Lispe floccosa, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 90-96

Lispe floccosa sp. nov.

( Figs 185–197 )

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa and yellow palpus, Lispe floccosa can be recognised in the ♂ sex by the vestigial vibrissa ( Fig. 186 ), silvery frontal area with reduced frontal vitta, and conformation of basal hind tarsomere ( Figs 187–188 ).

Etymology. The name floccosa is an adjective from the Latin “floccus” = “tuft”, and refers to the tuft of setulae on the hind basitarsus.

Type-Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: South Australia: Ceduna , 24.x.1958, E.F. Riek ( ANIC) . Paratypes 9♂ 5♀. Western Australia: 16 miles SE by S of Carnarvon , 16.x.1970, D.H. Colless , 1♂ ( ANIC); Fremantle , 6.x.1934, K.R. Norris , 1♂ ( MV); Thomas River Estuary, Esperance District , on beach, 5.xi.1977, D.H. Colless , 1♂ ( ANIC); same locality, at light, 7.xi.1977 , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC) & 1♂ ( OUMNH). South Australia: Arno Bay , mangrove, 33.92S 136.57E, 8–9.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev , 3♂ 2♀ ( ZMUM); Ceduna , 24.x.1958, E.F. Riek , 1♂ ( BMNH) & 2♀ ( ANIC) .

Additional material (N.E. Vikhrev, pers. comm.): AUSTRALIA: South Australia: Arno Bay , mangrove, 33.92S 136.57E, 8–9.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev, 9♂ 4♀ ( ZMUM) ; Whyalla , 33.039S 137.559E, 8.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev ( ZMUM) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 186 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.36–0.37, at lunula 0.29 (♂) or 0.33 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate uniformly pruinose in ♂, together with frontal triangle, parafacial, face and gena silvery-white pruinose, face and frontal triangle sometimes tinged with yellow; in ♀ upper half of fronto-orbital plate thinly pruinose above, frontal triangle, face and facial ridges more markedly yellow tinged; frontal triangle very broad, frontal vitta totally suppressed in ♂; from most angles in ♂ fronto-orbital plates and frontal triangle not very sharply separated, in ♀ frontal vitta narrow but distinct; occiput whitish-grey. Lower orbital seta strong, not much shorter than upper seta. Parafacial broad, almost as broad as postpedicel; setulae only present on lower part in ♂, bare only at lunula in ♀. Antenna wholly black; postpedicel short, 2.0 (♂) or 1.8 (♀) times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 1.3 (♂) or 0.9 (♀) its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 1.2 (♂) or 0.8 (♀) times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa very reduced and represented by a setula in ♂, strong in ♀, with few adjacent setulae. Facial ridges broad, with several setulae on lower part which are very fine in ♂. Gena broad, 0.21 (♂) or 0.23 (♀) of vertical eye-length; genal setae sparse anteriorly, dense behind. Palpus yellow, strongly swollen at tip.

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum rather densely dull grey dusted in ♂, lighter in ♀, postpronotal lobe and notopleuron whitish, pleura grey. Viewed from in front, scutum wholly silvery dusted in ♂; in posterior view appearing mostly dull grey dusted except for a whitish band along suture, running from notopleuron to dc, and a pair of whitish post vittae between dc and ia, which join a narrow pale transverse band in front of scutellum; in WA ♀, scutum light grey with brown but ill-defined markings as follows, whether viewed from in front or behind: a broad median line, from neck almost to scutellum; a pair of narrow vittae running through prst and post dc; a small patch around prst ia and sa; a broad post vitta between ia and sa; in SA ♀♀, scutum grey to brownish-grey dusted, with pale markings as in ♂; scutellum wholly grey dusted. Anterior spiracle pale. Acr setulae in 4–5 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+3, all strong. 2 pprn. 1+1 ia, anterior post seta absent. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 8–9 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum without a short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 2 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, except sometimes for knees and sometimes for mid tarsomeres 2 or 3 to 5 in ♂, which are reddish. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur bare on av surface in ♂, with a row of short spinules in ♀; pv row complete, the setae fine, in basal half much longer than femoral depth and interspersed with shorter setulae and, in ♀, with multiserial spinules; pd row complete. Fore tibia without submedian seta; with strong d, pd and pv apical setae, and a short ad apical. Basal fore tarsomere of ♂ rather elongated, as long as tarsomeres 2–5 combined, otherwise fore tarsomeres without modifications. Mid femur with a few short av setae in basal half, all much shorter than femoral depth, these continuing to apex as setulae in ♂ and as short spinules in ♀; pv surface with several setae in basal third, equal to femoral depth in ♂ but much shorter in ♀, continuing to apex as setulae in ♂ and as short spinules in ♀; basal half also with a row of short strong a setae, culminating in a strong seta at middle; 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 4-5 av setae in apical half, the longest equal to femoral depth, and a series of longer setulae in basal half; pv surface with 3-5 setae in basal half, only one much longer than femoral depth, apical half with a series of spinulose setulae in ♀; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad and 1 av, rarely 2 av; ground-setulae on ad surface rather long and erect; in ♂, d preapical relatively short and fine, and the ad preapical placed well before apex, in ♀ these setae strong and in their normal positions; in ♂ apical 1/6 of av to pv surfaces with long fine setulae, apex of av surface with 2 short spinules, and pv apical setae absent; ♀ without these setulae, with 1 av and 1 pv apical setae. Hind tarsus of ♂ ( Figs 187–188 ) with basal tarsomere short, flattened, expanded, pyriform, with some fine and some stiff setulae on av surface, and a brush of setulae along p to pv surfaces; without modifications in ♀.

