Benhamyia apicalis is a species of soldier fly described by Francis Walker in 1849, who originally called the species Diphysa apicalis.[2][1] It is endemic to New Zealand.

Benhamyia apicalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Stratiomyidae
Subfamily: Beridinae
Genus: Benhamyia
Species:
B. apicalis
Binomial name
Benhamyia apicalis
Walker, 1849[1]
Synonyms
  • Diphysa apicalis Walker, 1849
  • Exaireta analis Nowicki, 1875

Description

edit

Walker's original 1849 description is as follows:

Head black, hoary in front: eyes pitchy-black; facets of the fore feet rather larger than those elsewhere: palpi and sucker tawny; second joint of the palpi spindle-shaped, not broader than the first: feelers black, filiform, dark red towards the base, nearly as long as the chest: chest and breast dark purple; chest adorned with golden down, which forms three stripes; scutcheon tawny, armed with four teeth: abdomen tawny, a little narrower than the chest and nearly twice its length, slightly decreasing in breadth from the base to the tip, which is purple: legs tawny; hind legs long, their thighs club-shaped ; fore feet pitchy: wings colourless on the disk, tawny along the fore border, gray along the hind border and at the tip, adorned with a blackish band which does not reach the hind border; wing-ribs and veins tawny; veins pitchy on the blackish band; poisers pale yellow. Length of the body 312 lines; of the wings 7 lines.[1]

Distribution

edit

The species is endemic to New Zealand, found on both the North Island and South Island.[3]

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Walker, Francis (1849). List of the specimens of dipterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part IV. Vol. 4. London: British Museum. pp. 1151–1152.
  2. ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  3. ^ "Benhamyia apicalis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 20 April 2024.