Psilota pollinosa Young and van Steenis, 2020

Young, Andrew D., Skevington, Jeffrey H. & Steenis, Wouter Van, 2020, Revision of the Psilota Meigen, 1822 flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Australia, Zootaxa 4737 (1), pp. 1-127 : 66-70

Psilota pollinosa Young and van Steenis sp. nov.

(Species plate: Fig. 29 ; Genitalia: Fig. 45 A–B; Map: Fig. 61B )

Diagnosis: Metallic blue species with pleuron white pollinose and white pilose. Hind femur with a distinct rounded apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia simple. Body length: 9.8–13.2 mm.

Description: MALE: Head: Head black, face densely pale pollinose. Face and frons yellow pilose, vertex black pilose. Antenna usually entirely orange, rarely dull brown dorsally on postpedicel. Eye densely yellow pilose.

Thorax: Thorax dark, metallic blue. Legs partly dark brown, with apical half of fore- and mid femora often with an anterior orange streak, fore- and mid tibia partly to entirely orange-brown. Hind femur with a distinct rounded apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia simple, with no basoventral spur. Pleuron densely white pollinose. Pile on pleuron almost entirely white, with some individual black pile on the posterior anepisternum and anepimeron. Pile on scutum and scutellum entirely black. Wing colourless, with cells c, r, bm, cua, and the anal lobe mostly bare. Cells r 4+5, r 2+3, and dm with bare areas basally. Alula completely microtrichose. Halter orange-brown. Calypter pale brown to dark brown, always with a dark brown border. Abdomen: Abdomen metallic blue-green. Tergites 2 and 3 almost entirely white pilose, with only posterior margin black pilose, tergite 4 entirely white pilose. Sternites shining, white pilose. Genitalia: Epandrium compact, about as long as tall. Cercus approximately triangular. Inner lobe of surstylus inserted near top of inner lobe, bent sharply downwards at two-thirds its length, slightly swollen at apex. Inner lobe elongate, with a ventral bulge near base, excavated ventrally at one-third its length and then widening smoothly to apex. Phallapodeme smooth. Gonostylus thick, not darkened.

FEMALE: Identical except for normal sexual dimorphism.

Etymology: The specific epithet pollinosa derives from “pollinosity”, the scientific term for the microtrichose hairs covering the cuticle of some body parts of Syrphidae . This is in reference to the pollinose pleuron of Psilota pollinosa sp. nov., which distinguishes it from Psilota coerulea , Psilota smaragdina sp. nov., and Psilota alexanderi sp. nov.

