Lispe assimilis Wiedemann

Pont, Adrian C., 2019, Studies on the Australian Muscidae (Diptera). VIII. The genus Lispe Latreille, 1797, Zootaxa 4557 (1), pp. 1-232 : 144-150

Lispe assimilis Wiedemann

( Figs 304–316 )

Lispe assimilis Wiedemann, 1824: 51 .

Lispa incerta Malloch, 1925a: 337 .

Lispe assimilis .— Séguy, 1937: 183; Snyder, 1965: 262; Pont, 1989: 692; Shinonaga & Pont, 1992: 718; Vikhrev, 2012b: 27 . Lispe incerta .— Séguy, 1937: 184; Snyder, 1965: 262; Pont, 1973b: 189; Pont, 1989: 693.

Lispa assimilis .— Lee, Crust & Sabrosky, 1956: 308.

Lispa hilli Lee Crust & Sabrosky, 1956: 319 (unavailable).

Lispa incerta .— Lee, Crust & Sabrosky, 1956: 321.

Type-material. The lectotype ♂ of Lispe assimilis , designated by Shinonaga & Pont (1992), is from the East Indies and is in ZMUC.

The holotype ♂ of Lispa incerta is from Eidsvold, Queensland, in ANIC, and has been studied by me in the course of the present revision. It has the left mid leg detached but lodged against the body, and all tarsi missing except right tarsomere 1, but is otherwise in good condition. The allotype ♀ of L. incerta has been examined in USNM. The ♂ from Darwin labelled as " hilli " by Malloch and the ♀ from Babinda have both been studied and are in ANIC.

Note on synonymy. As explained by Shinonaga & Pont (1992), two species have been confused under the name Lispe assimilis by Malloch (passim), Snyder (1965) and others, and the name L. assimilis has been applied incorrectly. Australian specimens belong to true L. assimilis , of which L. incerta Malloch is a synonym. L. hilli was an unpublished name of Malloch 's that was listed by Lee, Crust & Sabrosky (1956) but has not subsequently been made available.

Diagnosis. This species, together with L. weschei and L. xenochaeta , differs from other Australian Lispe by the slight forward curvature of vein M towards vein R4+5 ( Fig. 306 ). L. assimilis differs from L. weschei by the absence of an ad seta on fore tibia, and from L. xenochaeta by the absence of a v seta on mid tibia.

