Psilota mcqueeni Young, 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 : 58-60

Psilota mcqueeni Young sp. nov.

(Species plate: Fig. 24 ; Genitalia: Fig. 44 A–B; Map: Fig. 59A )

Diagnosis: Metallic blue-black species with face free of pollinosity except around eye margin. Frons pale pilose, vertex dark pilose. Thorax pale pilose, with some dark pile on scutum. Hind femur with a distinct triangular apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia simple. Halter white. Calypter pale. Tergite 4 white pilose. Body length: 7.9 mm.

Description: MALE: Head: Head black, face shining blueish-black, with pollinosity only around eye margin. Face and frons white pilose, vertex black pilose. Antenna dark brown, baseoflagellomere oval, approximately twice as long as wide. Eye densely white pilose. Thorax: Thorax blueish-black, shining and free of pollinosity. Legs mostly dark brown, with apices of fore- and mid femora, basal one-third of fore and mid tibia orange. Hind femur with a distinct triangular apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia simple, with no basoventral spur. Pleuron shining, pollinosity free. Pile on pleuron and scutellum entirely white, pile on scutum mostly white with some dark pile. Wing colourless, with cells c, r 1, and cua bare on basal half, cells bm, and br mostly bare. Alula completely microtrichose. Halter white. Calypter white. Abdomen: Abdomen blueish-black. Tergites white pilose laterally, with short black pile medially. Sternites black, white pilose. Genitalia: Epandrium conpact, about as long as tall. Cercus approximately triangular, with apex slightly concave. Outer lobe of surstylus inserted at top of inner lobe, thin, and curved smoothly downwards over its entire length, also curving inwards so the apex loops under the inner lobe of the surstylus. Inner lobe of surstylus long and straight, approximately 4 times as long as wide (at base), with a semicircular ventral excavation at two-thirds its length, almost square at apex. Inner lobe of surstylus also with a large medial projection on the dorsal half of the inner surface at one-half its length. Phallapodeme smooth. Postgonite slightly darkened.

FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: This species is named for Peter McQueen, the lead author’s maternal grandfather who died while he was visiting collections for this project in Australia. ‘Granddad’ was always supportive of ADY’s interest in natural history and was always a positive influence in his life. From a young age, he taught ADY the importance of critical thinking skills, and to question the world around us.

Specimen examined: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Koongarra , 15 km E of Mt. Cahill, -12.865225 132.843317, 6–9.III.1973, coll. D.H. Colless, USNM _ENT_00249848 (1♂, ANIC).

Discussion: Nothing is known about the biology of Psilota mcqueeni sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 24. P. mcqueeni sp. nov., A) male dorsal habitus, B) male anterolateral face, C) male lateral habitus. Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 44. Lateral and dorsal male genitalia of A, B) P. mcqueeni sp. nov.; C, D) P. metallica sp. nov.; E, F) P. nigripila sp. nov., and G, H) P. nitida (Macquart). Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 59. Known range of A) P. mcqueeni sp. nov.; B) P. metallica sp. nov.