Entesia lurida, Winterton & Irwin, 2023

Winterton, Shaun L. & Irwin, Michael E., 2023, Revision of the South American stiletto fly genera Entesia Oldroyd and Melanothereva Malloch, with the description of a new genus (Therevidae: Agapophytinae), Zootaxa 5269 (1), pp. 1-82 : 26-29

Entesia lurida sp. n.

( Figs 15 ; 16 ; 22C ; 50 )

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1100A2BC-C66F-4E0C-B2C6-299D052CECC2

Diagnosis. Slender, pale greyish-tan and dark brown species; male with single row of postocular macrosetae, macrosetae absent on occiput; male frons almost contiguous below ocellar tubercle; cervical sclerite with macrosetae absent; wing hyaline to slight smoky infuscate; posterior surface of mid coxa and medial furrow of prosternum with setae absent; scutellum with one pair macrosetae; hind femoral subapical anteroventral seta present; distiphallus short and broad.

Description. Body length. 6.0–8.0 mm (male), 7.8–8.5 mm (female). Head. Frons flat, pubescence greyish tan, admixed with short, pale setae, more extensive in female; male frons width at narrowest point narrower than anterior ocellus but eyes not contiguous; postocular setae pale, male with single row, macrosetae absent on occiput, occiput relatively concave, pubescence grey, setae absent medially; genal setae pale; antenna scape shorter than flagellum, slightly thickened, cylindrical, dark yellow with few small pale setae; flagellum brownish orange, darker distally. Thorax. Scutum greyish-tan with brown suffusion, pair of tan dorsocentral vittae along length, scattered short dark setae, macrosetae brown, chaetotaxy: np, 4; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 4; sc, 1; scutellum brownish orange; prosternum without setae in medial furrow; lateral lobe of cervical sclerite lacking macrosetae; pleuron with grey pubescence suffused with orange, admixed with white setae on anepisternum, katepisternum and katatergite; coxae yellow, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae and macrosetae mostly pale, macrosetae few in number, mid- and hind coxa without setae on posterior surfaces; legs yellow with uniform short, dark setae and larger macrosetae, hind femur with a single, subapical anteroventral macroseta; wing hyaline, venation dark, costal margin setae arranged in two rows; haltere stem pale with knob mostly brown. Abdomen. Sternite 1 without medial tuft of setae; abdomen dark brown, yellow posteriorly on all tergites, white along posterior margin of tergites 2–5 in male; male abdomen without silver velutum on tergites, elongate setae pale and longer laterally in male, darker on posterior segments and terminalia; tergite 2 with patch of short modified setae posteromedially; terminalia dark yellow, female abdomen mostly dark brown, posterior margin pale, broader laterally. Male terminalia. Epandrium sub-quadrangular, brown medially; macrosetae dark on epandrium and gonocoxites; outer gonocoxite process well developed, narrow; phallus with dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath subtriangular, distiphallus broad, straight and short; ejaculatory apodeme narrow. Female terminalia. As per genus description.

Etymology. The species epithet is an adjective derived from the Latin, luridus —pale yellow, ghostly; referring to the pale yellowish-tan body colour.

Comments. This is a pale, drab species with brown and yellow colouration and markings. It appears to be at least crepuscular, with individuals active after sunset; the body colouration is similar to many other crepuscular and nocturnal fly species.

Type material— Holotype male, ARGENTINA: Salta Province: 4 km W Cafayate [-26.0758, -66.0055], 1760 m, 1.X.2009, M.E. Irwin, hand netted on east side of boulder on steep sandy hillside just after sun had set ( MCAN).

Paratypes. ARGENTINA: Salta Province: 20 males, 3 females, same data as holotype, 26.IX.2009, 1–5.X.2009, hand netted, Malaise on steep sandy hillside ( MCAN, CSCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Entesia lurida sp. n.: A. Male, oblique view; B. same, lateral view.

FIGURE 16. Entesia lurida sp. n.: A. Female, oblique view; B. same, lateral view.

FIGURE 22. Entesia spp., male terminalia: E. hyalina sp. n.: A. epandrium; B. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, ventral view; E. lurida sp. n.: C. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, ventral view; E. maculicornis (Jaennicke): D. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, dorsal view; E. epandrium; F. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, ventral view; E. notabilis (Macquart): G. epandrium; H. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, ventral view (Scale line: 0.25 mm).

FIGURE 50. Distribution map of Entesia lurida, E. glauca and E. guttata.