Specimens examined: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 1 km E. Forbes Creek ; on flowering heath; 11.XI.2012; 874m; -35.429478 149.5028; D.J. Ferguson; CNC _ Diptera 255050 (1♂, ANIC) . PARATYPES: Australian Capital Territory: Blundell’s [Cabin], -35.292886 149.141800, 14.i.1935, Fuller, ANIC29034822 (1♀, ANIC) ; Canberra—CSIRO Botanical Garden , -35.278878 149.108917, 26.x.1988, F.C. Thompson, USNM _ ENT_ 00034122 (1♂, USNM); Canberra , -35.282000 149.128686, 1–10.xii.1953, F.M. Hull, CNC _ Diptera 254987 (1♂, CNC); 18.i.1948; 28.x.1955, S.J. Paramonov, ANIC29034827 ; ANIC29034804 ; ANIC29034825 (2♂♂ 1♀, ANIC) ; New South Wales: Same as holotype data, CNC _ Diptera 255049 (1♂, ANIC); 1 miles West of Wombeyan Caves , -34.288203 149.958572, 10.xi.1955, T.G. Campbell, ANIC29034824 (1♀, ANIC) ; 3 km South of Mount Wilson, Blue Mountains, -33.516011 150.378642, 29.xi.1984, D.K. McAlpine, B.J. Day, AustralianMuseumK408022 (1♀, AM) ; 4 Mi N of Bateman’s Bay , -35.658458 150.177744, 20.x.1953; 14.x.1952, S.J. Paramonov, USNM _ ENT_ 00249824; ANIC2903481 (1♂, 1♀, ANIC) ; 4 mile Creek, W of Wollomombi , -30.523872 152.146944, 7.xii.1961, Mackerras, ANIC29035768 (1♂, ANIC) ; Albury—Holbrook , -36.073669 146.913667, 15.xii.1949, S.J. Para- monov, ANIC29034812 (1♂, ANIC) ; Bald Rock National Park 25km SE Stanthorpe, -28.860783 152.055686, 1.xii.1983; 6.xii.1983; 6–7.xi.1984, D. Yeates, UQIC_ Reg 94655-94656; UQIC_ Reg 94646 (3♀♀, QM) ; Bilpin, Blue Mountains , -33.500261 150.532989, 1978, N.W. Rodd, ( Date is ambiguous reads ” 9.11.1978 ”), Australian- MuseumK410293 (1♀, AM) ; Clarence , Blue Mountains , -33.482308 150.224264, 1982, N.W. Rodd, Date is am- biguous reads ”5.12.82”, AustralianMuseumK410290 (1♀, AM) ; Jervis Bay , -35.035433 150.668869, 2.x.1952, S.J. Paramonov, ANIC29034809 ; CNC _ Diptera 255044 (2♀♀, ANIC); Jinkie Creek, Blue Mountains, -33.617564 150.455908, 14.i.1992, N.W. Rodd, AustralianMuseumK408025 (1♀, AM) ; Mannus near Tumbarumba , -35.808336 147.935786, 1.xii.1950, T.G. Campbell, ANIC29034805 (1♂, ANIC) ; Mount Tomah, Blue Mountains, -33.549614 150.416033, 1980; 16.xii.1982; 26.xi.1986; 13.ii.1984; 14.i.1985, N.W. Rodd, AustralianMuseumK407025; AustralianMuseumK410287; AustralianMuseumK406919–406920 (2♂♂, 4♀♀, AM) ; Mount Towinhingy near Kondos Weir, -32.856161 150.186597, 20.xi.1978, G. Daniels, GDCBReg_19691; GDCBReg_19698 (1♂, 1♀, GDCB) ; Nadgee Reserve 4.7 km S Merrica Hut, -37.399378 149.908592, 29.xii.1985, E.A. Sugden, CNC _ Diptera 254998– 254999 (2♀♀, CNC); Nullo Mtn 20 mls NE Rylstone , -32.737947 150.226400, 12.xi.1950, T.G. Campbell, CNC _ Diptera 255018 (1♂, ANIC); Sandy Point, Sydney, -33.926375 151.125936, 12.x.1991, R. de Keyzer, A. Sundholm, AustralianMuseumK406925 (1♀, AM) ; South Black Range , East of Hoskinstown, -34.427778 149.534444, 1130m, 16.ii.2004; 3.iii.2004, D.J. Ferguson, ANIC29035769 ; CNC _ Diptera 255017 (1♂, 1♀, ANIC); South Black Range, Tallaganda Nat. Pk., 15km from Hoskinstown , -35.413333 149.535000, attracted to water added to dry dam in forest, 21.ii.2004, C. Lambkin, N. Starick, ANIC29035770 (1♂, ANIC) ; 6 km Northeast Bilpin, Blue Mountains , -33.462750 150.572836, 28.xi.1987, N.W. Rodd, AustralianMuseumK406923 (1♀, AM) ; Queensland: Blue Mtn., 4 km NE Stanthorpe, SE Qld. Summit, -28.633344 151.966683, 977m, 28.ix.1987, D.K. Yeates, UQIC_ Reg 94654 (1♂, QM) ; Brisbane, -27.526975 153.040322, 10.ix.1927, J. Mann, UQIC_ Reg 94811 (1♂, QM) ; Stanthorpe , - 28.657928 151.930344, 22.x.1961, D.H. Colless, ANIC29034801 (1♂, ANIC) ; 3.x.1924, Frank M. Hull Collec- tion C.N. C. 1981; CNC _ Diptera 255002; UQIC_ Reg 94694 (2♂♂, CNC; QM); The Blunder Brisbane , -27.526975 153.040322, 18.ix.1966, C.F. Ashby, CNC _ Diptera 255098 (1♂, ANIC) ; South Australia: Adelaide, Belair National Park, -35.000000 138.633333, hilltopping, 4.x.1997, J.& A. Skevington, C. Lambkin & S. Winterton, UQIC_ Reg 94517 (1♀, QM); Nat Park , 21.x.1951, E.F. Riek, CNC _ Diptera 253712 (1♀, ANIC) ; Tasmania: Hobart , -42.882139 147.327194, 15.xii.1917, G.H. Hardy, ANIC29034802 (1♂, ANIC) ; Victoria: Barjarg , -36.924222 145.995044; -36.924583 145.995236, 22.x.1961, D.H.Colless, CNC _ Diptera 255043; ANIC29034806 (2♂♂, ANIC) .

Discussion: This species has been collected at Leptospermum minutifolium (Myrtaceae) blossoms.

Figures

FIGURE 29. P. pollinosa sp. nov., A) male dorsal habitus, B) male anterolateral face, C) male lateral habitus. Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 45. Lateral and dorsal male genitalia of A, B) P. pollinosa sp. nov.; C, D) P. purpurea sp. nov.; E, F) P. smaragdina sp. nov., and G, H) P. solata sp. nov.. Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 61. Known range of A) P. occidua sp. nov.; B) P. pollinosa sp. nov.