Microselia Schmitz, 1934

Lengyel, Gábor Dániel, 2011, The first Rhynchomicropteron Annandale, 1912 (Diptera, Phoridae) species from the Palearctic region, with taxonomic and faunistic notes on the fauna of Israel, Zootaxa 2885, pp. 23-32 : 28

Genus Microselia Schmitz, 1934

Type species: Microselia rivierae Schmitz, 1934

There are 12 described species of Microselia and the majority of them are known from the female sex only ( Table 2). In the most recent keys for the European and the World phorid genera (Disney 1994, 1998) is not easy to identify males of Microselia . This is mainly because of the uncertain status of the presence of vein R2+3. In several Microselia species, vein R2+3 shows considerable individual variability, it can be present or absent in specimens of the same species ( Disney & Shaw 1994). Carles-Tolrá (2006) investigated this phenomenon on M. espanaensis Disney, 2006 and on M. rivierae . He found that in some cases vein R2+3 can be found only on the left or on the right wing, therefore the presence or absence of vein R2+3 is not diagnostic for the genus. Until a revision of the generic keys I provide here diagnostic characters of the known Microselia males:

● first flagellomere (third antennal segment or postpedicel) pubescent, elongated and with a dorsal arista ● fifth tarsal segments somewhat elongated, longer than the fourth (but not so or even not pointed as in females) ● anepisternum (mesopleuron) bare, provided with a furrow

● epandrium with an elongated posterolateral lobe on the left side (the relative size of this lobe and number or the position of the setae on it is of specific importance)

male female

1. Microselia aduncus (Borgmeier, 1969) - + South-America: Brazil 2. Microselia beaveri Disney, 1983 - + Africa: Zambia

3. Microselia bingana Disney, 1991 + + Africa: Zimbabwe 4. Microselia cuspidata Beyer, 1965 - + Africa: Congo

5. Microselia daccordii Gori, 1999 (1) - + Europe: Italy

6. Microselia deemingi Disney, 1983 - + Africa: Nigeria

7. Microselia espanaensis Disney, 2006 - + Europe: Spain

8. Microselia forsiusi (Schmitz, 1927) - + Europe: Finland

9. Microselia rivierae Schmitz, 1934 + (2) + Europe: France, Spain 10. Microselia southwoodi Disney, 1988 + + Europe: France, Spain, Italy 11. Microselia texana Disney, 1982 - + America: USA-Texas 12. Microselia yemenensis Disney, 2006 + + Asia: Yemen

13. Microselia sp. in Disney, 2006 + - Asia: Yemen