Lispe affinis, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 205-209

Lispe affinis sp. nov.

( Figs 421–431 )

Diagnosis. The presence of 2+3 strong subequal dc setae will distinguish L. affinis from other species without a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa and with no setulae on the meron below spiracle, except for L. pygmoza from which it differs by the mainly dark tibiae and the other characters given in the key (page 17).

Etymology. The species name alludes to the similarity between this species and L. pygmoza (Latin “affinis” = “neighbouring”).

Material examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 8 km S of Cape Bertholet, West Kimberley , mud flats, 18.iv.1977, D.H. Colless ( ANIC) . Paratypes 3♂ 1♀. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 4 km SSW of Cape Bertholet, West Kimberley , at light, 19.iv.1977, D.H. Colless , 1♀ ( ANIC) ; 4 km SSE of Dampier , 20.42S, 116.43E, 20.iv.1971, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton , 3♂ (2 ANIC & 1 BMNH) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 422 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.47, at lunula 0.33–0.34, of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate silvery pruinose, tinged with yellow, especially above; parafacial, face, gena and most of occiput silvery pruinose. Frontal triangle narrow, yellowish- to brownish-grey (♂) or grey (♀). Parafacial broad, but not quite as broad as postpedicel, the setulae short and absent on middle part. Antenna black, except tip of pedicel and base of postpedicel which are conspicuously orange; postpedicel 2.5 times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 0.75 its length. Arista long-plumose, the hairing at widest point 2.7 times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, with few adjacent setulae. Gena narrow, 0.14 (♂) to 0.17 (♀) of vertical eye-length; genal setae weak. Palpus yellow, moderately swollen in apical part ( Fig. 423 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum densely yellowish-grey dusted, without dark markings except in ♂ for a pair of narrow weak lines connecting the post dc setae and between them with a weakly indicated median brown line running a short distance from suture towards scutellum, these markings reduced and virtually absent in ♀. Postpronotal lobe and pleura grey dusted. Anterior spiracle yellowish. Acr setulae in 4 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+3, all well-developed and subequal. 2 pprn. 1+1–2 ia, anterior post seta short, sometimes absent. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, equal to the strong proepisternal, with 3 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with 1 short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, lower one closer to posterior seta than to anterior. Meron entirely bare. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, with only 2-3 setulae on sides; ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, only knees and basal 1/4 of tibiae yellow. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur bare on av surface; pv row complete, the setae little longer than femoral depth; pd row complete, strong. Fore tibia without submedian setae; with d, p and pv apical setae. Fore tarsomeres without modifications. Mid femur without any setae on av or pv surfaces; 1 a at middle, preceded by a row of shorter setae; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 submedian p seta; with strong ad, pd, a, av and pv apicals. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa without a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 4 (♂) or 2 (♀) short fine pv setae in basal half, not equal to femoral depth; av surface in ♂ with a few short setae, only half femoral depth, and a stronger preapical, in ♀ with only setulae on this surface and no preapical; ad row complete; 1 pd preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad; d and ad preapical setae strong; with av and pv apicals. Hind tarsomeres not modified.

Wing. Clear. Tegula orange, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed below or slightly apicad of the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu almost straight, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wing-margin. Calypters white, with creamy margins. Haltere yellow, knob darkened.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Dust on tergites grey. Tergites in ♂ each with a pair of dark brown spots ( Fig. 424 ), those on syntergite 1+2 weakly marked or absent, those on tergites 3 and 4 large and triangular, those on tergite 5 small and on hind-margin, the spots restricted to dorsal surface, lateral surfaces of tergites grey; in ♀ these markings reduced, syntergite 1+2 without spots, and tergites 3 and 4 with the triangular spots smaller and weaker. ♂ epandrium mainly grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey. Sternites 1–5 grey dusted. Setae weak, and only tergite 5 with strong setae: 2 pairs of discals and 2–3 pairs of marginals. ♂ sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae ( Fig. 425 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles. Tergite 6 absent; sternite 6 present as a pair of subtriangular plates. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 426 ). Cercal plate deeply divided dorsally ( Fig. 427 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via a minute praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Fig. 428 ): hypandrium short and broad, closed ring-like posteriorly over base of postgonite and phallapodeme; praegonite tiny, postgonite long and curved; phallapodeme connected medially to hypandrium by a bridge, and forked posteriorly to meet base of postgonites; phallus cylindrical, short, simple, strongly sclerotised, juxta small and without spinules; basal part with a pair of rod-like processes.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 429–431 ). Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 with the two halves touching medially; tergite 8 divided dorsally, each half displaced laterally. Sternite 6 represented by a pair of bristle-dots; sternite 7 absent or absorbed into the ventral part of tergite 7; sternite 8 present as 2 plates. Epiproct V-shaped, with 1 long and several short setae, connected to the cercus. Hypoproct large, extended posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus large, plate-shaped, with 1 weak spine at apex. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 3.0– 3.5 mm (♂), 3.5 mm (♀). Body-length, 4.5–5.0 mm (♂), 5.0 mm (♀).

Biology. Not known.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (WA).

Figures

FIGURE 421. Lispe affinis sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 422–424. Lispe affinis sp. nov. 422. ♂ head, lateral view. 423. ♀ palpus. 424. ♂ abdomen, dorsal view. (422, 424, paratype from WA, 8 km S of Cape Bertholet; 423, paratype from 4 km SSW of Cape Bertholet.)

FIGURES 425–428. Lispe affinis sp. nov., ♂. 425. Sternites 1–5. 426. Hypopygium, lateral view. 427. Cercal plate, dorsal view. 428. Phallic complex, lateral view. (Paratype from WA, 4 km SSE of Dampier.)

FIGURES 429–431. Lispe affinis sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 429. Dorsal view. 430 Ventral view. 431. Lateral view. (Paratype from WA, 4 km SSW of Cape Bertholet.)