Sidarena macfarlandi, Irwin, Michael E. & Winterton, Shaun L., 2016

Irwin, Michael E. & Winterton, Shaun L., 2016, New genera of Australian stiletto flies (Diptera, Therevidae), ZooKeys 618, pp. 97-128 : 109-112

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Therevidae

Sidarena macfarlandi sp. n. Figs 14, 15, 16, 28B

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia, Moresby Range, 12.9 km NE Geraldton, Mills Park, [-28.660, 114.661], 1.viii.1973, hand netted, N. McFarland. (MEI028790) (ANIC).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 2 males, female, same data as holotype (MEI028791, 028255 [male in copula], 028256 [female in copula]) (ANIC); males, same data as holotype (MEI028787); 6 males, 2 females, Moresby Range, Howatharra Rd., [-28.54, 114.667], 1.viii.1974, black light (UV), N. McFarland. (ANIC, CSCA) (MEI028788, 028789, 129016, 028257, 028792, 028793, 129014, 028254); female, Greenough, [-28.95, 114.733], 29.viii.1978, hand netted, R. P. McMillan. (WAM) (WAM872094).

Diagnosis.

Abdomen distinctly orange; wing slightly mottled; legs dark yellow with brown suffusion on hind femur; pleuron dark yellow dorsally; abdominal tergite 1 with dark brown markings.

Description.

Body length. 7.0 mm (male), 8.0 mm (female). Head. (Fig. 14-15) Yellowish-grey pubescent; frons flat, brownish-orange pubescent, admixed with scattered black setae dorsolaterally and immediately above antennal socket, narrow dark pubescence present along eye margin; occiput convex with dark postocular setae not arranged in rows, dark setae extending ventrally onto gena and admixed with finer white setae; face yellow-grey pubescent; antennal scape length less than pedicel and flagellum combined, orange-yellow pubescent with numerous robust black setae laterally; pedicel brownish-orange pubescent with numerous black setae; flagellum with extensive brown pubescence; mouthparts yellowish with dark pile. Thorax. Base colour dark yellow-orange on scutum and dorsally on pleuron; scutum overlain with pubescence as broad brown lateral stripes and broad metallic-grey stripe medially (with light yellow-brownish suffusion medially and narrow dark stripe along axis); very fine, sparse setal pile on scutum; postpronotal lobe orange pubescent; pleuron dark-yellow orange dorsally, darker suffusion ventrally, pleuron with fine white pile on anepisternum and katatergite; chaetotaxy: np, 3-4; sa, 2; pa, 1; dc, 3; sc, 1; wings infuscate, darker along veins, more distinctive and extensive around crossveins to give mottled appearance; venation dark; coxae dark, overlain with grey pubescence; femora dark yellow-orange with dark suffusion more pronounced on hind femur; tibiae and tarsi dark yellow-orange, distal tarsomeres blackish. Abdomen. Mostly dark yellow-orange, dark suffusion laterally on segments 1-3 and sometimes segment 4; silver velutum on tergites 1-6; sparse setal pile on all segments, short and dark dorsally, elongate and white laterally on anterior segments, setal pile darker and more robust posteriorly. Male terminalia (Fig. 16). Epandrium slightly longer than wide with extensive robust dark setae; cercus with pale setae; tergite 8 slightly emarginate posteriorly; gonocoxite and aedeagus typical of species in the genus. Female terminalia typical for the genus.

Comments.

Sidarena macfarlandi sp. n. is similar in appearance to Sidarena aurantia sp. n. based on body colouration, especially the abdomen (see comments above).

Etymology.

This species is named after the collector, Noel McFarland, of this and other species of Sidarena in Western Australia.