Genus Pipinnipons Winterton, 2001

Museums

Regional Maps

• Pipinnipons Winterton, S.L. in Winterton, S.L., Yang, L., Wiegmann, B.M. & Yeates, D.K. 2001. Phylogenetic revision of Agapophytinae subf. n. (Diptera: Therevidae) based on molecular and morphological evidence. Systematic Entomology 26: 173-211 [205].

  Type species:

   Pipinnipons kroeberi Winterton, 2001 by original designation.

Introduction

Three new species of Pipinnipons were described in 2011, increasing the total number of species to five: P. chauncyvallis Winterton, P. fascipennis (Kröber), P. kampmeierae Winterton, P. kroeberi Winterton, and P. sphecoda Winterton. Pipinnipons was rediagnosed in 2011 in light of the new species (Winterton 2011).

Pipinnipons is a distinctive genus of wasp mimicking therevids, often with metallic pubescence, yellow and black marking and banded wings. It can be distinguished among related genera by the elongate, cylindrical antennae, scape not longer than flagellum, narrow face and palpi spatulate. The latter two characters specifically differentiate Pipinnipons from Acupalpa, as the face is broadly rounded, often produced, and the palpi are acuminate or narrowly cylindrical in Acupalpa. While the mouthparts are of variable length in Acupalpa (and often elongate and forward projecting), the mouthparts of Pipinnipons are always relatively short. Agapophytus is separated from Pipinnipons and Acupalpa by the length of the scape ranging from relatively equal length, to significantly longer than the flagellum. The modified setae patch on abdominal tergite 2 mentioned by Winterton et al. (2001) as a characteristic of Pipinnipons is not present in all the new species described in 2011, and is no longer considered diagnostic for the genus as it is also found sporadically in other, unrelated genera such as Neodialineura Mann, 1928 and Bonjeania Irwin & Lyneborg, 1989. The male terminalia are relatively conserved throughout the genus, and species identification is more easily done using external characters of both sexes (Winterton 2011). Another synapomorphy for Pipinnipons is the occurrence of polymorphisms at particular sites in the EF1-a gene sequence. Species of Pipinnipons are typically found in rainforest and closed sclerophyll forest, where females are often observed ovipositing in small sunlight glades (Winterton et al. 2001). Pipinnipons is distributed along coastal eastern Australia from northern Queensland to Tasmania (Winterton 2011).

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, Qld: Brigalow Belt South (BBS) ; Qld: South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT) ; Tas: Ben Lomond (BEL), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian West (TWE)

Diagnosis

Antenna elongate, cylindrical, total length slightly longer than or equal to head length; scape shorter than flagellum; frons flat, smooth; face as narrow strip below antenna, glabrous; palpus spatulate apically; mouthparts short; occiput with single row of postocular setae immediately laterad of ocellar tubercle in male, multiple rows in female; wing banded infuscate or hyaline; setae absent on wing vein R1; cell m3 closed; elongate velutum patches on fore and hind femora; femora without macrosetae; single type of setal pile on femora, setae not appressed; prosternal furrow without setae; mid coxa without setae on posterior surface; post spiracular pile absent; gonocoxites with velutum patch on ventral surface; articulated gonocoxal process present; hypandrium present; ventral apodeme of parameral sheath forked; dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath ‘T’-shaped; three spermathecae in female; spermathecal sac present, usually with two smaller, additional lobes and/or outer reticulated lobes along length; spermathecal ducts joining common duct before bursa; female with A1 and A2 acanthophorite spines well developed; female sternite 8 emarginate along posterior margin.

Diagnosis References

Winterton, S.L. 2011. Revision of the stiletto fly genera Acupalpa Kröber and Pipinnipons Winterton (Diptera, Therevidae, Agapophytinae) using cybertaxonomic methods, with a key to Australasian genera. ZooKeys 95: 29–78 [Date published 4 May 2011] [67] (rediagnosis)

General References

Winterton, S.L. 2011. Revision of the stiletto fly genera Acupalpa Kröber and Pipinnipons Winterton (Diptera, Therevidae, Agapophytinae) using cybertaxonomic methods, with a key to Australasian genera. ZooKeys 95: 29–78 [Date published 4 May 2011]

Winterton, S.L. in Winterton, S.L., Yang, L., Wiegmann, B.M. & Yeates, D.K. 2001. Phylogenetic revision of Agapophytinae subf. n. (Diptera: Therevidae) based on molecular and morphological evidence. Systematic Entomology 26: 173-211

History of changes