New records and a description of a new species of fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) from eastern Australia

Abstract

The tropical fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) fauna of Australia has been reasonably well studied using the male lures methyl eugenol and cue-lure. However, there has been little sampling of biodiverse Gondwanan rainforests of eastern Australia. Additionally, recently identified male lures have trapped new, or previously non-responsive species in northern Australia, south-east Asia and the Pacific. We wanted to determine if previously unknown species exist in these biodiverse and poorly sampled areas. Therefore, we conducted fruit fly trapping surveys using the male lures methyl eugenol, cue-lure, isoeugenol, methyl isoeugenol, dihydroeugenol, zingerone and protein baits. Trapping targeted previously known locations of rare species, and remnant Gondwanan forests of eastern Australia between 2017 and 2019. We recorded new distributions for “Bactrocera aurea” (May) and occurrences of rare species “Bactrocera mutabilis” (May) and “Bactrocera brunnea” (Perkins and May). This represented the first record of “Bactrocera brunnea” in over 25 years. Additionally, new lure responses were recorded for previously non-responsive “Bactrocera mutabilis”, and a single “Bactrocera phaleriae” (May); both trapped with isoeugenol. Bactrocera (Bactrocera) clarkei sp. n., is described from Couchy Creek Nature Reserve and the Border Ranges National Park, New South Wales.