Lispe nigrimanoides sp. nov.

(Figs 77–82)

Diagnosis. In the ♂ of this species the armature of the mid and hind tarsomeres (Figs 80–82) is unique. The ♂ is similar to that of L. nigrimana, but lacks the very long pv setae on hind femur so characteristic of that species; the ventral surfaces of mid and hind femora are entirely without setae.

Etymology. The name indicates the close similarity between the new species and L. nigrimana .

Type Material Examined. Holotype ♂. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Millstream, 24.x.1970, D.H. Colless (ANIC) . Paratypes 1♂ 7♀. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: same data as holotype, 1♀ (ANIC); Millstream, 22.x.1970, D.H. Colless , 5♀ (3 ANIC, 1 BMNH, 1 OUMNH); Millstream, at light, 23.x.1970, D.H. Colless 1♀ (ANIC); Shothole Canyon, Cape Range, Exmouth, beside water, 12.viii.1970, P. Ferrar , 1♂ (ANIC) .

Description ♂ ♀. Head (Fig. 78). Ground-colour black. Frons at broadest point 0.33 (♂) or 0.43 (♀), at lunula 0.25 (♂) or 0.37 (♀), of maximum head-width (frontal view). Eye with an area of facets alongside lunula conspicuously enlarged. Ocellar setae very short and fine. Fronto-orbital plate with upper third matt to subshining, lower part brown (♂) to brownish-yellow (♀) pruinose, extreme lower part together with parafacial, face and gena yellowish-white pruinose, almost golden; lower 2/3 of occiput white pruinose, upper 1/3 thinly so but not shining, except weakly so at vertex. Lower reclinate orbital seta usually present. Frontal triangle slender (♂) to moderate (♀), shining black. Parafacial narrow, at middle 1/4 (♂) or 1/2 (♀) width of postpedicel; setulae short, fine, in 1 row. Antenna black, except tip of pedicel and base of postpedicel which are orange; postpedicel 2.0 times as long as broad, falling short of mouth-margin by 1.4 (♂) or 0.8 (♀) times its length. Arista plumose, the hairing at widest point 1.7 (♂) to 1.5 (♀) times width of postpedicel. Vibrissa strong but short, only just crossing, set high above mouth-margin, especially in ♂ (Fig. 83), vibrissal area otherwise with few setulae. Gena moderate, 0.11 (♂) to 0.18 (♀) of vertical eye-length; genal setae weak. Palpus yellow, swollen at tip (as in L. nigrimana, Fig. 59).

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum brownish-grey dusted, with 3 inconspicuous darker brown vittae along the dc and acr lines, the acr vitta sometimes enlarged, sometimes all three rather enlarged, and a broader dark brown post patch on each side outside the ia lines; scutellum dark brown dusted on disc and at tip, the sides yellowish-grey in basal half; all pleura (including notopleuron) dull grey dusted. Anterior spiracle brown. Scutal ground-setulae short and decumbent. Acr setulae in 4–5 irregular rows at suture. Dc 0+2, the anterior post seta half as long as the posterior one. 1 pprn. 0+0 ia. 1+1 sa, the prst seta short and weak. 1 proepisternal seta, with an adjacent setula. 1 proepimeral seta, with 8-11 tiny adjacent setulae. Anepisternum without a short seta in upper anterior corner; posterior row with 1 strong and 4 weak setae. 3 kepst, lower one closer to posterior than to anterior one, anterior and lower setae well developed. Meron bare below spiracle, with a few tiny setulae above hind coxa. Scutellum with disc sparsely setulose, bare on sides; with some soft pale hairs on ventral surface at tip.

Legs. Coxae black; trochanters mostly reddish; fore leg black except for knee and basal 1/4 (♂) or 1/3 (♀) of tibia; mid and hind femora black in basal half and yellow in apical half or a little more; mid and hind tibiae yellow; tarsomeres black. Fore coxa bare behind. Fore femur without av setae; pv surface with 3–4 short setae in apical half, otherwise short setulose; pd row complete. Fore tibia not expanded or flattened; without submedian setae; with d and short pv apical setae, the pv absent in ♂. Fore tarsus without modifications. Mid femur without av, pv or a setae; without preapical ad; 1 p preapical. Mid tibia with 0 ad and 1 p; with moderate a, v and pv apicals, and a short d and p. Mid tarsus of ♂ modified (Fig. 80): basal tarsomere elongated, and tarsomeres 1–3 with sparse semierect v setulae; not modified in ♀. Hind coxa without a seta on posterior apical margin. Hind femur without av or pv setae; ad row complete, weak; 0 pd preapical. Hind tibia with 1 ad, without av or pd; 1 d but no ad preapical seta; 1 short av apical but no pv. Hind tarsus of ♂ (Figs 81–82) with basal tarsomere slightly bent, concave, with a v seta near base (also present in ♀), a row of a setae, long at base, becoming shorter and continuing on to tarsomere 2, av to v surfaces finely setulose; not modified in ♀.

Wing. Narrow. Very weakly smoky. Tegula brown, basicosta orange. Crossvein r-m placed below the point where vein R1 enters costa; dm-cu straight, longer than apical section of vein CuA1. Vein M running straight to wing-margin. Calypters white to creamy, with creamy margins. Haltere yellow.

Abdomen. Ground-colour black. Segments 4 and 5 of ♂ modified as in L. nigrimana (Figs 67–68). Tergites subshining black with very thin dark brown dust; ♂ with white dusted spots as in L. nigrimana (Figs 64, 66), except that the lateral and dorsal areas of dust on syntergite 1+2 are connected by a hind-marginal band of dust; more yellowish-grey in ♀, the pattern as in L. nigrimana (Fig. 65) except that syntergite 1+2 is more extensively dusted. ♂ epandrium dusted white. Sternites 1–4 (♂) or 1–5 (♀) light grey dusted. Setae on tergites very weak, tergites 3 to 5 each with 1 pair of weak lateral marginal setae, tergite 5 with a few additional shorter marginals that form a row, without discals; these all very short and inconspicuous in ♀. ♂ sternites 2–4 with sparse setulae.

Ƌ terminalia. Not differing in any significant way from those of L. nigrimana (see Figs 70–72). Cercal plate more indented on lower outer edge (Fig. 79).

♀ ovipositor. Not differing from that of L. nigrimana (see Figs 73–75). Ventral membrane of segment 8 sometimes with a bristle on one or both sides, indicating the former presence of 2 small plates representing sternite 8.

Measurements. Wing-length, 3.0– 3.5 mm (♂), 3.5–4.0 mm (♀). Body-length, 4.5–5.0 mm (♂), 4.5–5.0 mm (♀).

Biology. Nothing known.

Distribution. Known only from the type-series from Australia (WA).