Lispe cristata, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 96-99

Lispe cristata sp. nov.

( Figs 198–209)

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa and yellow palpus, L. cristata can be recognised in the ♂ sex by the silvery frontal area with reduced frontal vitta, and conformation of hind tibia and basal hind tarsomere ( Fig. 200 ), and in both sexes by the strong and almost subequal orbital setae ( Figs 198a, 199 ).

Etymology. The Latin “cristatus” (feminine: “cristata”) means “with a comb or plume”, and the name refers to the ornamentation of the male basal hind tarsomere.

Type-Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Roleystone, near Perth , 15.x.1967 ( QMBA ex UQIC, Reg.# 38723) . Paratypes 11♂ 8♀. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Roleystone, near Perth , 15.x.1967 , 2♂ ( QMBA); Yaigorup Nat. Park, north end Martins Tank Lake , 32.50S 115.39E, muddy shore of salt lake, 4.i.1992, A.G. Irwin , 1♂ 1♀ ( WAM); Yaigorup Nat. Park, north end of Lake Preston , 32.53S 115.40E, muddy shore of salt lake, 4.i.1992, A.G. Irwin , 2♂ 1♀ ( WAM). Victoria: Narrawong environs, 38.26S 141.70E, 12–13.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev , 2♂ 1♀ ( ZMUM). South Australia: The Coorong , 30 km S of Meningis, 8.xii.1977, D.K. McAlpine & M.A. Schneider , 1♂ 1♀ ( AMS) & 1♀ ( BMNH); Salt Creek , 34.279S 136.168E, 8– 9.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev , 3♂ 3♀ ( ZMUM) .

Additional material (N.E. Vikhrev, pers. comm.): AUSTRALIA: Victoria: Narrawong , 38.26S 141.70E, 12– 13.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev, 6♂ 2♀ ( ZMUM) ; Eagle Point , 37.88S 147.68E, salt lagoon, 15.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev, 1♂ 1♀ ( ZMUM) . South Australia: Salt Creek , 34.279S 136.168E, 8–9.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev, 15♂ 13♀ ( ZMUM) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Figs 198a, 199 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.41, at lunula 0.34 (♂) or 0.39 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate silvery-white pruinose in ♂ but grey in ♀, thinly so above and subshining at vertex, pruinosity distinctly tinged yellow; with frontal triangle, parafacial, face and gena silvery-white pruinose, frontal triangle brownish tinged in ♀; frontal triangle very broad, frontal vitta totally suppressed in ♂ ( Fig. 198a); from most angles in ♂ fronto-orbital plates and frontal triangle not very sharply separated, in ♀ frontal vitta narrow but distinct; occiput whitish-grey. Orbital setae strong, lower seta not much shorter than upper seta ( Fig. 199 ). Parafacial broad, almost (♂) or quite (♀) as broad as postpedicel; upper third or half without setulae. Antenna black, only apical edge of pedicel orange; postpedicel short, 2.1 (♂) or 2.3 (♀) times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 1.2 its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point equal to width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, with a few adjacent setulae. Gena broad, 0.19 (♂) or 0.24 (♀) of vertical eye-length; genal setae rather strong and dense. Palpus yellow, sometimes appearing brownish against a dark background, swollen at tips.

