Medomega gigasathe, 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 : 25

Medomega gigasathe sp. n. Figs 89909192

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 57 km S Norseman, 32°38'S, 121°32'E [-32.633, 121.533], 30.xii.1985, G. & A. Daniels, mv lamp (AMS).

Diagnosis.

Wing white with irregular brown fenestrate mottling; most head and body macrosetae black, coxal macrosetae admixed black and white; scutum dark yellow-tan with dark setal bases; scape yellow; posterior surface of mid coxa without setae; abdomen with silver velutum and numerous white, erect setae; male genitalia greatly enlarged.

Description.

Body length= 7.5 mm (male). Head. Frontal pubescence tan-brown, small dark brown spot adjacent to eye margin, profile flat, small patch of very short, dark setae close to eye margin; male frons width at narrowest point narrower than anterior ocellus but eyes not contiguous; single row of black postocular setae immediately laterad of ocellar tubercle; occiput overlain with grey-tan pubescence; parafacial setae dark, genal setae dark (longer and pale medially); proboscis elongate, extending anteriorly beyond antenna; antennal scape longer than flagellum, black setae dorsally, yellow ventrally and laterally; flagellum orange-yellow, distal portion dark. Thorax. Scutal pubescence grey-tan with setal bases dark brown, scattered short dark setae, longer and paler posteriorly; scutal macrosetae dark; pleuron with silver-grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniform white; anepisternum with grey-brown marking dorsally; coxae yellow, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, mixture of dark and pale setae, mid coxa without setae on posterior surface; femora dark yellow with brown suffusion, apices dark brown, uniform short dark setae; tibiae yellow, dark grey-brown apically; tarsi dark yellow with apices brown (tarsomeres 3-5 brown); wing white translucent, irregularly fenestrate; scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): np, 3; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 3; sc, 1. Abdomen. Male abdomen base colour darkish, obscured by extensive silver velutum on tergites 2-7, admixed with elongate pale setae, denser laterally, terminalia dark yellow (greatly enlarged). Male genitalia. Greatly elongated with epandrium overhanging gonocoxites; gonocoxites fused anteriorly and with large media atrium posteriorly with velutum-covered membrane; gonostylus elongate and irregularly forked apically.

Comments.

Medomega gigasathe sp. n. is known from a single male specimen from Western Australia. The male genitalia are greatly enlarged, which along with the elongate mouthparts, wing markings and male abdominal velutum, are distinctive for this species.

Etymology.

The species epithet is derived from the Greek, gigas giant + sathe penis; referring to the relatively large genitalic capsule of this species.