Panops jade, Winterton, Shaun L., 2012

Winterton, Shaun L., 2012, Review of Australasian spider flies (Diptera, Acroceridae) with a revision of Panops Lamarck, ZooKeys 172, pp. 7-75 : 40-43

Panops jade sp. n. Figs 2D48-52

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Isla Gorge National Park [-25.183, 149.966], 3.x.1991, 320 m, G. Daniels (AMS).

Paratypes.

AUSTRALIA: Queensland: female, Isla Gorge National Park [-25.183, 149.966], 3.x.1991, 320 m, G. Daniels (CAS); female, Isla Gorge National Park [-25.183, 149.966], 14.ix.1992, 320 m, G. Daniels (AMS).

Diagnosis.

Eye apilose; proboscis shorter than head height; body metallic green-blue to violet iridescence; antennae red-brown; parafacial with marginal pile; postpronotal lobe concolourous with rest of thorax; legs black with metallic blue-violet iridescence.

Description.

Body length: 11.5 mm (male), 11.5-12.0 mm (female). Head with eye apilose; ocellar tubercle relatively flat; medial ocellus present; occiput metallic green-blue, occipital pile white, sparse; postocular ridge and gena overlain with grey pubescence; clypeus length equal to oral cavity, black with blue-green suffusion; palpus black; margin of oral cavity (parafacial) pilose; proboscis extending beyond oral cavity, but shorter than head height; flagellum apex in male tapered, slightly rounded apically, red-brown; scape and pedicel red-brown. Thorax with postpronotal lobe blue-violet; scutum metallic blue-violet, green posteromedially; scutellum metallic blue-violet; coxae and femora with metallic blue-violet iridescence; tibiae black; tarsi black; lower calypter white with brown margin; wing hyaline, venation dark; vein R4 with spur vein. Abdomen shape rounded globose, much larger than thorax, colour metallic green or blue-violet iridescent, vestiture extensive white-silver short pile, longer laterally.

Etymology.

This beautifully coloured species is named after my daughter, Jade Tanya Winterton, whose name also describes the deep green colouration found in this species.

Comments.

Panops jade sp. n. is a distinctive species with extensive green to blue-violet iridescence, particularly in the female. It is similar to the western Australian species, Panops austrae , but is distinguished by the length of the mouthparts, leg colour and different vestiture pattern on the abdomen. Panops jade sp. n. is known only from Isla Gorge National Park in southern Queensland. Both males and females are recorded from Spinifex grass ( Triodia sp.), presumably at rest.