Wing. Clear; tip narrowly and weakly milky in ♂. Tegula black, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed slightly apicad of the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu straight, 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. Dust on tergites light grey, with very variable dark markings: in WA ♂♂, the tergites without any dark markings dorsally, but with a dark pattern on sides ( Fig. 189 ), this sometimes reduced with the anterior band on tergite 4 absent and the dark patch on tergite 5 broken up into smaller spots; in SA ♂♂ these markings enlarged, and tergites 3 and 4 each with a pair of large ill-defined quadrate dorsal spots that extend on to sides and coalesce with the lateral bands; WA ♀ unmarked dorsally except for a narrow dark band on foremargin of tergite 5, interrupted on median third of tergite; SA ♀♀ with this band enlarged, meeting medially, and tergites 3 and 4 each with a pair of large quadrate spots occupying whole length of tergites and partially coalescing medially. ♂ epandrium grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey to brownish-grey. Sternites 1–5 grey, but sternite 5 of ♂ shining. Setae only present on tergite 5, with 1 pair of median and 2 of lateral discals, often placed close to fore-margin, and 4-5 (♂) or 3 (♀) pairs of erect marginals. ♂ sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae ( Fig. 190 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without large setae; produced lobe-like ventrally ( Fig. 191 ). Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 present as 2 small symmetrical plates, withdrawn beneath sternite 5. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 191 ). Cercal plate divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 192 ). 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. 193 ): hypandrium with a pair of long finger-like processes at posterior end that meet and unite with base of epiphallus; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter long and incurved ( Fig. 194 ); 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 finger-like processes flanking it at base.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 195–197 ). Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 narrowly 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; sternite 8 present as two plates mostly concealed within the membrane between tergite 8 and hypoproct, fused medially beneath the hypoproct, not easily seen. Epiproct V-shaped, with 1 pair of large setae. Hypoproct large, extending posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus small, plate-like, with only a few short setae. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 4.0– 4.5 mm (♂), 4.0–5.0 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.5–6.0 mm (♂), 5.5–6.5 mm (♀).

Biology. Adults were collected on a beach and among mangroves.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (WA, SA).

Figures

FIGURE 185. Lispe floccosa sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 186–190. Lispe floccosa sp. nov., ♂. 186. Head, lateral view. 187. Hind tarsomeres, posterior view. 188. Hind tarsomeres, anterior view. 189. Abdomen, lateral view. 190. Sternites 1–5. ad—anterodorsal, av—anteroventral, d—dorsal, ors—upper orbital, t—tergite, vte—outer vertical, vti—inner vertical. (187, 188, 190, paratype from WA, Thomas River Estuary; 186, 189, paratype from WA, 16 miles SE by S of Carnarvon.)

FIGURES 191–192. Lispe floccosa sp. nov., ♂. 191. Hypopygium, lateral view. 192. Cercal plate, dorsal view. (Paratype from WA, Thomas River Estuary.)

FIGURES 193–194. Lispe floccosa sp. nov., ♂. 193. Phallic complex, lateral view. 194. Postgonite, ventral view. pgpostgonite. (Paratype from WA, Thomas River Estuary.)

FIGURES 195–197. Lispe floccosa sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 195. Dorsal view. 196. Ventral view. 197. Lateral view. (Paratype from SA, Ceduna.)