Mahafalymydas wiegmanni, Kondratieff, B. C., Carr, Ryan J. & Irwin, Michael E., 2005

Kondratieff, B. C., Carr, Ryan J. & Irwin, Michael E., 2005, Two new genera and four new species of Mydidae (Diptera) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 978, pp. 1-14 : 9-11

Mahafalymydas wiegmanni , n. sp.

( Figs. 11–17 )

Diagnosis: The absence of short brown setae from dorsal portion of occiput, conical palpi, gray abdomen, and shallowly bifid phallus with closely appressed arms ( Figs. 14–16 ) of M. wiegmanni easily distinguish it from M. tuckeri n. sp.

Head: Black, silver gray pollinose, polished around ocelli and on face, with long, white pilosity, denser and erect on face, hairs absent from frons and dorsal aspect of occiput. Face bulbous, protruding as far as scape, proboscis (labellum) vestigial, brown, silver gray pollinose; palpi 2 x length of proboscis, conical, similar in coloration to proboscis, with 3–4 stiff, brown setae ventrally, subequal to 3/4 length of palps.

Antennae: Scape dark brown, apically silver gray pollinose; pedicel and flagellum brown golden pollinose; pedicel with a ring of stiff, golden setae, long laterally, short medially; basoflagellomere subequal in length to scape and pedicel, widest distally; apicoflagellomere globular, subequal in length to preceding segments combined, 2 x diameter of other segments, with a weak, sculptured apicolateral ridge, with an apical tubercle, medial to ridge, containing a pit with a small, stiff, brown spine ( Fig. 11 ).

Thorax: Black dorsally, dark brown ventrally, silver gray pruinose; postpronotal lobe pilose; mesonotum with median, divided stripe of dark gray pollinose, with two lateral dark gray stripes, with a pair of dark gray pollinose spots on posterolateral corners, white pilose on light gray portions; postpronotal lobe, katatergite, and posteroventral lobe of anepimeron with long white pilosity; meron with short brown pilosity. Coxae brown, silver gray pollinose, with short brown setae. Legs dark brown covered with short, brown setae; tibiae with 2–4 short thick, brown spines ventrally at apex, fore­ and midfemora with setae long posteriorly; basal 1/3 of femora light brown also near joints of femora, tibiae, and basitarsus light brown; fore­ and midtarsi with basal four tarsomeres short, subequal, apical tarsomere 3 x length of other tarsomeres; hind tarsi with basal tarsomere subequal to middle three segments combined, apical tarsomere subequal to preceding two segments; claws black, basal 1/4 brown, basal 1/2 brown pollinose; pulvilli yellow.

Abdomen: Brown with a narrow, posterior yellow band on margins of terga; silver gray pollinose, dense on terga, thin on sterna, terga and sterna covered with short, brown pilosity; tergum 1 with long erect white pilosity.

Male terminalia: Brown, externally thin silver gray pollinose, and short, brown pilosity; cercus subequal in length to gonocoxites ( Figs. 13–14 ); epandrium reduced ( Figs. 13– 15 ); hypandrium reduced, with a deep, medial emargination, fused to gonocoxites ( Figs. 13–15 ), gonocoxites extended posteriorly, divided apically, ventral arm shorter; phallus sheath short, thick, bifid apically, narrowly separated, with a lateral knob on each arm ( Figs. 16–17 ); ejaculatory apodeme subequal in length to phallus.

Material examined: Holotype male from Madagascar: Tulear Prov., Ifay, 18 km N Tulear , 20 m. hand netted in spiny forest, 13 IX 2001, M. E. Irwin, F. D. Parker, & Harin’Hala, 23.1885°S, 43.6239°E. Paratypes. Same locality 12 males; Hotel Paradisia, coastal dunes, Malaise trap, 20 m, R. Harin’Hala, M. E. Irwin, 25 IV–6 V 2002, 23 º10.78'S 043º37.01'E, 44 males; 9m, 24 II–3 III 2002, M. E. Irwin, F. D. Parker, & Harin’Hala, 4 males.

Etymology. Named in honor of Dr. Brian M. Wiegmann, North Carolina State University, for his contributions to the study of Diptera .

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 17. Mahafalymydas wiegmanni, sp. nov. 11. Head, lateral view. 12. Head, anterior view (antennae removed). 13. Male terminalia, lateral view. 14. Male terminalia, caudal view. 15. Male terminalia, dorsal view. 16. Phallus, dorsal view. 17. Phallus, lateral view.