Silba combi, Introduction & Fallén & Morge, 2007

Introduction, Iain, Fallén, Lonchaea & Morge, Setisquamalonchaea, 2007, New pecies of Lonchaeidae (Diptera: Schizophora) from Asia, Zootaxa 1631, pp. 1-32 : 20

Silba combi sp. nov.

Description: Holotype male: Head: Eyes bare. Frons almost parallel sided, subshining black and dulled with microsculpture, slightly brownish anteriorly, frontal and interfrontal setulae extremely short less than one eighth length of orbital setae, some slightly longer setulae present on anterior margin. Orbital plates dulled with microsculpture and bare of setulae. Lunule with three setulae on each side, ground colour light orangebrown covered with dense silver dusting, face and parafacials moderately silvered. Anterior genal setulae in a single row of four along mouth margin, the basal of these strong and setae-like. Antennal flagellomere entirelly black, 2.8 times as long as deep. Arista black basally, with short pubescence which at most on each side is just wider than width of the arista.

Thorax: disc subshining black, entirely dusted, covered with setulae about one third the length of orbital setae. Pleurae dusted. Anepisternum with three strong anterior setae on one side and four on the other, posteriorly with three strong setae. Katepisternum with two setulae, the anterior slightly weaker and located slightly ventral to the posterior one. One strong, long propleural and one weaker stigmatical. Prosternum with at least three setulae on each side. Scutellum on margin between lateral and apical setae with four to six setulae in multiserial rows, two setulae present between the apical setae. Squamae pale with a golden fringe, some of the setulae in the central part of the margin slightly longer than the others. Wings clear with yellow veins. Wing length 4.0mm. Legs entirely black. Abdomen: first sternite bare.

Male terminalia; Figs. 39–41. In lateral view epandrium as high as wide, almost circular and without any distinct anterior processes, bearing a few scattered short setulae posteroventrally and along the ventral margin. Cerci large and square shaped, three quarters height of epandrium, entirelly sclerotised, bearing a group of long setulae at apex with shorter ones along the margins. Surstyli extending beyond the shell of epandrium posteroventrally as a blunt, rounded process, basal plate bearing teeth also visible. In ventral view surstyli visible as large lobes extending out from margins of epandrium, their margins bearing a row of fine setulae, basal plate bearing a comb of nine long teeth. Aedeagus very simple, J-shaped with a shallow base and long straight, thin apical portion.

Female: Unknown.

Differential diagnosis: With the long comb of teeth present on basal plate of surstyli this species shows some affinities to S. longidentata sp. nov. also know from Thailand, it differs from that species in that S. combi has a taller epandrium, larger cerci, shorter and more numerous surstylar teeth and a much simpler aedeagus.

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype male. THAILAND; Chiang Mai Prov., Doi Suthep-Pui N.P., What Phrathat , 18°80’N / 98°92’E, 19.x.2000, Merz & Schwendinger leg.

Only known from the holotype in the MHNG .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the comb of teeth on the basal plate of the surstyli.