Melanagromyza longomembranacea Braun & Prado

Braun, Marina Reiter, Prado, Angelo Pires Do & Lewinsohn, Thomas Michael, 2009, New species of Neotropical Melanagromyza Hendel (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from Asteraceae flower heads, Zootaxa 2279, pp. 51-59 : 56-57

Melanagromyza longomembranacea Braun & Prado , sp. nov.

( Figures 6, 7)

Specimens examined: Holotype: ɗ (G, PDC 130107), BRAZIL: SÃO PAULO: Itirapina, 22º16’45”S 47º48’50”W, 12.ii.2005 (various collectors), ex Bidens gardneri . (MZUSP). Paratypes: 2 ɗ, Itirapina, same data as holotype; 1 ɗ (LW, PDC 190105), Itirapina: 22º19’02”S 47º48’22”W, 17.ii.2005 (various collectors). (ZUEC/ UNICAMP). 2 ɗ, Itirapina, same data as holotype; 1 ɗ (LW, PDA131801), São Carlos, 22º06’50”S 47º49’07”W, 8.v.2005 (various collectors), ex Bidens gardneri (MZUSP).

Diagnosis: Small coppery black species, wing length in male 1.12 to 1.58 mm, distiphallus length up to 0.070 mm and membrane length 0.275 to 0.32 mm.

Description: Male adult: Wing length 1.38 to 1.58 mm (n= 7, mean= 1.44 mm, sd= 0.074). Squamae gray, margin gray and fringe blackish brown.

Head: Head brown. Eye width 0.33 to 0.40 mm (n= 10, mean= 0.37 mm, sd= 0.03) and frons width 0.21 to 0.26 mm (n=10, mean= 0.23 mm, sd= 0.02) not projecting above eye in profile; four orbital bristles, usually equal, orbital setulae reclinate; ocellar triangle large, moderately shining, apex extending slightly beyond level of lower orbital bristle; Gena one-sixth vertical height of eye; eyes bare in both sexes; arista only minutely pubescent.

Thorax and abdomen: Mesonotum coppery black, slightly shining particularly when viewed from rear, with two pairs of dorsocentral bristles; abdomen more brilliantly coppery. Thorax length 0.73 to 0.9 mm (n=10, mean= 0.81 mm, sd= 0.08). Pleuron bristles: three on notopleuron, one on anepisternum and two on katepisternum. Only one bristle on postpronotum.

Male genitalia: Aedeagus as in Fig. 6 and epandrium as in Fig. 7.

Host plant/Biology: Host plant Bidens gardneri (Heliantheae) , larva feeding and pupating in seed head.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the distinctive aedeagal membrane.

Distribution: Itirapina, São Carlos (São Paulo) - Brazil.

Comments: This species is not distinguishable on external characters from M. multivora . Small distiphallus in proportion to membrane.