Pygophora minuta Malloch, 1961

Couri, Marcia S., Pont, Adrian C. & Daugeron, Christophe, 2010, The Muscidae (Diptera) of New Caledonia 2503, Zootaxa 2503 (1), pp. 1-61 : 51-52

39. Pygophora minuta Malloch

Pygophora minuta Malloch, 1921b: 239 , Holotype male, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia, in BMNH ( Crosskey, 1962: 459).

Pygophora minuta ; Pont, 1989: 699; Shinonaga et al., 1991: 333.

Diagnosis. Small species, 3.4–3.7 mm; general colour brown, pale grey pollinose; frons yellowish; antenna yellowish, postpedicel brown, except at base, about 3 times as long as pedicel; palpus yellow; scutum with no vittae; legs yellow; wing clear; halter yellow. Male abdomen distinctly laterally compressed; tergites 3–5 with a number of flattened scale-like setae; sternite 5 with processes bare, longer than wide and little dilated at apices.

Material examined: BMNH: New Caledonia: Tontouta : 4.vi.1925, 1 ♀, P.A. Buxton .

Comments. According to Malloch (1921b), the male can be easily recognized among its congeners by its small size and by the peculiar flattened setae on the abdomen. Paramonov (1961) keyed the male, and Crosskey (1962) redescribed both sexes and presented an illustration of the male abdomen. According to him, the species is known only from Queensland, Australia, but Pont (1989) also mentioned New Caledonia in the distribution of the species, based on the BMNH specimen listed above. As this is a single female, this record should be treated with caution.

Distribution. Australia (Qld), New Caledonia ( New Caledonia)