Calliphora niveata, Johnston & Szpila & Pape & Meiklejohn & Foley & Wallman, 2025

Johnston, Nikolas P., Szpila, Krzysztof, Pape, Thomas, Meiklejohn, Kelly A., Foley, Liam B. & Wallman, James F., 2025, A species-group framework to unravel blowfly diversity: integrative revision of the Calliphora clarki-group (Diptera: Calliphoridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 989, pp. 94-118 : 108-110

Calliphora niveata sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:35535CA1-25C3-4F40-952F-C590CA45C308

Fig. 4

Diagnosis

This species can be distinguished from all other members of the clarki -group by the unique combination of the basicosta black, arista plumose, abdominal tergites with weak or no microtomentum, and males with the cercus almost straight in the lateral view, without a concave region in the basal half.

Etymology

The species epithet niveata stems from the Latin ‘ nivis ’ meaning ‘of snow’ and alludes to the habitats of the Australian Snowy Mountains from which this species has been collected.

Type material

Holotype AUSTRALIA – NSW • ♂; Guthega, Kosciuszko National Park ; 1 Feb. 1974; K.R. Norris leg.; ANIC.

Paratypes AUSTRALIA – NSW • 3 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; ANIC • 8 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Rainbow Lake Walking Track, Kosciuszko National Park ; 36°22′08″ S, 148°28′30″ E; 30 Jan. 2023; N.P. Johnston, J.F. Wallman, A. Grzywacz and K. Szpila leg.; ANIC .

Description

This species is morphologically similar to C. clarki , except for the following character states.

Male

HEAD. Occiput with grey microtomentum, with black setulae only. Parafacial plate black, with brassy/ grey microtomentum, with several irregular rows of black setae. Face with brassy/grey microtomentum. Facial ridge setose, with irregular row of black setae for ~0.70 × length. Postpedicel twice length of pedicel, dark brown with small orange region in basal 0.20, with white microtomentum (most visible when viewed dorsally).

THORAX. Greater ampulla dark brown, with dense short yellow setulae; lesser ampulla brown, with dense short yellow setulae. Haltere brown. Anterior spiracle dark brown. Posterior spiracle complete, dark brown, concolourous with anterior spiracle.

CHAETOTAXY. Acrostichal setae: 2+2 (presutural + postsutural; rarely 2+3); 2 notopleural setae; no anterior postpronotal seta; 3 strong basal postpronotal setae; 1 pair of discal scutellar setae.

WING. Basicosta black. Upper calypter white, with contrasting brown margin.

ABDOMEN. T1+2–T5 metallic green, without obvious microtomentum.

MALE TERMINALIA. Cercus. Equal in length to phallus; in lateral view, appearing slightly curved downward; in posterior view, fused in proximal half, angled towards each other, touching in distal 0.25. Surstylus. Equal in length to cercus, setose; in lateral view, curved slightly downwards; in posterior view, curved towards phallus. Phallus. In lateral view, epiphallus equal in length to post-gonite, hooked in distal 0.1. Pre-gonite half of length of post-gonite, triangular. Post-gonite curved, with broad rounded tip. Hypophallic lobe serrated on anterior margin, sclerotised for entire length. Paraphallus straight, not reaching posterior margin of hypophallic lobe. Acrophallus straight, mesohypophallus weakly or not sclerotised in distal half, sclerotised in proximal half.

Female

As for male, except in the following respects:

HEAD. Frontal stripe broad for entire length, one pair of outer vertical setae.

ABDOMEN. S5 uncleft.

Ecology

Unknown.

Distribution

AUSTRALIA: NSW.

Remarks

Label data indicate that this species has been collected above 1600 m altitude.

Figures

Fig. 4. A–C. Calliphora niveata sp. nov., paratype, ♂, Rainbow Lake Walking track Kosciuszko, NSW, 30 Jan. 2023, N.P. Johnston, J.F. Wallman, A. Grzywacz and K. Szpila leg. (ANIC). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head, anterior view. D–E. Paratype, ♀, Rainbow Lake Walking track Kosciuszko, NSW, 30 Jan. 2023, N.P. Johnston, J.F. Wallman, A. Grzywacz and K. Szpila leg. (ANIC). D. Head, anterior view. E. Calypter, lateral view. F–H. Paratype, ♂, Guthega, NSW, 4 Apr. 1984, K.R. Norris leg. (ANIC). F. Terminalia, lateral view. G. Terminalia, posterior view. H. Phallus, lateral view. Abbreviation: Pl = plural suture. Black scale bars = 1 mm; red scale bars = 500 µm.