Megaselia vitiomera, Disney, R. Henry L., 2006

Disney, R. Henry L., 2006, Nine new species of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae) from the Seychelles, Zootaxa 1210, pp. 1-25 : 23-24

Megaselia vitiomera sp. nov.

( Figs 23 and 36 )

Like M. pseudomera , the male runs down in the keys of Beyer (1965) to couplet 3, lead 2, on page 56, and differs from M. mera , M. lilliput and M. jorgensis as indicated above for M. pseudomera . However, the labella of the proboscis ( Fig. 23 ) are not broadened anteriorly as in M. mera ( Fig. 20 ) and M. pseudomera ( Fig. 22 ). It thus more closely resembles M. jorgensis ( Fig. 19 ), but is generally darker. In particular the postpedicels are light brown rather than straw yellow.

Etymology

The name refers to its close resemblance to M. mera .

pair being distinctly shorter. Bristles arranged as in Fig. 29 . Cheek with 2–3 (usually 2) bristles and jowl with 1–2 (usually 2) longer ones. Postpedicels subglobose, pale yellowish brown (but apex appears darker because of the dense pubescence) and without SPS vesicles. Palps pale straw yellow, with 4–8 (usually 5–7) bristles and as many hairs. Labrum ( Fig. 23 ) coloured as palps and 0.7–0.8x as wide as postpedicel. Labella ( Fig. 23 ) coloured as labrum and with many short spinules below. Thorax brown, being paler on sides. Mesopleuron bare. Two notopleural bristles and no cleft in front of these. Scutellum with an anterior pair of hairs (shorter than hairs at rear of scutum) and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with the hairs at rear of T6 longer than rest ( Fig. 36 ). Venter greyish brown, and with hairs below segments 5 and 6, those on 3–4 being reduced to microsetae. Hypopygium light brown, with straw yellow anal tube slightly tinged brown, and as Fig. 36 . Right lobe of hypandrium vestigial. With two rectal papillae. Legs straw yellow but at least outer half of hind femur increasingly brown towards tip, the dorsal edge of hind tibia brown and there is a brown patch on the mid coxa. Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–5, and 5 slightly longer than 4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends 0.7x its length. Some hairs below basal half of hind femur clearly longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half. Hind tibia with 9–11 differentiated posterodorsal hairs. Spinules of apical combs simple. Wings 1.0– 1.1 mm long. Costal index 0.38–0.41. Vein 3 unforked. Costal ratios 1.6–1.8: 1. Costal cilia (of section 2) 0.5– 0.07 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3 shorter than costal cilia. With two axillary bristles, the outer being longer than costal cilia. Sc not reaching R1. Veins yellowish grey, but 7 very pale. Membrane very lightly tinged grey. Haltere with brown stem and knob.

Material

HOLOTYPE male, Seychelles, Silhouette island, Jardin Marron, 2000–2001, J. Gerlach ( CUMZ, 8–133). Paratypes, 1 males, as holotype ( CUMZ, 8–141); 1 male, as holotype except, Grande Barbe, 11–18 June 2001 ( CUMZ, 8–145).

Figures

FIGURE 36. Megaselia vitiomera, male, left face of hypopygium. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 18 – 23. Megaselia species, labrum and labella of proboscis from above. (18) M. jorgensis female; (19) M. jorgensis male; (20) M. mera male; (21) M. mera female; (22) M.

FIGURES 29, 30. Megaselia pseudomera, male: (29) frons, with bristles represented by their basal sockets only; (30) left face of hypopygium. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.