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 5 km SSW of Cape Bertholet, West Kimberley, 21.iv.1977, D.H. Colless, 1♀ ( ANIC); 8 km S of Cape Bertholet, West Kimberley , 21–22.iv.1977, D.H. Colless, 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Cape Borda to Pender, West Kimberley , 24.iv.1977, D.H. Colless, 2♂ 9♀ ( ANIC) ; 3 km ENE of Cape Borda, West Kimberley , 27.iv.1977, D.H. Colless, 7♂ 12♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) ; Carson Escarpment , 14.49S 126.49E, 9–15.viii.1975, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton, 2♀ ( ANIC) ; 3 km S of Coulomb Pt, West Kimberley , at light, 20.iv.1977, D.H. Colless, 2♂ 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Martin 's Well, West Kimberley , Malaise trap, 28.iv.1977, D.H. Colless, 1♂ ( ANIC) ; North Lake, Perth , 20.iii.1968, 2♂ 1♀ ( QMBA) ; 51 miles ENE of Port Hedland , 18.iv.1963, L.A. Chinnick, 1♂ 4♀ ( ANIC) ; 12 miles W of Wyndham , 24.vi.1953, R. Lukins, 1♂ 2♀ ( ANIC) . Northern Territory: 12 km SW of Alroy Downs , 10.iv.1976, at light, D.H. Colless, 2♂ 4♀ ( ANIC) ; Batten Creek , 31 km WSW of Borroloola, some Malaise trap & at light, 15–16.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 1♂ 2♀ ( ANIC) ; Batten Creek, 30 km NE by E of Borroloola, Malaise trap & at light, 18–19.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 10♂ 6♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) ; Bing Bong H.S., 49 km N by E of Borroloola, 20.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 4♂ 2♀ ( ANIC) ; 7 km NW by N of Cahills Crossing, E Alligator River , at light, 9.vi.1973, D.H. Colless, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Caranbirini W/H, 33 km SW of Borroloola, Malaise trap & at light, 21–22.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 2♂ 3♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) ; Chilla Well , 21.31S 130.59E, 5.xi.1968, A.O. Nicholls, 1♂ 1♀ ( ANIC) ; 4 miles W of Coolibah H.S., 15.34S, 130.54E, 20.vi.1968, M. Mendum, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Darwin , no date, G.F. Hill, 1♂ ( ANIC) (labelled " Lispa hilli Type " by Malloch) ; Horn Islet, Sir Edward Pellew Group , 25–31.i.1968, B. Cantrell, 1♀ ( QMBA) ; Humpty Doo , on rice, 24.viii.1956, L.O. Crawford, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Jim Jim Ck , 19 km WSW of Mt Cahill, at light, 24.x.1972, D.H. Colless, 1♂ ( ANIC) ; Jim Jim Ck , 20 km WSW of Mt Cahill, at light, 20.xi.1972, D.H. Colless, 2♀ ( ANIC) ; Katherine , 17.iv.1962, I.F.B. Common, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Katherine (Low level Pk ), at light, 20.viii.1973, L.P. Kelsey, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Koongarra , 15 km E of Mt Cahill, at light, 6–9.iii.1973, D.H. Colless, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; 8 km N of Kulgera , 21.ix.1978, M.S. Upton & R.A. Barrett, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Magela Creek , 1 km NNW of Mudginbarry H.S., 25.v.1973, M.S. Upton & R.S. McInnes, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; McArthur River, 48 km SW by S of Borroloola, Malaise trap, 14.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 2♂ 1♀ ( ANIC) ; McArthur River, 2 km SSE of Borroloola, Malaise & light traps, 19–20.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 4♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) ; McArthur River , 14 km S by W of Cape Crawford, at light, 12.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 1♂ ( ANIC) ; 17.7 km SSW of Mt Sandford , 31.vii.1973, L.P. Kelsey, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Nourlangie Ck , 6 km E of Mt Cahill, 18.xi.1972, D.H. Colless, 1♂ ( ANIC) ; 8 km SW by S of Oenpelli Mission , 6.vi.1973, D.H. Colless, 1♂ ( ANIC) ; Todd River 9 km N by E of Alice Springs, Malaise trap, 10–11.x.1978, D.H. Colless, 3♂ 4♀ ( ANIC) ; Waterhouse Range, 39 km SW by S of Alice Springs, Malaise trap, 12.x.1978, D.H. Colless, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; West Island (South Islet), Edward Pellew Group , 20.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 2♀ ( ANIC) ; West Island, Edward Pellew Group , 20.