Lispe sericipalpis Stein, 1904

Vikhrev, Nikita, 2011, Review of the Palaearctic members of the Lispe tentaculata species-group (Diptera, Muscidae): revised key, synonymy and notes on ecology, ZooKeys 84, pp. 59-70 : 64-66

Lispe sericipalpis Stein, 1904 Fig. 4

Lispe sericipalpis Stein 1904: 110

Lispe quaerens Villeneuve 1936: 157, syn. n.

Material examined.

Lectotype male of sericipalpis - male (Fig. 4), paralectotypes 1♂, 4♀♀ (ZMAN).

Azerbaijan: Lenkoran reg., 38.65°N 48.80°E, 25.V.2009, K.Tomkovich, 1♀.

Myanmar: Shan state, Inle Lake env., 20.664°N 96.966°E, 26-30.XI.2009, N.Vikhrev, 4♂♂, 2♀♀; Kakaw env., 20.64°N 96.59°E, 03.XII.2009, N.Vikhrev, 45♂♂, 3♀♀.

Nepal: Solukhumbu distr., Janbesi env., 27.581°N 86.548°E, 2660m asl., 19.III.2010, A.Reshchikov, 2♂♂, 2♀♀.

Tajikistan: Dushanbe division, Ramit env. (38.72N 69.32E), river bank, 15-16.VI.2010, K.Tomkovich, 17♂♂, 30♀♀; Dushanbe env., 13.V.1943, A.Stackelberg, 1♂ (with handwritten label by W.Hennig " Lispe quaerens ") (ZIN); Varzob Canyon, 28-29.VII.1939, L.Zimin, 4♀♀ (ZIN); Varzob Canyon, 04.VII.1937, A.Gussakovsky, 1♂ (ZIN).

Turkey: Antalia prov., Köprü River, 37.075°N 31.232°E, 06-10.IX.2009, N.Vikhrev, 40♂♂, 29♀♀ (3♂♂, 2♀♀ deposited in BMNH); Mersin prov., 37.194°N 34.810°E, forest stream, 23.IV.2010, N.Vikhrev, 1♀; Bolu prov., 40.498°N 31.890°E, forest stream, 1800m asl., 31.VIII.2009, N.Vikhrev, 1♂; Sarakya prov., Karasu env., 41.03°N 30.79°E, forest stream, 15.VI.2010, N.Vikhrev, 1♀, 28.VIII.2009, N.Vikhrev, 1♂, 1♀; Zonguldak prov., Alaply env., 41.14°N 31.36°E, forest stream, 21.VI.2010, N.Vikhrev, 3♂♂, 2♀♀.

Remarks.

Male. Ground colour black. Pollinosity grey, but may be yellowish-grey. Palpus black(ish), but becoming brown in old specimens. Fronto-orbital plate and parafacial whitish, rarely yellowish. Scutum with 3 brown vittae along ac and dc rows, submedian (dc) vittae sometimes almost indistinct. dc 2(1) + 4 (rarely 3), as: presutural: weak to hardly distinct, medium; postsutural: weak, weak, strong, strong. Presutural ac in 4-5 irregular rows. Legs dark. f2 with several (2-7) fine pv-setae in basal 1/3, the longest one (1.5 times as long as femoral width) at base. f3 at base with long (1.5-2 times as long as femoral width) and fine characteristic seta in v-pv position. Other setae on f3 variable: several av-setae present in apical third or slightly more, 1-3 among them longer, from as long as femoral width to twice as long; pv row may consist of 7-8 setae of which 2-3 are as long as femoral width, or may be reduced to 1-2 hardly distinct pv at base; sometimes chaetotaxy of f3 differs on right and left legs of the same specimen. Abdomen whitish-grey to yellowish-grey dusted, with paired L-shaped, more or less extensive dark spots on tergites 3 to 5, divided by dusted median vitta. Female differs from male as follows: parafacial more often yellowish; dc 1+4(3), anterior prst dc always absent; v-pv seta at base of f3 shorter to reduced; other ventral setae on f2 and f3 shorter or reduced.

The type locality of Lispe sericipalpis is Indonesia, Java. The species has also been recorded from other Indonesian islands (Bali, Sumatra), Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal. The type locality of Lispe quaerens is Turkey, Akshehir prov. This species, as interpreted by Hennig (1960: 453) who studied the holotype, has also been recorded from Spain, Italy, Croatia, several provinces of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and China. Thus, there appears to be no geographic gap between the natural habitats of Lispe sericipalpis and Lispe quaerens , but the former, known as an Oriental species, has never been compared with the latter, regarded as a Palearctic species. The examined series from Turkey and Tajikistan (some specimens were identified by Hennig, 1960: 453) had been assigned to Lispe quaerens , whereas the series from the Oriental region (Myanmar) had been assigned to Lispe sericipalpis . I came to conclusion that all the material listed above (Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan and Turkey) is conspecific with type series of Lispe sericipalpis . The terminalia of males from Turkey, Tajikistan, Nepal and Myanmar are similar. Oriental specimens have the dark abdominal patterns more extensive, especially so on tergite 3. Stein’s type series has the av setae on f3 longer and more numerous in males, but all these characters may be found in some Palearctic specimens too.

Hennig (1960: 409) mentioned the possibility that Lispe quaerens could be a subspecies of Lispe orientalis . I am sure it is not - Lispe sericipalpis (= Lispe quaerens ) is closely related to Lispe orientalis , but the two can be reliably separated, even as females (see key). In addition to morphological characters, there is a clear difference in ecology between these species (see below).