Psilota flavoorta Young and van Steenis, 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 : 53

Psilota flavoorta Young and van Steenis sp. nov.

(Species plate: Fig. 20 ; Genitalia: Fig. 43 A–B; Map: Fig. 57A )

Diagnosis: Pleuron shining, free of pollinosity. Scutum with mixed black and white pile. Hind leg simple. Tergites 2 and 3 black, with lateral edges always yellow on tergite 2 and usually on tergite 3. Tergite 4 mostly or entirely black, usually with anterolateral yellow markings. Body length: 8.7–11.5 mm.

Description: MALE: Head: Head black, face sparsely pale pollinose. Face pale yellow pilose with some black pile mixed in on upper half of face, frons mostly black pilose with a few pale pile, vertex black pilose. Scape and pedicel orange, postpedicel dark brown with only ventral edge orange, oval, approximately 1.5 times as long as wide. Eye densely brown pilose. Thorax: Thorax black. Fore- and mid leg orange, hind leg dark brown. Hind femur unmodified, with only a few weak, black setulae apicoventrally. Pleuron shining, free of pollinosity. Pile on thorax mixed black and yellow. Wing colourless, with apical half of cell bm, apical three-quarters of cell cua, and basal third of cell c bare. Alula microtrichose. Halter pale yellow. Calypter light brown with a dark brown border. Abdomen: Tergite 1 black. Tergites 2 and 3 black, with lateral edges always yellow on tergite 2 and usually on tergite 3. Tergite 4 entirely black or with lateral edges yellow on anterior half. Tergites shining, free of pollinosity. Tergites 1 and 2 with some pale pilosity laterally, otherwise tergites black pilose. Sternites yellow, pale pilose. Genitalia: Epandrium compact, about as long as tall. Cercus approximately triangular. Outer lobe of surstylus inserted at top of inner lobe, thin, and abruptly curved downwards at about two-thirds its length. Inner lobe of surstylus long, thin, and straight, approximately 5 times as long as wide (at base), slightly increasing in width over entire length, with apex square. Phallapodeme smooth. Postgonite slightly constricted medially, slightly darkened.

FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘ flavoorta ’ is an arbitrary combination of letters.

Specimens examined: HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Carnarvon National Park, Mt. Moffatt Section., -25.058100 148.044400, 5.xi.2010., 1100m, C. Lambkin et al., QM Reg. No. T 222152 (1♂ QM) . PARA- TYPES: New South Wales: Stanwell Tops, -34.219903 150.991808, 5.ii.1978, G. Daniels, GDCBReg_19604 (1♂, GDCB) ; Queensland: Amiens nr. Stanthorpe, -28.600522 151.799608, 25.xi.1979, G. Daniels, GDCBReg_19689 (1♂, GDCB) ; Mount Moffatt , Mt. Moffatt sect., Carnarvon Nat Pk; -25.058100 148.044400; 26.IX.1986; D.K. Yeates; UQIC_ Reg 94640; UQIC_ Reg 94731 (2♂, QM) ; Wild Horse Mountain near Beerburrum, -26.916667 152.150000, 28.ix.1985, G. and A. Daniels, GDCBReg_19550–19552 (3♂♂, GDCB) ; Girraween National Park , Hilltop 1.2km NE of Bald Rock Campground, -28.821942 151.937850, 31.xii.2014; 1.i.2015, J.H. Skevington CNC451709 (1♂, CNC).

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

Figures

FIGURE 20. P. flavoorta 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 57. Known range of A) P. flavoorta sp. nov.; B) P. fuscifrons sp. nov.