Megaselia pisanoi, Hartop, Emily A., Brown, Brian V. & Disney, R. Henry L., 2015

Hartop, Emily A., Brown, Brian V. & Disney, R. Henry L., 2015, Opportunity in our Ignorance: Urban Biodiversity Study Reveals 30 New Species and One New Nearctic Record for Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) in Los Angeles (California, USA), Zootaxa 3941 (4), pp. 451-484 : 469-470

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3941.4.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0282A923-893A-45BC-941A-6CDECBE36618

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6093905

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FD8784-FFAB-FFF5-C5FA-F8CFFB21FC7D

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Megaselia pisanoi
status

sp. nov.

Megaselia pisanoi View in CoL new species ( Figs. 23 View FIGURES 19 – 27 , 31, 55, 85, 116)

Diagnosis. Male. In the group III key of Borgmeier (1964), M. pisanoi keys to M. goniata Borgmeier. These two species are remarkably similar but differ in a number of details. M. pisanoi has all legs brown, forelegs only slightly lighter ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 19 – 27 ), while M. goniata has legs yellowish, hind legs darker. The hind femur fringe of M.

pisanoi has 10+ setae, while M. goniata has 7. The ratio of costal segments for M. goniata is such that C1 is 3.6x C3, but M. pisanoi has C1 typically 4.5x C3 or longer. The palpal setae for M. goniata are said to be 3 apically with one shorter laterally; M. pisanoi has at least 6 palpal setae. Lastly, the small size of M. goniata (1mm) is mentioned by Borgmeier; the slide mounted holotype of M. pisanoi measures over 1mm just from the front of the thorax to the end of T6 (not including the head which was dissected and mounted separately). Unfortunately, the holotype of M. goniata is almost completely destroyed and a complete comparison to type material was not possible. The midfemur of the holotype of M. goniata was examined, and does not appear as denticulate as M. pisanoi ; the widest part of the expansion on M. goniata is 0.11mm, while M. pisanoi is 0.16mm. M. goniata does appear to have a brushlike process on the left lobe of the hypandrium as seen in M. pisanoi ( Fig. 116 View FIGURES 109 – 124 ); further specimens are needed to confirm the status of these apparent sibling species.

Description. See Table 6.

Distribution. Los Angeles, California ( USA).

Etymology. Named in honor of Mark Pisano, host of BioSCAN site 4.

Biology. Unknown.

Holotype. ♂, USA: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Mount Washington, 3–10.V.2014, Donahue, Malaise trap ( LACM 329817)

Paratypes. 3 ♂, USA: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Glendale, 28.VI.2014 – 5.VII.2014, Hoffman, Malaise trap ( LACM 329818, LACM 329819, CUMZ). ♂, USA: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Highland Park, 31.V.2014 – 7.VI.2014, Brejcha, Malaise trap ( CUMZ).

Additional Material Examined. USA: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles: Los Feliz, Glendale, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Mount Washington, 8 ♂, I–V.2014, Malaise trap ( LACM, MCZC, USNM).

LACM

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

CUMZ

Chulalongkorn University Museum of Natural History

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Phoridae

Genus

Megaselia

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