ albiflora ” and the suffix “ - allax ”.

Distribution and Biology.

Prophylactis albiflorallax sp. nov. was found on Boronia albiflora between late July and late September. It is currently known from three locations, inland near Mt Trio on the northern edge of Stirling Ranges NP as well as in the Ravensthorpe Range and coastally, on East Mt Barren in Fitzgerald River NP (Fig. S 3 D). Boronia albiflora grows in well-drained situations including granite outcrops and sand from the Stirling Ranges in the west to Mt Ragged in the east of Western Australia ( Duretto et al. 2013). Prophylactis albiflorallax sp. nov. is never abundant, though moderate numbers were observed on the lower slopes of East Mt Barren flowering B. albiflora often lack any associated heliozelids. Furthermore, the flowers of B. albiflora are also frequently visited by native bees, wasps and flies, suggesting that P. albiflorallax sp. nov. is not required for the pollination of its host. Further research, however, is required to better understand the distribution and biology of this species.

Material examined.

All specimens were swept from Boronia albiflora . — Holotype: ♀ ( MMP 005387 in molecular phylogeny, Fig. 10 B View Figure 10 ) “ 16 August 2015, - 33.92861 ° 120.01944 °, Stony Lower Western Slopes , East Mt Barren, Fitzgerald River NP, WA, L Milla & DA Young ” | “ On Boronia albiflora ” | “ Holotype ♀, Prophylactis albiflorallax sp. nov., Hilton et al. 2025 ” | “ MMP 005387 ” ( WAM) . — Paratypes (11 ♀♀, 9 ♂♂): Same data as holotype except, 14 / 08 / 2015 (1 ♂); same data as holotype (3 ♀♀, MMP 004314 in molecular phylogeny; 2 ♂♂, MMP 004293, genitalia slide AK 909); same data as holotype except 23 / 08 / 2015 (1 ♀); same data as holotype except 26 / 08 / 2015 (1 ♂); same data as holotype except 27 / 08 / 2015 (1 ♀, 2 ♂♂, MMP 4842 in molecular phylogeny); - 33.55617 ° 120.12120 °, 7.5 km NE of Ravensthorpe, 02 / 09 / 2014, DJ Hilton, A Kallies & DA Young, On B. albiflora (2 ♂♂); - 33.54361 ° 120.09555 °, Ravensthorpe Range, 23 / 07 / 2015, L Milla & DA Young, On B. albiflora (2 ♀♀, 1 ♂); - 34.31888 ° 118.05250 °, Fire-track Along Park Boundary, Near Mt Trio Bush Camp, Stirling Ranges NP, 08 / 09 / 2015, DA Young, On B. albiflora (1 ♀); same data except 21 / 09 / 2015 (3 ♀♀, MMP 004313 in molecular phylogeny).