Microselia Schmitz

Cox, Russell & Tees, Natalie A., 2023, A Remarkable New Species of Scuttle Fly and First Record of Microselia Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae) from Australia, Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 75 (1), pp. 45-50 : 46

Genus Microselia Schmitz

Microselia Schmitz, 1934: 11 . Type-species: M. rivierae Schmitz, 1934 .

Recognition. Specimens of this genus, including this specimen, key correctly in Disney’s (1994) key to genera (females) to couplet 207, where the choices are Epacteon Borgmeier and Microselia Schmitz.

The placement of this specimen in Microselia , and not Epacteon , is based on the third antennal segment being bean-shaped with a dorsal, pre-apical, arista and with the conus of the second antennal segment being inserted into the base of segment in normal way. Epacteon specimens have a pear-shaped third antennal segment, with an apical arista and with the conus of second segment inserted into the side, and not the base, of the third antennal segment.

Most species of Microselia are described from females only. Phoridae genera are often known only from the morphology of specimens of one sex.

High variability of characters for Microselia has been noted in the literature: absence, presence of vein 2 ( Disney & Shaw, 1994; Carles-Tolra, 2006); absence, presence of supra-antennal bristles and the variable configuration of last tarsal segment of the foreleg ( Disney, 1991) which is particularly relevant and morphologically similar to this specimen.

Based on existing definitions of Phoridae genera, and with the understanding that Microselia is closely related to Pseudacteon (Delage et Lauraire, 1971; Disney, 1988, 1994), and Epacteon is perhaps a synonym of Microselia (Brian Brown, personal communication), the authors place this species in Microselia as identified by the world key to genera of female Phoridae (Disney, 1994) .