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum rather densely dull grey dusted in ♂, lighter in ♀, postpronotal lobe and notopleuron whitish (♂) or grey (♀), pleura grey. Viewed from in front, scutum wholly silvery dusted in ♂; in posterior view appearing mostly dull grey dusted 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; viewed from in front, ♀ with the grey dust on scutum replaced mostly by brown dust; in posterior view, scutum with uneven dull grey to brownish dust with some ill-defined dark lines along dc rows, presuturally between dc, ia and sa, and postsuturally between ia and sa; scutellum grey dusted, dull and medially tinged with brown in ♀. Anterior spiracle dark. Acr setulae in 4–5 or more irregular rows at suture; with a pair of weak but distinct prsc setae. Dc 2+3, all strong. 2 pprn. 1+2 ia. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, slightly shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 7–9 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with only a setula 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, knees reddish. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur with a row of short, regular, almost spinulose setulae on av surface; pv row complete, the setae fine, in basal half much longer than femoral depth, interspersed with multiserial v to pv setulae, these more spinulose in ♀ than in ♂; pd row complete. Fore tibia without submedian seta; with strong d, pd and pv apical setae, and a strong ad apical. Fore tarsomeres of ♂ rather short, without modifications. Mid femur on av and pv surfaces with rows of short spinulose setulae that run from base to apex, stronger in ♀ than in ♂, 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 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 5 av setae in apical half in ♂, most longer than femoral depth, reduced to 2–3 in ♀; pv surface with 2–3 setae in basal half, shorter than femoral depth, apical half with a series of spinulose setulae; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia with 1 strong ad and 1–2, rarely 3, av, and the ground-setulae on ad surface rather long and erect; d and ad preapical setae strong; 1 av and 1 pv apical setae, the pv short in ♂. Hind tarsus of ♂ on basal tarsomere with a brush of dense setulae on p to pv surfaces ( Fig. 200 ); without modifications in ♀.

Wing. Clear. Tegula black, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed 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 in ♂ except for a pair of weakly indicated darker subquadrate spots on tergites 3 and 4, and two small ill-defined dark spots on sides of tergite 5 ( Fig. 202 ); in ♀ with dark brown marks as follows: tergite 3 with a pair of small or large quadrate spots; tergite 4 with a pair of oval spots; tergite 5 a dark brown, shining, fore-marginal band. ♂ epandrium grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey to brownish-grey. Sternites 1–5 grey, but sternite 5 of ♂ 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. 201 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without large setae; produced lobe-like ventrally ( Fig. 203 ). Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 present as 2 small symmetrical plates attached to a pair of ventral prolongations from sternite 5, with a small third plate between them, all withdrawn beneath sternite 5. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 203 ). Cercal plate divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 204 ). 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 ( Figs 205–206 ): hypandrium meeting at posterior end with base of the very short epiphallus; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter long, strong and incurved ( Figs 205–206 ); 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 rounded lobe-like processes flanking it at base.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 207–209 ). Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 narrowly divided medially; tergite 8 divided dorsally, the two halves displaced laterally. Sternite 6 reduced to 2 small plates; sternite 7 absent or represented by a pair of bristle-dots, suppressed by the edges of the very large tergite 7; sternite 8 present as a V-shaped plate mostly concealed within the membrane between tergite 8 and hypoproct, not easily seen. Epiproct V-shaped, with a pair of large setae and several setulae. Hypoproct large, extending posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus small, plate-like, with only a few short setae. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 4.0– 5.5 mm (♂), 5.0– 5.5 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.5–7.0 mm (♂), 6.5–7.0 mm (♀).

Biology. Adults were collected around a salt creek, a salt lagoon, and on the muddy shore of a salt lake.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (WA, V, SA).

Figures

FIGURES 199–202. Lispe cristata sp. nov., ♂. 199. Upper half of head, lateral view. 200. Hind tarsomere 1 and tip of hind tibia, posterior view. 201. Sternites 1–5. 202. Abdomen, dorsal view. ad—anterodorsal, d—dorsal, ors—upper orbital, pvposteroventral. (199–200, paratype from SA, The Coorong; 201, paratype from WA, Roleystone; 202, holotype.)

FIGURES 203–204. Lispe cristata sp. nov., ♂. 203. Hypopygium, lateral view. 204. Cercal plate, dorsal view. (Paratype from WA, Roleystone.)

FIGURES 205–206. Lispe cristata sp. nov., ♂. 205. Phallic complex, lateral view. 206. Postgonite and distiphallus, ventral view. hp—hypandrium, pg—postgonite. (Paratype from SA, The Coorong.)

FIGURES 207–209. Lispe cristata sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 207. Dorsal view. 208. Ventral view. 209. Lateral view. (Paratype from SA, Coorong.)