Lispe incana, Pont, 2019

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 108-112

Lispe incana sp. nov.

( Figs 222–235 )

Diagnosis. In the group of species with a seta on posterior apical margin of hind coxa and yellow palpus, L. incana can be recognised in the ♂ sex by the conformation of hind tibia and basal hind tarsomere ( Figs 225–226 ), and in both sexes by the position of the vibrissa high above the mouth-margin ( Fig. 224 ).

Etymology. The Latin adjective “incanus” (feminine: “incana”) means grey, and the name refers to the light grey appearance of this species.

Type-Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: South Australia: Port Germein , 5.x.1975, Z. Liepa ( ANIC) . Paratypes 2♂ 1♀. AUSTRALIA: same data as holotype , 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC) & 1♂ ( BMNH) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Figs 223–224 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.31 (♂) or 0.33 (♀), at lunula 0.30 (♂) or 0.28 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate light grey pruinose, thinly so above and subshining at vertex; parafacial, face and gena silvery-white pruinose; occiput whitish-grey. Lower orbital seta rather short. Frontal triangle broad ( Fig. 223 ), light grey pruinose and tinged with yellow. Parafacial broad, almost as broad as postpedicel; with a full row of short setulae. Antenna black, only apical edge of pedicel orange; postpedicel short, 2.0 (♂) or 2.1 (♀) times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 1.1–1.3 its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 1.5–1.6 times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong, inserted above mouth-edge by more than width of postpedicel ( Fig. 224 ), with several strong adjacent setulae. Gena broad, 0.19 (♂) or 0.21 (♀) of vertical eye-length; genal setae rather strong and dense. Palpus yellow, strongly swollen at tip.

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum rather densely light grey dusted in ♂, lighter in ♀, postpronotal lobe and notopleuron whitish, pleura grey. Viewed from in front, scutum wholly silvery dusted in ♂; in posterior view appearing grey dusted, with a median brown mark just behind suture that sometimes also extends forward into prst area; in ♀, this brown mark expanded, occupying the space between and slightly outside the dc, from 1st prst dc to 2nd post dc, otherwise scutum appearing silvery or grey as in ♂; scutellum grey dusted. Anterior spiracle grey. Acr setulae in 4–5 irregular rows at suture; with a pair of weak but distinct prsc setae. Dc 2+3, all strong. 2 pprn. 1+1 ia, anterior post seta absent. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, slightly shorter than the strong proepisternal, with 3–5 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with a very short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, lower one closer to posterior than to anterior. Meron bare below spiracle and above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, 1–2 rows descending on to sides, otherwise sides and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Black, mid tarsomeres not reddish. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur with a row of short spinules on av surface; pv row complete, the setae fine, in basal half much longer than femoral depth, interspersed with multiserial v to pv spinules; all the ventral spinules stronger in ♀ than in ♂; pd row complete. Fore tibia without submedian seta; with strong d, pd and pv apical setae, and a strong ad apical. Fore tarsomeres of ♂ rather short, without modifications. Mid femur on av and pv surfaces with rows of short spinules that run from base to apex, stronger in ♀ than in ♂, and in addition with a few short pv setae in basal third, not equal to femoral depth; basal half also with a row of short strong a setae, culminating in a strong seta at middle; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 strong p seta; with strong d, a, v, pv and short p apicals, the d apical placed well before apex. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa with a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur with 3–4 av setae in apical half, the longest equal to femoral depth; pv surface with 3–4 setae in basal half, longer than femoral depth, apical half with a series of spinulose setulae; ad row complete; 1 d preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad and 1 short av; in ♂, d preapical relatively short and fine, and the ad preapical present only as a setula ( Fig. 225 ), in ♀ these setae long and strong; in ♂ apex of tibia on av to pv surfaces with numerous short fine curled hairs, without apical setae ( Fig. 225 ); ♀ without modifications at apex, with 1 av and 1 pv apical setae. Hind tarsus of ♂ ( Figs 225–226 ) with basal tarsomere slightly swollen in apical half and covered with a brush of dense setulae on av to pv surfaces, which continue on to 2nd tarsomere, and with some short hair-like setulae on basal half of ventral surface; without modifications in ♀.

Wing. Clear but rather milky in ♂. Tegula black, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed below the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu straight, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wingmargin. Calypters white, margins creamy. Knob of haltere black.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Tergites grey dusted dorsally and laterally, in extreme posterior view ♂ with a pair of faint dark spots on tergites 3 and 4 ( Fig. 227 ), these markings also indistinctly present in ♀. ♂ epandrium grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey to brownish-grey. Sternites 1–5 grey, but sternite 5 of ♂ shining. Setae only present on tergite 5, with 1 pair of median and 2 of lateral discals, and 4 pairs of erect marginals, shorter in ♀ than in ♂. ♂ sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae ( Fig. 228 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles; without large setae; weakly produced lobe-like ventrally. Tergite 6 absent. Sternite 6 present as a small plate, withdrawn beneath sternite 5. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 229 ). Cercal plate divided dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 230 ). Hypandrium attached at two points: to a rod originating from wall of epandrium close to upper outer edge of cercal plate; and via a tiny apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Figs 231–232 ): hypandrium with a pair of long finger-like processes at posterior end that meet and unite with base of epiphallus, and with a beak-like process at posterior ventral end; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter long and bifurcate, the branches not pointed; phallapodeme large, at mid-length joined to hypandrium by a small bridge; phallus long, tube-like, simple, juxta large, without spinules, without a pair of processes flanking it near base but with a posterior process at base.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 233–235 ). Tergite 6 complete; tergite 7 apparently divided medially but the two halves contiguous; tergite 8 divided dorsally, the two halves displaced laterally. Sternite 6 reduced to 2 contiguous plates forming a V; sternite 7 represented by a pair of bristle-dots, suppressed by the edges of the very large tergite 7; sternite 8 present as two plates mostly concealed within the membrane between tergite 8 and hypoproct, fused medially beneath the hypoproct, not easily seen. Epiproct V-shaped, with 1 pair of large setae and several setulae. Hypoproct large, extending posteriorly, with several stout spines at apex. Cercus small, plate-like, with only a few short setae. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 3.5–4.0 mm (♂), 4.5 mm (♀). Body-length, 5.0– 5.5 mm (♂), 6.0 mm (♀).

Biology. Not known.

Distribution. Known only from Australia (SA).

Figures

FIGURE 222. Lispe incana sp. nov., ♂ habitus (holotype).

FIGURES 223–227. Lispe incana sp. nov., ♂. 223. Frons, in dorsal view. 224. Face, in frontal view. 225. Tip of hind tibia with hind tarsomere 1, anterior view. 226. Hind tarsomeres 1 and 2, dorsal view. 227. Abdomen, dorsal view. a—anterior, avanteroventral, d—dorsal. (Paratype from SA, Port Germain.)

FIGURES 228–230. Lispe incana sp. nov., Ƌ. 228. Sternites 1–5. 229. Hypopygium, lateral view. 230. Cercal plate, dorsal view. (Paratype from SA, Port Germain.)

FIGURES 231–232. Lispe incana sp. nov., ♂. 231. Phallic complex, lateral view. 232. The process indicated in Figure 231 in ventral view, with base of phallus. epi—epiphallus, (Paratype from SA, Port Germain.)

FIGURES 233–235. Lispe incana sp. nov., ♀ ovipositor. 233. Dorsal view. 234. Ventral view. 235. Lateral view. (Paratype from SA, Port Germain.)