Megaselia ivanis García-Romera, 2014

García-Romera, Carlos & Barrientos, Jose Antonio, 2014, Nine new species of Phoridae (Insecta: Diptera) from Spain, Zootaxa 3857 (2), pp. 244-260 : 250-252

Megaselia ivanis García-Romera sp. nov.

( Figs 9–11 )

Etymology. The species is named after CG-R’s son, Iván

Diagnosis. Palps inflated and with all bristles being shorter than greatest width of palp; mesopleuron with hairs, bristles absent; tergites brown; scutellum with two pairs of bristles; terminal hairs of proctiger up-curved; anal tube about as long as dorsal face of epandrium; longest hairs below basal half of hind femur, at most, a little longer than those of anteroventral row of outer third; knob of haltere yellow.

Description (male). Head. Frons dark brown, about as broad as long, with 69–84 hairs. Upper supra-antennal bristles clearly longer and stronger than lower pair (one paratype has three pairs of supra-antennals), and they are slightly closer together than pre-ocellars, which are a little lower on frons than mediolaterals and, at most, about as closer together as either is from a mediolateral bristle. Upper supra-antennal bristles clearly higher on frons than antials, which are lower on frons than anterolaterales, and, at most, as far apart from these as from upper supraantennal bristles (two paratypes have a britsle in middle of anterolaterals and antials). Gena with 2–3 long bristles and 3–6 shorter ones. Antennal postpedicel subglobose, brown and relatively small (diameter 0,10–0,15 mm), without SPS vesicles. Palps light brown, inflated, 0.10–0.12 mm maximum width (about as wide as antennal postpedicel), with short hairs, 5–7 short bristles and a long one at tip, all bristles being shorter than greatest width of palp ( Fig. 9 ). Labella enlarged, yellow, without short spinules below, with only a few long hairs. Labrum brown, about 0.7–0.8 × as wide as an antennal postpedicel.

Thorax. Brown or yellow brown. Mesopleuron with 11–30 hairs, bristles absent. Three notopleural bristles and no cleft in front of these. Scutellum with two pairs of almost equally bristles. Propleura with 2–5 hairs on posterodorsal edge, 3–4 on posteroventral one, and scattered hairs in middle and hind margin.

Abdomen. Tergites brown, with numerous short hairs, longer at rear margins, especially on T6 (0.11–0.13 mm long), which are longer and stronger than hairs on cerci and proctiger. Venter yellowish, with hairs on segments 3–6 gradually increasing in size from the anterior to posterior segments.

Hypopygium ( Figs 10–11 ). Left side of epandrium brown, with hairs, at most, as strong as those on cerci and proctiger. Anal tube yellow brown, yellow at the tip, about as long as dorsal face of epandrium. Hypandrium yellow brown, with both posterior lobes developed and with minute hairs below.

Legs. Yellow to yellow brown, slightly darkening from the anterior to posterior legs. Front legs with a posterodorsal hair palisade on tarsal segments 1–5 and metatarsus a little enlarged and with longitudinal rows of short blunt spines on ventral face. Length ratios of fore tarsal segments 3–3.5:1.5–2.6:1.2–2:1–1.2:1, with fifth segment narrower than fourth one. Mid legs with a dorsal hair palisade on tibia extends about 80–85 % of its length. Longest hairs below basal half of hind femur, at most, a little longer than those of anteroventral row of outer third. Hind tibia with 12–16 differentiated posterodorsal hairs and spinules of apical combs simple.

Wing. Length 1.80–2.64 mm. Membrane lightly tinged grey and veins light brown; with 5–8 axillary bristles.

Subcosta (Sc) well developed, reaching R1. With 1–2 hairs at base of vein Rs, 0.030–0.045 mm long. Costal index 0.51–0.55; costal ratios 2.7–3.3:1.4–2.2:1. Costal cilia (section 3) 0.10–0.13 mm long, shorter than longest axillary bristle (0.12–0.17 mm). Knob of haltere yellow, brownish at tip.

Recognition. In the keys to the males of the British species of Megaselia ( Disney, 1989) this species runs to couplet 68, where neither option applies, although M. nigriceps (Loew) is close to new species, both with inflated palps with short bristles but they differ in the shape; they also differ in the hypopygium (especially in the shape of epandrium and length of anal tube) and by having, the new species, the hairs below basal half of femur shorter than M. nigriceps (Loew) . The subsequently added M. funesta Schmitz runs to the same point; it differs from the new species in the hypopygium (shape of epandrium and length of anal tube), and in the shape of inflated palps (wider in the new species). The related species M. simulans (Wood) has a similar hypopygium to the new species, but the palps of M. simulans (Wood) are smaller and with longer bristles ( Disney, 2011b). The species M. specularis Schmitz , with a similar hypopygium to the new species, it differs in shape of epandrium and palps ( Disney & Durska, 2011). In the keys of Palaearctic Phoridae ( Schmitz et al, 1938 –81) this species runs to couplet 22 (Abteilung I, page 407), to M. projecta (Becker) , synonym of M. nigriceps (Loew) .

Material examined. Holotype ♂ Spain, Barcelona: Montseny, Montseny Natural Park, beech forest, UTM 31TDG530274, 1130 m a.s.l., 11–24/08/1990. Window trap. J.A. Barrientos leg ( UAB).

Paratypes 7 ♂, one same locality, habitat and date as holotype, two same locality and habitat but different dates (25/ 04–05/05/1990, 05–19/05/1990). Four in Spain, Girona: Arbucias, Montseny Natural Park, beech forest UTM 31TDG540279, 1250 m a.s.l., two 05–19/05/1990 and two 19/ 05–02/06/1990. All window traps. J.A. Barrientos leg (3 ♂ UAB, 1 ♂ CCG-R).

Other material (no paratypes 3 ♂): 1 ♂ Spain, Barcelona: Montseny, Montseny Natural Park, beech forest UTM 31TDG532273, 1170 m a.s.l., 05–19/05/1990; 2 ♂ Spain, Girona: Arbucias, Montseny Natural Park, beech forest, UTM 31TDG540279, 1250 m a.s.l., 19/ 05–02/06/1990, 14–28/07/1990. All window traps. J.A. Barrientos leg.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 11. Megaselia ivanis García-Romera sp. nov. male. 9, right palp. 10. left face of hypopygium. 11, right face of hypopygium. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.