Mahafalymydas tuckeri, 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 : 11-13

Mahafalymydas tuckeri , n. sp.

( Figs. 18–22 ).

Diagnosis: The short brown setae present on dorsal portion of occiput, sigmoid palpi, brown abdomen, and deeply bifid phallus separates M. tuckeri from M. weigmanni .

Head: Black, dense, silver gray pollinose, brown on vertex and frons; polished around ocelli and on face, covered 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, subequal to 3/4 length of palpus. Antennal scape dark brown, apically silver gray pollinose; pedicel and flagellum dark 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 scape, pedicel, and basoflagellomere, 2 x diameter of other segments, with a sculptured, apicolateral ridge, with an apical tubercle medial to ridge containing a pit with a small, stiff, brown spine.

Thorax: Black dorsally, dark brown ventrally, dense silver gray pollinose; postpronotal lobe pilose; mesonotum with median, divided stripe of dark gray pollinose, with two lateral dark gray stripes, with pair of dark gray pollinose spots on posterolateral corners, white pilosity on light gray portions; postpronotal lobe, katatergite with long white, erect pilosity; meron with short, brown pilosity. Coxae brown, silver gray pollinose, with short, brown pilosity. Legs dark brown covered with short, brown pilosity; tibiae with 2–4 short thick, brown spines ventrally at apex; fore­ and midfemora with setae long posteriorly; basal 1/6 of femora light brown; joints of femora and tibia light brown, fore­ and midtarsi with basal four tarsomeres short, subequal, basitarsus 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 brown, apical 1/3 black, basal 2/3 brown covered with thin, brown pollinose; pulvilli yellow.

Abdomen: Brown covered with silver gray pruinose, dense on terga, thin on sterna; terga and sterna covered with short, brown pilosity; tergum 1 with long, white pilosity laterally; terga each with a narrow, light brown posterior band; terga 1–4 with a narrow, yellow band along posterior margin posterior to light brown band.

Male terminalia: Brown, externally thin silver gray pollinose, and short, brown pilosity; cercus subequal in length to gonocoxites ( Figs. 18–20 ); epandrium reduced ( Figs. 18, 20 ); hypandrium reduced, with a deep, medial emargination fused to gonocoxites, gonocoxites extended posteriorly, divided apically ( Figs. 21–22 ); arms subequal, phallus sheath short, thick, bifid apically, arms separated, long curving with a lateral knob on each arm; ejaculatory apodeme subequal in length to phallus ( Figs. 21–22 ).

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, & R. Harin’Hala, 23.1885° S, 43.6239° E. Paratypes. Same locality and date as holotype 11 males; same locality as holotype but 12 X 2001, 2 males; Hotel Paradisia, Malaise trap in coastal dunes, 25 IV 2002, 20 m, R. Harin’Hala and M. Irwin, 23° 10.78 S,.043° 37.01 E, 1 male; Beza Mahafaly Preserve, 165 m, Malaise trap in deciduous dry forest, M. E. Irwin, F. D. Parker, R. Harin’Hala, 20 IX/11 – X 2002, 23 °39.39'S, 0.044°37.5'E, 1 male.

Etymology: Named in honor of Tucker Lee Carr, the son of the junior author.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 22. Mahafalymydas tuckeri, sp. nov. 18. Male terminalia, lateral view. 19: Male terminalia, caudal view. 20. Male terminalia, dorsal view. 21. Phallus, dorsal view. 22. Phallus, lateral view.