Elissoma scapula, Winterton, 2023

Winterton, Shaun L., 2023, Wasp-mimicking soldier flies of the Australian Region: revision of Ampsalis Walker, Elissoma White and Lagenosoma Brauer (Stratiomyidae: Clitellariinae), Zootaxa 5246 (1), pp. 1-63 : 27

Elissoma scapula sp. n.

( Figs 13G, H ; 19B ; 20 ; 26A, B ; 29A ; 36 )

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Diagnosis. Antennae relatively short, flagellum black, covered with dark setae along flagellomeres VI–VIII, flagellomeres VI and VII each distinctly longer than lengths of flagellomeres IV and V; legs relatively elongate, hind legs longer than rest; male postocular ridge strongly carinate and eyes globose.

Description. Body length = 8.5–9.5 mm. Head. Frons flat, black dorsally, yellow ventrally in male, female with elongate black marking medially, wider ventrally and reaching eye margin, extending dorsally to black ocellar tubercle; face slightly rounded, whitish-yellow with dark medial furrow, short, pale setal pile; parafacial light yellow with margin of silver pubescence along eye; postocular ridge strongly carinate and yellow in both sexes, overlain with sparse, short dark setae; occiput flat, black, covered with fine setal pile (white in male, black in female); antenna (length = 3.0 mm) with scape and pedicel dark yellow with black setae; flagellomeres I–III dark yellow with dark microtrichia, flagellomeres IV–VIII black, flagellomeres VI–VIII black with extensive black adpressed setal pile, flagellomeres VI and VII each distinctly longer than lengths of flagellomeres IV and V, ratio of length of flagellomere VII to VIII is 1: 5.5, flagellomere VIII narrow, not plumose. Thorax. Orange, black on postpronotum, prosternum and ventrally on katepisternum and scutum anteriorly and anterolaterally on notopleuron, whitish dorsally along anepisternum and from wing base to hind coxa; scutum with setal bases slightly darkened; scutellar spines relatively small, equal to 1/10 of scutellum length; coxae and legs orange, hind basitarsus black in distal half, remaining tarsi white; hind tibia and tarsus longer and thicker than other legs; haltere yellow; wing hyaline, venation dark; wing vein M 3 present; pterostigma dark. Abdomen. Abdomen narrowed basally, segment 1 equal to width of scutellum with segment 4 widest and equal to width of scutum; segment 1 with lateral flange well developed; abdomen orange with brown suffusion medially on tergites 2–5. Male genitalia. Not dissected, but externally gonocoxites relatively elongate and with posterolateral processes; gonostylus obscured; phallus relatively elongate. Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Etymology. This species epithet is derived from the Latin scapula —shoulder blade, referring to the black shoulder-like area.

Comments. Elissoma scapula sp. n. is an elongate species with some similarities in appearance to E. hespera sp. n.; both are from Western Australia. All specimens of this species were reared from under bark. The scutal colour and markings are distinctive for this species, as well as the strongly carinate male postocular ridge, globose eyes in both sexes, elongate hind legs and entirely black flagellum.

Type material— Holotype female, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Welshpool, Perth [-32.0027, 115.9638], [reared] larva under loose bark of Banksia (ANIC) .

Paratype. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype ( ANIC, CSCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 13. A. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n., female, lateral view; B. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n., female, oblique view; C. Elissoma lauta White, male, lateral view; D. Elissoma lauta, male, dorsal view; E. Elissoma minuta sp. n., male, lateral view; F. Elissoma minuta sp. n., male, oblique view; G. Elissoma scapula sp. n., male, lateral view; H. Elissoma scapula sp. n., male, oblique view.

FIGURE 19. Antennae. A. Elissoma brunnea Hardy; B. Elissoma scapula sp. n.; C. Lagenosoma pictum Brauer; D. Eudmeta marginata Wiedemann.

FIGURE 20. Stylised illustrations of the antenna of Eudmeta, Ampsalis, Elissoma and Lagenosoma.

FIGURE 26. Heads of Elissoma and Lagenosoma. A. Elissoma scapula sp. n., male; B. Elissoma scapula sp. n., female; C. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., male; D. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., female; E. Lagenosoma danielsorum sp. n., male; F. Lagenosoma danielsorum sp. n., female; G. Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n., male; H. Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n., female (pale form); I. Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n., female (dark form); J. Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n., female (intermediate form); K. Lagenosoma dispar Brauer, male; L. Lagenosoma dispar Brauer, female.

FIGURE 29. Elissoma and Lagenosoma scutellums. A. Elissoma scapula sp. n., male; B. Elissoma minuta sp. n., male; C. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., male; D. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., female; E. Lagenosoma danielsorum sp. n., male; F. Lagenosoma danielsorum sp. n., female; G. Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n., male; H. Lagenosoma dimorphum sp. n., female; I. Lagenosoma dispar Brauer, male; J. Lagenosoma dispar Brauer, female.

FIGURE 36. Distribution of Elissoma species.