Lispe caespitosa, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 135-138

Lispe caespitosa sp. nov.

( Figs 284–294 )

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa, the male of L. caespitosa can be recognised by its dark palpus and the conformation of hind tibia and tarsomeres ( Fig. 287 ).

Etymology. This name is from the Latin “caespes” (“turf”) and refers to the tufted armature at the tip of the male hind tibia and tarsomere 1 ( Fig. 287 ).

Material examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: South Australia: Arno Bay , mangrove, 33.92S 136.57E, 8– 9.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev ( ANIC) . Paratypes 5♂ 5♀. AUSTRALIA: data as for the holotype , 3♂ 5♀ ( ZMUM). Victoria: Lake Tyrrell , 21.xi.1975, K.R. Norris , 1♂ ( ANIC); Pink Lakes , 73 km W of Ouyen, 13.x.1975, Z. Liepa , 1♂ ( ANIC) .

Dr N.E. Vikhrev has kindly presented the holotype of this Australian species to the ANIC.

Additional material (N.E. Vikhrev, pers. comm.): AUSTRALIA: South Australia, Arno Bay , mangrove, 33.92S 136.57E, 8–9.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev, 13♂ 14♀ ( ZMUM) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 285 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.34 (♂) or 0.30 (♀), at lunula 0.27, of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate uniformly pruinose, together with parafacial, face, gena and most of occiput silvery-white pruinose, more yellow in ♀ except for occiput, face and facial ridges tinged with yellow, and a distinct brown spot at lunula; frontal triangle yellowish- to brownish-grey, very broad, much of frontal vitta suppressed. Lower orbital seta short. Parafacial narrow, half as broad as postpedicel; entirely setulose. Antenna black; postpedicel short, 2.0 times (♂) or 2.7 times (♀) as long as broad, falling short of mouthmargin by its length (♂) or slightly less than this (♀). Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point twice width of postpedicel. Vibrissa short. Gena broad, 0.18 of vertical eye-length; genal setae strong and dense. Palpus brown, stalk yellow, strongly swollen at tip ( Fig. 286 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum rather densely grey dusted; postpronotal lobe, notopleuron and pleura very light grey; scutellum entirely brown dusted. Viewed from behind, scutum thinly and irregularly grey dusted, with a broad dark brown patch occupying the whole area between dc, from neck to 1st post dc, this dark area with a pair of paler dusted narrow paramedian vittae (♂) or with a single broad median pale vitta (♀). Anterior spiracle yellowish. Acr in 4–5 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+3. 2 pprn. 1+1 ia. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, slightly shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 4 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with a very short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, lower one closer to posterior than to anterior. Meron bare below spiracle and above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, 2 irregular rows descending on to sides, otherwise sides and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, except for reddish knees. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur with a row of short spinules on av surface; pv row complete, the setae long and fine, longer than femoral depth, interspersed with multiserial v to pv spinules; pd row complete. Fore tibia without submedian seta; with d, pd and pv apical setae, and also with a distinct ad apical. Fore tarsomeres rather short, without modifications. Mid femur with only short setulae on av surface; on pv surface with fine setae in basal half and thereafter only with short setulae; basal half also with a row of short strong a setae, culminating in a strong seta at middle, these all much weaker in ♂ than in ♀; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 strong p seta; with strong ad, av, v, pv and p apicals, the p short, the ad apical a little before apex. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa with a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur setulose on av surface, and 1 fine seta at middle in ♂ and another before apex; pv surface with 4–5 long fine setae in basal half, otherwise only with setulae; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia of ♂ with 1 ad, with the ground-setulae on this surface long and erect; 1–2 av seta; tibia at and just before apex with numerous long fine setae and setulae on all surfaces, and thus with no distinct apical setae ( Fig. 287 ); in ♀ with 1 ad and with d and ad preapicals, all three very strong, 1 av, and av and pv apical setae. Hind tarsus of ♂ with basal tarsomere slightly swollen at tip of pv surface and there covered with a short brush of setulae ( Fig. 287 ); without modifications in ♀.

Wing. Clear. Tegula black, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed below the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu weakly sinuous, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wing-margin. Calypters white, margins yellow. Knob of haltere black.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Tergites light grey dusted, with a pair of small poorly defined spots on tergite 3 in ♂, these spots larger and more semi-circular in ♀, and a broad black central spot on tergite 4 that runs down on to sides of tergite and encroaches broadly on tergite 5 ( Figs 288–289 ). ♂ epandrium grey dusted. ♀ ovipositorwith the exposed tergites grey dusted. Sternites 1–5 grey dusted, sternite 5 of ♂ shining. Setae only present on tergite 5, with 2 pairs of median and 2 of lateral discals (♂) or 2–3 pairs of discals (♀), and 4–5 (♂) or 2 (♀) pairs of erect marginals. Sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae ( Fig. 290 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without large setae; weakly produced lobe-like ventrally ( Fig. 291 ). Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 present as a small plate, withdrawn beneath sternite 5 and connected to it by a pair of broad outgrowths from the sternite. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 291 ). Cercal plate divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 292 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via a tiny apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Figs 293–294 ): hypandrium with a pair of processes at posterior end that meet and unite with base of epiphallus; praegonite and postgonite present, the postgonite curved outwards ( Fig. 294 ); phallapodeme large, at mid-length joined to hypandrium by a small bridge; phallus long, tube-like, simple, juxta large, without spinules, without paired processes at base.

♀ ovipositor. Not examined.

Measurements. Wing-length, 4.0– 4.5 mm (♂), 4.0 mm (♀). Body-length, 6.0– 6.5 mm, 5.5 mm (♀).

Biology. Adults have been collected among mangroves.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (V, SA).

Figures

FIGURE 284. Lispe caespitosa sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 285–289. Lispe caespitosa sp. nov., ♂. 285. Head, lateral view. 286. Palpus. 287. Tip of hind tibia and hind tarsomere 1, anterior view. 288. Abdomen, dorsal view. 289. Abdominal tergites 4 and 5, lateral view. (285, paratype from V, Pink Lakes; 286–289, paratype from V, Lake Tyrrell.)

FIGURES 290–292. Lispe caespitosa sp. nov., ♂. 290. Sternites 2–5. 291. Hypopygium, lateral view. 292. Cercal plate, dorsal view. (Paratype from V, Pink Lakes.)

FIGURES 293–294. Lispe caespitosa sp. nov., ♂. 293. Phallic complex, lateral view. 294. Postgonites, ventral view. (Paratype from V, Pink Lakes.)