Lispe absentiseta, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 173-176

Lispe absentiseta sp. nov.

( Figs 357–362 )

Diagnosis. In the group of species with setulae present on meron below spiracle, L. absentiseta can be recognised by the absence of the 2 p preapical setae on mid femur.

Etymology. The name absentiseta refers to the reduction in the strength of the leg setae and the absence of the 2 p preapical setae on mid femur.

Type Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: West Island (South Islet), Edward Pellew Group , 20.iv.1976, D.H. Colless ( ANIC) . Paratypes 6♂ 4♀. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: same data as holotype , 1♂ & 1♀ ( ANIC). Queensland: Cooktown, Finch Beach , 15.28S, 145.15E, 2.i.1985, G. & A. Daniels , 1♂ 1♀ ( QMBA); Iron Range Nat. Park, Lockhart River , beach, 13.xii.1997, A. Zwick , 2♂ ( QMBA); Miriam Vale District, Eurimbula , sandy pool on beach, 28.iii.1975, D.K. McAlpine , 1♂ 1♀ ( AMS) .

INDONESIA, West Papua (Papua province): Merauke environs, 8.55S 140.43E, 9–15.xii.2014, N.E. Vikhrev, 1♂ 1♀ ( ZMUM) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head (profile almost as in L. cilitibia , Fig. 346 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.43 (♂) or 0.45 (♀), at lunula 0.32 (♂) or 0.38 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate, frontal triangle, parafacial, face, gena and lower half of occiput silvery-white pruinose in ♂, frontal triangle and fronto-orbital plates tinged with yellow in ♀; frontal triangle very broad, frontal vitta almost totally suppressed so that entire frons appears silvery (♂) or yellowish-white (♀). Ocellar setae short and fine. Upper orbital seta short, lower one weak and hardly distinct from the ground-setulae. Parafacial broad, 2/3 (♂) to quite (♀) as broad as postpedicel; wholly bare. Antenna black, pedicel usually orange at tip; postpedicel short, 2.1 times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 0.7–0.8 its length. Arista short-plumose, the hairing at widest point 0.6 times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa short, shorter in ♂ than in ♀, not crossed in ♂ but just crossing in ♀. Gena moderate, 0.22 of vertical eye-length; genal setae rather dense behind, sparse to absent just before vibrissal area. Palpus yellow, abruptly swollen in apical part (as in L. cana , Fig. 335 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum densely dusted; in anterior view light grey, in posterior view grey to light grey and with no pattern of darker or undusted vittae, tinged here and there with yellowish in ♀ especially before suture and at sides; pleura also light grey. Anterior spiracle yellowish. Acr setulae in 6–7 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+4, only the prsc pair strong, the others only twice as long as a ground-setula. 2 pprn, inner seta sometimes weak. 0–1+1 ia, both setae fine and short, the prst seta sometimes absent. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 5–6 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with only a setula 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 with 1–2 conspicuous setulae below spiracle, bare above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, with a few setulae in 1 row descending on to sides, otherwise sides and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, knees and basal 1/4 to 1/3 of all tibiae yellow. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur without av; pv row complete, the setae fine, short and sparse, shorter than femoral depth; pd row complete. Fore tibia with a strong submedian pv seta; with strong d, p and pv apical setae. Fore tarsomeres 2–4 of ♂ rather short, not as long as tarsomere 1, otherwise fore tarsomeres without modifications. Mid femur without av setae; pv surface also without setae but with 1–2 longer setulae near base; a surface without differentiated setae; without p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 submedian p seta; with strong d, a, v, and pv apicals, and a weak p apical. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa bare on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 1–2 short av setae around middle in ♂, without av in ♀, and 2–3 short pv in basal third, several of the setulae on ventral surfaces longer and more erect; ad row complete; d preapical absent. Hind tibia without av or pd setae; ♀ with 1 ad, d and ad preapicals, and av and pv apicals; ♂ with the ground-setulae long and erect, especially on ad, a and av surfaces, the ad seta and the d and ad preapicals fine and not very distinct from these setulae ( Fig. 358 ), the av apical strong but at tip of v and pv surfaces with several fine hair-like setae. Hind tarsus of ♂ ( Figs 358–359 ) with basal tarsomere short, flattened, greatly expanded on posterior side, and with a dense brush of orange setulae along p and all over v surfaces, and with long p setulae also on tarsomeres 2 and 3; without modifications in ♀, though basal tarsomere is rather thickened.

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

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Wholly dusted; in posterior view, the dust light grey or almost whitish, without any dark markings. ♂ epandrium grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey. Sternites 1– 5 grey dusted. Setae only present on tergite 5, with 1 pair of weak lateral discals and 2–3 pairs of marginals, these weaker in ♀.

♂ terminalia ( Fig. 357a ). Not dissected. Cercal plate as in other species of the cana -group. See the notes under Lispe sp.nov. below.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 360–362 ). Relatively short and small. Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 complete; tergite 8 divided dorsally, each half displaced laterally, bare. Sternite 6 reduced to 2 small weakly-sclerotised plates; sternite 7 present as a small plate; sternite 8 absent. Epiproct narrow, divided, with several setae, connected to cercus. Hypoproct large, extended posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus broad, plate-like, without spines. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 3.5–4.5 mm (♂), 4.0 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.0–6.0 mm (♂), 5.5 mm (♀).

Biology. Adults have been collected on beaches.

Distribution. Known from Australia (NT, Q) and Indonesia (West Papua).

Figures

FIGURE 357. Lispe absentiseta sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 358–359. Lispe absentiseta sp. nov., ♂. 358. Hind tibia and tarsomeres, dorsal view. 359. Hind tarsomere 1–2, posterior view. ad—anterodorsal, d—dorsal, pv—posteroventral. (Paratype from NT, West Island.)

FIGURES 360–362. Lispe absentiseta sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 360. Dorsal view. 360 Ventral view. 362. Lateral view. (Paratype from Q, Miriam Vale District.)

FIGURES 346–350. Lispe cilitibia sp. nov., ♂. 346. Head, lateral view. 347. Fore tarsomeres, dorsal view. 348. Mid tibia and tarsomere 1, posterior view. 349. Hind tarsomere 1, dorsal view. 350. Sternites 2–4. (Paratype from V, Marlo.)

FIGURES 334–338. Lispe cana (Walker). 334. ♂ head, lateral view. 335. ♀ palpus. 336. ♂ sternites 1–5. 337. Meron, with posterior spiracle and part of anepimeron and katepisternum. 338. ♂ hind tarsomere 1, with tarsomere 2 and tip of tibia. eanepimeron, d—dorsal, k—katepisternum, m—meron. (334, NSW, Palm Beach; 335, 337, SA, Victor Harbour; 336, SA, Ceduna; 338, NSW, Collaroy.)