Leptopezella perata, Sinclair, Bradley J. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2007

Sinclair, Bradley J. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2007, Leptopezella, a new Southern Hemisphere genus of Ocydromiinae (Diptera: Empidoidea: Hybotidae), Zootaxa 1629, pp. 27-37 : 33-35

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.179363
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5B5711E1-2047-4813-8B0B-8F31452D311F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6246574
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B90B0A6D-F86E-F342-49F9-7284FDD96A70
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Leptopezella perata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Leptopezella perata View in CoL , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–6 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURES 2 – 3 View FIGURES 4 – 8 , 11–12 View FIGURES 9 – 12 )

Holotype male labelled: “ AUSTRALIA: WA/ Nornalup/ Valley of the Giants/ 4.xii.1998 / B.J. Sinclair/ ex. wet sclero.for.”; “ HOLOTYPE / Leptopezella / perata / Sinclair & Cumming” [red label]” ( WAM).

Paratypes: Australia: Western Australia: Pemberton, Gloucester NP, below Gloucester Tree, 2.xii.1998, Karri forest, B.J. Sinclair (1 ɗ, CNC); Warren NP, Karri forest, 30.xii.1998, B.J. Sinclair (1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, CNC); Same data as holotype (7 ɗ, 11 Ψ, AMS, CNC, WAM).

Recognition. This species is distinguished by the following features: occiput completely clothed in tomentum, right surstylus flattened and broadest in middle, and hypandrium not elongate with apex evenly rounded.

Description. Wing length 2.2–2.5 mm.

Male. Scape and pedicel brownish, postpedicel similar in colour to basal segments at some angles. Frons and ocellar triangle shiny. Occiput clothed in grey tomentum; 1–2 long postocular bristles longer than ocellar bristles. Mouthparts yellow, including palpus.

Scutum dark and mostly shiny, some very thin tomentum visible at certain angles; apex of postpronotal lobe yellow; lower notopleuron, postalar ridge and scutellum with grey tomentum. Acrostichals biserial, subequal in length with dc, extending nearly length of scutum; 1 pprn with several long setulae; 1 npl with many setulae; 1 long pal; dc uniserial; 2 pairs sctl, apical pair stouter and approximately four times longer than lateral.

Fore and midlegs yellow, darker on tarsomeres 2–5. Fore tibia expanded about gland; setae surrounding gland pale. Hind femur as pale as anterior legs basally, darker on middle third, paler apically. Hind tibia pale basally; distal two-thirds darker. Hind tarsomeres dark, except tarsomere 1 pale basally; tarsomere 1 with 3–4 pairs of spine-like ventral setae, distal pair nearly as long as width of tarsomere; tarsomeres 2–3 with several stout, dark ventral setae.

Abdomen mostly shiny. Hypandrium not elongated, with rounded apex. Left epandrial lamella with sharp spine-like projection at base of apical spine-like seta; spine-like seta one-fifth length of left surstylus ( Fig. 12 View FIGURES 9 – 12 ). Left surstylus arched with broad base; right surstylus flattened, broadest at mid-length, tapered towards broadly rounded apex ( Fig. 11 View FIGURES 9 – 12 ). Hypoproct with rounded distal margin. Sclerotized rods dorsal to ejaculatory apodeme absent. Distiphallus with apical two-thirds spinose.

Female. Similar to male.

Distribution. This species is known only from the wet sclerophyll forests of southwestern Australia.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Greek peratos (west), in reference to the western Australian distribution of this species.

Remarks. At the Nornalup site, specimens were swept from along the trails of the wet sclerophyll forest, dominated by 60 m high red tingle ( Eucalyptus jacksonii ) trees. Specimens were also collected from karri ( E. diversicolor ) dominated forests.