Apiocera mullewa Yeates, sp. n.

Apiocera mullewa Yeates sp. n.

(Figs 4, 11)

Material examined. Holotype: Male, Western Australia, 10 [miles, 16 km] W Mullewa, 2 Nov 1958, E F Riek (ANIC, database no. 29029456). Condition good.

Diagnosis. A small, black and grey species similar to A.. collessi sp. n. Proboscis 0.8 x length of fore tibia, flagellum 2.4 x longer than maximum width, costa ending at M veins, vein M3+CuA1 present, M2 present, becoming pale towards wing margin. Abdomen black with prominent grey markings on either side of midline as in Fig. 4, similar to A. collessi sp. n. except grey markings less extensive.

Description. Head. Pruinescence silver except on vertex light brown. Hairs white except on vertex light brown, and some dark brown hairs admixed on postcranium. Scape and pedicel with ground colour dark brown and with erect brown hairs, some white hairs at base of scape ventrally. Flagellum dark brown, elongate, length 2.4 x greatest width (at base). Palps 2-segmented, elongate with spatulate apex, hairs admixed brown and white. Proboscis (excluding labellum) 0.8 x length of fore tibia.

Thorax. Integument dark brown-black, pruinescence and hairs white on pleurae. Scutum and scutellum with dark brown ground colour, very large black macrosetae around margins. Group of thick dark brown hairs on postpronotal lobes, admixed with longer white hairs. Scutum and scutellum with short light brown hairs. Scutum pruinescence with a distinctive pattern of silver-light grey with a pair of longitudinal bands of brown pruinescence on either side of midline, one band in line with the postpronotal lobes, the other pair either side of the midline. The outer darker stripe of pruinescence is broken twice, once on the supra alar area, the other just behind the postpronotal lobes. The scutellum has silver pruinescence around the margin, brown centrally. Legs with dark brown integumental colour, white pruinescence, and indistinct rows of large dark brown spines on femur and tibia, white hairs on femora.

Wings. Fig. 11. Costa ending at the M veins, M3+CuA1 present. Cell m3 present, small.

Abdomen. Short brown hairs on all segments, a tuft of longer black and white hairs admixed on the sides of tergite 1. Pruinescence on abdomen giving a pronounced black and silver patterning as in Fig. 4. Pruinescence of abdomen black, with light grey markings on posterolateral margins of tergites 1–3, and light grey markings on anterolateral margins of tergites 4–6. These grey markings are narrower than in A. collessi sp. n. Venter with short dark brown hairs and silver pruinescence, longer white hairs on sternite 1 and at the base of sternite 2.

Genitalia: not examined.

Comments. Quite a distinctive species because of the wing venation, with the costa extending around the wing and vein M3+CuA1 present.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality.

Distribution. Western Australia: Mullewa (Fig. 24); November.

Comments. This distinctive species is described based on a single male specimen.