This species is distinguished from other species of this group by the following combination of characters: 4 dorsocentral setae; legs yellow; male surstylus with broad tip; female sternites 4 and 5 unsclerotized medially.
Head: frons with gray microtomentum, orbital plates with brownish micromentum; margin of ocellar triangle and orbital plates not well differentiated
Thorax: mesonotum with gray microtomentum on anterior part behind head, rest and scutellum brown, pleura brown; four dorsocentral setae, first seta 0.5-0.6x as long as second seta from front; prescutellar seta about 0.5 length of posterior dorsocentral seta; about 5-6 irregular rows of acrostichals dorsocentral lines, a few elongated acrostichal setae in middle of mesonotum, between anterior dorsocentral setae
Wing: length 1.8-2.3 mm, wing width 0.7-0.8 mm; halter yellow
Legs: usually yellow except for slightly brownish hind femur and brown distal tip of tarsi; some specimens with brown femora and tibiae, but these are always lighter in color than thorax
Male abdomen: surstylus triangular with a broad tip, covered with many relatively strong sensilla, about same length as epandrium; cercus about as broad as postgonite
Female abdomen: sternite 3 entire, sternite 4 and 5 unsclerotized medially.
(Brake & Mathis 2007)
Collected mainly on the beach in the intertidal zone; some occured on Cryophytum flowers (Aizoaceae).
New Zealand (North Island, South Island and Chatham Islands)