Sphegina (Asiosphegina) trispina sp. n.

Figs 12 A–E

MALE. Body length 9.0 mm, wing length 7.5 mm. Head. Face strongly concave and strongly projected anteroventrally; frontal prominence moderately developed (somewhat similar to Figs 1J, L). Width of vertex at anterior ocellus more than 1/4 [1:3.8] the width of head; the depth of occipital fossa:width of an eye in dorsal view is 1:3.5. Width of face:width of head is 1:3.8. Face black, pale pollinose. Gena shiny black. Frons and vertex dull black, the pile short and erect; lunula shiny brown. Occiput dull black. Antenna dark brown; arista pilose. Thorax. Colour black; postalar callus dark brown; pale pollinose, laterally on pleura semi-shiny; scutum with medial fascia of more dense pollinosity; the pile short and adpressed, reddish; scutellum semicircular [ratio of length:width 1:2.5], the pile pale; a pair of long, thin, black setae at apical margin. Wing. Hyaline, stigma yellowish. Legs. Procoxa and protrochanter yellow; profemur yellow with the subbasal 1/3 brownish; protibia yellow on basal 1/2, brownish on the apical 1/2 with an indistinct paler annulus subapically; protarsus yellow, tarsomeres 4 and 5 brownish; mesoleg brown with the tibia and two basal tarsomeres yellow, brownish apically; metaleg: coxa brownish; trochanter brownish, simple; femur dark brown, a couple of small converging black bristles ventrally on the yellow basal part; with one long seta antero-dorsally near apex; tibia without a distinct apicoventral tooth, brown, the basal 1/6 yellow, with yellow annulus near apical 1/4. Abdomen. Length ratio of tergites I, II, III and IV 1:3.3:2.2:1.3; colour of tergites shiny black, anterior 1/3 of tergite III yellow; pile pale, short and adpressed, becoming longer laterally; tergite I with 2 narrowly separated strong, black setae laterally on apical 1/2 and thin shorter seta anteriorly; sternite IV (Figs 12 A, B) black, pile pale, the strong setae and bristles black; sternite VI (Fig. 12 A) with a conical tubercle, black, the pile long and pale; sternites VII and VIII simple, black, the pile long and pale. Genitalia, Figs 12 C–E. Note the strongly asymmetrical surstyli and superior lobes and the short finger-like process subbasally on the medial side of the dorsal lobe of surstylus. FEMALE. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE. ♂, N.E. Burma, Kambaiti, 7000 ft, 7.vi. 1934, R. Malaise (SMNH).

Etymology. The name is composed of the Latin words tres, three, and spina, thorn, referring to the three strong spine-like setae on the male sternite IV.

Discussion. Sphegina trispina is similar to S. carinata, S. crassispina, S. gigas, S. index and S. malaisei . For further discussion, see under S. gigas .