Lispe collessi, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 179-185

Lispe collessi sp. nov.

( Figs 368–378 )

Diagnosis. In the group of species with setulae present on meron below spiracle, L. collessi can be recognised by the pubescent arista ( Fig. 369 ) and by the row of long, uniformly strong pv setae on fore femur. In addition, the ♂ has hind femur with a row of 3–4 setae in apical half of av surface, and basal hind tarsomere expanded along its full length ( Fig. 370 ).

Etymology. This species is named for the late D.H. “Don” Colless, peerless collector of Australian Muscidae .

Type Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Thomas River estuary, Esperance District , at light, 7.xi.1977, D.H. Colless ( ANIC) . Paratypes 42♂ 68♀. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: same data as holotype, 6–7.xi.1977 , 13♂ 17♀ ( ANIC) & 3♂ 3♀ ( BMNH); same locality, on beach, 4–6.xi.1977, D.H. Colless , 9♂ 13♀ ( ANIC) & 1♂ ( BMNH); same locality, Yallingup , 9.xi.1958, E.F. Riek , 1♂ ( ANIC); Waipole– Nornalup, Irwin inlet, 35S 116.57E, mud and algal debris, 15.xii.1991, A.G. Irwin , 1♀ ( WAM). New South Wales: 9 km SE of Batemans Bay , 11.i.1975, Z. Liepa , 1♀ ( ANIC); Brunswick Heads , i.1961, K.R. Norris , 2♂ 3♀ ( ANIC); Eden , lagoon near beach, 17.xii.1968, I.C. Yeo , 2♂ 6♀ ( QMBA, 1♀ OUMNH); Jervis Bay , 14.ii.1953, Z. Liepa , 1♂ ( ANIC); Merimbula , i.1973, K.R. Norris , 5♀ ( ANIC) & 1♀ ( BMNH); same locality, i.1983, 1 ♀ ( ANIC); Sydney, Harbord , 7.xi.1926 , 2♀ ( ANIC); Wallaga Lake, Bermagui , 24–27.ii.1974, Z. Liepa , 2♂ 1♀ ( ANIC). Victoria: Balnarring , 28.iv.1929, F.E. Wilson , 2♀ ( MV); Eagle Point , salt lagoon, 37.88S 147.68E, 15.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev , 2♂ 3♀ ( ZMUM); Marlo , 8.i.1962, Z. Liepa , 1♂ ( ANIC); Narrawong env., 38.26S 141.70E, 12–13.ii.2013, N. Vikhrev , 3♀ ( ZMUM). South Australia: no locality or date, Cleland , 1♀ ( ANIC); Arno Bay , mangrove, 33.92S 136.57E, 8–9.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev , 1♂ 1♀ ( ZMUM); The Coorong , 30 km S of Meningie, 8.xii.1977, D.K. McAlpine & M.A. Schneider , 2♂ 1♀ ( AMS); Port Clinton, St Vincent Gulf , 27.xii.1966, Z. Liepa , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC); Port Germein , 5.x.1975, Z. Liepa , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC). Tasmania: Flinders Is. , 20 km S of Whitemark, 40.10S, 148.00E, 12.ii.1997, A.I. Knight , 1♀ ( QMBA) .

Additional material (N.E. Vikhrev, pers. comm.): AUSTRALIA: Victoria: Narrawong env., 38.26S 141.70E, 12–13.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev, 5♂ 8♀ ( ZMUM) ; Eagle Point , 37.88S 147.68E, salt lagoon, 15.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev, 9♂ 9♀ ( ZMUM) . South Australia: Arno Bay , mangrove, 33.92S 136.57E, 8–9.ii.2013, N.E. Vikhrev, 4♂ 1♀ ( ZMUM) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 369 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.45 (♂) or 0.47 (♀), at lunula 0.36 (♂) or 0.45 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate, frontal triangle, parafacial, face, gena and lower half of occiput silvery-white pruinose in ♂, sometimes frontal triangle, fronto-orbital plates and even other head areas tinged with yellow in ♀; frontal triangle very broad, frontal vitta almost totally suppressed so that entire frons appears silvery (♂) or sometimes yellowish-white (♀). Ocellar setae fine. Upper orbital seta short, lower one weak and hardly distinct from the ground-setulae, stronger in some ♀♀. Parafacial broad, as broad as (♂) or broader than (♀) postpedicel; usually with a few setulae on lower part. Antenna black, pedicel sometimes orange at tip; postpedicel short, 1.8 (♂) to 2.1 (♀) times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 0.8–0.9 its length. Arista long-pubescent, the hairing at widest point only 0.2 times width of postpedicel ( Fig. 369 ). Vibrissa short, shorter in ♂ than in ♀, not crossed. Gena broad, 0.33 of vertical eye-length; genal setae rather dense behind, sparse to absent just before vibrissal area. Palpus yellow, abruptly swollen in apical part (as in L. cana , Fig. 335 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum densely dusted; in anterior view light grey, with a pair of matt prst patches between ia and sa and matt post vittae between dc and ia; in posterior view unevenly grey to light grey and in ♂ with no pattern of darker or undusted vittae, but with the dust paler along suture at sides and between post dc and post ia, just in front of scutellum and across post-alar callus; tinged here and there with yellowish in ♀ especially before suture and at sides, sometimes more extensively so, and then with darker markings consisting of a pair of paramedian vittae running from neck to 3rd post dc, a pair of prst patches between sa and ia, and a pair of post vittae between dc and ia; pleura also light grey. Anterior spiracle yellowish. Acr setulae in 6–7 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+4, all strong and distinct. 2 pprn. 1+2 ia, anterior prst seta distinct from the ground-setulae. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 3–6 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with only a setula in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 2–3 strong and 2–4 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, lower one closer to posterior than to anterior. Meron with 3–5 conspicuous setulae below spiracle, bare above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, 1 row descending on to sides, otherwise sides and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, knees narrowly yellow. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur without av; pv row complete, the setae sparse but uniformly long and strong, longer than femoral depth; pd row complete. Fore tibia with a submedian pv seta; with strong d, p and pv apical setae. Fore tarsomeres without modifications. Mid femur without av setae; pv surface with several setae or even a row of setae in basal half, as long as femoral depth, merging after middle with the ground-setulae; a surface without differentiated setae; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 submedian p seta; with strong d, av, v, p (weaker in ♂) and pv apicals. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa bare on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 3–4 av setae in apical half, longer than femoral depth, sometimes with only 1 av around middle in ♀, and without pv except for a few longer setulae near base; ad row complete; d preapical absent. Hind tibia with 1 ad seta; in ♂ ground-setulae on ad to a surfaces long, fine and erect; without av or pd setae; d and ad preapicals long and strong, the d placed well before apex ( Fig. 370 ); av apical seta short but strong; in ♂ with several long fine hair-like setae at apex of v to pv surfaces ( Fig. 370 ), ♀ without these setulae and with a pv apical seta. Hind tarsus of ♂ ( Figs 370–371 ) with basal tarsomere flattened, greatly expanded along entire posterior side, and with a dense brush of black setulae along p and all over v surfaces; without modifications in ♀, though basal tarsomere is rather thickened.

