Medomega danielsi, 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 : 24-25

Medomega danielsi sp. n. Figs 7172 F–J 85868788

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Lake Broadwater, nr. Dalby, site A, 27°21'S, 151°06'E [-27.35, 151.1], 2.v.1987, G. & A. Daniels, mv lamp (MEI_030092, AMS).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 2 females, Lake Broadwater, nr. Dalby, site A, 27°21'S, 151°06'E [-27.35, 151.1], 2.v.1987, G. & A. Daniels, mv lamp, (MEI_030094, CAS) (MEI_30095, AMS); male, 5 km N Leyburn, 27°58'S, 151°38'E [-27.96, 151.63], 2.ix.1993, 450m mv lamp, G. & A. Daniels, C. J. Burwell (MEI_033678, CAS).

Diagnosis.

Wing brown infuscate with white fenestration; head and body macrosetae mostly black, coxal macrosetae white; scutum with broad medial stripe and irregular tessellate pattern laterally; parafacial setae absent; male frons wider than anterior ocellus at narrowest point; scape yellow with sparse grey pubescence; posterior surface of mid coxa without setae; abdomen with silver velutum but without appressed setae.

Description. Body length= 6.0 mm (male), 6.0-6.5 mm (female). Head. Frontal pubescence silver-grey with dark brown markings, small brown spot medially and above antenna; frons profile flat; small patch of short, dark setae close to eye margin (male), or more scatter across upper frons (female); male frons width at narrowest point slightly wider than anterior ocellus; male with single row of black postocular setae, additional setae irregularly arranged medially, white setae ventrally; occipital pubescence grey; parafacial setae absent, genal setae dark, relatively short, longer ventrally; antennal scape slightly shorter than flagellum, orange-yellow with sparse grey pubescence, black setae dorsally, yellow ventrally and laterally; flagellum orange-yellow. Thorax. Scutal pubescence silver-grey velutum with darker grey pattern and dark setal bases, broad dark medial stripe anteriorly, narrowed posteriorly, lateral stripes broken to tessellate, scattered short dark setae, longer and paler posteriorly; scutal macrosetae dark; pleuron with silver-grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniformly pale; anepisternum with brown marking dorsally and ventrally; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae pale, mid coxa without setae on posterior surface; femora dark brown, suffused yellow basally on mid and hind femora, yellow apically, uniform short dark setae; tibiae yellow, dark brown apically and basally; tarsi brown, yellow basally on basal segments; wing dark infuscate with white fenestration (darker in female); scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): np, 3; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 2-3; sc, 1. Abdomen. Male abdomen base colour darkish obscured by extensive silver velutum on tergites 2-7, vestiture mostly elongate pale setae, slightly denser laterally; terminalia brown or dark yellow, female abdominal markings with tergites dark brown dorsally, grey pubescent posterolaterally; intersegmental membrane between tergites 1-2, and 2-3 distinctly pale coloured, well defined. Male genitalia. Epandrium quadrangular, elongate; gonocoxite with sparse pubescence; gonocoxite fused medially with hypandrium; outer gonocoxal process very broad and spatulate; inner gonocoxal process shorter than outer gonocoxal process, apically bearing medially directed short dark setae; gonostylus forked, ventral arm with tuft of elongate macrosetae in a comb.

Comments.

This species is known southeastern Queensland, just west of the Great Dividing Range. The wing and scutal markings are distinctive, along with the elongate male genitalia with a forked gonostylus. The gonocoxites are fused medially, which appears to be a rare character in this genus.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Greg Daniels, the collector of this species.