Manestella vespera, Winterton, Shaun L. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012

Winterton, Shaun L. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012, New Australian stiletto flies: revision of Manestella Metz and description of Medomega gen. n. (Diptera, Therevidae, Agapophytinae), ZooKeys 240, pp. 1-119 : 18-19

Manestella vespera sp. n. Figs 61626364656667

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Walyunga National Park, 40 km NE Perth, [-31.733, 116.083], 26.xi.1987, M. E. Irwin, E. I. Schlinger (MEI_022811, WAM).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 4 males, 4 females, Walyunga National Park, 40 km NE Perth, [-31.733, 116.083], 26.xi.1987, M. E. Irwin, E. I. Schlinger (MEI_022807, 022810, 022816, 022821, WAM; 022822, 022823, 022833, 022834, CAS); 1 female, Walyunga National Park, 40 km NE Perth, [-32, 115.833], 26-29.x.1987, M. E. Irwin. (MEI_088344, CAS).

Diagnosis.

Wing uniform infuscate; male frontal setae similar size to scape setae, patch not divided medially; male frons protruding in profile, rounded; two rows of postocular setae adjacent to ocellar tubercle in male; femora dark brown; male abdomen with brown pubescence, grey laterally; gonocoxites without ventromedial projection; velutum patch reduced; female frontal markings as broad brown quadrangle, silver along eye margin and brown spot above antennae; ejaculatory apodeme enlarged, distiphallus with ventral bulb.

Description.

Body length= 3.0-3.5 mm (male), 4.0-5.5 mm (female). Head. Frontal pubescence silver with dark brown markings, lower frons protruding above antennal base, rounded, markings as brown medial stripe, suffuse brown laterally (male), or as broad brown quadrangle, silver along eye margin and brown spot above antennae (female); frontal vestiture with dense covering of dark, erect elongate setae in single patch above antennae; male frons width at narrowest point narrower than anterior ocellus but not contiguous; two irregular rows of black postocular setae; occipital pubescence grey, narrow stripe medially; genal setae white, dense and curved anteriorly; antennal scape equal length to flagellum, densely covered with large, dark setae; flagellum brown. Thorax. Scutal pubescence extensively dark brown with light grey dorsocentral stripes, grey anterolaterally; numerous relatively elongate dark setae, denser anteriorly; macrosetae dark; pleuron with silver-grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniformly pale; anepisternum without brown marking dorsally; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae pale; femora dark brown, short dark setae admixed with longer pale setae; tibiae brown, fore and mid tibiae suffuse with dark yellow basally; tarsi brown, basitarsis dark yellow basally; wing uniform dark smoky infuscate; vein M3 complete to wing margin; scutal chaetotaxy (pairs) np, 3; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 5-6; sc, 1. Abdomen. Male abdomen base colour dark brown, grey pubescent laterally, short dark setae dorsally, longer pale setae laterally; terminalia brown. Male genitalia. Gonocoxite without ventromedial process, gonocoxal process relatively long, narrow apically; gonocoxite velutum reduced; ejaculatory apodeme enlarged; distiphallus with ventral bulb.

Comments.

Manestella vespera sp. n. is a western species closely related to Manestella umbrapennis sp. n. This species can be distinguished by the shape of the aedeagus and by the male frontal patch of macrosetae not being divided medially.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin vesper, evening, west; referring to both the brown infuscate wings and western distribution of this species.