Silba fragranti, Introduction & Fallén & Morge, 2007

Introduction, Iain, Fallén, Lonchaea & Morge, Setisquamalonchaea, 2007, New pecies of Lonchaeidae (Diptera: Schizophora) from Asia, Zootaxa 1631, pp. 1-32 : 21-23

Silba fragranti sp. nov.

Description: Holotype male: Head: Eyes bare. Frons narrowing slightly from level of ocellar plate to just above antennal bases, rather wide for a male Silba species being about half eye width at narrowest point, subshining and covered in dense microsculpture, with rather short and sparse frontal and interfrontal setulae which are less than one quarter length of orbital setae. Orbital plate shining and bare. Lunule with three to four setulae on each side, slightly silvered as are parafacials and face. Anterior genal setulae in a single row of four or five slightly separated from other setulae on genae, basal two of anterior group being the strongest setulae on the genae but these not markedly stronger than the others. Second antennal segment brownish on its inner surface. Antennal flagellomere three times as long as deep, just reaching the mouth margin, black apart from a brown-orange area at basally on inner surface. Arista yellow basally, with plumosity which at its maximum extent is just less than depth of antennal flagellomere.

Thorax: disc subshining black covered with rather short setulae are approximately one quarter length of orbital setae, Thoracic sclerites subshining, anepisternum with four strong anterior setae (lower one not quite so strong as the others), three strong posterior setae. One propleural and one stigmatical setae. Katepisternum with two strong setae, no setulae posterior to or ventral to these. Scutellum with disc rather silvery metallic, on margin between lateral and apical setae with two setulae on one side and three on the other, no setulae between apical pair. Squamae pale with golden margins and a pale fringe. Wings clear with yellow veins. Wing length 3.6mm.

Legs black but all tarsomeres pale yellow, apical three tarsomeres appearing darker but this is due to a covering of short black setulae.

Male terminalia; Figs. 45–48. In lateral view, epandrium more than twice as high as wide, anteriorly rather drawn out into a long process, with a few setulae scattered on anterior part and in a row along ventral margin. Cerci only just over one quarter the height of the epandrium, rather rectangular in shape, moderately sclerotised, ventral margin with a few longer setulae basally otherwise short setulae along posterior and ventral margins getting longer towards the posterioventral angle. In ventral view, two fine setulae present centrally below the bases of cerci, margin of surstyli on upper part bearing five rather sharp black teeth, below these a row of barb-like spinules gradually becoming weaker anteriorly. Aedeagus boat shaped, apical portion a thin rod enclosed basally by two lobe-like projections of the basal portion, the bases of these lobes and the apical part of the basal section bearing a scattering of tiny spinules.

Differential diagnosis. With partly yellow tarsomeres, pale squamal fringes and male terminalia, with a tall narrow epandrium, this species belongs to the Silba admiralis McAlpine, 1956 group of species which as well as S. admiralis ( India) also includes Silba chalkei McAlpine, 1956 ( Korea) ; Silba pappi Soós, 1977( Afghanistan) and Silba flavitarsis MacGowan, 2004 (Taiwan) . The relatively short cerci and the characteristic aedeagus however easily distinguish this species from other members of this group.

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype male: CHINA: Fragrant Hill Park, West Mountains nature reserve , 40km. west Beijing, rocky creek shore, 1.vii.1992, leg. L. Papp.

Paratypes: 6 males with the same data as the holotype .

Holotype and paratypes in the HNHM .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the site of capture, Fragrant Hill Park.