Panops schlingeri, Winterton, Shaun L., 2012

Winterton, Shaun L., 2012, Review of Australasian spider flies (Diptera, Acroceridae) with a revision of Panops Lamarck, ZooKeys 172, pp. 7-75 : 43-46

Panops schlingeri sp. n. Figs 53-55

Type material.

Holotype female, AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: 9 km NE of Mudginbarry H.S. (on scarp), 10.vi.1973, D. H. Colless [-12.310, 132.579] (ANIC).

Paratype.

AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: female, 8 km SSW of Oenpelli Mission 7.vi.1973, J. Cardale [-12.381, 133.024] (ANIC).

Diagnosis.

Eye apilose; proboscis shorter than head height; body metallic green-blue iridescence; antennae orange; parafacial without marginal pile; postpronotal lobe dark yellow; legs dark yellow, femora brown-black with yellow apices.

Description.

Body length: 9.5-11.0 mm (female only). Head with eye apilose; ocellar tubercle relatively flat; medial ocellus present; occiput metallic green-blue, occipital pile white, dense; postocular ridge and gena overlain with grey pubescence; clypeus shorter than oral cavity, brown-black; palpus black; margin of oral cavity (parafacial) glabrous; proboscis not extending beyond oral cavity; flagellum orange; scape and pedicel dark red-yellow. Thorax with postpronotal lobe yellow; scutum metallic green to blue iridescent; scutal vestiture dense white pile; scutellum metallic blue-green; pleuron metallic green to blue iridescent; coxae brown-black with metallic blue iridescence; femora brown-black, apices dark yellow; tibiae dark yellow; tarsi dark yellow; lower calypter white, with dark yellow margin; wing hyaline, venation dark; vein R4 without spur vein. Abdomen shape rounded globose, much larger than thorax, dark with metallic green to blue iridescence, vestiture as dense short pile, longer laterally.

Etymology.

I am honoured to name this species after the world-renowned Acroceridae taxonomist Dr. Evert Irving Schlinger.

Comments.

Panops schlingeri sp. n. is known only from two female specimens collected in the Northern Territory. This species is differentiated easily by the green-blue iridescence on the body and dark yellow postpronotal lobes.