Lispe howeana, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 103-108

Lispe howeana sp. nov.

( Figs 210 , 212–221 )

Lispe ? albifacies Malloch. — Pont, 1973b: 189 [misidentification].

Note. In a report on the Muscidae of Lord Howe Island (Pont 1973), I provisionally identified this species as Lispe albifacies Malloch, 1929 , pointing out that the Lord Howe ♂♂ differed from the holotype of L. albifacies from Samoa (in BMNH) by the less swollen hind tarsomere 1. In fact, now that many more species are known in this group and more Samoan material has become available, it is clear that the Lord Howe and the Samoan species are similar but distinct. The Lord Howe Island species is here described as new.

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa and yellow palpus, L. howeana can be recognised in both sexes by the extensive pattern of dark markings on the abdomen ( Fig. 213 ).

Etymology. The species is named after its sole known locality, Lord Howe Island.

Type-Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Lord Howe Island : Salmon Beach, xii.1972, Z. Liepa ( ANIC) . Paratypes 3♂ 7♀. Lord Howe Island : same data as holotype , 2♂ 4♀ ( ANIC) & 1♂ 1♀ ( BMNH) ; 23.xi.1955, S.J. Paramonov & Z. Liepa, 2♀ ( ANIC) .

1♂ 1♀ were collected by Z. Liepa in copula and are still attached to each other, on one pin.

Description ♂ ♀. Head. Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.37 (♂ ♀), at lunula 0.33 (♂ ♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate light grey (♂) to whitish-yellow (♀) pruinose, thinly so above and subshining at vertex; parafacial, face and gena silvery-white pruinose in ♂, more whitish-grey in ♀; occiput whitish-grey. Lower orbital seta short, less than half as long as upper seta. Frontal triangle long and broad, reaching lunula, light grey pruinose, distinctly tinged with yellow or even brownish in ♀. When viewed from below, fronto-orbital plates, frontal vitta and frontal triangle not distinct from each other. Parafacial broad, 2/3 as broad as postpedicel; with a row of short setulae on lower 1/2 to 2/3. Antenna black, only apical edge of pedicel and extreme base of postpedicel orange; postpedicel moderate, 2.6 (♂) or even 3.0 (♀) times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 0.8 its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 1.4–1.6 times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, inserted slightly above mouth-edge, with several strong adjacent setulae. Gena broad, 0.16-0.17 (♂ ♀) of vertical eye-length; genal setae rather strong and dense. Palpus yellow, strongly swollen at tip.

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum when viewed from in front light grey dusted, partly to mainly yellowish tinged; viewed from behind, dull grey with a pair of lighter grey vittae running through dc, becoming broader behind and usually joining in front of scutellum, and a band of similar dust along suture on each side between dc and notopleuron; more weakly indicated areas of darker dust around prst sa, between post ia and sa, and medially before and just after suture. Postpronotal lobe, notopleuron and pleura grey dusted. Scutellum dark brown dusted from all points-of-view. Anterior spiracle grey. Acr setulae in 4–5 irregular rows at suture; with or without a pair of weak prsc setae. Dc 2+3, all strong. 2 pprn, 3 in large ♀♀. 1+1 ia, anterior post seta absent. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, slightly shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 7–8 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with a very short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, lower one closer to posterior than to anterior. Meron bare below spiracle and above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, 1–2 rows descending on to sides, otherwise sides and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, trochanters brown, knees narrowly but conspicuously yellow especially in ♂. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur without av spinules but the setulae arranged very regularly; pv row complete, the setae fine, dense, in basal half longer than femoral depth, interspersed with multiserial v to pv spinules in ♀; pd row complete. Fore tibia without submedian seta; with strong d, pd and pv apical setae, without ad apical. Fore tarsomeres of ♂ rather short, without modifications. Mid femur on av and pv surfaces with rows of short setulae that become more spinulose in apical half, stronger in ♀ than in ♂, and in addition with a few short pv setae in basal half, hardly equal to femoral depth; basal half also with a row of short strong a setae; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 strong p seta; with strong d, a, v, pv and short p apicals, the d apical placed well before apex. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa with a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 1 strong av seta at middle; pv surface with 3-4 setae in basal half, longer than femoral depth, apical half with a series of regular, almost spinulose setulae; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad and 1 short av; d preapical strong, placed well before apex, ad preapical short, slightly longer than tibial diameter; 1 av and 1 pv apical setae, the pv short in ♂. Hind tarsus of ♂ ( Fig. 212 ) with basal tarsomere slightly expanded and with a row of av setulae; without modifications in ♀.

