Tabelliphora, Kung & Brown, 2005

Kung, Giar-Ann & Brown, Brian V., 2005, Three unusually divergent new genera of phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from Costa Rica, Zootaxa 1019 (1), pp. 43-52 : 49

Tabelliphora new genus

Diagnosis. Body extremely flat, limuloid. Frons broad, flat, without median furrow. One pair of inner and one pair of outer vertical setae, and one pair of reclinate supra­antennal setae present. Other frontal setae absent. Eye reduced; ocelli present. Flagellomere 1 oval; arista near­apical. Palpus normal, but other mouthparts extremely small. Thorax extremely flattened, shieldlike; anterior spiracle not seen. Legs relatively short, without isolated large setae; mid­ and hind tibiae each with one dorsal setal palisade. Wing ( Fig. 5 ) reduced, short, with longitudinal veins only faintly indicated (visible only with phase contrast lighting). Abdominal tergites well developed; segment 7 with small dorsal sclerite; apex of abdomen forming a sclerotized, piercing stylet.

Tabelliphora keys to couplet 161 in Disney’s 1994 key to the genera of females. However, the thickened costa and sinuous Rs vein of the wing differentiate Tabelliphora from Platydipteron . In Platydipteron , the costa is not thickened and vein Rs is straight. Tabelliphora differs from Melittophora by the setation of the scutellum; Melittophora has 10 setae on the posterior margin, while Tabelliphora has only 4.

In general appearance, Tabelliphora is similar to the Afrotropical genus Euryphora Schmitz , which is also a small, limuloid phorid with reduced wings and only the supraantennal setae present on the frons. In Euryphora , however, the body is less flattened, the eyes are less reduced, the mid­ and hind legs have large isolated setae, and the wing is less reduced.

In the New World fauna, the most similar genera are Colyeria Borgmeier & Prado , Cootiphora Brown , and Platydipteron Borgmeier & Prado , all of which are also limuloid and have a parasitic ovipositor. The frontal setation of Tabelliphora , consisting of only the single pair of reclinate supra­antennal setae, serves to distinguish it from all of these others, however.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Tabelliphora teretipenna new species. Wing.