Stenomicra ariela, Grimaldi, 2009

Grimaldi, David A., 2009, The Asteioinea of Fiji (Insecta: Diptera: Periscelididae, Asteiidae, Xenasteiidae), American Museum Novitates 3671, pp. 1-60 : 4

Stenomicra ariela complex

This is a newly designated, taxonomically informal group of seven small Stenomicra species in Fiji that have a largely yellowish body color, some of them with light brown infuscation over the dorsum of the thorax and abdomen. The group is not necessarily monophyletic; such body coloration is common throughout the genus. In lieu of a worldwide revision of Stenomicra it would be difficult to identify even genitalic synapomorphies of these Fiji species. While subtle differences do occur in coloration and chaetotaxy, they are difficult to separate because of considerable overlap in external variation. The most reliable features for identification are in the male terminalia, especially the structure of the aedeagus and surstyli. As a result, females (9 from Viti Levu, 1 from Vanua Levu, 3 from Taveuni, which seem to represent three species) have only tentatively been assigned to species (map, fig. 22). Because of the great external similarity a detailed description is provided just for Stenomicra ariela , n. sp., and S. tokotaai , n. sp.; diagnoses for the other species describe all relevant variation.