Lispe grisea, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 209-214

Lispe grisea sp. nov.

( Figs 432–447)

Diagnosis. A pale grey species, separable from other species by having 2+4 well-developed dc setae, hind coxa bare behind, meron bare below spiracle, and basal antennal segments yellow. The conformation of ♂ hind tarsomere 1 ( Figs 437–438 ) is characteristic.

Etymology. The name refers to the light grey appearance of the species (Medieval Latin “griseus” = “grey”).

Material examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Todd River , 9 km N by E of Alice Springs, 11.x.1978, D.H. Colless ( ANIC) . Paratypes 4♂ 6♀. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Todd River , 9 km N by E of Alice Springs, 11.x.1978, D.H. Colless , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC) & 1♂ 1♀ ( BMNH); same locality & date, Malaise trap , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC); same locality, 10.x.1978 , 1♀ ( ANIC). Queensland: Normanton env., 17.67S 141.08E, 2–4.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev , 1♂ 1♀ ( ZMUM). New South Wales: Kandos Weir , m. v. lamp , 29.xii.1977, G. Daniels , 1♀ ( QMBA) .

Additional material (N.E. Vikhrev, pers. comm.): AUSTRALIA: Queensland, Normanton env., 18.2S 141.08E, 2–4.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev, 3♂ 4♀ ( ZMUM) . South Australia, Morgan env., Murray R., 34.03S 139.73E, 10.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev, 1♂ ( ZMUM) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 433 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.36, at lunula 0.29–0.3, of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate of ♂ silvery pruinose, slightly grey above, sometimes weakly tinged with yellow, conspicuously tinged with yellow in ♀; parafacial, face, gena and lower half of occiput silvery pruinose, parafacial and face tinged with yellow in ♀. Frontal triangle broad, in ♂ silvery pruinose and slightly tinged with yellow, conspicuously tinged with yellow in ♀; when viewed from below, fronto-orbital plate, frontal vitta and frontal triangle uniformly pruinose and not distinct from each other in both sexes. Parafacial broad, almost (♂) to quite (♀) as broad as postpedicel, long-setulose along entire length. Scape, pedicel and basal third to half of postpedicel yellow, rest of postpedicel dark; postpedicel 2.8 (♂) or 1.8 (♀) times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by almost (♂) or just over (♀) its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 2.5 (♂) or 1.9 (♀) times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, with several fine setulae above. Gena moderate, at most 0.14–0.15 of vertical eye-length; genal setae short, dense. Palpus yellow, greatly swollen in apical part ( Fig. 434 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum light grey dusted, pleura dull (♂) or light (♀) grey. Scutum with indefinite areas of lighter or duller grey dust, but without trace of any dark vittae. Anterior spiracle dirty yellow. Acr setulae in 4–5 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+4, all well-developed, prst and anterior 2 post setae shorter but at least 3 times as long as the ground-setulae. 2 pprn. 1+1–2 ia, the post setae rather weak. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, equal to the strong proepisternal, with numerous (circa 15) adjacent setulae. Anepisternum without a short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 5–6 setae, all strong. 3 strong kepst, lower seta much closer to posterior than to anterior seta. Meron bare below spiracle and above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, the setulae extending in several rows on to sides; ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, tips of femora and basal third to half of tibiae yellow. Fore coxa not setose on posterior apical edge. Fore femur with short spinulose setulae on basal half of av to v surfaces; pv row complete, the setae fine, dense, short, in ♂ only a few longer than femoral depth, long and fine in ♀, some twice as long as femoral depth, in both sexes interspersed with short setulae which are spinulose in basal half; pd row complete, short. Fore tibia with 1 submedian pv seta; with d, p and pv apical setae. Fore tarsomeres without modifications. Mid femur with only setulae on av surface; pv surface in ♂ with several short fine setae in basal half, none equal to femoral depth, continued as a row of erect setulae in apical half, reduced just to 2–3 short pv setae near base in ♀; without a setae; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 submedian p seta, more pv than p in ♀; with strong d, av, pd, v and pv apicals. In ♂ mid tarsomere 5 with several long setulae along posterior edge ( Fig. 435 ), otherwise tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa without a seta on posterior apical margin, in ♂ coxa and trochanter with long dense fine setulae ventrally ( Fig. 436 ). Hind femur with a row of long fine pv setae in basal half and near base with some additional setae that are p of pv, all much longer than femoral depth; av surface in ♂ setulose in basal half, with 4– 5 strong well-spaced setae on apical half, reduced in ♀ to 1 (–2) setae around middle, also with several additional longer setulae on this surface; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia without av or pd; in ♂ without ad seta, but a surface with a complete row of erect fine setulae, longer than tibial depth, in ♀ with 1 ad seta; d preapical seta strong, the ad fine and inconspicuous in ♂ ( Fig. 437 ), well-developed in ♀; av apical strong, pv short in ♂ but long in ♀. Hind tarsomere in ♂ ( Figs 437–438 ) with tarsomere 1 expanded, concave ventrally, with a dense comb of setulae along p surface, at tip of av surface with a tuft of small spinulose setulae, a surface with a row of erect setulae that continue along tarsomere 2; in ♀ not modified.

