Manestella caesia, 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 : 5-7

Manestella caesia sp. n. Figs 5A7891011

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 27.4 km N Payne’s Find, [-29.25, 117.667], 400m, 3.x.1962, E. S. Ross, D. Q. Cavagnaro (MEI_025419, CAS).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: male, Badgingarra National Park, 40 km E Cervantes, [-30.5, 115.067], 30.x.1987, M. E. Irwin, E. I. Schlinger (MEI_088349, CAS); male, 2 females, Lesueur NP: Cockleshell Gully: 20 Sep-9 Nov 2003 C Lambkin N Starick J Recsei Eucalyptus woodland: Malaise 59 m: ANIC Bulk Sample 2175 30°08'47"S, 115°06'27"E (GPS) (ANIC_29:018313, 018314, 018315, ANIC); 4 males, 15 km N Wanneroo, [-31.75, 115.833], 24.x.1987, M. E. Irwin; sand hill with low heath (MEI_022886, 022887, 022889, 022890, WAM). South Australia: male, 18 km SSW Pinnaroo, [-35.417, 140.817], 20-24.x.1983, ex. ethanol, I. D. Naumann, J. C. Cardale (MEI_022888, ANIC).

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 3 males, 2 females, Lesueur NP: Cockleshell Gully: 20 Sep-9 Nov 2003 C. Lambkin, N. Starick, J. Recsei, Eucalyptus woodland: Malaise 59 m: ANIC Bulk Sample 2175, 30°08'47"S, 115°06'27"E (GPS) (ANIC_29: 018316, 018317, 018318, 018319, 018326, ANIC); Victoria: male, 5 females, Wyperfeld National Park, Murrayville Track, 45.2 km SSE Murrayville, 14-20.xi.2002, C. Lambkin, D. Yeates, N. Starick, J. Recsei, 35°39'26"S, 141°19'30"E [-35.657, 141.325] (ANIC_29:009093, 009094, 009095, 009096, 009100, 009104, ANIC).

Diagnosis.

Frontal setae smaller than setae on scape (in both sexes); male postocular setae in single row with irregular setae dorsomedially; male wing mostly white translucent, with brown infuscate markings apically on cells bm, br and d, female wing darker with markings along most wing veins; femora brown, yellow apically; male abdomen with velutum; triangular ventromedial process on gonocoxites absent.

Description.

Body length= 3.5-4.0 mm (male), 3.5-4.5 mm (female). Head. Frontal pubescence silver-grey with dark brown markings, profile flat, lower frontal markings as narrow brown stripe (male), or brown quadrangle dorsally, brown band above antennae (female); frontal setae dark; male frontal vestiture with patch of short setae above antenna, shorter than setae on scape, female frontal vestiture with short to moderate length setae; male frons width at narrowest point narrower than anterior ocellus but eyes not contiguous; male postocular setae black, as a single row, additional setae irregularly arranged medially, female with two regular rows; occiput pubescence grey, narrow triangular marking medially (female); genal setae white, elongate, dense and curved anteriorly; antennal scape shorter than flagellum, vestiture as numerous large dark setae (admixed with shorter setae); flagellum brown. Thorax. Scutum pubescence grey with brown markings, vestiture as scattered short dark setae, longer and paler posteriorly in male; scutal markings as two dark medial stripes anteriorly, joining posteriorly, stripes broken to tessellate laterally; scutal macrosetae dark; pleuron with silver-grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniformly pale; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence; coxal setae mostly pale; femora dark grey-brown, apices yellow, vestiture as extensive long pale setae (male) or short dark setae, admixed with longer pale setae (female); tibiae yellow, dark grey-brown apically; tarsi dark brown, basal portions of tarsomeres 1-2 yellow; wing white translucent, infuscate along wing veins and apically in cells cu-p, bm and discal (darker in female); venation dark, yellowish basally; scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): notopleural (np) macrosetae 3, supra alar (sa) macrosetae 1, post alar (pa) macrosetae 1, dorsocentral (dc) macrosetae 5-6, scutellar (sc) macrosetae 1. Abdomen. Male abdomen base colour brown-black, obscured by extensive velutum, with silver velutum on tergites 2-7, vestiture mostly elongate pale setae, denser laterally; terminalia brown; female abdominal markings with tergites dark brown dorsally (grey pubescence laterally), intersegmental membrane distinctly pale, well defined. Male genitalia. Gonocoxite without triangular ventromedial process, velutum extensive, longer posteromedially; outer gonocoxal process relatively elongate, narrowed distally; setae on gonocoxites pale; genitalia dark with grey pubescence, outer gonocoxal process and inner gonocoxal process pale distally.

Comments.

Manestella caesia sp. n. has a relatively broad distribution throughout the southern mainland states. This species is differentiated form all other Manestella by the relatively flat frons with only a few short dark setae, single row of postocular setae and velutinous pubescence on the abdomen in the male.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin caesius, bluish-grey; referring to the overall glaucous pubescent body colour.