Mycetophila suffusala Chandler & Ribeiro, 1995

Juergenstein, Siiri, Kurina, Olavi & Poldmaa, Kadri, 2015, The Mycetophilaruficollis Meigen (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) group in Europe: elucidating species delimitation with COI and ITS 2 sequence data, ZooKeys 508, pp. 15-51 : 31-32

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Mycetophilidae

Mycetophila suffusala Chandler & Ribeiro, 1995 Figs 13, 29, 30, 47, 48

Material.

PORTUGAL. 2♂♂, Madeira, Queimadas, 10. ix– 11.ix.1986, P. Ohm leg. (PCPC, pinned with terminalia in Euparal). SPAIN. 2 ♂♂, Tenerife, near top of west ridge at Izaña, 2350m a.s.l., 29.iii.1984, N.P. Ashmole leg. (PCPC, pinned with terminalia in Euparal).

Male terminalia.

Posterior margin of gonocoxite ventrally straight except for diminutive central prominence, which is somewhat sunken into the posterior impression, and with abrupt and blunt projections laterally. Posterior impression wide and uncompressed. Anterior impression with evenly divergent arms anteriorly. Ventral branch of gonostylus with posterior process wide and angular, with minute warts; ventral surface with long and slender bristles deviating from other setosity; spine 1 sharply pointed, about as wide as spine 2; spine 2 geniculate, blunt, about as high as spine 1; spines 3 and 4 smaller, sharply pointed, close to each other. Dorsal branch of gonostylus abruptly narrowed beyond the medial bristle; lateral margin with concavity; distal posterior process very shallow, almost unnoticeable; proximal posterior process high and massive, apically rounded. Distal posterior process with setae, proximal posterior process apically bare. Dorsal surface with an indistinct band of setae from base of posterior processes to basal angle; the setae near basal angle are deviating from other setosity. Posterior margin proximally from medial bristle with 10-13 gradually diminishing bristles; internal surface with a stronger seta next to the medial bristle. Basal angle slightly rounded, basal margin with few setae. Ejaculatory apodeme with rectangular base and without rim. Aedeagus obovoid, with apical concavity. Aedeagal guides wide, apically hooked, extending beyond aedeagus distally, lateral impressions wide. Aedeagal apodemes laterally angular.

Intraspecific variation.

Because of its larger size and details of the maxillary palpus, the species resembles Mycetophila ruficollis and by general structure of the male terminalia also Mycetophila britannica . However, the dark apical shade on the wing and details of the terminalia allow it to be safely distinguished.

Hosts and distribution.

So far recorded only from Madeira and the Canary Islands ( Chandler and Ribeiro 1995). Hosts unknown.