Megaselia sihlwaldensis, R. Henry L. Disney & Sabine Prescher, 2015

R. Henry L. Disney & Sabine Prescher, 2015, Three new species of Megaselia Rondani, 1856 (Diptera, Phoridae) from Switzerland, Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 88, pp. 295-306 : 303-306

Megaselia sihlwaldensis sp. n.

( Figs 28–34)

In the key to the males of the British species (Disney 1989) this species runs to couplet 283, lead 2to M. maura (Wood, 1910) , which is immediately distinguished by its well developed hypandrial lobes in contrast to the vestigial lobes of the new species. The abdominal venter and mid and front femora are also paler than those of M. maura .This couplet is expanded thus:

283A Hypandrium with apair of posterior lobes. Abdominal venter dark brownish grey. Mid and front femora yellowish brown or darker ......................... 283

— Hypandrial lobes vestigial ( Figs 30 &31). Venter light grey. Mid and front femora more yellow than brown ................................... sihlwaldensis sp. n.

283 Costa at least half length of wing. Hypopygium as in Fig. 492 in Disney (1989), the left hypandrial lobe being clearly longer than the right lobe ..... ............................................................................................ frontalis (Wood)

— Costa clearly less than half wing length. Hypopygium as in Fig. 493 in Disney (1989), the hypandrial lobes being more nearly equal in length ............ ............................................................................................... maura (Wood)

Description.Male: Frons brown, clearly broader than long, with 66–76 hairs and crowded but very fine microtrichia. Supra-antennal bristles (SAs) about equal in length. The antials lower on frons than anterolaterals, and alittle further from upper SAs than either is from an AL bristle. Pre-ocellars about as far apart as either is from amediolateral bristle, which is at about the same level on frons, and as far apart as upper SAs. Cheek with 5bristles and jowl with two longer ones. The subglobose postpedicels light brown and without subcutaneous pit sensilla (SPS) vesicles. Palps and proboscis as in Fig. 28, the labella paler than palps and with numerous short spinules below and their combined width about 1.3 times that of postpedicel. Thorax brown. Two notopleural bristles and no cleft in front of these. Mesopleuron bare. Scutellum with an anterior pair of small hairs (about the same as those in middle of scutum) and aposterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with hairs, which are clearly longer at rear of T6 ( Fig. 29). Venter pale grey ( Fig. 29), and with hairs on segments 3–6. Hypopygium as in Figs 29–31. Apart from brown patch on mid coxa, legs mainly yellow but hind femur more yellowish brown ( Fig. 34). Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–4 and 5longer than 4( Fig. 32). Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about 0.6 times its length ( Fig. 33). Hairs below basal half of hind femur about as long as those of anteroventral row of outer half ( Fig. 34). Hind tibia with at least adozen differentiated posterodorsal hairs and spinules of apical combs simple. Wings ( Fig. 35) 1.25 mm long. Costal index 0.40. Costal ratios 3.3:1.3:1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.08 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3well developed. With 2axillary bristles, the outer being very slightly longer than the outer costal cilium. Sc not reaching R1. Haltere brown.

Material.HOLOTYPE male, Switzerland, Sihlwald Kaila [ZH], 24 May to 5June 1996, Karin Schiegg (3, CUMZ, 19-143).

Etymology.Named after the type locality.