Paul WhitingtonMarch 12, 2026Batch 6

Pterygophorus sp. (PTERYGOPHORINAE) PW103

Paul WhitingtonMarch 12, 2026Batch 6

Workbook

Detailed description of an adult female Pterygophorus sp. raised by Rhianna Boyle from larvae collected at her home on the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, Qld (collection #PW103)

Left hind leg was removed from this specimen for DNA barcoding by Erinn Fagan-Jeffries.

Featured

female, #PW103

Female soon after emergence on 2/3/26

female, #PW103

Lateral view

female, #PW103

Dorsal view 11 March 2026 - abdomen with two coloured bands

female, #PW103

anterior pale orange band confined to T3 dorsally with small triangular midline patch at posterior border of T2

posterior orange band on exposed intersegmental membrane between T6 and T7

female, #PW103

Ventral view

female, #PW103

body length 14.0mm

female, #PW103

Dorsal view

female, #PW103

anterior pale orange band confined to T3 dorsally with small triangular midline patch at posterior border of T2

posterior orange band on exposed intersegmental membrane between T6 and T7

female, #PW103

Head, thorax morphology and colour

female, #PW103

Head all black; short, fine pale pubescence; shining, without punctures

Pronotum orange, mesoscutellum pale orange, shiny between sparse punctures

Metascutellum pale orange

Mesoscutum black

female, #PW103

Thorax morphology and colour

female, #PW103

mesoscutum black with side lobes shining between scarce punctures and short, pale pubescence on posterior and medial regions

mesoscutellum orange, shining with scarce punctures and short, pale scattered pubescence

female, #PW103

Anterior abdomen colour and morphology

female, #PW103

anterior pale orange band confined to T3 dorsally with small triangular midline patch at posterior border of T2

metascutellum orange

female, #PW103

Posterior abdomen morphology and colour

female, #PW103

anterior pale orange band confined to T3 dorsally with small triangular midline patch at posterior border of T2

posterior orange band on exposed intersegmental membrane between T6 and T7

female, #PW103

Latero-ventral view

female, #PW103

posterior orange band extends laterally to fill T7 to ventral border; crosses into T8, filling it to posterior and ventral borders

T10 (pygidium) orange

female, #PW103

Abdomen with two coloured bands

female, #PW103

anterior pale orange band expands onto sternum 3, making a complete band around segment 3, and partially into sternum 4

posterior orange band expands to ventral border of T7 and fills lateral region of T8 to its ventral border

tergum 10 (pygidium) is orange

small orange cerci visible

female, #PW103

Ventral view of end of abdomen

female, #PW103

- saw retracted
- sawsheath visible, no apparent teeth along medial edge or long protruding hairs; contrast with Perga dorsalis sawsheath, shown in next two images

female, #PW103

female

Ventral view of abdomen of Perga dorsalis

female

see next image for details of structures

female

female, #PW100

Sawsheath of Perga dorsalis

female, #PW100

female, #PW103

Saw dissected from female

female, #PW103

area within rectangle shown in next image

female, #PW103

Teeth #9, 10, 11 from saw tip

female, #PW103

area within square - tooth #10 - shown in next image

female, #PW103

Tooth #10 showing denticulations (serrulae)

female, #PW103

46 denticulations (serrulae) on tooth #10

female, #PW103

Head and antennal morphology - frontal view

female, #PW103

head black; short, fine pale pubescence (but hairs longer on face); shining, without punctures

distance between eyes in front subequal to length of eye (0.98)

breadth of clypeus no more than 2/3 length of eye (0.66)

22 antennomeres - scape and pedicel black; 8 basal flagellomeres pale orange; apical 12 black; pecten directed antero-ventrally on each flagellum, becoming longer in apical flagellomeres; most apical antennomere is clubbed

female, #PW103

Head and mouthpart morphology

female, #PW103

apex of clypeus emarginate

malar space less than ½ breadth of mandible at base (0.29)

female, #PW103

Thorax morphology and colour

female, #PW103

short, fine, pale pubescence over thorax

pronotum orange with black anterior border and black behind accessory furrow

accessory furrow on pronotum subparallel with side margin of pronotum

mesepisternum black with large central orange area

female, #PW103

Forewing ventral view

female, #PW103

wing hyaline with dark brown band extending along anterior border to wing apex, covering radial and 1st cubital cells completely and part of 2nd and 3rd cubital and 1st discoidal cells

costa and stigma yellowish-brown

venation black in anterior and basal regions, dark brown in posterior and apical regions

female, #PW103

Leg colour

female, #PW103

coxa, femur and trochanter black in all legs

fore and mid tibiae pale with outer face black apically, hind tibia all pale

tarsi pale in all legs

female, #PW103

Hind tarsus

female, #PW103

hind basitarsus only slightly longer (1.1X) than next tarsal segment

female, #PW103

Summary:

This female is a good match to Pterygophorus cinctus. There are only minor differences (colour of hind tibia, number of serrulae on saw teeth, exact number of antennomeres) to the description by Benson (1938) and to other specimens I have collected at Wonboyn and Bellingen.

It differs in key diagnostic features from other Pterygophorus spp. P. insignis, P. facielongus and P. turneri, as detailed on this notes page.

This is a workbook page … a part of our website where we record the observations and references used in making species identifications. The notes will not necessarily be complete. They are a record for our own use, but we are happy to share this information with others.

Paul Whitington