Mythenteles hellenicae Evenhuis

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2003, World revision of the microbombyliid genus Mythenteles Hall & Evenhuis (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae), Zootaxa 346, pp. 1-28 : 13-14

Mythenteles hellenicae Evenhuis , sp. n.

( Figs. 9 , 19 , 26, 32)

DIAGNOSIS. Mythenteles hellenicae is closest in appearance to M. silus , sp. n. by virtue of the short proboscis, but can be separated from it by vein R2+3 arising at an acute angle from vein Rs (this arising almost perpendicularly in M. silus ).

DESCRIPTION. Male. Length: 0.96–1.12 mm. Head. Black; eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by 1.5 x distance between lateral ocelli; frons depressed medially, yellow to brownish yellow, with brown spot medially; face dark brown, tip of oral margin paler brown; antennae black; scape minute; pedicel cylindrical, slightly wider than long; first flagellomere ( Fig. 9 ) ovoid, length about 1.5 x greatest width; second flagellomere about 3/4 length of first flagellomere, with apical sensillum; postgena dark brown; proboscis black, thick, short, slightly protruding from oral margin; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, with minute hairs apicolaterally; labellum thin; palpus not evident.

Thorax. Mesonotum and scutellum subshining black, with scattered minute erect dark hairs; humeral callus, thin notopleural line to wing base, postalar callus, propleuron, posterior portion of anepimeron, posterodorsal corner of katepisternum, and upper half of meron yellow; coxae and legs dark brown, only tips of femora yellow; halter stem yellowbrown, knob yellow.

Wing ( Fig. 19 ). Hyaline; veins brown; costa ends slightly less than halfway between end of R4+5 and M1; vein Sc incomplete, ending at level about halfway between origin of Rs and end of vein R2+3; Rs evanescent at connection with R1; R4+5 straight to wing margin, not curved; vein M1 curved toward wing margin; M2 fairly straight to wing margin; CuA1 thick at base, thin on apical 2/3 to wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing rather long.

Abdomen. Dorsum dark brown, with scattered dark hairs; yellow extreme posterolaterally on tergites II–IV, sometimes extending medially as posterior fasciae, especially so on tergites V–VII; sternites dark brown, with yellow on posterior portion of segments.

Genitalia (Fig. 26). In lateral view with gonocoxae subtriangular, concave in ventral view; gonostyli absent; epiphallus complex, usual anterior arms subequal in length to aedeagal apodeme, 2 pairs of posteriorly directed arms, medial pair shorter, thicker than thin lateral pair, lateral pair reaching level of pseudosurstylus (visible externally without dissection); aedeagus long, sinuous, basal bulb small, obconical in ventral view, tapering to long, thin neck; aedeagal apodeme small, subquadrate with shorter fingerlike ventral process, lateral vanes squarish in shape; lateral rami thin, ellipsoid; epandrium large, subrectangular, longer than high, pseudosurstylus subapical in position, oriented posteriorly, slightly incurved; cercus sclerotized, subtriangular, partially exserted.

Female. As in male except as follows: genitalia ( Fig. 32 ) with vaginal furca long, Ushaped, lateral processes thick, with hornlike hooks apically, medial processes small, stublike, apical process thick, sclerotized for about 1/3 distance along length of lateral processes, cleft medially at bursa copulatrix; spermathecal reservoir spherical, darkly sclerotized, with gland hairs restricted to small subapical patch; apical spermathecal duct thin, membranous, short, 1/2 length of sperm pump; sperm pump thick, membranous, almost equal in width to lateral processes of vaginal furca; apical valve cylindrical, sclerotized, wide apically, constricted basally; basal duct short, subequal in length to sperm pump, strongly tortuous to just before base and very short, almost vestigial common duct.

Types. Holotype male and 5 male and female paratypes from GREECE: Trikala: Panagia, 15.vi.1982, loc. 36, days, R. Danielsson. Other paratype: 1 male, Pieria: Mt. Olympus, 4 km E. Prioni, 22.vi.1982, days, R. Danielsson (MZLU). Holotype deposited in MZLU. Paratypes in NLE and MZLU.

Remarks. There is very little, if any, variation evident in this species. The amount of yellow color above the postalar callus appears to vary from just a small spot to expanding slightly. The apices of the femora can vary from brown to brownish yellow or dusky yellow, but never bright yellow.

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the type locality in Greece.

Distribution. Known only from Greece.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 12. Mythenteles antennae, diagrammatic to show shapes (all drawn to scale). 7. M. coptopheles Evenhuis, sp. n.; 8. M. deemingi Evenhuis, sp. n.; 9. M. hellenicae Evenhuis, sp. n.; 10. M. hispanicola Evenhuis & Blasco­Zumeta, sp. n.; 11. M. silus Evenhuis, sp. n.; 12. M. wadimurri Evenhuis & Theodor, sp. n.

FIGURES 16 – 23. Mythenteles wings. 16. M. coptopheles Evenhuis, sp. n.; 17. M. deemingi Evenhuis, sp. n.; 18. M. freidbergi Evenhuis, sp. n.;, anal lobe folded over 19. M. hellenicae Evenhuis, sp. n.; 20. M. hispanicola Evenhuis & Blasco­Zumeta, sp. n.; 21. M. infrequens Evenhuis & Blasco­ Zumeta, sp. n., anal lobe folded over; 22. M. silus Evenhuis, sp. n.; 23. M. wadimurri Evenhuis & Theodor, sp. n.

FIGURES 30 – 35. Mythenteles female genitalia. 30. M. coptopheles Evenhuis, sp. n. 31. M. deemingi Evenhuis, sp. n. 32. M. hellenicae Evenhuis, sp. n. 33. M. propleuralis (Melander); 34. M. silus Evenhuis, sp. n.; 35. M. wadimurri Evenhuis & Theodor, sp. n., redrawn from Theodor (1983).