Dasyrhicnoessa longisetosa, Munari, 2004

Munari, L., 2004, Beach Flies (Diptera: Tethinidae: Tethininae) From Australia and Papua New Guinea, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Ten New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 56 (1), pp. 29-56 : 38-39

Dasyrhicnoessa longisetosa n.sp.

Figs. 11–12

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3 Papua New Guinea “ Mangroves, / Port Moresby, / Papua 25 Oct. 1963 / D.K. McAlpine ” // “ HOLOTYPUS / Dasyrhicnoessa / longisetosa sp.n. 3 / L. Munari des.” AM K186738 . The specimen is in excellent condition, and is double mounted (glued on the tip of a triangular card); abdomen dissected, stored in glycerol in a small plastic tube, and pinned below the specimen . PARATYPES Australia, Queensland: “ Mangroves, / Gladstone , Qld. / 19 Dec. 1961 / D.K. McAlpine ”, 1 3; “Mangroves. / Mackay, Q. / 19 Jan. 1967 // D. McAlpine & / G. Holloway coll.”, 4 33 11♀♀. The holotype and most of the paratypes are deposited in AM, a few paratypes are preserved in MCV .

Distinguishing features. The new species is closely related to both D. ciliata n.sp. and D. priapus n.sp., in particular to the latter species, differing from them noticeably in the morphology of the male terminalia.

Description. Size. Body length 2.0 mm (2.0–3.1), wing length 1.8 mm (1.8–2.6), wing width 0.6 mm (0.6–1.0).

Habitus. Yellow species with setal vestiture golden brown. Setae of mesonotum longer than ones of congeners. Head yellow with antenna bearing long-haired arista. Wings yellowish grey. Head. Entirely yellow; frons, including orbital vittae, homogeneously yellow, except for usual golden yellow patch on both sides of ocellar triangle; paravertical setae well developed, inclinate; inner vertical seta inwardly curved, strong, about as long as or slightly longer than lateroclinate outer vertical seta; postocular and postgenal setae somewhat long, former ones in single row; upper postocular seta long and strong, inclinate towards inner vertical seta; ocellar triangle bearing pair of long, thin pseudopostocellar setae in addition to pair of strong ocellars; 2–3 very short, thin setulae between ocellars and pseudopostocellars; 3 strong, lateroclinate orbital setae; row of long, thin, inclinate setulae on orbital vitta between two anterior orbitals and frontals; 3 pairs of frontal setae plus 2 pairs of thin setulae, all setae and setulae inclinate, two anterior frontal setae cruciate at apex; antenna with large and pubescent postpedicel, bearing blackish, long-haired arista (an apomorphic character state); eye micropubescent, very large, slightly oblong vertically, its longest diameter 7.7× as long as genal height; 6 dark brown peristomal setae decreasing in length and strength from front to back; vibrissal seta long and strong; mouth parts pale yellow, with labellum as long as or slightly shorter than length of buccal cavity, and palpus long, slightly clavate, bearing scattered black setulae. Thorax. Entirely yellowish, with mesonotum slightly darker than pleura; 1+3 very long dorsocentral setae; 5–6 rows of acrostichal setulae on anterior half of scutum, otherwise arranged in 4 rows; prescutellar acrostichals very long and strong; postpronotal lobe bearing 3 setae, each with different inclination, posterior seta long and strong, anterior setae shorter and slightly weaker; 1 long presutural seta; 2 notopleurals about subequal in length; 1 supra-alar, below and before it two shorter and weaker setae; 2 postalars, external one distinctly longer and stronger; scutellum with 4 long marginal setae; both proepisternal and proepimeral setae present; anepisternum with scattered setulae, bearing 3 long, posteriorly directed, posteromarginal setae, mid one longer and stronger, and 1 erect seta at posterodorsal margin; katepisternum with few scattered setulae, bearing long and strong posterodorsal seta; anepimeron, katatergite, and meron without setae and setulae. Legs. Evenly setulose, bearing short, yellowish to brownish yellow setae and setulae, except for foreleg having coxa with long setae, and femur with a few posterodorsal and posteroventral setae; fore femur without true ctenidium, only with short row of thin setulae anteroventrally at distal third; mid femur of male with row of posteroventral, spinelike, long, spaced, black setae on distal half; all legs, including coxae, yellow, with last tarsomere very slightly infuscated. Wing. Veins yellowish, membrane yellowish grey; alula with fringe formed by long, erect, diaphanous setae; costal vein reaching end of M 1, bearing several, spaced, microscopic setulae on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R 2+3 slightly bisinuate, diverging from R 4+5 distally; R 4+5 and M 1 parallel; crossvein r-m ending before middle of cell dm; crossvein dm-cu distinctly shorter than half of last section of CuA 1; halter yellowish. Abdomen. Mostly yellowish, with setal vestiture formed by golden brown setulae and darker posteromarginal setae on each tergite; transverse stripes at posterior edge of tergites yellow, hardly discernible. Male terminalia ( Figs. 11–12). Epandrium bearing two pairs of long setae dorsally, and several short setae on remaining posterior surface; cercus of normal size, pubescent, dorsally covered with microscopic hairs and with long, thin setae; anterior surstylus simple, straight, bearing sparse, thin setae on inner side; posterior surstylus almondshaped in lateral view, narrow and pointed in posterior view, bearing few stout tubercles on posterior margin of distal half and characteristic cluster of thin setae on posterior margin of mid surface; aedeagal apodeme straight to slightly bisinuate; ejaculatory apodeme large, as long as or slightly shorter than aedeagal apodeme, with distal fan broad, well developed; distiphallus long, ribbon-like, with ventral micropubescence on basal half as well as subapically; marginal, membranous, aedeagal lobe distinctly visible medially.

Female. Similar to male, except for slight sexual dimorphism. Female terminalia. Cerci long, straight, bearing several thin setulae; spermathecae spherical, smooth.

Distribution. Australia (QLD), Papua New Guinea.

Remarks. Apart from the various, often considerable, morphological features of the body and male terminalia, the new species is recognizable by having the mesonotal setae distinctly longer than those of congeners.

Etymology. Compound word, from the Latin longus meaning long, and saetosus meaning bearing setae or bristly. The specific epithet refers to the relatively long setae of the head and thorax.