Calophytus monteithi, Irwin & Winterton & Metz, 2020

Irwin, Michael E., Winterton, Shaun L. & Metz, Mark A., 2020, New stiletto flies from New Caledonia (Therevidae, Agapophytinae), ZooKeys 984, pp. 83-132 : 83

Calophytus monteithi sp. nov. Figs 7F , 15 , 22 , 32A

Diagnosis.

Body mostly dark yellow to orange; single row of orange postocular setae dorsally; flagellum shorter than scape; wing with pale yellowish infuscation, darker apically with hyaline fenestrations in most cells; head yellow except for black on upper frons and dorsolaterally on occiput; legs yellow except for dark tarsi apically.

Description.

Length: 10.3 mm. Head. Glossy dark yellow, upper frons and dorsolateral portion of occiput dull black. Frons smooth, raised around base of antenna, eyes separated by 3 × width of median ocellus. Lateral occiput, lower frons, face, parafacial, and gena dull orange, sparsely pubescent; lateral and ventral occiput silver pubescent with scattered yellow setae ventrally; posterior oral margin orange, not pubescent. Postocular macrosetae yellow-orange, single row with a few scattered macrosetae ventral to the dorsal row. Scape ¾× head length; orange basally, dark brown on apical 1/4 sparsely yellow pubescent. Pedicel dark brown, sparsely yellow pubescent, with one whorl of short, black, setae with a few additional setae. Basal flagellomere 0.7 × length of scape; gradually tapering to a blunt point apically; short, fine, black setae dorsally at base. Second flagellomere slightly conical, apex narrower than base; <1/10 × length of basal flagellomere. Third flagellomere 1/3 × length of second flagellomere. Style small, spiculate. Palpus cylindrical, apex slightly capitate; orange; yellow pubescent admixed with yellow setae. Mouth parts orange with yellow setae. Thorax. Thorax dark yellow-orange; posterodorsal katepisternum, posterior metepimeron, anteroventral portion of meron, and posterodorsal metakatepisternum silver pubescent; macrosetae black (np: 2, sa: 1, pa: 1, dc: 0, sc: 1); scutum with short, black setae; katatergite, lateral postpronotum, postpronotal lobe, cervical sclerite, proepisternum, and lateral prosternum with short, yellow-white setae. Scutum with dark brown, dorsocentral stripes, narrow anteriorly, widening and merging into a single broad stripe posteriorly. Legs. Yellow except with small black spot ventrally at junction of femora and trochanters; base of hind femur and tibia and all tarsomeres with brown suffusion; legs sparsely yellow pubescent, admixed with short pale setae; dorsal 1/4 of hind coxa silver pubescent; all coxae with short, yellow setae. Forecoxa with two, midcoxa with four, and hind coxa with two yellow, anteroventral, marginal macrosetae. Wing. Membrane mostly hyaline with extensive pale yellow infuscation, most cells with central hyaline fenestration, wing apex with darker infuscation; membrane mostly lacking dark microtrichia, present as apical band, patch at apex of cell d, as elongate narrow stripe in cell br, and along all veins; pterostigma light brown. Cell m3 widely open at wing margin. Haltere stalk yellow, knob brown. Abdomen. Uniform dark yellow to orange, overlain with yellow-gold pubescence and fine pale setae, longer laterally; tergites I-IV with at least some short, black, setae medially. Genitalia. Not dissected.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Dr Geoffrey Monteith, Emeritus Senior Curator, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, who was one of the collectors of one of the two known female specimens of this species.

Comments.

Calophytus monteithi sp. nov. is known only from two female specimens but can readily be distinguished from other species of Calophytus by the body being mostly orange except for the dark dorsocentral stripe posteriorly, dark tarsi distally, and the mostly hyaline wing with faint yellowish infuscation. This species is known from misty rainforest habitats at higher elevations (430-850 m) (Fig. 32A ). The male is unknown.

Specimens examined.

Holotype female, New Caledonia: Province Sud: Col d’Amieu, humid forest, 430 m, 7.X.1984, 21°36'00"S, 165°48'08"E [-21.6, 165.802], Tillier & Bouchet, Collection #116a (MEI030193, MNHN).

Paratype. New Caledonia: Province Nord: 1 female, 8711, 21°11'S, 165°18'E [-21.183, 165.3], 850 m, Aoupinie, top camp, 3-23.X.2001, C. Burwell & G. Monteith, Malaise, rainforest (MEI138464, QM).

Figures

Figure 7. Wings of Calophytus gen. nov. and Jeanchazeauia gen. nov. A C. chazeaui sp. nov. B C. schlingeri sp. nov. C C. grandiosus sp. nov. D C. matilei sp. nov. E C. webbi sp. nov. F C. monteithi sp. nov. G J. amoa sp. nov. H J. nubilosus sp. nov. (female) (figures not to scale).

Figure 15. Calophytus monteithi sp. nov. A adult female (MEI 138464), oblique view B same, lateral view. Body length: 10.3 mm.

Figure 22. Distribution of Calophytus spp. collecting records throughout New Caledonia. Provinces are labelled and ecoregions delineated by colour.

Figure 32. Natural habitats of New Caledonian agapophytine stiletto flies A Mount Aoupinie, rainforest, habitat of C. monteithi sp. nov. B Mount Ningua, rainforest, habitat of J. nubilosus sp. nov. C Mount Mandjelia, habitat of C. grandiosus sp. nov. (photographs by Michael E. Irwin).