Hexamitocera Becker, 1894

Ozerov, A. L. & Krivosheina, M. G., 2015, A review of the genera Cleigastra Macquart, Gonarcticus Becker, Gonatherus Rondani, Hexamitocera Becker, Nanna Strobl, Orthacheta Becker and Spathephilus Becker (Diptera, Scathophagidae) of Russia, Zootaxa 4012 (2), pp. 201-258 : 216

Hexamitocera Becker, 1894

Hexamitocera Becker, 1894: 107 . Gender: feminine. Type species: Cordilura loxocerata Fallén, 1826 , by original designation.

Hexamitocera includes five species in the world: two are Palaearctic, two are Nearctic and one is Holarctic. Only one species, H. loxocerata ( Fallén, 1826) , is known in Russia.

Slender, about 6–7 mm long flies. Head. Frons strongly produced ( Fig. 3 ). Frontal vitta yellow; face, parafacial and gena pale yellow. Frontal plate black in upper part and yellow in lower one. Postcranium black, shining, only median occipital sclerite greyish dusted, covered with black hairs. Chaetotaxy: 2 orbital, 5 frontal, 1 ocellar, 1 inner vertical, 1 outer vertical (short), 1 postocellar; 1 pair of small vibrissae and 1–2 pairs of short subvibrissae present. Scapus and pedicel yellow to brownish. Postpedicel black, sometimes yellow basally, rounded apically, approximately 4 times as long as wide. Arista black, pubescent throughout its length. Palpus long, yellow in male and black in female. Proboscis short and wide, palpus longer than proboscis ( Fig. 3 ).

Thorax black, subshining. Acrostichals short and rare, irregular; dorsocentrals 3+2 (first presutural pair pointed anteriorly towards head and short), intra-alars usually absent (1+2 very short, if present), supra-alars 1+2, postpronotals 1–2, notopleurals 2, postalars 2. Proepisternum bare in central part, with 1 long seta near lower margin. Proepimeron with 1 seta. Anepisternum covered with hairs in posterior half and with 1 strong and 2–3 small setae along posterior margin. Katepisternum covered with setae in ventral corner and 2 strong setae (anterior katepisternal and upper posterior katepisternal). Anepimeron bare. Scutellum black, with pair of strong lateral scutellar setae, and pair of apical setulae.

Legs. Coxae yellow; femora yellow but mid femur with black dorsal spot apically and hind femur with black ring at apex; tibiae usually yellow on basal half and darkened apically, but sometimes yellow completely; tarsi usually blackish. Fore femur as a rule with rows of posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral setae, the setae black in female and usually yellow in male. Fore tibia with 1 dorsal (anterodorsal) and 1 posterior setae at middle, and with apical dorsal, apical posterior (posteroventral) setae. Mid femur with row of anterior and 1 preapical posterior setae. Mid tibia with 1 posterodorsal, 1 anterodorsal, 0–1 posterior setae at middle, and ring of apicals. Hind femur with row of anterodorsal, 1 preapical anterior, 1 apical posterior setae, and 1–2 anteroventral setae on apical third. Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal, 2 posterodorsal, 1 anteroventral, 1 preapical dorsal setae, and 1 apical anteroventral seta.

Wing tinged with brownish; veins blackish; vein R1 bare apically on dorsal surface. Calypters, margins of calypters, and halteres whitish.

Abdomen cylindrical, black, subshining. Female tergites 2–4 each with discal and marginal setae at sides; tergite 5 with discal setae at sides. Male sternite 4 simple, approximately 2 times as long as wide, sternite 5 with short wide lobes ( Fig. 60 ). Surstyli long, simple, cerci fused ( Figs 58, 59 ). Ovipositor short, cylindrical ( Fig. 55– 57 ). Sternite 8 absent.

Biology unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Nanna flavipes (Fallén) (1, 2, 5, 7), Hexamitocera loxocerata (Fallén) (3), Spathephilus nigriventris (Loew) (4, 6) and Orthacheta cornuta (Loew) (8): 1 — thorax, lateral view; 2 — proepisternum; 3 — head, lateral view; 4, 5 — antenna, lateral view; 6 – 8 — scutellum. Figures 4 – 7 after Ozerov (2010 e, Figures 10 – 13).

FIGURES 55 – 61. Hexamitocera loxocerata (Fallén, 1826): 55 — end of female abdomen, ventral view; 56 — same, dorsal view; 57 — same, lateral view; 58 — epandrium, cerci and surstyli, lateral view; 59 — same, dorsal view; 60 — male sternites 4 (lower) and 5 (upper); 61 — distribution map.