Paramixogaster variegatus (Walker, 1852):220

Paramixogaster has an appendix on vein R4+5 (absent in Mixogaster), greatly elongate basoflagellomere, and pilose and developed metasternum (Cheng and Thompson 2008).

From original description (Walker 1852).

FEMALE.

Nigra, maculis aureo-pilosis ornata, scutello piceo, antennis rufis basi subtus nigris, pedibus fulvis, alis subcinereis ad costam fulvis fusco variis.

Black, clothed with golden hairs; eyes pitchy; feelers dark red; first and second joints black beneath; chest hairy here and there; scuteheon pitchy; abdomen adorned with seven patches of golden hairs, three on each side and one at the tip; first segment linea ; all the following together spindle-shaped; legs tawny : wings slightly gray; dark tawny and partly brown beneath the fore border; wing-ribs tawny; veins black, tawny at the base; cross-veins clouded with dark brown; poisers yellow.

New description:

MALE.

Head: Face straight, without tubercle, broad, with two small holes anterior to gena, slightly punctuate, black, with golden yellow appressed pile except medial bare vitta and anterior to gena; gena black; lunule black, bare; frons black with golden yellow appressed pile except bare medially; broadly dichoptic, eye bare; vertical triangle black with golden yellow appressed pile; antenna brown, basoflagellomere very enlarged, longer than face; ratio scape:pedicel:basoflagellomere 5:1:21; occiput yellow pilose.

Thorax: Scutum black, postalar callus brown, dark pilose except notopleuron with long golden yellow pile forming a vitta on transverse suture, and long golden yellow pile anterior to scutellum forming a semicircle; scutellum small, black, dark pilose. Pleuron black, with long, golden yellow pile on anepisternum dorsally and posteriorly, anterior anepisternum and katepisternum dorsally; calypter yellow; halter yellow; spiracular fringes black. Wing: Wing membrane brownish, darker on anterior margin; microtrichose except cells BM and R extensively bare; cell CuP and costal cell bare basally. Vein M2 present; vein R4+5 with appendix. Alula broad. Legs: Orange except coxae, trochanters and fenora on basal third black.

Abdomen: Petiolate, minimum width on the apical section of tergum 2, strongly concave. Tergum 1 black; tergum 2 black with broad orange fascia on posterior margin and orangish medially forming a diffuse medial vitta; tergum 3 black with two lateral orange maculae on posterior margin; tergum 4 black with broad orange macula on posterior margin. Black pilose except with long, golden yellow pile on posterior margin of terga 2, 3 and 4, forming two pile patches on terga 2 and 3 and a yellow pile fascia on terga 4.

Described originally as Ceratophya variegata by Walker (1852).

Paramixogaster variegatus (Walker, 1852).

Walker, F. (1852) Diptera. Part III, pp. 157-252, pls. 5-6. In [Saunders, W. W. (ed.)], Insecta Saundersiana: or characters of undescribed insects in the collection of William Wilson Sauders, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S., & c. Vol. 1. Van Voorst, London. 474 pp.

Length: 13,5 mm (body); 22,5 mm (wing) (Walker 1852).

Australian species found in the territories of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.