Revision of the Australian species of Hydropeza Sinclair (Diptera: Empididae: Ragadinae subfam. Nov.)

Abstract

Nine new species of Hydropeza Sinclair from Australia are described (H. angulata sp. nov. (N. Queensland), H. aptera sp. nov. (Tasmania), H. cornuta sp. nov. (Queensland), H. curvata sp. nov. (N. Queensland), H. divaricata sp. nov. (N. Queensland), H. intricata sp. nov. (N. Queensland), H. queenslandensis sp. nov. (N. Queensland), H. tasmanica sp. nov. (Tasmania), H. unguicula sp. nov. (Tasmania)). In Australia, Hydropeza is currently widely disjunct in distribution, known only from Tasmania and northern Queensland (Wet Tropics), absent from intervening regions despite extensive surveys of rocky streams and creeks. The male terminalia are illustrated, distributions mapped and a key to species is presented. The subfamily Ragadinae subfam. nov. is proposed for the Ragas-group of genera (Dipsomyia Bezzi, Hormopeza Zetterstedt, Hydropeza, Ragas Walker, Zanclotus Wilder). A revised phylogeny of the species of Hydropeza, including species from New Zealand and Chile, is presented and discussed.