Acupalpa semirufa Mann

Shaun L., Winterton, 2011, Revision of the stiletto fly genera Acupalpa Kroeber and Pipinnipons Winterton (Diptera, Therevidae, Agapophytinae) using cybertaxonomic methods, with a key to Australasian genera, ZooKeys 95, pp. 29-79 : 51-52

Acupalpa semirufa Mann Fig. 19

Acupalpa semirufa Mann 1929: 27; Irwin and Lyneborg 1989: 354 [catalogue]; Winterton 2000: 237; Winterton et al. 2001: 210.

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Blackheath, Hardy[not examined-location unknown]. Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: ‘Allotype’ female, Bribie Island, 12.ix.1918, H. Hacker (MEI029439) (QM). New South Wales: 2 females, Sydney, Manly, 20.xi.1923 (MEI108786, 108787) (QM).

Diagnosis.

Frons profile concave above antenna; antenna dark; scutum dark; pleuron black; wing dark banded; femora orange to yellow; tibia yellow, darker distally; abdomen black with segments 2-3 yellow-orange, overlain with silver velutum in male.

Redescription.

Body length= 6.0-9.0 mm. Head. Frons wider than ocellar tubercle, profile transversely concave above antennae, pubescence as silver patches along eye margin, sparse silver-grey dorsally, frontal vestiture as small dark setae, surface texture verrucous; face projecting anteriorly with dark or pale setae; gena with pale setae; parafacial glabrous; mouthparts short (approximately equal to head length), or elongate, projecting anteriorly; palpus brown-black, acuminate; occiput glabrous, glossy black; antennal base raised; antennal length approximately equal to head; scape brown, length shorter than flagellum, scape with pale setae ventrally, shorter dark setae dorsally; flagellum black, base of flagellum with short dark setae. Thorax. Scutum uniform grey-black or light grey to black, setal bases glossy black; scutellum overlain with dense, matt-black pubescence; pleuron black, overlain with sparse silver-grey pubescence; wing markings dark, banded infuscate; haltere knob white, dark basally; coxae black; femora orange or yellow; tibia yellow-orange, darker distally; basitarsi yellow-orange, rest black, fore-basitarsus white distally, 2nd tarsomere basally. Scutal chaetotaxy: np, 4; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 3; sc, 1. Abdomen. Segment 2 in male, or segments 2-3 in female orange with black medial patch, rest of segments black, silver velutum dorsally on tergites (male) or absent (female); terminalia pale.

Comments.

Acupalpa semirufa is a common species in south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. It is similar to Acupalpa divisa and Acupalpa yalgoo sp. n., but can be differentiated easily from the former by the orange leg colour (black in Acupalpa divisa ) and from the latter by the projecting face (rounded in Acupalpa yalgoo sp. n.) and two wing bands (single band in Acupalpa yalgoo sp. n.).