Elissoma hespera, 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 : 24-25

Elissoma hespera sp. n.

( Figs 12E–H ; 20 ; 25J ; 28G ; 32G ; 36 )

Zoobank. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C5C266A6-A9B7-4FFA-94AC-861410E14F15

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 short and subequal in length; scutellar spines minute; male postocular ridge strongly carinate.

Description. Body length = 7.0 mm. Head. Frons flat, whitish-yellow, female with elongate light brown marking medially, extending dorsally to black ocellar tubercle; face rounded with brown medial dimple, otherwise whitish-yellow, short, pale setal pile; parafacial light yellow with margin of silver pubescence along eye; ocellar tubercle black with whitish-yellow postocular ridge in both sexes, overlain with sparse, short setae; occiput flat, yellow with brown suffusion medially, covered with fine setal pile; antenna short (length = 1.5 mm), scape and pedicel dark yellow, flagellomeres I–III dark yellow with dark microtrichia, 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: 4.75, flagellomere VIII narrow, not plumose. Thorax. Dark yellow and white with reddish-brown markings on scutum, markings on scutum anteriorly as stripes, irregular posteriorly, anepisternum and katatergite black ventrally, white dorsally; scutellum dark yellow, scutellar spines minute, papillate; coxae and legs yellow, hind femur black basally, hind tibia black distally, hind basitarsus white basally, remaining tarsomeres black; all legs similar in length and shape; haltere white; wing hyaline, venation brown; wing vein M 3 present; pterostigma yellow. Abdomen. Slightly narrowed basally, otherwise ovoid shaped, segment 4 widest and equal to width of scutum; segment 1 with lateral flange well developed; abdomen yellow all tergites with brown suffusion, yellow medially. Male genitalia. Not dissected, but externally epandrium rounded with posteriorly directed processes laterally; gonocoxites relatively elongate and posterolateral processes present (similar in shape to E. hauseri sp. n.); gonostylus subtriangular; phallus relatively elongate. Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Etymology. This species epithet is derived from the Greek hesperus —evening, west, referring to the western Queensland type locality of this species.

Comments. Elissoma hespera sp. n. is similar to E. scapula sp. n., with a strong carinate male postocular ridge, dark setae present on flagellomeres V–VIII, and flagellomeres V–VI much longer than flagellomeres III–IV. The proportions of flagellomeres V–VI relative to the remaining flagellomeres is similar in these two species and not found in other species in the genus. In other Elissoma species flagellomeres V–VIII lack any setae and flagellomeres III–VI are all relatively short and of similar length. The antennae of E. scapula sp. n., E. brunnea and E. hespera sp. n. are relatively short (>3.0 mm), while all other Elissoma have relatively long antennae. Aside from antennal characters, E. hespera sp. n. is distinguished by the relatively short legs, carinate postocular ridge and scutal markings.

Type material— Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Charleville [-26.4012, 146.2372], 15.II.1970, A.L. Dyce & H.A. Standfast, truck trap ( QM).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype ( QM, CSCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. A. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., male, lateral view; B. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., male, oblique view; C. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., female, lateral view; D. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., female, dorsolateral view; E. Elissoma hespera sp. n., female, oblique view; F. Elissoma hespera sp. n., female, lateral view; G. Elissoma hespera sp. n., male, oblique view; H. Elissoma hespera sp. n., male, lateral view.

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

FIGURE 25. Heads of Ampsalis and Elissoma. A. Ampsalis acta sp. n., male; B. Ampsalis acta sp. n., female; C. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n., male; D. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n., female; E. Elissoma australis sp. n., female; F. Elissoma gilva sp. n., female; G. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., male; H. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., female; I. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n., female; J. Elissoma hespera sp. n., male; K. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, male; L. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, female; M. Elissoma minuta sp. n., male; N. Elissoma lauta White, male.

FIGURE 28. Ampsalis and Elissoma scutellums.A. Ampsalis acta sp. n.; B. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n.; C. Elissoma australis sp. n.; D. Elissoma brunnea Hardy; E. Elissoma danielsi sp. n., F. Elissoma gilva sp. n.; G. Elissoma hespera sp. n.; H. Elissoma hauseri sp. n.; I. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n.; J. Elissoma lauta White.

FIGURE 32. Ampsalis and Elissoma abdomens. A. Ampsalis wallacei sp. n., male; B. Elissoma australis sp. n., female; C. Elissoma brunnea Hardy, male; D. Elissoma lauta White, male; E. Elissoma minuta sp. n., male; F. Elissoma gilva sp. n., female; G. Elissoma hespera sp. n., male; H. Elissoma ichneumonoides sp. n., female; I. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., male; J. Lagenosoma clitellum sp. n., female.

FIGURE 36. Distribution of Elissoma species.