Mythenteles indica (Brunetti)

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2003, World revision of the microbombyliid genus Mythenteles Hall & Evenhuis (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae), Zootaxa 346, pp. 1-28 : 17-18

Mythenteles indica (Brunetti)

( Fig. 14 )

Empidideicus indicus Brunetti, 1917:77 . Brunetti, 1920: 260. Senior­White, 1923: 1. Painter, 1932: 356.

? Cyrtosia indica (Brunetti) . Bezzi, 1925: 188.

Glabellula indica (Brunetti) . Bezzi, 1926: 255. Bowden, 1975: 166. Evenhuis, 1983: 476.

Mythenteles indica (Brunetti) . Evenhuis, 2002b: 36.

As can be seen from the list of generic placements above, this species has had a confused taxonomic history. Brunetti (1917) originally described the species in Empidideicus . However, the illustration of the wing venation in the original description depicting a distinct small triangular marginal cell precludes it from being a member of that genus. Subsequent treatments of the species by Bezzi had it questionably in Cyrtosia (1925) and later (1926) in Glabellula . Bowden (1975), apparently unaware of Bezzi’s (1926) earlier placement of the species in Glabellula , also placed indica in that genus with the notation “N. comb.” Bezzi’s and Bowden’s placement in Glabellula were undoubtedly due to the presence of the small triangular marginal cell in the wing. The only known Old World genus in Bombyliidae at the time of Bezzi’s and Bowden’s placement that possessed such a cell was Glabellula . However, the remainder of the wing venation (see Fig. 14 ) does not match Glabellula . The original description is quoted here.

Female. “Frons apparently about one­fourth the width of the head, yellowish; antennae black; proboscis more than 1 1/2 times height of head.

Thorax black, practically bare; humeri bright yellow;

Abdomen black, hind margins of segments pale yellow, and a yellow transverse line across middle of 1st and 2nd segments.

Legs black, knees and tips of tibiae yellowish.

Wings pale grey; auxiliary vein short, ending free: 1st vein ending at middle of costa; praefurca beginning at middle of 1st vein; 2nd vein very short, directed abruptly upwards, ending in 1st vein near tip; 3rd vein in line with praefurca, simple, ending a little before wing tip; 4th vein forked at half its length after quitting basal cells, the portion dividing those cells hardly less distinct; 5th forked, base of upper branch forming lower side of 2nd basal cell; 6th vein reaching wing border. First basal cell a little longer than 2nd; bifurcation of praefurca opposite tip of 2nd basal cell.

Length 1 mm.”

Male. Unknown.

Types. Brunetti (1917) originally described this species based on “four paratype specimens in the Indian Museum in very indifferent condition taken by Dr. Annandale at Simla, 7,000 ft.” Only 2 of these 4 specimens could be found in NZSI. One of the 2 surviving specimens has the head missing. The specimen with the head intact is designated here as lectotype female to stabilize the nomenclature of the species. The indication of the type of Empidideicus indicus as a holotype in Evenhuis (2002b: 36) was in error.

Remarks. No specimens other than those from the original type series are known. Despite the lack of specimens for examination, the original description and accompanying illustration of the wing give enough evidence of salient characters to show that it belongs to Mythenteles . Along with M. hispanicola , M. infrequens , M. coptopheles , and M. wadimurri , this species lacks crossvein dm­cu.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Simla, India.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 15. Mythenteles wings. 13. M. asiatica (Evenhuis), redrawn from Evenhuis (1991); 14. M. indica (Brunetti), redrawn from Brunetti (1917); 15. M. rigirostris (Evenhuis), redrawn from Evenhuis (1991).