Wing. Clear. Tegula and basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed slightly apicad of the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu weakly sinuous, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wingmargin. Calypters and margins creamy. Haltere yellow.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Dust on tergites light grey, weakly tinged with yellow posteriorly. Tergites unmarked except for tergites 3 and 4 which each have a pair of triangular dark brown spots ( Fig. 439 ), smaller and less well-defined in ♀ than in ♂, not continuing down on to sides of tergites but the spots on tergite 4 very narrowly invading the fore-margin of tergite 5. ♂ epandrium mainly grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey to brownish-grey. Sternites 1–5 grey dusted. Tergites without strong setae, tergite 5 with a weak marginal row and a pair of lateral discals, very weak in ♀. ♂ sternites 2–4 sparsely setulose ( Fig. 440 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by a very narrow syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; epandrium strongly produced ventrally ( Fig. 441 ). Tergite 6 absent; an apparent sternite 6 present as a broad plate connected to two short processes on internal surface of sternite 5. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 441 ). Cercal plate only narrowly divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 442 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via an apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Figs 443–444 ): hypandrium short and broad, closed ring-like posteriorly over base of postgonite and phallapodeme; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter long and curved, forked basally and appearing pincer-like; phallapodeme connected medially to hypandrium by a bridge, and forked posteriorly to meet base of postgonites; phallus broad, short, simple, juxta large and without spinules; basal part flanked by a pair of triangular plate-like processes.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 445–447 ). Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 divided medially; tergite 8 divided dorsally, each half displaced laterally. Sternite 6 represented by a pair of small, weak plates and a pair of bristle-dots; sternite 7 represented by 3 bristle-dots; sternite 8 present as 2 small but strong plates, concealed in the invaginated membrane at tip of segment 8. Epiproct curved, without particularly long setae, connected to the cercus. Hypoproct unusually large, extended posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus long, without spines at apex. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 5.0– 5.5 mm (♂), 5.0– 5.5 mm (♀). Body-length, 6.5–7.0 mm (♂), 6.5–7.0 mm (♀).

Biology. Not known.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (NT, Q, NSW, SA).

Figures

FIGURE 442. Lispe grisea sp. nov., ♂ cercal plate, dorsal view. (Paratype from NT, Todd River.)

FIGURES 433–438. Lispe grisea sp. nov., ♂. 433. Head, lateral view. 434. Palpus, inner surface. 435. Mid tarsomeres 3–5, dorsal view. 436. Hind coxa and trochanter, lateral view. 437. Tip of hind tibia and tarsomere 1, anterior view. 438. Hind tarsomeres 1–3, dorsal view. ad—anterodorsal, av—anteroventral, d—dorsal. (Paratype from NT, Todd River.)

FIGURES 439–441. Lispe grisea sp. nov., ♂. 439. Abdomen, dorsal view. 440. Sternites 1–5. 441. Hypopygium, lateral view. (Paratype from NT, Todd River.)

FIGURES 443–444. Lispe grisea sp. nov., ♂ phallic complex. 443. Lateral view. 444. Ventral view. pg—postgonite. (Paratype from NT, Todd River.)

FIGURES 445–447. Lispe grisea sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 445. Dorsal view. 446. Ventral view. 447. Lateral view. (Paratype from NT, Todd River.)