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 1♂ 4♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) ; Wildman R Lagoon , 24.x.1972, D.H. Colless, 1♂ ( ANIC) . Queensland: " South Queensland ", no date, T.L. Bancroft, 1♂ ( BMNH) ; Ashgrove , 21.iii.1947, Prosser, 1♀ ( QMBA) ; Ayr, Swan Lagoon , Malaise trap, 15–17.iii.1986, J. den Hollander, 2♂ 2♀ ( NMWC) ; Babinda , no date, J.F. Illingworth, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Biloela , from cotton, 6.iii.1987, A. McColl, 1♂ ( QDPC) ; Biloela , from lucerne, 2.v.1969, F.D. Page, 1♂ ( QDPC) ; Bluff Range, near Biggenden , 4.viii.1971, H. Frauca, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Bohle River, Bruce Hwy , 7 miles W of Townsville, edge of lagoon, 30.xi.1969, P. Ferrar, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; 25 km NW by N of Boulia , at light, 8.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 1♂ 2♀ ( ANIC) ; 62 km W by S of Boulia , at light, 17.x.1978, D.H. Colless, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Bribie I., Malaise trap, 2–11.ix.1983, E. Hamacek, 2♂ 4♀ ( QDPC) & 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Brisbane, DPI Indooroopilly site, Malaise trap, ii & vi.1978, 1 ♂ 4♀ ( QDPC) ; Brisbane, Yeerongpilly , 17.ii–5.iii.1984, B.K. Cantrell, 1♂ ( QDPC) ; Brisbane , 4.iv.1964, J.W. Turner, 1♂ ( QMBA) ; Broadbeach , 3.v.1970, Z. Liepa, 1♂ ( ANIC) ; 4 km E of Camooweal , 12.v.1973, M.S. Upton & R.S. McInnes, 2♂ 5♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) ; Eidsvold , 16.iv.1924, Bancroft, ♂ holotype of incerta ( ANIC) and ♀ allotype of incerta ( USNM) ; Forty Mile Scrub , SW of Mt Garnet, 18.05S, 144.40E, 4.x.1989, L. Ring, 1♂ ( QMBA) ; Gatton, DPI Research Station , Malaise trap, 24.iii–27. iv.1981, 1 ♂ 2♀ ( QDPC) ; Gilruth Plains , 28.ii.1963, A.L. Dyce, 1♂ ( ANIC) ; Indooroopilly , Malaise trap, xii.1976, Z. Bouček, 2♂ ( QDPC) & 1♂ ( BMNH) ; DPI Indooroopilly site, Malaise trap, 6–12.xii.1984, 1♀ ( QDPC) ; Lake Broadwater , 25 km SW of Dalby, 27.21S, 151.06E, m. v. lamp , 12.iv.1986, D.K. Yeates, 4♂ 2♀ ( QMBA) ; same locality, 23.iii.1986, D.K. Yeates, 2♀ ( QMBA) ; Lake Broadwater, via Dalby , m. v. light , 9.xii.1987, D.K. Yeates, 1♂ 1♀ ( QMBA) ; Lake Broadwater, near Dalby , 27.21S, 151.06E, m. v. lamp , 1–2.v.1987, G. & A. Daniels, 2♂ 5♀ ( QMBA, 1♀ OUMNH) ; the same, lake edge, 25.xii.1986, 1♀ ( QMBA) ; the same, lake, 12.iv.1986, 2♀ ( QMBA) ; the same, 30.i.1987, 2♀ ( QMBA) ; 66 km NW of Mt Isa , at light, 9.iv.1976, D.H. Colless, 5♂ 2♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) ; Mt. Moffat Nat. Park, Top Moffat Camp , 13.xii.1987, m. v. light, D.K. Yeates , 1♀ ( QMBA) ; Murrays Spring, 7 km W of Musselbrook Resource Centre, Lawn Hill Nat. Park , 18.35.15S, 138.04.28E, 200 m, 10.v.1995, G. Daniels & M.A. Schneider, 1♀ ( QMBA) ; Newcastle Waters , no date, F.H. Taylor, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Normanton , at edge of lagoon, 16.iv.1961, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Ridgepole Waterhole, 24 km ESE of Musselbrook Resource Centre, Lawn Hill Nat. Park , 18.40.15S, 138.22.15E, 180 m, 2–14.v.1995, G. Daniels & M.A. Schneider, 3♂ 8♀ ( QMBA) & 1♂ 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Surfer 's Paradise , 7.iv.1954, K.R. Norris, 5♂ 8♀ ( ANIC) & 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Tinaroo Dam (near Kairi Ck ), 22.vi.1971, E.F. Riek, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Townsville , margin of swamp, 6.ii.1921, G.F. Hill, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Townsville , no date, G.F. Hill, 1♂ 4♀ ( ANIC) ; Townsville , no date, F.H. Taylor, 9♀ ( ANIC, BMNH) . New South Wales: Brunswick Heads , i.1961, K.R. Norris, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Careel Bay, Avalon , mangroves, 4.vi.1962, D.K. McAlpine, 1♀ ( AMS) ; Ku-Ring- Gai , 14–20.iii.1973, E.A. Fonseca, 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Narrabeen , 15.iii.1973, E.A. Fonseca, 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Willoughby , 30.v.1976, D.K. McAlpine, 1♀ ( AMS) .

