Lispe lamellata, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 84-89

Lispe lamellata sp. nov.

( Figs 171–184 )

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa and yellow palpus, L. lamellata can be recognised in the ♂ sex by the enlarged basal tarsomere on fore leg ( Fig. 174 ) and the dark brown margin of lower calypter. The ♀ can be recognised by the yellow tegula and the abdominal pattern ( Fig. 177 ).

Etymology. The name lamellata (Latin “lamella” = “small plate”) refers to the conformation of the basal tarsomere of the fore leg.

Type-Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Batten Point , 30 km NE by N of Borroloola, at light, 18.iv.1976, D.H. Colless ( ANIC) . Paratypes 12♂ 26♀. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Anna Plains, 80-mile Beach , 1.ix.1934, I.M. Mackerras , 1♂ 3♀ ( ANIC); 8 km S of Cape Bertholet, West Kimberley, 1 at light, 1 in Malaise trap, 2 on mud flats, 17–22.iv.1977, D.H. Colless , 1♂ 7♀ ( ANIC) , 2♀ ( BMNH) & 1♂ 1♀ ( OUMNH). Northern Territory: Bing Bong HS, 49 km N by E of Borroloola, 20.iv.1976, D.H. Colless , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC); 12 km NNE of Borroloola , 19.iv.1976, D.H. Colless , 1♂ ( ANIC); West Island, Edward Pellew Group , 20.iv.1976, D.H. Colless , 3♀ ( ANIC). Queensland: Bowen , 20.02S 148.22E, 31.i.2013, N. Vikhrev , 1♂ 2♀ ( ZMUM); Emu Park , NE of Rockhampton, 7.v.1970, Z. Liepa , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC); Normanton , light trap, 18.iv.1961 , 2♂ ( ANIC, BMNH); 1 km N of Rounded Hill , 15.17S, 145.13E, at light, 6.v.1981, D.H. Colless , 1♀ ( ANIC); Townsville , no date, F.H. Taylor , 1♂ ( ANIC). New South Wales: Broken Hill, Imperial Lakes Park , 30.iii.1975, Z. Liepa , 3♀ ( ANIC). INDONESIA: West Papua (Papua province): Merauke env., 8.55S 140.43E, 9– 15.xii.2014, N. Vikhrev , 2♂ 2♀ ( ZMUM) .

Additional material (N.E. Vikhrev, pers. comm.): AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Bowen , 20.02S 148.22E, 31.i.2013, N. Vikhrev, 2♂ 6♀ ( ZMUM) ; Normanton , 17.67S 141.08E, 2–4.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev, 2♂ 3♀ ( ZMUM) .

INDONESIA: West Papua (Papua province): Merauke env., 8.55S 140.43E, 9–15.xii.2014, N. Vikhrev, 9♂ 9♀ ( ZMUM) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 172 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.35 (♂) or 0.38 (♀), at lunula 0.26 (♂) or 0.37 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate uniformly pruinose, together with frontal triangle, parafacial, face and gena yellowish-white pruinose in ♂, in ♀ the upper half of fronto-orbital plate and most of frontal triangle tinged with brown; frontal vitta also yellowish-grey pruinose but more thinly so, so that from many angles the fronto-orbital plates, frontal vitta and frontal triangle are not very sharply separated, especially in ♂; occiput whitish-grey. Lower orbital seta weak. Parafacial broad, almost (♂) to quite (♀) as broad as postpedicel; setulae only present on lower part. Scape and pedicel yellow in ♂, slightly darkened in ♀; basal half of postpedicel orange-yellow, remainder black; postpedicel short, 2.3 times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by well over its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 2.4 (♂) to 2.6 (♀) times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, with few adjacent setulae. Gena broad, 0.14 (♂) or 0.19 (♀) of vertical eye-length; genal setae strong anteriorly, dense behind. Palpus yellow, strongly swollen at tip ( Fig. 173 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum, including postpronotal lobe, and scutellum rather densely whitish-grey dusted; pleura light grey. Scutum in posterior view in ♂ with a pair of weak dark paramedian vittae running from neck to just behind suture, and a pair of darker post vittae between the dc and ia; in ♀ these markings connected laterally, so that there is a pair of broad brownish prst patches (between dc and ia/sa) and a pair of broad brownish post patches between dc and ia, the latter usually weakly connected medially across anterior half of post area; scutellum broadly brown dusted in apical part. Anterior spiracle brown. Acr setulae in 4–5 irregular rows at suture. 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, shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 1–3 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with 1 very short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, sometimes arranged in an equilateral triangle. 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. Coxae and trochanters black; femora black, extreme tips (knees) yellow; tibiae black, broadly yellow at base in ♂; tarsomeres black. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur with a row of regular setulae on av surface, more spinulose in ♀; pv row complete, the setae fine, much longer than femoral depth and interspersed with shorter setae and, most noticeable in ♀, with spinules; between av and pv surfaces with short spinules in basal half; pd row complete. Fore tibia without submedian seta; with strong d, pd and pv apical setae, and a short ad apical. Basal fore tarsomere of ♂ ( Fig. 174 ) compressed and rather enlarged, otherwise fore tarsomeres without modifications. Mid femur in ♂ with a row of regular av setulae with the longest one just before middle and shorter than femoral depth, all more spinulose in ♀; pv row similar but longer, the longest setae equal to femoral depth, in ♀ continued in apical half as setulae, and in ♀ with the area between av and pv surfaces covered with spinules in basal half; basal half also with a row of short strong a setae, culminating in a strong seta at middle; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with the seta on p surface strong and actually pv in position; with strong d, a, v, pv and short p apicals. Mid tarsosmeres 3–5 with fine setulae on posterior surface that are slightly longer than tarsal depth, otherwise without modifications. Hind coxa with a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 2–3 av setae in apical half, the longest twice as long as femoral depth; pv surface with 3–5 setae in basal half, only one much longer than femoral depth; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad and 1 av; d and ad preapical setae strong and erect; with av and pv apicals. Hind tarsomeres not modified.

