FNZ 24 - Therevidae (Insecta: Diptera) - Introduction
Lyneborg, L 1992. Therevidae (Insecta: Diptera). Fauna of New Zealand 24, 140 pages.
(
ISSN 0111-5383 (print),
;
no.
24.
ISBN 0-477-02632-X (print),
).
Published 04 Mar 1992
ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/7D4AAC2F-32F3-4A36-883F-38834FFD9B3E
Introduction
Therevid flies, or stiletto-flies, are distributed in all zoogeographical regions. About 800 species have been named worldwide. Of these, 134 species originate from the Australian and Oceanian regions (Irwin & Lyneborg 1989), but preliminary work (see Acknowledgments) shows that this figure represents a minor proportion of the existing species probably only about 25-30%.
The first non-European therevid to be described came from New Zealand: Bibio bilineata Fabricius (1775) was described from material in the Banks Collection (now in the BMNH). The second New Zealand species was described as Thereva innotata by Walker (1856). The female holotype (BMNH) represents the most widely distributed Anabarhynchus species in New Zealand. Schiner (1868) described Anabarhynchus luridus on the basis of a female from Auckland, and A. calceatus on the basis of three specimens (not conspecific), two from Australia and one from New Zealand. This material is in the NHMW.
Short redescriptions of 'Thereva' bilineata Fabricius and Anabarhynchus luridus Schiner were presented by Hutton(1881). Hudson(1892), in his 'Elementary manual' described the preimaginal stages of a therevid under the name "Saropogon viduus". Hudson (1950, p. 63) erroneously changed this name to Anabarhynchus maori Hutton; it was in fact Megathereva atritibia.
In the first real taxonomic treatment of New Zealand therevids, Hutton (1901) recognised nine species, placing all of them in Anabarhynchus. Six species maori, exiguus, nebulosus, castaneus, micans, and cupreus were described as new. The first three names are valid in Anabarhynchus, the last three were placed in combination with Ectinorhynchu s by Krōber (1932). The type material of Hutton's six species is all well preserved in the CMNZ. Krōber (1912) described Anabarhynchus caesius on the basis of one male from "Neuseeland" (NHMW).
A major contribution towards knowledge of the New Zealand therevids was made by Krōber (1932). His paper was based partly on a collection which he had received from the BMNH, and partly on a small collection from "Museum Dahlem" (now IFPE). Eleven species were described as new. The types and other material reported on by Krōber (1932) were found to be well preserved in their respective repositories.
We are thus in the unusual situation of having authentic type material extant for all twenty-two taxa described in Therevidae from New Zealand.
The New Zealand species have been carefully compared with Australian and Chilean species, undescribed as well as described; the papers by Mann (1928, 1929, 1933) have been a useful guide. It seems that all are endemic.