Also recorded from Queensland (Townsville) by Vikhrev (2012b: 27) and from Norfolk Island by Pont (1973b: 189, as incerta Malloch ).

Other material. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Central Province: Moitaka , Port Moresby, iii.1962, K.R. Norris, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; East Sepik Province: Korogo , Sepik River , 8.iii.1964, D.H. Colless, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Pagwi , Sepik River , 14.iii.1964, D.H. Colless, 1♀ ( ANIC) ; Morobe Province: Lae , 25.xii.1963, D.K. McAlpine, 1♀ ( AMS) ; National Capital District: Kanudi , beach, 4.iv.1981, J.W. Ismay, 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Northern Province: Popondetta, Haugata Pln. iv.1961, A. Catley, 1♀ ( BMNH) . BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: Mussau, Taletasi Lake, 4.vi.1962, Noona Dan Expedition 1961–62, 1♀ ( ZMUC) ; Mussau, Boliu, 5.vi.1962, Noona Dan Expedition 1961–62, 1♀ ( ZMUC) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head ( Fig. 304 ). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.41 (♂) or 0.46 (♀), at lunula 0.34 (♂) or 0.4 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Fronto-orbital plate yellowish-white pruinose, more thinly so and brownish above, and subshining around orbital setae; parafacial, face, gena and most of occiput silvery pruinose, usually tinged with yellow in ♀. Frontal triangle narrow, dull brownish-grey. Parafacial moderate, not (♂) or equally (♀) as broad as postpedicel; setulae short, in 1 (♂) or more (♀) rows. Antenna black, except tip of pedicel which is orange; postpedicel 3.1 (♂) or 3.5 (♀) times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 0.3 (♂) or 0.4 (♀) its length. Arista short-plumose, the hairing at widest point 1.6 times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong. Gena moderate, 0.14–0.16 of vertical eye-length; genal setae strong, sparse. Palpus yellow, greatly swollen in apical half ( Fig. 305 ).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum and scutellum yellowish-grey dusted, pleura more grey. Scutum with weakly marked but distinct brown vittae as follows: a median vitta running from neck to scutellum and sometimes encroaching weakly on to scutellum; a pair of narrow vittae along the line of the dc setae; a pair of patches running across prst ia and prst sa; a pair of post vittae running along the line of the ia. Anterior spiracle yellowish. Acr setulae in 4 irregular rows at suture. Dc 2+4, prst and anterior 2 post setae short and at most 3 times as long as a ground-setula, sometimes longer in ♀. 2 pprn. 1+2 ia, all short and fine, 2–3 times as long as a ground-setula in ♂, rather longer and stronger in ♀. 1+1 sa, both strong. 1 strong and 1 weaker proepisternal setae. 1 strong proepimeral, equal to the strong proepisternal, with 2 adjacent setulae. Anepisternum with 1 short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 3 strong and 3 weak setae. 3 strong kepst, lower one equidistant from the upper two. Meron bare, rarely with a setula above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc densely setulose, with 1 row of setulae descending on to sides; ventral surface bare.

Legs. Coxae, trochanters, femora (except knees) and tarsi black; fore tibia dull yellow on basal third only, mid and hind tibiae mainly orange-yellow, only darkened at tips. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur without av setae or spinules; pv row complete, but the setae sparse and mostly shorter than femoral depth; pd row complete. Fore tibia with 1 submedian pv seta, without ad; with d, p and 1 (♂) or 2 (♀) pv apical setae. Fore tarsomeres without modifications. Mid femur with only short setulae on av and pv surfaces; 1 a at middle; 2 p preapicals. Mid tibia with 1 submedian p; with strong ad, av, pv and p apicals, and weaker d and pd apicals, the d also strong in ♀. Mid tarsomeres without modifications. Hind coxa without a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind trochanter only shortsetulose below. Hind femur with only setulae on pv surface, but with 1 preapical seta in ♀; on av surface with 1 submedian and 1 preapical seta; ad row complete; 1 pd preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad, 1 av, and 1 pd; d and ad preapical setae present; 1 av but no pv apical. Hind tarsomeres not modified.

