Lispe penicillata sp. nov.

(Figs 249–257)

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa and yellow palpus, L. penicillata can be recognised in the ♂ sex by the silvery frontal area with reduced frontal vitta, and by the conformation of hind tibia and basal hind tarsomere (Fig. 253).

Etymology. This name is based on the Latin noun “penicillus” (= “brush”) and refers to the brush of setulae on the ♂ basal hind tarsomere (Fig. 253).

Type-Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: South Australia: 42 km ESE of Curdimurka, W of Marree, 21.ix.1972, Z. Liepa (ANIC) . Paratypes 2♂. AUSTRALIA: same data as holotype, 2♂ (ANIC, BMNH) .

Description ♂ (♀ not known). Head (Figs 250–252). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.41, at lunula 0.36, of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate uniformly pruinose, together with frontal triangle, parafacial, face and gena silvery-white pruinose; frontal triangle very broad, frontal vitta totally suppressed; from most angles fronto-orbital plates and frontal triangle not very sharply separated (Fig. 250); occiput whitish-grey. Lower orbital seta short (Fig. 252). Parafacial broad, almost as broad as postpedicel; bare except for a few setulae at extreme lower angle. Antenna black, only apical edge of pedicel orange; postpedicel short, 2.3 times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 1.2 its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 1.4 times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, with a few short adjacent setulae (Fig. 251). Gena broad, 0.23 of vertical eye-length; genal setae rather strong and dense. Palpus yellow, strongly swollen at tip.

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum rather densely dull grey dusted, postpronotal lobe and notopleuron whitish, pleura grey. Viewed from in front, scutum wholly silvery dusted; in posterior view appearing mostly dark except for a grey band along suture, running from notopleuron to dc, and a pair of grey post vittae between dc and ia, which join a narrow pale transverse band in front of scutellum; scutellum grey dusted. Anterior spiracle grey. Acr setulae in 4–5 irregular rows at suture; with a pair of weak but distinct prsc setae. Dc 2+3, all strong. 2 pprn. 1+1 ia, anterior post seta absent. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, slightly shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 4–7 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with a very short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, lower one closer to posterior than to anterior. Meron bare below spiracle and above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, 1–2 rows descending on to sides, otherwise sides and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, except for knees and mid tarsomeres which are reddish, sometimes the knees more broadly so. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur with a row of short spinules on av surface; pv row complete, the setae fine, in basal half much longer than femoral depth, interspersed with multiserial v to pv spinules; pd row complete. Fore tibia without submedian seta; with strong d, pd and pv apical setae, and a strong ad apical. Fore tarsomeres rather short, without modifications. Mid femur on av and pv surfaces with rows of short spinules that run from base to apex, and in addition with a few short pv setae in basal third, not equal to femoral depth; basal half also with a row of short strong a setae, culminating in a strong seta at middle; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 strong p seta; with strong d, a, v, pv and short p apicals, the d apical placed well before apex. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa with a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 3 av setae in apical half, the longest equal to femoral depth; pv surface with 3–4 setae in basal half, longer than femoral depth, apical half with a series of spinulose setulae; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia (Fig. 253) with 1 ad and 1 strong av which is rather close to apex of tibia; d preapical relatively short and fine, and the ad preapical present only as a setula; apex of tibia on av to pv surfaces with numerous short fine curled hairs, without apical setae. Hind tarsus (Fig. 253) with basal tarsomere slightly swollen in apical third and covered with a brush of dense setulae on av to pv surfaces, with some short hair-like setulae on basal half of ventral surface and a longer curled hair-like v seta at mid length.

Wing. Clear but slightly milky. Tegula black, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed slightly apicad of the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu straight, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wing-margin. Calypters white, margins creamy. Knob of haltere black.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Tergites grey dusted dorsally and laterally, without darker markings except for a weakly indicated dark bar on side of tergite 5, but 1♂ with very faintly indicated dark markings on syntergite 1+2 and tergites 3–4, as in L. hamulifera (see Fig. 241). Epandrium grey dusted. Sternites 1–4 grey, sternite 5 shining. Setae only present on tergite 5, with 1 pair of median and 2 of lateral discals, and 4 pairs of erect marginals. Sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae (Fig. 254).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without large setae; produced ventrally. Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 present as 2 small symmetrical plates, joined together at one end, withdrawn beneath sternite 5. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace (Fig. 255). Cercal plate divided dorsally and ventrally (Fig. 256). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via a tiny apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex (Fig. 257): hypandrium with a pair of long finger-like processes at posterior end that meet and unite with base of epiphallus; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter long, incurved and bifurcate at mid-length; phallapodeme large, at mid-length joined to hypandrium by a small bridge; phallus long, tube-like, simple, juxta large, without spinules, with a pair of large plate-like processes flanking it at mid-length.

Measurements. Wing-length, 3.5–4.0 mm. Body-length, 5.0– 5.5 mm.

Biology. Not known.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (SA).