Lispe armata Malloch

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 57-63

Lispe armata Malloch

( Figs 108–120 )

Lispa armata Malloch, 1925a: 335 .

Lispa armata .— Lee, Crust & Sabrosky, 1956: 307.

Lispe armata .— Séguy, 1937: 183; Pont, 1989: 692.

Type-material. The holotype ♀ from Mosman, in ANIC, has been studied in the course of this revision. The tarsomeres on the left fore leg, left mid leg and right hind leg (except tarsomere 1) are missing, otherwise it is in good condition. It is labelled as type by Malloch.

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa, L. armata can be distinguished by the unusual shape of the palpus, which is strongly dilated almost from base ( Fig. 109 ), and, in the ♂ sex, by the dark apical wing-spot and bowed vein R 4+5 ( Fig. 111 ).

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Brisbane, 11.xii.1982, J. Cantrell, 1♀ ( QDPC); Noosa Heads , beach and fore-shore vegetation, 29.xi.1985, D. Bickel & G. Cassis, 1♀ ( AMS) . New South Wales: Careel Bay, Avalon , 25.iv.1967, D.K. McAlpine & G. Holloway, 1♂ 1♀ ( BMNH, AMS) ; Mosman , 2.iv.1923, ♀ holotype ( ANIC) ; North Gonulla , mangroves, 3.iv.1962, 1♂, D.K. McAlpine ( AMS) ; Towra Point, Botany Bay , mangroves, 29.iii.1986, D.J. Bickel, 1♂ 2♀ ( AMS) ; same locality, 21–29.v.1977, J. Grimshaw, 1♂ 4♀ ( QDPC, BMNH) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 108 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.4, at lunula 0.3 (♂) or 0.35 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Ocellar setae fine, especially in ♂. Fronto-orbital plate thinly grey pruinose, subshining above, yellowish-white (♂) or white (♀) below, sometimes tinged with brown in ♀; parafacial and face yellowish-white (♂) or whitish-grey (♀) pruinose, gena and occiput whitish-grey. Both orbital setae very strong, lower one outcurved rather than reclinate ( Fig. 108 ). Frontal triangle in ♂ very broad, silvery pruinose, occupying almost all of frontal vitta and hardly distinct from fronto-orbital plates; in ♀ dusted, narrow as usual and well separated from fronto-orbital plates. Parafacial broad, almost (♂) to quite (♀) as broad as postpedicel; setulae in 1–2 rows. Scape and pedicel yellow in ♂, mainly darkened in ♀; basal 1/4 or less of postpedicel orange-yellow, remainder black; postpedicel 3.1 times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by almost half its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 2.3 times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, surrounded by several erect setulae. Gena narrow in ♂, 0.08 of vertical eye-length; broader in ♀, 0.15 of eye-length; genal setae strong and dense. Palpus yellow, strongly dilated almost from base ( Fig. 109 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum rather unevenly grey dusted, often more brownish in ♀; postpronotal lobe and pleura light grey. Scutum in posterior view wholly dusted except for a broad undusted median vitta that extends from neck to at least level of 2nd post dc, and in ♀ often also with darker dusted lines along dc rows; viewed from in front, scutum dull grey except for a broad white (♂) or dull grey to brown (♀) median vitta running from neck to scutellum; scutellum undusted at tip. Anterior spiracle brown. Acr setulae in 4-5 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+3, all strong. 2 pprn. 1+2 ia, anterior post one fine and weak. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 4 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with 1 short seta in upper anterior corner, very fine in ♂; posterior row with 2 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, arranged in an equilateral triangle. Meron bare below spiracle and above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, sides and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Coxae and trochanters black; femora black, extreme tips (knees) yellow; tibiae black, broadly yellow at base in ♂; in ♂ tarsomeres 2-4 yellow on fore leg and usually reddish on mid and hind legs, otherwise black, all black in ♀. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur ( Fig. 110 ) with a row of short av spinules; pv row complete, the setae much longer than femoral depth and interspersed with shorter setae and, in apical half, with spinules; pd row complete, very long in ♀, in ♂ duplicated after basal third and the more p row stout. Fore tibia ( Fig. 110 ) with 1 strong submedian pv; with strong d, p and pv apical setae, the d placed well before tip of tibia, and a short ad apical. Fore tarsomeres short, without modifications. Mid femur in ♂ in basal half with short av (not as long as femoral depth) and long pv setae, these continued in apical half as rows of short regular setulae; in ♀ with only a row of setulae on av surface, becoming spinulose after basal third, and pv setae shorter than in ♂, continued after basal half as a row of setulae; basal half also with a row of short strong a setae; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 strong pd; with strong d, p, av and pv apicals, and a stronger ad placed well before apex. Mid tarsosmeres without modifications. Hind coxa with a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 2 av setae, one just beyond middle and one before apex, and 2–3 similar setae in basal 1/4 of pv surface; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad and 1 av; d and ad preapical setae strong and erect, the d well before apex; with av and pv apicals. Hind tarsomeres not modified.

