Sphegina (Asiosphegina) mirifica, Hippa, Heikki, Steenis, Jeroen Van & Mutin, Valeri A., 2015

Hippa, Heikki, Steenis, Jeroen Van & Mutin, Valeri A., 2015, The genus Sphegina Meigen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in a biodiversity hotspot: the thirty-six sympatric species in Kambaiti, Myanmar, Zootaxa 3954 (1), pp. 1-67 : 36

Sphegina (Asiosphegina) mirifica sp. n.

Figs 20 A–C

MALE. Body length not measureable, wing length 4.2 mm. Head. Lost in the single specimen. Thorax. Colour mainly brownish, faintly pollinose; postalar callus pale brown; the pile short, adpressed, pale; scutellum shiny, the pile similar to posterior part of scutum but darker brownish, the vestiture at apical margin damaged. Wing. Similar to Fig. 2 D, hyalinous, stigma pale, the darker pattern brownish; note the extra cross vein between vein R1 and R2+3. Legs. Pro- and mesoleg yellow, tarsomeres 4 and 5 brownish. Metaleg: coxa brownish; trochanter simple, brownish; femur yellow on the basal 1/2, brownish on the apical 1/2, with an indication of a darker submedial annulus; tibia without an apico-ventral tooth, brownish, the extreme base and an annulus on the apical 1/2 yellowish; tarsus brown. Abdomen. Tergites I and II in dorsal view similar to Fig. 4 F, the more apical segments, except for genitalia, lost; the colour of tergites shiny brown, the pile short, adpressed and brownish, becoming longer and pale towards the lateral margin; tergite I with 2 rather close together placed strong, pale setae at the lateral margin. Genitalia, Figs 20 A–C. Symmetrical. FEMALE. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE. ♂, N.E. Burma, Kambaiti, 7000 ft., 5.v.1934, R. Malaise ( BMNH).

Etymology. The name is Latin, mirifica , causing wonder, referring to the extraordinary cross vein between R1 and R2+3.

Discussion. Sphegina mirifica is similar to S. forficata and S. crucivena . In addition to the characters mentioned in the key it differs by the following characters in the male genitalia: 1) surstylus is more strongly curved and broad (not attenuated) at the apex, 2) aedeagal lobe is angulate (not smoothly curved) and 3) the ejaculatory hood is very short (long). The superior lobe is large and long as in S. crucivena , but straight (not angularly curved).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Wing. A. Sphegina (Sphegina) uncinata sp. n. (paratype). B. S. (Asiosphegina) furva sp. n. (paratype). C. S. (A.) nasuta sp. n. (paratype). D. S. (A.) crucivena sp. n. (paratype). E. S. (A.) crassispina sp. n. (paratype). F. S. (A.) bidens sp. n. (paratype). G. S. (A.) carinata sp. n. (paratype). H. S. (A.) index sp. n. (paratype). I. S. (A.) simplex sp. n. (paratype). Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Tergite I (A – E), lateral view, abdomen (F, G, H), dorsal view. A, F. Sphegina (Asiosphegina) simplex sp. n. (paratype). B. S. (A.) gigas sp. n. (paratype). C. S. (A.) radula sp. n. (paratype). D, H. S. (A.) crassispina sp. n. (paratype). E, G. S. (A.) parvula sp. n. (paratype). Scale 0.5 mm for A – E, 1 mm for F, G, H.

FIGURE 20. Sphegina (Asiosphegina) mirifica sp. n. (holotype). A. Aedeagus, lateral view. B. Genitalia, lateral view. Scale 0.5 mm.