Mythenteles asiatica (Evenhuis)

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2003, World revision of the microbombyliid genus Mythenteles Hall & Evenhuis (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae), Zootaxa 346, pp. 1-28 : 6-8

Mythenteles asiatica (Evenhuis)

( Fig. 13 )

Mythicomyia asiatica Evenhuis, 1981: 5 . Evenhuis, 1983: 464. Mythenteles asiatica ( Evenhuis) . Evenhuis, 2002b: 36.

Reexamination of the unique type of Mythicomyia asiatica revealed characters that required it be transferred to Mythenteles , which was done by Evenhuis (2002b). The wing venation, which was somewhat obscured when originally described, has been examined in a more clear view during this study and reveals a distinct vein M separating cells br and bm plus a distinct vein A1 reaching the wing margin. The genitalia have not been dissected due to the only specimen known being the holotype. The external characters should serve to easily separate it from the congeners. Very little can be added to the original description and it is reproduced here with additions and modifications in square brackets [].

DESCRIPTION. Female. Length: 1.23 mm. Head. [Eyes dichoptic]; “front and face yellowish white, [clypeus] black; vertex and occiput black, pubescence white, sparse; proboscis dark brown, extending well beyond oral margin, [apical portion] broken [off]; antennal segment I globose­cylindrical, dark brown, with black hairs at apex; remainder of antennal segments missing.

Thorax. Mesonotum and pleura black; scutellum, post­alar callus, and stripe from humeral callus to wing base yellow; pubescence white; halter [stem and knob] yellow. Legs: yellow; coxae, bases of femora and apical tarsal segments brown; mid tibia straight, not distorted; pulvilli well developed, as long as claws.

Wing. [( Fig. 13 )] Hyaline, veins brown; [costa ends slightly beyond end of vein R4+5;] four posterior cells; [Sc incomplete;] r­m crossvein at basal 1/4 of discal cell; discal cell complete, [vein M separating basal cells complete]; R2+3 short, ending in R1 before junction with costal vein [, sinuous; Rs evanescent at junction with R1; veins R4+5 and M2 fairly straight to wing margin; M1 curved to wing margin; anal cell [open slightly at wing margin; vein A1 present, weakly sclerotized]; [anal] lobe [reduced].

Abdomen. Yellow with black tergal pattern [as follows: basal 1/2 of tergite I, all of tergites V and VI, admedian basal hemispheres on tergites II–IV with basal band becoming thicker on each succeeding segment]; sterna yellow.

Genitalia. Not dissected.”

Male. Unknown.

Type. Holotype female from: CHINA: Szechuan Province: Mo­Tau­Kai, Wan­Hsien, 4200–4400 ft., 26.ix.1948, Gressitt & Djou; deposited in CAS (#13909). The unique type was reexamined during this study. The wings of the type specimen were originally positioned in such a way as to obscure the critical characters of the venation. I have re­humidified the specimen and carefully repositioned one of the wings so as to allow clear view of the venational characters necessary to verify its generic placement.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Szechuan Province, China.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 15. Mythenteles wings. 13. M. asiatica (Evenhuis), redrawn from Evenhuis (1991); 14. M. indica (Brunetti), redrawn from Brunetti (1917); 15. M. rigirostris (Evenhuis), redrawn from Evenhuis (1991).