Megaselia intermedia (Santos Abreu)

Disney, R. H. L., Prescher, S. & Ashmole, N. P., 2010, Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) of the Canary Islands, Journal of Natural History 44 (3 - 4), pp. 107-218 : 158-161

Megaselia intermedia (Santos Abreu)

( Figure 37 )

Aphiochaeta intermedia Santos Abreu, 1921 .

Megaselia comosa (Santos Abreu) . Santos Abreu and Schmitz, 1934 (female only). Megaselia intermedia (Santos Abreu) . Reinstated Buck and Disney, 2001.

This species was incorrectly synonymized with M. comosa , which has itself been subsequently synonymized with M. giraudii (see above). The female differs from the rest of the M. giraudii complex so that it was inferred that the hitherto unknown male would likewise differ. However, the procurement of a male shows it to be close to M. giraudii . It is described below.

Male

Frons brown, clearly broader than long, with about 80 hairs and dense but very fine microsetae. Upper SAs short but robust but lower pair subeqal to longest bristles on palps and weak. Upper SAs at about the same level on frons as antials, which are clearly further from anterolaterals, which are distinctly higher on frons. Pre-ocellars further apart than upper SAs but a little closer together than either is from a mediolateral bristle, which is very slightly higher on frons. Cheek with seven or eight bristles and jowl with two or three longer ones, but the two sets form a continuous series. Postpedicels subglobose brown, with> 70 SPS vesicles. Palps straw yellow, with seven or eight short bristles (the longest being at most subequal to the lower SAs) and as many hairs. Labrum coloured as palps and about 0.7 times as wide as postpedicel. Labella pale and with only a few short spinules below. Thorax brown, being darkest on top. Mesopleuron bare. Two notopleural bristles and a cleft in front of these similar to Figure 33B . Scutellum with an anterior pair of long bristles and a posterior pair that are finer and only about half as long. Abdominal tergites brown with the hairs at rear of T6 longer than rest ( Figure 37B ) and also some at the sides of T2 a little longer. Venter brown and with hairs below segments 3–6. Hypopygium brown, but the anal tube and hypandrial lobes are pale straw yellow, and as Figure 37B . Right lobe of hypandrium (whose tip is shown in Figure 37B ) clearly shorter than that of the left and with shorter pubescence. With four rectal papillae. Legs straw yellow except for brown patch on mid coxa, tip of hind femur and dorsal edge of hind tibia. Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about 0.7 times length. Hairs below basal half of hind femur clearly longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half. Hind tibia with 15 differentiated posterodorsal hairs, those on the lower half being more robust. Spinules of apical combs simple. Wings 1.9–2.0 mm long. Costal index 0.48. Costal ratios 3.5–3.6: 1.9– 2.0: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.14–0.15 mm long. A small hair at base of vein 3. With five axillary bristles, all being shorter than costal cilia. Sc not reaching R1. Veins brown, but 7 is a paler grey. Membrane lightly tinged grey. Haltere with pale yellow knob.

Recognition

In the keys of Buck and Disney (2001) the male runs to couplet 6. The shortened dorsal edge of the epandrium immediately distinguishes it from the two species of this couplet, along with other details of the hypopygium.

Previous records

Gran Canaria.

New record

One female, Tenerife, Mte Aguirre, 11 June 1985 (M. Báez, CUMZ – 3-102); one male, La Palma, west side, Barranco de la Galga, laurel woodland, 28 May 1996 (A. Stark, CUMZ – 10-146) .

Figures

Figure 33. Megaselia giraudii male. (A) Left face of hypopygium. (B) Left face of notopleuron (S, anterior spiracle; N, notopleural bristles; nc, notopleural cleft; M, upper edge of mesopleuron; T, tegula). Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Figure 37. Megaselia intermedia. (A) Female, median lobe at rear of abdominal sternum 8. (B) Male, left face of male hypopygium. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.