Larrpana bushblitz Lambkin

Lambkin, Christine L. & Bartlett, Justin S., 2011, Bush Blitz aids description of three new species and a new genus of Australian beeflies (Diptera, Bombyliidae, Exoprosopini), ZooKeys 150, pp. 231-280 : 241-244

Larrpana bushblitz Lambkin sp. n. Figs 1D237811

Material examined.

Holotype.Western Australia: ♂, 29.302°S, 116.725°E, Karara, 23.5km ESE Boiada Camp, 356m, 17 Sep 2009, Lambkin, sweeping, 18402, rocky hilltop, hilltopping, PS1714, WAM 82396 (WAM). Condition: Good.

Paratypes. Western Australia: 1♂, same data as holotype, T152479 (QM); 1♂, 29.309°S, 116.731°E, Karara, Forest lookout, 24.4km SE Boiada Camp, 17 Sep 2009, 18405, Lambkin, sweeping, 410m, rocky hilltop, hilltopping, [dissected], PS1894, WAM 82397 (WAM); 1♂, same data Forest lookout, A007534, T152480 (QM).

Diagnosis.

Wing length 14 mm

Medium, dark, densely setose, flies with black, dimidiate wings with five indistinct yellowish spots (Fig. 7A, B); infuscation indented in 1st r2+3; no lobe or medial band; dc infuscated except for rectangular hyaline area at junction of m-cu and m-m. Thoracic collar yellow. Dorsal surface of thorax, scutellum and abdomen covered with long upstanding setae, producing distinct fluffy appearance. T3 with uninterrupted white band of upstanding scales narrowing medially, laterally spanning entire tergite. Alula and squama edged with dense long cream scales; proximal 1/3 of anal cell edged with black scales, longest basally. Male (Fig. 8) E with basal flange very long, broad, extending basally, apically recurved. H large, subquadrate in lateral view, distinctly projecting.

Description.

Male. Head(Fig. 7 A–D). Frons reddish-brown, face red, face and frons with transparent scales, black setae longest below shallow frontal depression. Antenna (Fig. 7C). Scape 2.5 × length of pedicel, red; pedicel red; PP long, 3-4 × length of pedicel, as long as scape and pedicel combined, dark reddish-brown, with reddish pruinescence; BSM dark reddish-brown, 2 × length of pedicel, not expanded apically; ASM minute blunt cone, length less than width of BSM. Narrow band of cream scales at posterior margin of eye medially.

Thorax (Fig. 7A, B). Collar yellow. Very broad distinct laterothoracic stripe of dense long white scales. Scutum black; scales long, reddish-brown, white posteriorly; long dense black setae, longest anteriorly and posteriorly. AN and PN with Ma admixed black and reddish-brown; long, slightly iridescent, reddish-brown scales at base of wing. Pleural hairs black, with reddish-brown iridescence. Scales on APA white. Laterotergite with dark reddish-brown Ma ventrally, white dorsally and red medially. Plumula with dense long white scales and TR with dense long yellow scales. Scutellum dark reddish-brown, black basally; scales black basally, transparent pale-brown medially and posteriorly, posterior scales longest; long dense, black setae. Legs reddish-yellow with black scales. Microchaetae on fore-tarsi curved apically. Pulvilli straight sharp cones, more than 1/3 length of mid- and hind-tarsal claws. Halter knob red with pale whitish apical edge. Wing (Fig. 7A, B). Widened base of C with black scales with pale band posteriorly. Spur-veins present on base of R4 extending into r4 and on apex of m-cu extending into m2 in some specimens; bump at basal bend of m-cu. Wing pattern (Fig. 7A, B) black, dimidiate, broad basal infuscation following R proximal to i-r1 to wing margin in apical 4/5 anal cell; indented in 1st r2+3; no lobe or medial band; dc infuscated except for rectangular hyaline area at junction of m-cu and m-m; apex hyaline. Dark yellowish-brown areas bordering base of CuA1, join of R1 and Rs, r-m continuing onto base of R2+3, and base m-cu; together with prediscoidal opaque area forming indistinct pentagonal pattern of spots within infuscation. Anal and cup infuscated for basal 4/5. Alula and squama edged with dense long cream scales; proximal 1/3 of anal cell edged with black scales, longest basally.

Abdomen. (Fig. 7A, B). Tergites black with red anterolateral areas medially rounded on T2-3 <1/4 width of tergite. Scales dense, black except: T3 with uninterrupted white band of upstanding scales narrowing medially, laterally spanning entire tergite; T1-3 with dense long white upstanding lateral scales; T6-7 with white scales. T1 with Ma white dorsally and laterally, yellow ventrally. T1-3 with long dense white setae laterally, pale brown anteriorly, and black posteromedially; T4-7 with long dense thick black setae. Sternites red with sparse long pale reddish scales, dense long black setae. Genitalia (Fig. 8). Epandrium red with distinct anterolateral flange bearing cluster of long black setae; basal flange very large, long, broad, extending basally and apically upcurved; setae black, loosely grouped anterolaterally; SES very long, linear, broadened basally. Gonocoxae red, strongly narrowed medially; ventral ridge projecting; LAEA deeply convex; GS cupped within G margins, subquadrate base projecting apically; very large recurved rami extending beyond G margins; setae long black, not short apically, dense tufts of long, thickened setae medially, directed basally, very long thin setae continuing laterally; H large, subquadrate in lateral view, distinctly projecting. Epiphallus 1.4 × neck width; with apical margins inturned forming projecting rounded lobes.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology.

This species is named as a noun in apposition after the three-year, multimillion dollar Bush Blitz program that organised and funded the survey on Charles Darwin Reserve, Karara, Lochada and Kadji Kadji Pastoral Leases in Western Australia on which this species was collected. The core focus of the Bush Blitz program is to document the plants and animals in hundreds of properties across Australia’s National Reserve System, and on nature discovery - identifying and describing new species of plants and animals. The Bush Blitz program also funded the survey in western New South Wales and Queensland on which Palirika culgoafloodplainensis sp. n. was collected ( ABRS BB 2009/23887) and funded the description of these three species (ABRS BB TTG209-06).

Distribution.

(Fig. 11). Larrpana bushblitz sp. n. has only been collected from Karara Pastoral Lease, 213 km ESE of Geraldton in Western Australia.

Comments.

On collection, this species appeared similar to the two male specimens of Larrpana zwicki collected only near Windorah ( Lambkin et al. 2003) and phylogenetic analysis (Figs 2-3) indicates a close relationship between the two.