Psilota longipila Thompson and 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

Psilota longipila Thompson and Young sp. nov.

(Species plate: Fig. 23 ; Genitalia: Fig. 43 G–H; Map: Fig. 58B )

Psilota sp. 88-40 Thompson, unpublished

Diagnosis: Metallic blue species with face yellow pilose, frons extensively black pilose. Pleuron white pollinose and white pilose. Hind femur with a low apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia with a basoventral spur. Scutum with long, black pile. Body length: 11.9–14.1 mm.

Description: MALE: Head: head black, face densely pale pollinose. Face yellow pilose, frons and vertex extensively black pilose. Antenna orange, dull brown dorsally on scape, pedicel, and postpedicel. Eye densely yellow pilose. Thorax: Thorax metallic blue. Femora dark, with only apices orange. Fore and mid tibia orange. Fore and mid femur white pollinose. Hind femur with a low apicoventral setulose carina. Hind tibia with a basoventral spur. Pleuron white pollinose. Pile on pleuron white. Pile on scutum and scutellum long, approximately half the length of the arista, and entirely black. Metepimeron and katepimeron bare. Wing hyaline, with cell c bare on ventral half, cell r bare anteriorly and ventrally, and cells bm, Cua, and the anal lobe bare anteriorly. Alula completely microtrichose. Halter dark brown. Calypter pale brown, with a dark brown border. Abdomen: Abdomen metallic blue. Tergites 2, 3 and 4 with white pile on basal half and black pile on apical half. Tergite pile long, approximately one-third the length of the arista. Sternites shining, white pilose. Genitalia: Epandrium compact, about as long as tall. Cercus approximately triangular. Outer lobe of surstylus inserted just above mid-height of inner lobe, curved downwards smoothly over entire length. Inner lobe of surstylus short, barely extending past outer lobe, widest at basal ventral swelling, with many long, strong setae present ventrally at base, widening only slightly past midpoint to a rounded apex. Phallapodeme with a ventral, forward facing projection. Gonostylus thick, not darkened.

FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘ longipila ’ consists of longi -, derived from the Latin for ‘long’ (‘longus’), and -pila, derived from the scientific term “pile”, which refers to the hair-like structures covering some tergites in Syrphidae . This is reference to the unusually long pile covering the body of Psilota longipila sp. nov., especially on the face.

Specimens examined: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 26km S of Dwellingup ; -32.990108 116.055408; coll. I.D. Naumann, J.C. Cardale; ANIC29034978 (1♂, ANIC) . PARATYPES: Western Australia: same data as holotype, USNM _ ENT249842 (1♂, ANIC) ; 5 miles East of Nornalup , -35.004314 116.880339, 8.x.1970, D.H. Colless, ANIC29034977 (1♂, ANIC) ; Quilergup, -33.766667 115.650000, 4.x.1981, I.D. Naumann, J.C. Cardale, ANIC29034976 (1♂, ANIC) .

Discussion: Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 23. P. longipila sp. nov., A) male dorsal habitus, B) male anterolateral face, C) male lateral habitus. Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 43. Lateral and dorsal male genitalia ofA, B) P. flavoorta sp. nov.; C, D) P. fuscifrons sp. nov.; E, F) P. livida sp. nov., and G, H) P. longipila sp. nov.. Scale bar =1 mm.

FIGURE 58. Known range of A) P. livida sp. nov.; B) P. longipila sp. nov.