Onchopelma irwini Evenhuis

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2002, Review of the genus Onchopelma Hesse, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae), Zootaxa 64, pp. 1-12 : 6

Onchopelma irwini Evenhuis , sp.n.

( Fig. 3 )

DIAGNOSIS. Most similar in appearance to O. brevifasciatum , sp.n., but can be easily separated from it by the thinner admedian vittae and the complete black transverse crossbands on the abdominal tergites (if complete in brevifasciatum , there are only so on tergites 1­2 at most).

DESCRIPTION. Female. Length: 2.87 mm. Head ( Fig. 3 ) higher than long; eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by 1.5 x distance between lateral ocelli; vertex black; occiput black dorsomedially, white laterally and ventrally, with sparse white hairs, densest laterally; frons white anteriorly, black posteriorly as extension of black color from vertex; face and tip of oral margin white; antenna with scape short, subtrapezoidal, yellow­white with some brown color anteriorly; pedicel subrectangular, slightly longer than wide, brown; first flagellomere linear, length ca. 4 x than width, brown; second flagellomere linear­ovate, slightly shorter than first flagellomere, brown with small transparent apical style; proboscis brown, length slightly less than head length; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically; palpus not evident.

Thorax. Mesonotum white with black patterning as in Fig. 3 , short sparse white hairs on humeral and prescutellar areas; pronotum black; cervical sclerites brown; scutellum white with sparse white hairs; pleura white except for black on katepisternum, meron, and mediotergite; coxae and legs white; halter stem and knob white.

Wing. Hyaline; veins pale yellowish; costa ends slightly beyond end of R4+5; vein Sc incomplete; crossvein dm­cu closing cell dm absent; CuA1 closing anal cell before wing margin leaving stalk; stalk length slightly less than length of crossvein bm­cu; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing in alular lobe and anal lobe areas sparse.

Abdomen ( Fig. 3 ). White with complete black transverse bands on anterior portion of segments 1­7; tergites with sparse short white hairs dorsally, longer and denser laterally; venter yellowish white.

Genitalia not dissected.

Male. Unknown.

Types. Holotype female from: NAMIBIA [OMARURU]: Brandberg: Hungorob Valley , 1180 m, 21°11.40'S, 14°31.69'E, 05–16.iv.1999, S. van Noort & S.G. Compton, yellow pan trap, bushy Karoo­Namib shrubland, NA99­Y84 ( NMNW) . Holotype (preserved in spirit) deposited in NMNW.

Etymology. This species is named for Michael E. Irwin, who has produced excellent collections of mythicomyiids during his many years of collecting in southern Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 1 ­ 4. Onchopelma, dorsal view (wings removed), showing color pattern of head, thorax, and abdomen. 1. O. brevifasciatum, sp. n., male. 2. O. brevifasciatum, sp. n., female. 3. O. irwini, sp. n., female. 4. O. karooanum Hesse, female paratype.