Megaselia quintincisa, Disney, R. Henry L., 2006

Disney, R. Henry L., 2006, Eight new species of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae) from the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen, Zootaxa 1371, pp. 1-21 : 18-20

Megaselia quintincisa sp. nov.

( Figs 28 – 33 )

In Beyer’s (1965) keys most specimens of this species run to couplet 10, lead 2 on page 57, but are immediately distinguished by the brown halteres and the hypopygium. One female (with a costal index exceeding 0.44) runs, via the unreliable couplet 49, to couplet 30 on page 54 (only by means of reference to the male for couplets based on male characters only). The dark legs immediately rule out M. pentagonalifrons Beyer and the details of the wings (the straight vein 4 and longer costal section 1) will exclude M. nubila Colyer. If one follows the second option of couplet 49 the species runs to couplet 45 on page 55, to M. destituta Beyer. However , the male hypopygium is quite different.

Etymology

Named after the notch in the rear margin of the fifth abdominal tergite of the female Male

Frons brown, clearly broader than long, with 124 – 160 hairs and dense but very fine microsetae. Bristles positions similar to Fig. 8 . SAs robust but lower pair a little shorter. Cheek with 3 – 5 bristles and two on jowl. Postpedicels subglobose, dark brown, without SPS. Palps light brown, with six bristles and 3 – 5 hairs. Labrum a paler brown than palps and about two thirds as wide as postpedicel. Labella a lightly tinged brown at sides on top, and with only a few short spinules below. Thorax brown. Mesopleuron bare. Two notopleural bristles and in front of these there is a distinct cleft bounded by the darker lip in front (c in Fig. 33 ). Scutellum with an anterior pair of small hairs (shorter than those at rear of scutum) and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with the hairs at rear of T6 longer than rest ( Fig. 30 ). Venter brown, and with a few hairs below segments 3 – 6. Hypopygium brown, including paler anal tube, and as Figs 30 – 31 . Right lobe of hypandrium as Fig. 32 . With two rectal papillae. Legs entirely brown. Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1 – 3, and 5 a little longer than 4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends at least three quarters of length. Hairs below basal half of hind femur at most only slightly longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half. Hind tibia with 8 – 9 differentiated posterodorsal hairs in lower three quarters. Spinules of apical combs simple. Wings 0.9 – 1.1 mm long. Costal index 0.38 – 0.40. Costal ratios 2.7 – 3.1: 1.0 – 1.2: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.04 – 0.05 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3 subequal to costal cilia. With two axillary bristles, the outer being longer than costal cilia. Sc very pale and not reaching R1. Veins light brown, but 7 very pale. Membrane tinged very lightly tinged grey. Haltere knob brown.

Female

Head similar to male, except the postpedicels are a little smaller, the labrum is larger, being 1.2 – 1.3x wider than diameter of postpedicel, and the teeth in the inner eges of the labella are larger. Otherwise head similar to male. Thorax as male except there is no notopleural cleft. Abdominal tergites brown. T4 – T7 as Fig. 29 . Venter brown, and with hairs below segments 3 – 6. Sternite 7 a tall but narrow triangle from 2.5 – 4.5x as long as breadth of hind margin, which bears 2 – 4 longer hairs with 3 – 4 shorter ones further forward. Posterolateral lobes at rear of sternum 8 abbreviated and with only two longer hairs at rear margin and 3 – 5 weaker ones further forward. Cerci brown and about 3.5x as long as broad. With four rectal papillae. Furca only lightly sclerotised and as Fig. 28 . Dufour’s crop mechanism similar to Fig. 17 ,and about 1.7x as long as its greatest breadth. Legs similar to male. Wing as male except 1.0 – 1.4 mm long. Costal index 0.38 – 0.45. Costal ratios 3.1 – 3.9: 1.0 – 1.5: 1. Costal cilia 0.05 – 0.06 mm long. Otherwise it and haltere as male.

A gravid female with 20 eggs that measure 0.40 x 0.1 – 0.2 mm and resemble those of M. halterata .

Material

HOLOTYPE male, United Arab Emirates, Wadi Safad, light trap, 20.12.2005 – 2.i.2006, A. van Harten ( CUMZ, 32 – 147). Paratypes, 1 female, al Jazirst al Hamra, white water trap, 29.xii.2004, A. v H. ( CUMZ, 32 – 134); 2 females, Fujairah, light trap, 5.vi – 2.vii.2005, A. v H. ( CUMZ, 32 – 146). 2 females, Sharjah Desert Park, light trap, 22.ii – 9.iii & 29.iii – 6.iv.2005, A. v H. ( CUMZ, 32 – 133, 135).

Figures

FIGURES 28 – 31. Megaselia quintincisa. (28) female furca; (29) female abdominal tergites 4 – 7; (30) male, left face of hypopygium (slightly tilted so that left lobe of hypandrium is fully displayed); (31) male, left face of epandrium and anal tube, tilted a little towards observer. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 32 – 33. Megaselia quintincisa male. (32) right face of hypandrium; (33) left notopleuron (s = anterior spiracle, h = humeral bristle, c = cleft, N = notopleural bristles). Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 8 – 9. Megaselia gallagheri male. (8) frons, with bristles represented by their basal sockets only; (9) left face of hypopygium. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 17. Megaselia necmera (14) male frons, with bristles represented by their basal sockets only; (15) female furca; (16) left face of male hypopygium (17): female Dufour’s crop mechanism.