Manestella umbrapennis, 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 : 16-17

Manestella umbrapennis sp. n. Figs 565758

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 3 km S Dawesville, at Tim’s Thicket Road, [-32.633, 115.633], 25.x.1987, M. E. Irwin, white sand plain (MEI_022865, WAM).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 2 males, 3 km S Dawesville, at Tim’s Thicket Road, [-32.633, 115.633], 25.x.1987, M. E. Irwin, white sand plain (MEI_022864, 022866, WAM); 2 males, Kalbarri, Gabba Gabba Gully, [-27.667, 114.167], 17.ix.1981, 19.ix.1981, L. P. Kelsey, on heath (MEI_022869, 022870, ANIC); 3 males, Kalbarri, Shore Road, [-27.717, 114.167], 21.ix.1981, L. P. Kelsey; heath/dunes (MEI_022872, 022874, 022881, ANIC).

Diagnosis.

Wing largely uniform infuscate; male frontal setae similar size to scape setae, patch divided medially; male frons protruding in profile; two rows of postocular setae adjacent to ocellar tubercle in male; femora dark brown; male abdomen with brown pubescence, grey laterally; gonocoxites without ventromedial projection or velutum patch.

Description.

Body length= 3.0-3.5 mm (male). Head. Frontal pubescence silver and dark brown, lower frons protruding around antennal base, markings as brown medial stripe, suffuse brown laterally; frontal vestiture with dense covering of dark, erect elongate setae, narrowly divided medially into two patches above antennae; male frons width at narrowest point narrower than anterior ocellus but not contiguous; two rows of black postocular setae; occipital pubescence grey, narrow triangular marking medially; genal setae white, elongate, dense and curved anteriorly; antennal scape equal length to flagellum, densely covered with large, dark setae; flagellum brown. Thorax. Scutal pubescence extensively dark brown with light grey dorsocentral stripes and narrow medial stripe, mottled grey anterolaterally; numerous elongate dark setae, denser anteriorly; macrosetae dark, relatively elongate; pleuron with silver-grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniformly pale; anepisternum with brown marking dorsally; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae mostly pale; femora dark brown, short dark setae admixed with longer pale setae; tibiae dark yellow to brown, darker brown apically; tarsi brown, basitarsis dark yellow basally; wing largely uniform smoky infuscate with very faint fenestration centrally; vein M3 complete to wing margin; scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): np, 3; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 6; sc, 1. Abdomen. Male abdomen base col our dark brown, grey pubescent laterally, short dark setae dorsally, longer pale setae laterally; intersegmental membranes distinctly pale; terminalia brown. Male genitalia. Gonocoxite without triangular ventromedial process, outer gonocoxal process very short, truncated, gonocoxite velutum patch not present; ejaculatory apodeme narrow.

Comments.

The female is unknown for Manestella umbrapennis sp. n. This western species is closely related to Manestella vespera sp. n. based on the largely uniformly infuscate wing and protruding male frons with large macrosetae, and absence of ventromedial triangular process or velutum patch on the gonocoxite. This species can be distinguished by the male frontal macrosetae patch being divided medially, and by the shape of the aedeagus.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin umbra, shadow and penna, wing; referring to the brown infuscate wings.