Dasyrhicnoessa atripes, Munari, 2004

Munari, L., 2004, Beach Flies (Diptera: Tethinidae: Tethininae) From Australia and Papua New Guinea, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Ten New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 56 (1), pp. 29-56 : 34

Dasyrhicnoessa atripes n.sp.

Figs. 1–4

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3, Australia, New South Wales “ NSW: Wategos / Beach, Cape Byron / 7 Nov. 2000 // Beach, Cape Byron / 7 Nov. 2000 [sic] // HOLOTYPUS / Dasyrhicnoessa / atripes sp. n. 3 / L. Munari des.” AM K186735 . The specimen is headless (see text), for the rest it is in excellent condition, and is double mounted (glued on the tip of a triangular card); abdomen dissected, stored in glycerol in a small plastic tube, and pinned below the specimen.

Description. Size. Body length about 2.3 mm (supposed), wing length 1.92 mm, wing width 0.75 mm. Habitus. Grey species with yellow legs and yellowish grey wings.All setae and setulae black, except for abdominal setae having golden reflections. Head. Missing. Nevertheless, considering that the morphological characters as well as the chaetotactic pattern of the head in most species belonging to this genus are not very informative at the specific level, I have judged it reasonable to name and describe the new species since the rest of the specimen is in excellent condition. Thorax. Entirely dark brown, covered with grey microtomentum; 1+3 dorsocentral setae; 6 rows of acrostichal setulae on anterior half of scutum, otherwise arranged in 4–6 rows; prescutellar acrostichals long and strong; postpronotal lobe bearing 3 setae, each with different inclination, posterior seta long and strong, anterior setae shorter and distinctly weaker; 1 long presutural seta; 2 notopleurals about subequal in length; 1 supra-alar, below it 1 shorter and weaker seta; 2 postalars, external one distinctly longer and stronger; scutellum with apical area yellowish, bearing 4 long marginal setae, apical ones longer; both proepisternal and proepimeral setae present; anepisternum with several long setulae, and 3 long, posteriorly directed, posteromarginal setae, mid one longer and stronger, and 1 erect seta at posterodorsal margin; katepisternum with scattered, short pubescence, bearing long and strong posterodorsal seta; anepimeron, katatergite and meron without setae and setulae. Legs. Entirely yellow, except for last tarsomeres which are pitch-black; evenly setulose, bearing short black setae and setulae; foreleg having coxa with long and strong setae, and femur with long posterodorsal and posteroventral setae, latter ones on apical half only; fore femur with ctenidial comb formed by short, black spinulae anteroventrally on distal third; mid femur with comb of posteroventral, short, spine-like setae, decreasing in length distally; hind femur not swollen; mid and hind legs with last tarsomere pitch-black, foreleg with last two tarsomeres of same colour, strongly contrasting with remaining yellowish tarsomeres. Wing. Veins yellowish, membrane yellowish grey; alula with fringe formed by several, close, long, black setae; costal vein reaching end of M 1, bearing several, short, spaced, microscopic setulae on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R 2+3 slightly bisinuate, diverging from R 4+5 distally; R 4+5 and M 1 parallel; crossvein r-m ending at basal third of cell dm; crossvein dm-cu distinctly shorter than half of last section of CuA 1; halter pale yellow. Abdomen. Blackish, with setal vestiture formed by dark setulae and black posteromarginal setae on each tergite, latter setae having golden reflections; transverse stripes at posterior edge of tergites somewhat broad, yellowish. Male terminalia ( Figs. 1–4). Epandrium bearing pair of moderately long setae dorsally, and several short setae on remaining posterior surface; cercus small, pubescent, covered with microscopic hairs and with long setae dorsally; anterior surstylus stumpy in lateral view, narrow in posterior one, bearing sparse, thin setae on inner side; posterior surstylus very stumpy, bearing several spine-like setae on inner side; aedeagal apodeme long, straight, only slightly bent distally; ejaculatory apodeme large, as long as or slightly longer than half of aedeagal apodeme, with broad distal fan; distiphallus long, ribbon-like, micropubescent.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Australia (NSW).

Remarks. Additional material of this interesting species is needed to corroborate the consistency of the character state “colour of last tarsomeres pitch-black” and to see the head.

Etymology. Compound word, from the Latin ater meaning black and pes meaning foot. The specific epithet refers to the pitch-black last tarsomeres of the legs.