Manestella vasta, 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 : 17-18

Manestella vasta sp. n. Figs 5960

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 55 km W Paynes Find [-29.263, 117.685], 16.ix.1983, E. I. Schlinger, M. E. Irwin, scrub-desert with annual flowers (MEI_023118, WAM).

Paratype. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: male, 30 miles E Merredin [-31.483, 118.286], 375 m, 16.ix.1962, E. S. Ross, D. Q. Cavagnaro (MEI_ 023111, CAS).

Diagnosis.

Wing uniform pale infuscate; male frontal setae smaller than scape setae; male frons flat in profile; two rows of postocular setae adjacent to ocellar tubercle in male; femora brown; male abdomen without silver velutum; triangular ventromedial projection absent on gonocoxites; inner gonocoxal process with dense tuft of strong macrosetae.

Description.

Body length= 3.0-3.6 mm (male). Head. Frontal pubescence silver-grey with dark brown markings, profile flat, narrow brown stripe medially, light brown suffusion above antenna; patch of short black setae above antenna, shorter than setae on scape; male frons width at narrowest point narrower than anterior ocellus but not contiguous; male postocular setae as two rows immediately laterad of ocellar tubercle (rows well defined); postocular setae black, occipital pubescence grey, triangular marking medially (narrow); genal setae pale; antennal scape shorter than flagellum, numerous large dark setae; flagellum brown. Thorax. Scutal pubescence grey-tan with brown markings, two dark medial stripes anteriorly, joining posteriorly, lateral stripes broken to tessellate, scattered dark setae, denser anteriorly; scutal macrosetae dark; pleuron with silver-grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniformly pale; anepisternum with grey-brown marking dorsally; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae white; femora dark brown with short black setae admixed with longer white setae; tibiae yellow, brown apically; tarsi dark yellow with brown apices; wing uniform smoky infuscate (slightly darker anteriorly); scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): np, 3; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 7-8; sc, 1. Abdomen. male abdomen base colour dark brown, grey pubescent laterally, without silver velutum dorsally, short dark setae dorsally, longer pale setae laterally; terminalia brown. Male genitalia. Gonocoxite without triangular medial process; gonocoxite relatively elongate posterolaterally, narrowed distally; gonocoxite with sparse velutum present ventrally; inner gonocoxal process with dense tuft of strong macrosetae; ejaculatory apodeme narrow.

Comments.

The female is unknown for this species. Manestella vasta sp. n. can be distinguished by the uniformly infuscate wing, flat male frons with macrosetae present and the inner gonocoxal process having a patch of string macrosetae apically.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin, vastus, vast, empty; referring to the desolate habitat of this species.