Wing. Clear, rather milky. Tegula mostly black, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed slightly apicad of the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu sinuous, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wing-margin. Calypters white, margins creamy. Knob of haltere yellow or partly darkened.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Wholly dusted; in posterior view, the dust light grey or almost whitish, without any dark markings except sometimes for a weakly indicated dark median vitta on tergite 5 in ♀. ♂ epandrium grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey. Sternites 1–5 grey dusted. Setae only present on tergite 5, with 3-4 pairs of discals in a row and 3–4 pairs of marginals. ♂ sternites 2–4 setulose ( Fig. 372 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without a long process at antero-ventral corner. Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 small, subquadrate, withdrawn beneath sternite 5 and connected to it by two elongate plates. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 373 ). Cercal plate deeply divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 374 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via an apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Fig. 375 ): hypandrium branching posteriorly, the upper pair of branches meeting behind base of phallus; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter curved, bifurcate; phallapodeme long but normal in structure, at mid-length connected to hypandrium by a bridge; phallus long, tubular, simple, juxta large, without spinules; basal part consisting of a multi-toothed process.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 376–378 ). Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 divided medially; tergite 8 divided dorsally, each half displaced laterally, bare. Sternite 6 present as a large plate; sternite 7 present as a large plate, fused to the sides of tergite 7; sternite 8 absent. Epiproct narrow, with several setae, connected to cercus. Hypoproct large, extended posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus broad, plate-like, with 2 spines at tip. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 4.0–6.0 mm (♂), 4.5–6.5 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.5–7.5 mm (♂), 6.0–8.0 mm (♀).

Biology. Not known. Adults have been collected on beaches, among mangroves, on mud and algal debris, and around a salt lagoon.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (WA, NSW, V, SA, T).

Figures

FIGURE 368. Lispe collessi sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 369–371. Lispe collessi sp. nov., ♂. 369. Head, lateral view. 370. Hind tibia tip and hind tarsomere 1, dorsal view. 371. The same, posterior view. ad—anterodorsal, d—dorsal, pv—posteroventral. (Paratype from WA, Thomas River Estuary.)

FIGURES 372–373. Lispe collessi sp. nov., ♂. 372. Sternites 1–5. 373. Hypopygium, lateral view. (Paratype from WA, Thomas River Estuary, 6.xi.)

FIGURES 374–375. Lispe collessi sp. nov., ♂. 374. Cercal plate, dorsal view. 375. Phallic complex, lateral view. (Paratype from WA, Thomas River Estuary, 6.xi.)

FIGURES 376–378. Lispe collessi sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 376. Dorsal view. 377 Ventral view. 378. Lateral view. (Paratype from WA, Thomas River Estuary, 6.xi.)

FIGURES 334–338. Lispe cana (Walker). 334. ♂ head, lateral view. 335. ♀ palpus. 336. ♂ sternites 1–5. 337. Meron, with posterior spiracle and part of anepimeron and katepisternum. 338. ♂ hind tarsomere 1, with tarsomere 2 and tip of tibia. eanepimeron, d—dorsal, k—katepisternum, m—meron. (334, NSW, Palm Beach; 335, 337, SA, Victor Harbour; 336, SA, Ceduna; 338, NSW, Collaroy.)