Psilota bicolor Young and Ferguson, 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 : 36-38

Psilota bicolor Young and Ferguson sp. nov.

(Species plate: Fig. 13 ; Genitalia: Fig. 41 E–F; Map: Fig. 53B )

Diagnosis: Face black. Hind leg simple. Abdominal tergites 1, 3 and 4 black, tergite 2 yellow, usually with posterior margin black. Body length: 7.3–12.1 mm.

Description: MALE: Head: Frons and sides of face black, densely white pollinose, face with a broad shining median stripe running from below the antennal base to the oral margin. Face and frons with white hairs, vertex with a tuft of long black hairs. Antenna orange. Eye densely haired, hairs entirely white. Thorax: Fore femur and fore tibia mostly orange, each with an obscure, posterior dark stripe towards their apex. Mid femur mostly dark, with a thin, anterior orange stripe near the base. Mid tibia orange. Hind femur entirely dark, with two rows of strong dark setula, ventral carinate ridge absent. First tarsomere on all legs orange with a thin dark anterior margin, all other tarsomeres dark. Thorax dark brown to black, entirely shining. Pile on pleuron entirely white, metepimeron and katepimeron bare. Scutum with pile entirely white anterior to transverse suture, pile mostly dark behind transverse suture. Scutellum with pile mostly white, but with some dark pile interspersed evenly. Wing colourless, with bare areas on the anterior half of cell c and anterior one-quarter of cell bm. Halter pale. Abdomen: Tergites 1, 3 and 4 almost entirely dark, tergites 1 and 3 sometimes with very narrowly yellow posterior/anterior margins respectively. Tergite 2 entirely yellow except for a narrow dark band on the posterior margin, not reaching the edges of the tergite. Sternites 1, 3 and 4 entirely dark. Sternite 2 entirely yellow. Genitalia: Epandrium compact, about as long as tall. Cercus approximately triangular, slightly elongate. Outer lobe of surstylus inserted at top of inner lobe, thin and curved gradually downwards over its entire length, slightly broader and more strongly curved towards the apex. Inner lobe of surstylus straight, slightly narrowed at midlength, and smoothly rounded at apex. Phallapodeme with a small, forward facing ventral projection. Gonostylus thick, not darkened.

FEMALE: Identical except for normal sexual dimorphism.

Etymology: Psilota bicolor sp. nov. appears to be a Ferguson manuscript name based on the Latin adjective that has spread throughout Australian insect collections. It is here being published as a valid name for the first time and describes the bicolorous abdomen of this species.

Specimens examined: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Warrumbungle National Park ; - 31.279689 149.046797; Malaise trap; 19.X-3.XI.1997; J. Skevington, S. Winterton; UQIC_ Reg 94800; (1♂, QM) . PARATYPES: New South Wales: 10 km West of Murwillumbah , -28.331308 153.281278, 25-27.ix.1981, N.W. Rodd, AustralianMuseumK409930 (1♂, AM) ; 3 km SW of Sandy Hollow , -32.368508 150.566889, 6.xii.1976, G. Daniels, GDCBReg_19688 (1♂, GDCB) ; Goondiwindi , -28.539150 150.298089, ix.1935, G.H. Hardy, Aus- tralianMuseumK407106 (1♂, AM) ; Mona Vale , -33.675961 151.306533, 14.x.1973, P. Colman, AustralianMu- seumK409931-409932 (2♂♂, AM) ; Queensland: 30 mi. W Collinsville , -20.578364 147.374953, 12.ix.1950, E.F. Riek, USNM _ ENT249845 (1♂, ANIC) ; Brisbane, Mt. Coot-tha , -27.483333 152.95, 27°29’S 152°57’E, 170m, Hilltopping, 10.viii.1997, J. & A. Skevington & S. Winterton, UQIC_ Reg 94801 (1♂, QM) ; Brisbane , - 27.526975 153.040322, 25.ix.1925, L. Pottenger, UQIC_ Reg 94700; ANIC29034800 (2♂, QM; ANIC) ; Eungella 45 miles West of Mackay , -21.128750 148.488333, 426 to 731m, 13-25.ix.1923, Goldtiner, Collector name is unclear, ANIC29034799 (1♂, ANIC) ; Lamington NP, IBISCA, -28.638000 153.121000, 23.i-3.ii.2009, G. Monte- ith & F. turco, Malaise trap, QM _REG._NO._T222147-222148 (2♀♀, QM) ; 6-22.i.2009, G. Monteith, Malaise trap, QM _REG._NO._T222146 (1♀, QM) ; One Tree Hill, 1 km East , -25.283333 151.916667, 180m, 26.ix.1999, S.G. Evans, QM _REG._NO._T223228 (1♀, QM) ; Stockyard Creek , SE of Capalaba , -27.550000 153.166667, 24.ix.1985, G. and A. Daniels, GDCBReg_19563 (1♂, GDCB) ; Yarraman , 2.9km SSE, -26.865000 151.995000, 12-28.iii.2010, G. Monteith, Malaise trapQM_REG._NO._T222149 (1♀, QM) ; “ Chilla ”, 13.iv.1929, Aust. Nat. Ins. Coll., ANIC29034798 (1♂, ANIC) .

Discussion: Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 13. P. bicolor sp. nov., A) male dorsal habitus, B) male anterolateral face, C) male lateral habitus. Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 41. Lateral and dorsal male genitalia of A, B) P. azurea sp. nov.; C, D) P. basalis Walker; E, F) P. bicolor sp. nov., and G, H) P. brunnipennis sp. nov.. Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 53. Known range of A) P. basalis Walker; B) P. bicolor sp. nov.