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82. Family FERGUSONINIDAE
[Originally] by Neal L. Evenhuis
Fergusoninidae is a monogeneric family found in Australia and India. An undescribed specimen has been recorded from Papua New Guinea (Harris 1982) and there is another record of the genus from the Philippines (A. Borkent, in litt.). Although previously considered as a subfamily within the Agromyzidae, Hennig (1958) raised the group to familial status. Adults are mottled black and yellow and are weak fliers.
The immatures are apparently host-specific on leaf and shoot galls of Melaleuca. An interesting symbiotic relationship with nematodes of the genus Fergusobia occurs among members of this family. While ovipositing eggs in flower buds, a female Fergusonina also passes parasitic nematodes from within her own body. The nematodes feed on the bud, causing galls to form. Inside the gall cavity, the newly hatched fly larvae feed on the sap oozing from the nematodes. Third instars feed directly on gall tissue. Before pupariation, fertilized female nematodes enter the hemocoel of female fergusoninid larvae and change into parasitic forms.
Thirty-four named species are known, 33 of these are from Australia. More species await description.
Refs.: Currie (1937, immat. biol.), Tonnoir (1937, rev. Fergusonina ),
Ferrar (1987, immat. biol.), Taylor (2004, rev. Fergusonina).
atricornis Malloch, 1925f: 91. Australia (NSW).
biseta Malloch, 1932h: 215. Australia (NSW).
brimblecombi Tonnoir, 1937: 137. Australia (ACT).
burrowsi Taylor, 2004: 264. Australia (Qld).
carteri Tonnoir, 1937: 131. Australia (ACT); Australia (Vic).
centeri Taylor, 2004: 267. Australia (Qld).
curriei Tonnoir, 1937: 145. Australia (ACT).
davidsoni Tonnoir, 1937: 135. Australia (SA).
davisae Nelson & Yeates, 2011: 360. Australia (ACT); Australia (NSW).
eucalypti Malloch, 1932h: 214. Australia (NSW).
evansi Tonnoir, 1927: 134. Australia (ACT).
flavicornis Malloch, 1925f: 92. Australia (NSW).
frenchi Tonnoir, 1937: 142. Australia (NSW).
giblindavisi Taylor, 2008: 338. Australia (Qld).
goolsbyi Taylor, 2004: 269. Australia (Qld).
greavesi Currie, 1937: 154. Australia (ACT).
gurneyi Malloch, 1932h: 215. Australia (NSW).
herbaservus Nelson in Nelson et al., 2013: [2]. Australia ( NSW)
lockharti Tonnoir, 1937: 141. Australia (WA).
makinsoni Taylor, 2004: 272. Australia (Qld).
manchesteri Purcell in Nelson et al., 2013: [5]. Australia (NSW).
microcera Malloch, 1924f: 338. Australia (NSW).
morgani Tonnoir, 1937: 137. Australia (Vic).
newmani Tonnoir, 1937: 141. Australia (WA).
nicholsoni Tonnoir, 1937: 145. Australia (ACT).
omlandi Nelson & Yeates, 2011: 39. Australia(NW); Australia (ACT, Vic).
pescotti Tonnoir, 1937: 138. Australia (Vic).
purcelli Taylor, 2004: 274. Australia (Qld).
schefferae Taylor, 2004: 278. Australia (Qld).
scutellata Malloch, 1925f: 92. Australia (NSW).
tasmaniensis Nelson in Nelson et al., 2012: 152. Australia (Tas).
taylori Nelson & Yeates, 2011: 362. Australia (ACT); Australia (NSW).
thomasi Taylor, 2008: 338. Australia (WA).
thornhilli Nelson & Yeates, 2011: 44. Australia(NSW).
tillyardi Tonnoir, 1937: 146. Australia (ACT); Australia (SA).
turneri Taylor, 2004: 258. Australia (Qld); Australia (NSW).
williamensis Nelson & Yeates, 2011: 42. Australia (Vic).