Manestella poecilothorax, Winterton, Shaun L. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012

Winterton, Shaun L. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012, New Australian stiletto flies: revision of Manestella Metz and description of Medomega gen. n. (Diptera, Therevidae, Agapophytinae), ZooKeys 240, pp. 1-119 : 15

Manestella poecilothorax sp. n. Figs 12484950

Type material.

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Golden Bay, -32.426, 115.771, 19.xi.2008, vegetated dunes, S. L. Winterton & S. D. Gaimari (WAM).

Paratypes.

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 4 males, 3 females, Nambung National Park, 5 km S Cervantes, [-30.5, 115.067], 4.xi.1987, E. I. Schlinger, M. E. Irwin (MEI_022955, 022957, 022981, WAM; MEI_022959, 022961, 022976, 022978, CAS); 1 male, Kalbarri, [-27.717, 114.167], 30.ix.1973, L. P. Kelsey; sand dunes (MEI_022922, ANIC).

Diagnosis.

Wing mostly white translucent with slight infuscation (darker in female); male frontal setae few in number, minute; male frons flat in profile; single row of postocular setae adjacent to ocellar tubercle in male; hind femur yellow with brown patch; male abdomen with grey pubescence; gonocoxites without ventromedial projection; female frontal markings as brown medial stripe, with brown band and spot above antennae.

Description.

Body length= 3.0-3.5 mm (male), 4.0-5.0 mm (female). Head. Frontal pubescence silver-grey with tan suffusion and brown markings, brown medial stripe and spot above antennal base (male), medial stripe with brown spot dorsolaterally, brown band above antenna (female), frons profile flat in male, slightly rounded in female, male frontal vestiture with small patch of minute setae above antenna, female with short to moderate length setae (longer dorsally), always much shorter than setae on scape; setae on frons and scape dark, admixed with 2-3 white setae laterally; male frons width at narrowest point contiguous, male postocular setae as single row immediately laterad of ocellar tubercle, setae black, with occasional lighter, more elongate seta(e) dorsally; occipital pubescence grey; genal setae pale; antennal scape shorter than flagellum, scape overlain with grey pubescence; flagellum brown with grey pubescence. Thorax. Scutal pubescence grey with darker grey-brown pattern; scattered short dark setae, slightly denser anteriorly; scutal markings as two brown medial stripes anteriorly, joining posteriorly, lateral stripes broken to tessellate (darker and more extensive in female); scutal macrosetae dark; pleuron with grey pubescence; katatergite setae uniformly pale; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae mostly pale; femora brown with sparse grey pubescence yellow apically and basally, hind femur yellow in basal two thirds, extensive long pale setae; tibiae yellow, dark grey-brown apically; tarsi dark yellow with apices brown; wing mostly white translucent, dark markings apically in cells cu-p, bm and discal, centrally in cell br (darker in female); vein M3 incomplete; scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): np, 3; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 5-6; sc, 1. Abdomen. Male abdomen base colour darkish, overlain with sparse grey pubescence on tergites 2-7, segments 2-3 with cream margin, mostly elongate pale setae, denser laterally; terminalia brown or dark yellow, female abdominal markings with tergites dark brown dorsally, intersegmental membrane distinctly pale, well defined. Male genitalia. Gonocoxite without medial process, gonocoxite posterolateral process relatively short, narrowed distally, gonocoxite velutum patch extensive, distinct; patch of shorter, darker setae posteroventrally on gonocoxite.

Comments.

Manestella poecilothorax sp. n. is a western species with distinctive femoral, scutal and wing colouration. The pale terminalia, incomplete vein M3 and flat male frons with minute setae also differentiates this species.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Greek poekilos, spotted; referring to the brown spotted or pied markings on the thorax.