Manestella cooloola, Winterton, Shaun L. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012

Winterton, Shaun L. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012, New Australian stiletto flies: revision of Manestella Metz and description of Medomega gen. n. (Diptera, Therevidae, Agapophytinae), ZooKeys 240, pp. 1-119 : 9-10

Manestella cooloola sp. n. Figs 45B22232425

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Cooloola Section, Great Sandy National Park [-26.05, 153.06], 6-8.x.2002, J. Skevington (T174963, QM).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 2 males, 1 female, Great Sandy National Park, Cooloola Section, 05.x.1996, S. L. Winterton (CAS) (MEI091005-07); 2 males, 2 females, Great Sandy National Park, Cooloola Section, 01-05.x.1996 [-26.047, 153.075], D. K. Yeates, C. Lambkin, S. L. Winterton (T183043, T183044, T183045, T183046, QM); 1 male, 1 female, Bribie Island, QDPI Fisheries site, heathland-Acacia regrowth [-27.055, 153.193], Malaise trap, S. L. Winterton, N. Power, 12.ix.1997 (CAS).

Diagnosis.

Wing mottled; male frontal setae slightly shorter than scape setae; male frons protruding; single row of postocular setae adjacent to ocellar tubercle in male; femora brown; male abdomen with silver velutum; triangular ventromedial projection present on gonocoxites; female frons with concentric brown spot and crescent above antennae.

Description.

Body length= 2.5-3.5 mm (male), 4.0-5.0 mm (female). Head. Frontal pubescence tan-grey with brown markings, profile with lower frons raised as rounded tubercle around antennal base; lower frontal markings as brown medial stripe and spot above antennal base (male), or brown medial stripe, spot laterally and crescent ventrally (female); frontal setae dark; male frontal vestiture with patch of short setae above antenna, shorter than setae on scape, female frontal vestiture with uniform minute setae; male eyes contiguous above antennae; male postocular setae as single row immediately laterad of ocellar tubercle; postocular setae black; occipital pubescence grey with narrow marking medially; genal setae pale; antennal scape shorter than flagellum, vestiture as numerous large dark setae; flagellum orange-yellow. Thorax. Scutal pubescence grey-tan with brown markings, vestiture as scattered short dark setae (female) or scattered short dark setae, longer and paler posteriorly (male), markings as two dark medial stripes anteriorly joining posteriorly, lateral stripes broken to tessellate; scutal macrosetae dark; pleuron with silver-grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniformly pale or with admixed pale and dark setae; anepisternum with grey-brown marking dorsally; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, coxal setae mostly pale; femora dark grey-brown, apices yellow, vestiture as short dark setae, admixed with longer pale setae; tibiae yellow, dark grey-brown apically; tarsi dark yellow with apices brown; wing mottled infuscate (darker in female); scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): np, 3; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 3-4; sc, 1. Abdomen. Male abdomen base colour brown-black overlain with silver velutum on tergites 2-7, vestiture mostly elongate pale setae, denser laterally; terminalia brown; female abdominal markings with tergites dark brown dorsally, intersegmental membrane distinctly pale, well delineated; grey pubescence posterolaterally on tergites 1-8. Male genitalia. Gonocoxite with triangular ventromedial process distinct (rounded apically), gonocoxite velutum extensive, longer medially; outer gonocoxal process relatively short, triangular, narrowed distally; processes on gonocoxite yellow distally.

Comments.

Manestella cooloola sp. n. is an eastern species found in coastal heath habitats. This species is distinguished by the mottled wing, male gonocoxites with extensive velutum and triangular medial process, and distinctive female frontal pubescence pattern.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is named after the Cooloola section of Great Sandy National Park (Queensland), where this species was collected.