Wing. Clear. Tegula brown to orange, basicosta yellow. Crossvein r-m placed below the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu curved, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M slightly curved forward before apex and converging with vein R4+5 ( Fig. 306 ). Calypters white, with creamy margins. Haltere yellow.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Dust on tergites grey. In ♂, dorsal areas of tergites with a pattern of large dark quadrate spots ( Fig. 307 ), these spots narrowly separate on tergites 3 and 4 but coalescing on tergite 5, not encroaching far on to sides of tergites ( Fig. 308 ); in ♀, this dark pattern slightly less extensive, the dark spots more separated from hind-margins of tergites, and tergite 5 with the dusted indentation on hind-margin deeper. ♂ epandrium mainly grey dusted. ♀ ovipositor with exposed tergites dusted grey to brownish-grey. Sternites 1–5 grey dusted. Setae weakly developed, only tergite 5 with erect setae, 3–4 (♂) or 2–3 (♀) pairs of marginals. Sternites 2– 4 each with a median line of weakness ( Fig. 309 ). Sternite 2 with a pair of strong setae, otherwise sternites 3–5 with only sparse setulae ( Fig. 309 ).

Ƌ terminalia. Epandrium separated from tergite 5 by syntergosternite 8, which has 2 spiracles. Tergite 6 and sternite 6 absent. Surstylus absent, i.e. fused to epandrium without trace ( Fig. 310 ). Cercal plate large in relation to epandrium, deeply divided ventrally ( Fig. 311 ). Hypandrium attached at one point, via an apparent praegonite to lower anterior corner of epandrium. Phallic complex ( Figs 312–313 ): hypandrium expanded at posterior end as a V-shaped plate connected to base of phallus; praegonite and postgonite present, the latter strong, incurved and weakly branched at tip ( Fig. 313 ); phallapodeme long but normal in structure, connected to each side of hypandrium by a bridge; phallus long, tubular, simple, juxta large, covered with cilia; basal part flanked by a number of plates.

♀ ovipositor ( Figs 314–316 ). Tergites 6 and 7 complete; tergite 8 divided dorsally, each half displaced laterally by the large epiproct. Sternite 6 absent; sternite 7 absent, suppressed by the edges of the very large tergite 7 which almost meet ventrally; sternite 8 represented by 2 small drop-like plates. Epiproct large, with several setae. Hypoproct large, with only weak spines at apex. Cercus broad, plate-like, connected to the epiproct, with several strong setae. 3 spermathecae.

Measurements. Wing-length, 4.0–5.0 mm (♂), 5.0–6.0 mm (♀). Body-length, 6.0–7.0 mm (♂), 6.5–7.5 mm (♀).

Biology. Nothing known.

Distribution. In Australia from WA, NT, Q and NSW. L. assimilis is widespread in the Oriental and Austtralian/Oceanian regions, and also extends into the southern Palaearctic region.

Figures

FIGURES 304–308. Lispe assimilis Wiedemann. 304. ♂ head, lateral view. 305. ♀ palpus. 306. ♂ wing, apical half. 307. ♂ abdomen, dorsal view. 308. ♂ abdomen, lateral view. (306, NT, 12 miles SW of Alroy Downs; others, NT, Batten Point.)

FIGURES 309–311. Lispe assimilis Wiedemann, ♂. 309. Sternites 1–5. 310. Hypopygium, lateral view. 311. Cercal plate, dorsal view. (NT, Batten Point.)

FIGURES 312–313. Lispe assimilis Wiedemann, ♂. 312. Phallic complex, lateral view. 313. Part of postgonite, ventral view. (NT, Batten Point.)

FIGURES 314–316. Lispe assimilis Wiedemann, ♀ ovipositor. 314. Dorsal view. 315. Ventral view. 316. Lateral view. (WA, Cape Borda to Pender.)