Wing. Clear, but ♂ with slight darkening in apical part of cell r1. Tegula and 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 not running straight to wing-margin, very slightly inclined towards vein R4+5 just before wing-tip. Calypters white, margins creamy but margin of lower one dark brown in ♂. Knob of haltere brown.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Syntergite 1+2 and tergites 3–5 not modified in shape; sternites 1–5 without modifications ( Fig. 175 ). Dust on tergites light grey, with dark transverse bands on tergites 3 and 4 only, the band on tergite 4 encroaching on to antero-lateral areas of tergite 5 in ♂ but restricted to middle of tergite in ♀ ( Figs 176–178 ); ♀ sometimes with some weak indefinite dark dust medially on syntergite 1+2 and tergite 5. ♂ 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, often placed close to fore-margin, and 3 (♂) or 2 (♀) pairs of erect marginals. ♂ sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae ( Fig. 175 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without large setae; produced lobe-like ventrally. Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 present as 2 small symmetrical plates, withdrawn beneath sternite 5. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 179 ). Cercal plate divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 180 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via a tiny apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Fig. 181 ): hypandrium with a pair of long finger-like processes at posterior end; praegonite and postgonite present; phallapodeme large, at mid-length joined to hypandrium by a bridge; phallus long, tube-like, simple, juxta large, without spinules, without finger-like processes flanking it at base.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 182–184 ). Tergites 6 and 7 complete; tergite 8 divided dorsally, the two halves displaced laterally. Sternite 6 reduced to 2 small weakly-sclerotised plates; sternite 7 absent or represented by a bristle-dot, suppressed by the edges of the very large tergite 7 which almost meet ventrally; sternite 8 present as two long plates mostly concealed within the membrane between tergite 8 and hypoproct, fused medially beneath the hypoproct, visible in posterior view but otherwise not easily seen. Epiproct V-shaped, with 1 pair of large setae. Hypoproct large, extending posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus unusually broad, plate-like, with a few spines on posterior dorsal edge. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 3.5–4.5 mm (♂), 4.0–5.0 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.0–6.0 mm (♂), 5.5–6.5 mm (♀).

Remarks. Nikita Vikhrev (pers. comm.) drew my attention to the apparent similiarity between this species and L. albicorpus Shinonaga & Kano, 1989 , from the Philippines, with an enlarged basal tarsomere on fore leg and a dark brown margin of lower calypter. However, the Figure 2 of the fore leg in Shinonaga & Kano (1989) is mislabelled and is actually of the hind leg, as is evident from the text of the description. L. albicorpus is actually more similar to L. crinitarsis (see page 76). L. lamellata appears to be more similar to L. siamensis Shinonaga & Kano, 1989 , from Thailand, described in the same paper as L. albicorpus , which also has the margin of lower calypter dark brown. The fore leg of L. siamensis (mislabelled as hind leg in Shinonaga & Kano’s Fig. 5 ) shows a similar basal tarsomere. However, the fore tibia of L. siamensis has a median posterior seta (absent in L. lamellata ) and the abdominal pattern is different from that of L. lamellata .

Biology. Not known.

Distribution. Known from Australia (WA, NT, Q, NSW) and Indonesia (West Papua).

Figures

FIGURE 171. Lispe lamellata sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 172–175. Lispe lamellata sp. nov. 172. ♂ head, lateral view. 173. ♀ palpus. 174. ♂ fore tarsomeres, posterior view. 175. ♂ sternites 1–5. d—dorsal, p—posterior, pv—posteroventral. (172, 174, paratype from Q, Townsville; 173, 175, paratypes from WA, 8 km S of Cape Bertholet.)

FIGURES 176–178. Lispe lamellata sp. nov. 176. ♂ abdomen, dorsal view. 177. ♀ abdomen, dorsal view. 178. ♂ abdomen, lateral view. (176, 178, paratype from NT, West Island, Edward Pellew Group; 177, paratype from NT, Batten Point.)

FIGURES 179–181. Lispe lamellata sp. nov., ♂. 179. Hypopygium, lateral view. 180. Cercal plate, dorsal view. 181. Phallic complex, lateral view. hp—hypandrium, pg—postgonite, pr—praegonite. (Paratype from WA, 8 km S of Cape Bertholet.)

FIGURES 182–184. Lispe lamellata sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 182. Dorsal view. 183. Ventral view. 184. Lateral view. (Paratype from WA, 8 km S of Cape Bertholet.)

FIGURES 2–5. Lispe pygmaea Fallén, ♂ terminalia (Austria). 2. Hypopygium, dorsal view. 3. Syntergosternite 8 and hypopygium, lateral view. 4. Phallic complex, lateral view. 5. phallic complex, ventral view. [All to the same scale.] pphallus, pg—postgonite, ph—phallapodeme, hpc—the point of attachment to the hypandrium (not shown).