Megaselia cornipalpis, Fang, Hong & Liu, Guangchun, 2015

Fang, Hong & Liu, Guangchun, 2015, Three new species of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera, Phoridae) from mailand China, Zootaxa 3999 (1), pp. 135-143 : 135-137

Megaselia cornipalpis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–6 )

Description. Male. Body length 1.9–2.1 mm.

Head ( Fig. 1 ). Frons black, width about 0.3 mm, broader than long (1.4:1), with about 70 hairs and a distinct median furrow. Supra-antennal bristles equal or nearly so, the upper supra-antennals obviously further from each other than pre-ocellars. Antials very close to and nearly vertically below anterolaterals and slightly lower than upper supra-antennals. Pre-ocellars lower on frons than medio-laterals, and the four bristles in equal distance.

Postpedicels black and without SPS vesicles. Arista obviously longer than frons width. Palps dark brown, but paler at tip. Palps cured, horn-like, which tips bending and tapering, with strong bristles.

Thorax ( Fig. 2 ). Thorax black, pleuron dark brown. Mesopleuron with hairs and a long birstle. Notopleuron with 3 bristles and no cleft. Scutellum with a posterior pair of bristles and an anterior pair of hairs.

Legs ( Figs. 3–4 ). Legs brown. Fore metatarsus stout, but not conspicuously dilated, which approximately same length as joins 2+3. Last tarsal segment of fore leg with a posterodorsal hair palisade. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends 0.7 of its length. Hairs long below basal half of hind femur and anteroventral row of outer half, but former is longer than latter. Hind tibia with strong posterodorsal hairs and without anterodorsal hairs.

Wings ( Fig. 5 ). Wings slightly pale, with brown veins. Costal index about 0.44. Costal ratios 4.1:2.1:1. Costal cilia about 0.11mm. Vein Sc fades away before reaching R1. Base of vein Rs bare. Axillary ridge with 4 bristles. Halteres black.

Abdomen ( Fig. 6 ). Abdominal tergites black, but venter paler. Tergites with sparse hairs, which bristle-like at sides of tergites 2–6 and hind margins of tergites 5–6. Tergites 2–6 subequal in length. Venter with fine hairs below on segments 3–4 and with bristle-like hairs on segments 5–6. Hypopygium dark brown, with yellowish brown anal tube. Each side of epandrium with uniform bristle-like hairs. Anal tube longer than length of dorsal edge of epandrium. Hairs at tip of anal tube and the longest hairs of cerci subequal.

Female: Head and Thorax similar to male. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends 0.6 of its length. Costal index 0.46. Costal ratios 3.7: 1.8:1. Costal cilia 0.10mm. Axillary redge with 3 bristles. Abdomen black. Tergites and venter similar to male.

Type material. Holotype: male, Mt. Qianshan, Liaoning Province, China, 8-VII-2004, Fang Hong. Paratypes: 5 males, 12 females, same data as holotype.

Distribution. China (Liaoning).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the horn-like palps.

Remarks. In the key of Schmitz (1957) M. cornipalpis will run to M. indigesta Schmitz at couplet 15 of Group II. Both species with the following common characteristics: fore metatarsus not conspicuously dilated and costal section 1 longer than 2+3. The new species will be easily distinguished by the horn-like palps. In the key to British Megaselia ( Disney 1989) this species runs to M. feshiensis Disney at couplet 126. It is distinguished from the latter by the left side of epandrium of M. cornipalpis with more than 10 bristles.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Megaselia cornipalis sp. nov. (male). 1: Head; 2: Mesopleuron; 3: Fore leg; 4: Hind femur; 5: Wing; 6: