Acupalpa melanophaeos, Shaun L., Winterton, 2011

Shaun L., Winterton, 2011, Revision of the stiletto fly genera Acupalpa Kroeber and Pipinnipons Winterton (Diptera, Therevidae, Agapophytinae) using cybertaxonomic methods, with a key to Australasian genera, ZooKeys 95, pp. 29-79 : 44-46

Acupalpa melanophaeos sp. n. Figs 3H12

Type material.

Holotype female, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Drummond Cove, Geraldton, 16.xi.1973, N. McFarland [-28.767°, 114.617°] (MEI029498) (ANIC). Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: female, same data as holotype (MEI029496) (WAM); male, Bunbury, 3.i.1957, A. Snell [-33.317°, 115.633°] (MEI029509) (ANIC); female, Cape Le Grand Nat. Park [-33.96°, 122.12°], 12.i.1987, G. & A. Daniels (MEI029494) (GDCB/AMS).

Diagnosis.

Frons profile rounded above antenna; scape yellow, flagellum dark; scutum grey to black; pleuron black (reddish posteriorly in female); wing banded infuscate; coxae orange; legs orange to yellow, tarsi dark distally and fore-basitarsus white; abdomen black, segments 1-3 orange to yellow; abdominal velutum absent.

Description.

Body length= 7.1-9.6 mm. Head. Frons wider than ocellar tubercle (female) or narrower (male), profile rounded above antenna, pubescence absent, frontal vestiture glabrous or with minute setae, surface texture smooth; face shape broadly rounded, expansive, vestiture glabrous; gena with dark setae; parafacial glabrous; mouthparts elongate, projecting anteriorly, or sometimes relatively short; palpus brown-black, narrowly cylindrical; occiput glabrous, glossy black; antennal base raised (male) or flat, frons roughly level with eye in profile (female); antenna longer than head; scape yellow, length much shorter than flagellum, scape with short, black setae; flagellum black, base of flagellum with short, dark setae. Thorax. Scutum light grey to black, setal bases glossy black; scutellum overlain with dense, matt-black pubescence; pleuron black (male) or darker anteriorly with dark orange posteroventrally (female), overlain with sparse silver-grey pubescence; wing markings banded infuscate; haltere knob brown; coxae orange; femora orange or dark yellow; tibia orange; tarsi yellow orange, dark distally, fore-basitarsus white. Scutal chaetotaxy: np, 4; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 1-2; sc, 1. Abdomen. Segments 1-3 yellow or orange, remaining segments black, silver velutum absent; terminalia dark.

Comments.

Acupalpa melanophaeos sp. n.is a relatively large species from Western Australia with distinctive leg and abdomen colouration. It is morphologically similar to Acupalpa novayamarna sp. n. and Acupalpa notomelas sp. n. The coxae are pale in this species along with a rounded face, rather than protruding anteriorly in similar species (e.g. Acupalpa irwini ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from theGr. melanos, black; phaeos, light, shiny, referring to the scutum colouration.