Melanothereva bicolorata, Winterton & Irwin, 2023

Winterton, Shaun L. & Irwin, Michael E., 2023, Revision of the South American stiletto fly genera Entesia Oldroyd and Melanothereva Malloch, with the description of a new genus (Therevidae: Agapophytinae), Zootaxa 5269 (1), pp. 1-82 : 59

Melanothereva bicolorata sp. n.

( Figs 38 ; 43A, B ; 54 )

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:414D1C9F-3EB0-46B3-9CFD-9BDBF39E635A

Diagnosis. Distinctly yellow-orange and black bicoloured flies; antennal scape and flagellum relatively elongate; frons silver pubescent on lower half, black dorsally; male with macrosetae along postocular ridge only, absent on occiput; ventral half of pleuron bright yellow-orange; legs yellow-orange, tarsi black distally; lateral lobe of cervical sclerite with a single orange macroseta; female with spermathecal sac present.

Description. Body length. 9.5 mm (male), 11.5–13.0 mm (female). Head. Relatively small; frontal pubescence black brown dorsally, bright silver ventrally, frons flat, male vestiture absent, female with minute black setae, male eyes contiguous below anterior ocellus; postocular macrosetae black; occiput pubescence silver and matte black, matte black medially, female with scattered black macrosetae on occiput, absent in male; antennal scape black, equal in length to flagellum, elongate, cylindrical, sparsely covered with short, dark setae; flagellum brown, elongate and tapered apically. Thorax. Scutum glossy black with sparse brown pubescence, light grey suffuse dorsocentral vittae anteriorly (female) or broad medial vitta (male), scattered short, dark setae, macrosetae black, chaetotaxy: np, 4; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 3; sc, 1; scutellum glossy black, overlain with matte brown pubescence; lateral lobe of cervical sclerite with an orange macroseta; pleuron black dorsally, yellow-orange ventrally, overlain with grey pubescence; katatergite setae black; coxae yellow-orange, overlain with sparse grey pubescence; coxal setae orange, macrosetae few in number, yellow-orange; femora yellow-orange with extensive, short white setae, rarely with very small subapical anteroventral macroseta on hind femur; tibiae yellow-orange with orange macrosetae; tarsi black distally; wing uniform black infuscate, venation dark, costal margin setae arranged in two rows; haltere brown. Abdomen. Black, overlain with brown pubescence, male abdomen without silver velutum on tergites, vestiture mostly short, black setae, longer laterally, abdominal tergite 2 with patch of short modified setae posteromedially; terminalia black. Male terminalia. Epandrium elongate, rounded posterolaterally; cerci rounded, yellow; macrosetae dark and robust on epandrium and gonocoxites; gonocoxites black-brown, appendages yellow; outer gonocoxite process small, narrow; phallus with dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath narrowly forked; distiphallus straight and narrow; ejaculatory apodeme broad; gonocoxal apodemes relatively short. Female terminalia. As per genus description, spermathecal sac present, rounded.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the Latin, bi— two and coloratus— colour; referring to the distinctly bi-coloured body.

Comments. Melanothereva bicolorata sp. n. is a highly distinctive black and yellow-orange species distributed in central Chile.

Type material— Holotype female, CHILE: Ñuble Region: Las Trancas [-36.9124, -71.4723], 17.XII.1983, L.E. Peña (MEI078908; FMNH) . Paratypes. CHILE: Araucania Region: 1 female, SE Curacautin, Conguillio National Park , trail Los Carpinteros (site Conguillio MT & PT03 ) , Malaise trap #1 [-38.6402, -71.6961], 9–21.I.2013, A. De Braekeleer, M. Pollet, 1264 m ( CSCA) . Maule Region: 1 female, Estero la Jaula [-35.0129, -70.7466], I.1964, L.E. Peña, Nothofagus (CSCA) ; 1 female, Forel, Carrizalillo [-35.3529, -72.1608], 30.I–5.II.1981, L.E. Peña, 250 m ( USNM) .

Other material examined— CHILE: Coquimbo Region: 1 male, Coquimbo [-29.9899, -71.2942], 13.XI.1964, L.E. Peña ( MEI112355 ; CSCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 38. Melanothereva bicolorata sp. n.: A. Female, oblique view; B. same, lateral view.

FIGURE 43. Melanothereva spp., male terminalia: M. bicolorata sp. n.: A. epandrium and tergite 8; B. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, ventral view; M. lugubris (Macquart): C. epandrium; D. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, ventral view; M. frayjorge sp. n.: E. epandrium; F. gonocoxites with phallus in situ, ventral view.

FIGURE 54. Distribution map of Melanothereva bicolorata and Pachylopella antennata.