Wing. ♂ with a dark cloud at tip from R2+3 to R4+5 ( Fig. 111 ), otherwise clear; rather smoky in ♀. Tegula black, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed below (♂) or slightly apicad (♀) of the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu straight, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein R4+ 5 in ♂ with strong forward bow in apical section ( Fig. 111 ). Vein M running straight to wing-margin. Calypters white. Knob of haltere black.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Syntergite 1+2 and tergites 3–5 not modified in shape; sternites 1–5 without modifications except for sternite 6 of ♂ which has a pair of long curved apical processes ( Figs 114–115 ). Dust on tergites light grey, giving a pattern of dusted vittae and spots on dorsum ( Fig. 112 ), the dark colour extending broadly on to sides of tergites, pale dusting slightly less extensive in ♀ than in ♂, tergite 5 in particular often with dusting reduced but varying in extent ( Fig. 113 , and as in L. gracilitarsis , Figs 126–127 ). ♂ epandrium mainly grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey to brownish-grey. Sternites 1–5 dull grey to brownish-grey dusted, but sternite 5 of ♂ shining. Setae only present on tergite 5, ♂ with 1 pair each of median and lateral discals, often placed close to fore-margin, and 3 pairs of erect marginals, sometimes with an additional pair in ♀. ♂ sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae ( Fig. 114 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; with 1 pair of large setae; produced lobe-like ventrally. Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 large, rather elaborate, symmetrical, withdrawn beneath sternite 5 ( Fig. 114 ). Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 116 ). Cercal plate deeply divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 117 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via an apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Figs 118–119 ): hypandrium with a pair of extremely long curved processes at posterior end; praegonite and postgonite present; phallapodeme long but normal in structure; phallus long, tubular, simple, juxta large, without spinules; basal part flanked on each side by two short finger-like processes.

♀ ovipositor. As in L. gracilitarsis ( Figs 134-136 ), but differing in the following details ( Fig. 120 ): epiproct apparently divided dorsally (but perhaps damaged during dissection), the setae longer and stronger; hypoproct with the spines longer and stronger; cercus with the apical spines short and weak.

Measurements. Wing-length, 3.5–4.0 mm (♂), 4.0– 5.5 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.0– 5.5 mm (♂), 5.0– 6.5 mm (♀).

Biology. Adults have been collected on beaches and among mangroves.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (Q, NSW).

Figures

FIGURE 120. Lispe armata Malloch, ♀. Tip of ovipositor. c—cercus, ep—epiproct, hp—hypoproct, t8—tergite 8. (NSW, Towra Point, Botany Bay.)

FIGURES 108–111. Lispe armata Malloch, ♂. 108. Frons. 109. Palpus. 110. Fore leg, posterior view. 111. Apical half of wing. ad—anterodorsal, d—dorsal, pd—posterodorsal, pv—posteroventral. (109, NSW, Towra Point, Botany Bay; others NSW, Careel Bay.)

FIGURES 112–115. Lispe armata Malloch. 112. ♂ abdomen, dorsal view. 113. ♀ tergite 5, dorsal view. 114. ♂ sternites 3–6. 115. ♂ sternite 6, lateral view. st—sternite. (NSW, Careel Bay.)

FIGURES 116–117. Lispe armata Malloch, ♂. 116. Hypopygium, lateral view. 117. Cercal plate, dorsal view. (NSW, Careel Bay.)

FIGURES 118–119. Lispe armata Malloch, ♂ phallic complex. 118. Lateral view. 119. Ventral view. a—praegonite, bpostgonite, c—hypandrial process. (NSW, Careel Bay.)

FIGURES 125–129. Lispe gracilitarsis sp. nov. 125. ♂ abdomen, dorsal view. 126–127. ♀ tergite 5, dorsal view. 128. ♂ sternites 1–5. 129. Process on ♂ sternite 5, lateral view. (125, paratype from Q, Statton River near Inkerman HS; 126, paratype from Q, Townsville; 127–129, paratype from Q, Norman River.)

FIGURES 134–135. Lispe gracilitarsis sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 134. Ventral view. 135. Dorsal view. ep—epiproct, st—sternite, t—tergite. (Paratype from Q, Townsville.)

FIGURE 136. Lispe gracilitarsis sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor, lateral view. c—cercus, ep—epiproct, hp—hypoproct, st—sternite, t—tergite. (Paratype from Q, Townsville.)