Wing. Clear. Tegula black, basicosta brown. Crossvein r-m placed below the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu weakly sinuous, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wing-margin. Calypters white, margins creamy. Knob of haltere black.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Tergites light grey dusted dorsally, with dark brown matt markings as in Fig. 213 ; in ♂, the sides of syntergite 1+2 and tergites 3–4 light grey like the disc, but tergite 5 with the dark spot continued on to the side and covering the entire tergite here except for extreme ventral part; ♀ pattern as in ♂, but the spots on tergite 5 rectangular and confined to dorsal surface ( Fig. 214 ). ♂ epandrium light grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey to brownish-grey. Sternites 1–5 grey, but sternite 5 of ♂ shining ( Fig. 215 ). Setae only present on tergite 5, with 1 pair of median and 2–3 pairs of lateral discals, and 3 pairs of erect marginals, shorter in ♀ than in ♂. ♂ sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae.

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by a very narrow syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without large setae; produced lobe-like ventrally ( Fig. 216 ). Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 present as a small U-shaped plate, withdrawn beneath sternite 5. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 216 ). Cercal plate divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 217 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via a tiny apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Fig. 218): hypandrium uniting with base of epiphallus; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter long and mucronate; phallapodeme large, at mid-length joined to hypandrium by a small bridge; phallus long, tube-like, simple, juxta large, without spinules, with a pair of long hook-like processes flanking it near base.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 219–221 ). Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 divided medially; tergite 8 divided dorsally, the two halves displaced laterally. Sternite 6 reduced to 2 small plates; sternite 7 represented by a pair of bristle-dots, suppressed by the edges of the very large tergite 7, the ventral limits of tergite 7 not clear; sternite 8 present as two plates mostly concealed within the membrane between tergite 8 and hypoproct, touching medially beneath the hypoproct, not easily seen. Epiproct V-shaped, with 1 pair of large setae and several setulae. Hypoproct large, extending posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus small, plate-like, with spinules and short setae. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 4.0– 4.5 mm (♂), 4.5–5.5 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.5–6.0 mm (♂), 6.0–7.0 mm (♀).

Note. Lispe albifacies Malloch , from Samoa, is extremely similar in external details, but the ♂ hind tarsomere 1 is completely different in form ( Fig. 211 ).

Biology. Not known.

Distribution. Known only from Lord Howe Island.

Figures

FIGURE 210. Lispe howeana sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 211–215. 211. Lispe albifacies Malloch, ♂ male hind tarsomere 1, dorsal view. (Samoa) 212–215. Lispe howeana sp. nov. 212. ♂ male hind tarsomere 1, dorsal view. 213. ♂ abdomen, dorsal view. 214. ♀ tergite 5. 215. ♂ sternite 5. adanterodorsal. (Paratypes from Lord Howe I., Salmon Beach.)

FIGURES 216–217. Lispe howeana sp. nov., Ƌ. 216. Hypopygium, lateral view. 217. Cercal plate, dorsal view. (Paratype from Lord Howe I., Salmon Beach.)

FIGURES 219–221. Lispe howeana sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 219. Dorsal view. 220. Ventral view. 221. Lateral view. (Paratype from Lord Howe I., Salmon Beach.)