Psilota coerulea Macquart, 1846: 268
Merodon muscaeformis Walker, 1852: 244
Revision of the Psilota Meigen, 1822 flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Australia
Young, Andrew D.
Skevington, Jeffrey H.
Steenis, Wouter Van
Zootaxa
2020
2020-02-17
4737
1
1
127
4PJPN
Macquart, 1846
Macquart. A
1846
[151,552,1336,1363]
Insecta
Syrphidae
Psilota
Animalia
Diptera
40
41
Arthropoda
species
coerulea
Psilota coerulea Macquart, 1846: 268. Typelocality: Tasmania, Australia Merodon muscaeformis Walker, 1852: 244. Typelocality: Tasmania, Australia
Diagnosis:Metallic blue species with frons pale pilose, pleuron shiny and black pilose. Hind femur with a distinct rounded apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia simple. Calypter entirely brown. Tergite 4 white pilose. Body Length: 9.4–14.0 mm.
Description: MALE: Head:Head black, face densely pale pollinose. Face and frons yellow pilose, vertex black pilose. Antenna usually entirely orange, rarely dull brown dorsally on postpedicel. Eye densely yellow pilose. Thorax:Thorax dark, metallic blue. Legs mostly dark brown, with apices of femora, and entire fore and mid tibia sometimes pale brown/orange. Hind femur with a distinct rounded apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia simple, with no basoventral spur. Pleuron shining, pollinosity free. Pile on pleuron, scutum, and scutellum entirely black. Wing colourless, with cells c, r, bm, cua, and the anal lobe mostly bare. Cells r 4+5, r 2+3, and dm with bare areas basally. Alula completely microtrichose. Halter dark brown. Calypter pale brown to dark brown, always with a dark brown border. Abdomen:Abdomen metallic bluish-green. Tergites 2 and 3 with white pile on basal half and black pile on apical half, tergite 4 entirely white pilose. Sternites shining, white pilose. Genitalia:Epandrium compact, about as long as tall. Cercus approximately triangular. Outer lobe of surstylus inserted just above mid-height of inner lobe, curved downwards sharply at one-third its length. Inner lobe of surstylus strongly projected ventrally at base forming a triangular plate, slightly contricted at midlength, then broadening slightly towards a rounded apex. Phallapodeme with a small ventral projection. Gonostylus thick, darkened. FIGURE 16. P. coeruleaMacquart. A) male dorsal habitus, B) male anterolateral face, C) male lateral habitus. Scale bar =1 mm. FEMALE:Identical except for normal sexual dimorphism. Specimens examined: LECTOTYPE: AUSTRALIA( Psilota coerulea): Tasmania: Bearslabels reading “ HOLOTYPE”, “MNHN, Paris ED9367”, “13 44”, “ Psilota coerulea n. sp.Macq.”. ( 1♀, MNHN, photograph). Bears label “Type” [green circular label], “Muscae,” “VDL,” and “ Merodon/ muscaeformis / Wlk” [in E. E. Austen’shandwriting], J. Skevington Specimen_45634, ( 1♀BMNH, photograph). Other material: Australian Capital Territory: Black Mountain, -35.273675 149.097583, 25.ii.1957, I.F.B. Common, light trap, ANIC29034817( 1♀, ANIC); Mount Ainslie, -35.266667 149.166667, 28.xi.1996, C.J. Burwell, QM_ REG._NO._T223174 ( 1♂, QM); New South Wales: 24 kmW South Grafton, -29.616667 152.733333, 19.ix.1981; 8.ix.1983; 3.x.1985; 26.ix.1986; 29.ix.1986; 29.ix.1989, R. Eastwood, GDCBReg_19565; GDCBReg_19667-19668; GDCBReg_19694-19695; GDCBReg_19697; GDCBReg_19774; UQIC_ Reg94590; UQIC_ Reg94707 ( 9♂♂, GDCB, QM); Congo, - 35.959786 150.135839, 3.x.1981, M.S. Upton, ANIC29034820( 1♀, ANIC); Gosford, -33.426686 151.341658, x.1924, ANIC29034815( 1♀, ANIC); Jenolan Caves, -33.819039 150.022917, 609m, ANIC29034458( 1♀, ANIC); Katoomba, -33.713133 150.313267, 18.ii.1954, AustralianMuseumK410150 ( 1♀, AM); Mount Tomah, Blue Mountains, -33.549614 150.416033, 29.ix.1977; 18.x.1980, N.W. Rodd, AustralianMuseumK407026; AustralianMuseumK410291 ( 1♂, 1♀, AM); Narrabeen, -33.719683 151.297125, 16.ix.1934, D. F.W., ANIC29034814( 1♂, ANIC); Sydney, -33.926375 151.125936, 1925, Dateis ambiguous reads ”2.1.25”, ANIC29034818( 1♀, ANIC); Queensland: Carnarvon N.P., Summit Of“Fly Hill”, near West Branch Camp, -24.974167 147.992778, 900m, 12.x.2002, J. Skevington; J.E. O’Hara, CNC_ Diptera254989-254990; CNC_ Diptera254994-254997 ( 5♂♂, CNC); Kenniff’s Lookout, Mt Moffattsect., Carnarvon Nat Pk, -25.165167 147.840419, 25.ix.1986, D.K. Yeates, UQIC_ Reg94661 ( 1♂, QM); Kuranda, -16.816878 145.633497, ANIC29034453( 1♀, ANIC); Mount MoffatNa- tional Park, Mount Ruggedsummit, -24.900000 148.000000, 1130m, 24.xi.1995, C.J. Burwell, QM_ REG._NO._ T223173 ( 1♂, QM); Mount Moffatt, Mt Moffattsect., Carnarvon Nat. Pk., -25.165167 147.840419, 26.ix.1986, D.K. Yeates, UQIC_ Reg94660 ( 1♂, QM); Mount Tamborine, -27.923058 153.171667, 1923, W.H. Davidson, QM_ REG._NO._T223175 ( 1♀, QM); Near Rosedale, -24.631128 151.913664, 27.x.1974, H. Frauca, ANIC29034916( 1♂, ANIC); Tasmania: Mole Creek, -41.558628 146.404517, 4.ii.1910, ANIC29034457( 1♀, ANIC); MountWil- liam National Park, Summit of Mount William, -40.909722 148.186389, 23.xii.1998, J. & A. Skevington, UQIC_ Reg94553-94554 ( 2♂♂, QM); Swansea, -42.134133 148.058614, Lea, ANIC29034808; ANIC29034816( 2♀♀, ANIC); Victoria: Beaconfield, -38.048778 145.371733, A.M. Wade, ANIC29034821( 1♀, ANIC); Broadwater National Park, -29.050325 153.427539, 6.ix.1981, D. Yeates, U.Q.I.C. Loan#1036, UQIC_ Reg94582 ( 1♂, QM).
Discussion: Lectotypefemale in MNHN and labeled: “ HOLOTYPE” [red label], “13 /44” [circular label], “MNHN, Paris/ ED9367,” and “ Psilota/ coerulea / n. sp.Macq.” Only a fragment remains in a microvial, along with a badly dermestid eaten remnant on the pin. The original species description of Psilota coeruleadoes not list a holotypeor syntypeseries but appears to be based on a female specimen described as “De le Tasmanie. Muséum.”. A specimen in the Paris Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle bears labels reading “ HOLOTYPE” [red label], “13 /44” [circular label], “MNHN, Paris/ ED9367,” and “ Psilota/ coerulea / n. sp.Macq.”, and appears to be the specimen that Macquart originally described. This specimen is herewith designated lectotypeand has so been labeled. The specimen has been badly eaten by dermestids, with only parts of the thorax and a fragment in a genitalia vial remaining. Likewise, the original description of Merodon muscaeformisis based on a female in BMNH and labeled “Type” [green circular label], “Muscae,” “VDL [Van Dieman’s Land]” and “ Merodon/ muscaeformis / Wlk” [in E. E. Austen’s handwriting]. This specimen is herewith designated lectotypeand has been so labeled.
