Megaselia cumrallum, Henry & Bøggild, 2021

Henry, R. & Bøggild, Esben, 2021, Nineteen new species of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera, Phoridae) from Denmark, Zootaxa 4975 (2), pp. 306-342 : 308-310

Megaselia cumrallum n. sp.

( Figs 12–24 )

Diagnosis. In the keys of Lundbeck (1922) for Group VII it runs to options covered by the following key to the males of species from the British Isles ( Disney, 1989) where it runs to triplet 218, but their hypopygia clearly differ. Alternately it will run to couplet 158, but this couplet has been replaced by a revision of this complex ( Buck & Disney, 2001) in which it fails to key out. In Borgmeier’s (1966) key to Nearctic Group VIII it runs to species covered by the key to British species. It fails to run down in keys for the rest of the world’s fauna and their subsequent additions.

Description. Male. Frons as Fig. 12 , without microtrichia except at edges ( Fig. 13 ). Cheek with 5 bristles and jowl with 2 that are longer and more robust. Postpedicel, without SPS vesicles, palp and proboscis as Fig. 14 . Labella of proboscis with numerous very small spinules below ( Fig. 15 ). Thorax ( Fig. 16 ) brown with 2 notopleural bristles and no cleft in front of these, and mesopleuron bare. Scutellum ( Fig. 16 ) with an anterior pair of small hairs and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown and venter gray, the latter with small hairs on segments 5 and 6 only or with a single hair on 4 as well ( Fig. 17 ). Hypopygium as Figs 18–20 , with the microsetae of the left hypandrian lobe not projecting. The right hypandrial lobe is almost vestigial ( Fig. 20 ). Legs light brown to pale yellow. Fore tarsus ( Fig. 21 ) with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–4 and 5 longer than 4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about 0.71–0.77 times its length. Hairs below basal half of hind femur clearly longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half ( Fig. 22 ). Hind tibia with about a dozen moderately differentiated posterodorsal hairs, without anterodorsals, and spinules of apical combs simple. Wings ( Fig. 23 ) with light brown thick veins, pale gray thin veins, but vein 7 obscure, and membrane pale gray. Wing length 1.5–1.7 mm long. Costal index 0.34–0.35. Costal ratios 4.9–6.44: 1.1–1.57: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.05–0.09 mm long. Vein 3 hair 0.03–0.05 mm long. 2 axillary bristles, the outermost being 0.07–0.12mm long. Sc fading away before reaching R1. Haltere knob pale ( Fig. 24 ).

Type material. Holotype male, DENMARK, DK SJ, Draved Skov , 12–30.vii.2017, Esben Bøggild ( UCMZ — 9–21) . Paratype male, ENGLAND, Cambridge , TL452602, 7–8.V.2003, Michael Smith ( UCMZ, 40–77). M. cumrallum has recently been found in three sites in Sweden (Hartop and Bøggild, unpublished). The paratype from England is paler than the holotype, possibly because it a little teneral and/or it was little bleached by the preservative used .

Etymology. Named after the labella with its numerous small spinules below that recalls a kind of scraper (rallum) plus cum (with).

Figures

FIGURES 12–24. Megaselia cumrallum n. sp. male. 12, frons; 13, detail of frons; 14, post pedicels palps and proboscis; 15, proboscis from below; 16, side of thorax; 17, abdomen; 18, left face of hypopygium; 19, left face of epandrium and hypandrium; 20, right face of hypopygium; 21, front tarsus; 22, hind femur; 23, wing; 24, Haltere.