2565887924
MNHN
E. E. Austen's & J. Skevington Specimen
Australia
Bears
42
43
2
2
Tasmania
lectotype
2565883894
1957-02-25
light trap
ANIC
I. F. B. Common
-35.273674
Black Mountain
1
149.09758
42
43
ANIC29034817
1
1
Australian Capital Territory
2565887963
[246,1052,368,395]
1996-11-28
QM
C. J. Burwell
Australia
-35.266666
Mount Ainslie
1
149.16667
42
43
1
Tasmania
2571544657
[1066,1432,369,395]
QM
Australia
42
43
1
1
2571544718
1985-10-03
GDCB
Eastwood & Reg & Reg
Australia
-29.616667
152.73334
42
43
9
9
New South Wales
2571544661
1981-10-03
ANIC
M.S. Upton
Australia
-35.959785
150.13583
42
43
ANIC29034820
1
1
New South Wales
2565887938
1924-10
ANIC
Australia
-33.426685
Gosford
1
151.34166
42
43
ANIC29034815
1
1
New South Wales
2565887949
ANIC
Australia
609
-33.81904
Jenolan Caves
1
150.02292
42
43
ANIC29034458
1
1
New South Wales
2571544704
[248,1251,584,611]
1954-02-18
AM
Australia
-33.713135
150.31326
42
43
1
1
2571544668
1980-10-18
AM
N.W. Rodd
Australia
-33.549614
150.41603
42
43
2
1
1
2571544652
1934-09-16
ANIC
F.W.
Australia
-33.719685
151.29712
42
43
ANIC29034814
1
1
2565888001
ANIC
Date
Australia
-33.926376
Sydney
1
151.12593
42
43
ANIC29034818
1
1
New South Wales
2565888032
2002-10-12
CNC
Carnarvon N. P. & Summit Of & J. Skevington & O'Hara
Australia
900
-24.974167
West Branch Camp
1
147.99278
42
43
1
Queensland
2571544654
1986-09-25
CNC
D.K. Yeates & Reg
Australia
-25.165167
147.84042
42
43
5
5
2571544674
[488,1213,836,863]
ANIC
Australia
-16.816877
145.6335
42
43
ANIC29034453
1
1
2565888010
1995-11-24
QM
C. J. Burwell
Australia
Mount Moffat
1130
-24.9
Mount Rugged
1
148.0
Park
42
43
1
Queensland
2571544651
1986-09-26
QM
D.K. Yeates & Reg
Australia
-25.165167
147.84042
42
43
1
1
2571544667
[628,1422,944,971]
QM
W.H. Davidson
Australia
-27.923058
153.17166
42
43
2565888035
1974-10-27
QM, ANIC
H. Frauca
Australia
-24.631128
Near Rosedale
1
151.91367
42
43
ANIC29034916
2
1
1
Queensland
2565887903
[300,1294,1016,1043]
1910-02-04
ANIC
Australia
-41.558628
Mole Creek
1
146.40451
42
43
ANIC29034457
1
1
Tasmania
2571544659
1998-12-23
QM
J. & A. Skevington & Reg
Australia
-40.90972
148.18639
42
43
2
2
2571544656
ANIC
Lea
Australia
-42.134132
148.05861
42
43
ANIC29034808, ANIC29034816
2
2
2565887905
[248,1290,1124,1151]
ANIC
A. M. Wade
Australia
-38.04878
Beaconfield
1
145.37173
42
43
ANIC29034821
1
1
Victoria
2565887958
1981-09-06
QM
D. Yeates & U. Q. I. C. Loan & Reg
Australia
-29.050325
Broadwater National Park
1
153.42754
42
43
1
1
Victoria