Microphorella papuana, Shamshev & Grootaert, 2004

Shamshev, Igor V. & Grootaert, Patrick, 2004, Descriptions Of Four New Species Of The Genus Microphorella Becker (Diptera: Empidoidea, Microphoridae, Parathalassiini) From Southeast Asia And New Guinea, With Notes On The Relationships Within The Genus, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52 (1), pp. 45-58 : 51-54

Microphorella papuana , new species

( Figs. 21-30 )

Material examined. – Holotype - male, West Papua or Irian Jaya, Nabire, Kaladiri beach, 970061, 30 Apr.1997, coll. P. Grootaert (in RBINS).

Paratypes – 3 males, 5 females, same data as in holotype (1 male ZRC) ; 1 male, 2 females, Irian Jaya, Sanoba beach (Nabire), 970021, 21 Apr.1994, coll. P. Grootaert & Ph. Hoyois ; 3 males, Irian Jaya, Biak, Bosnik beach, 970080, 6 May.1997, coll. P. Grootaert. All deposited in RBINS, Brussels, except otherwise indicated .

Diagnosis. – Resembling M. malaysiana , new species, but fore tarsi less thickened and partly yellow in male, scutum with 4 dorsocentral and 1 postsutural supra-alar bristles; male abdominal sternite 5 with short and rather slender median posteromarginal process, sternite 6 with longer, broad (viewed ventrally) process; right surstylus broad, crescent-shaped.

Description. – Male ( Fig. 21 ) body length 1.4-1.5 mm, wing length 1.2-1.3 mm. Head and thorax light grey pollinose, with dark-green tinge (in some angle of view). Ocellar tubercle with 2 long anterior and 2 very short posterior ocellar bristles. Face in middle somewhat narrower than distance between posterior ocelli. Scutum with 1 postsutural supra-alar bristle. Dorsocentrals represented by 4 long bristles per row. Legs ( Figs. 22-24 ) with following pattern colour: coxae almost wholly brownish, fore coxa brownish yellow at apex; trochanter of fore leg brownish yellow, those mid and hind legs brownish; fore femur brownish in basal 2/3, brownish yellow in apical 1/3; mid and hind femora brownish in basal 3/4, brownish yellow in apical 1/3; all tibiae wholly yellowish (often with brownish tinge); fore tarsus with tarsomeres 1- 2 yellow (sometimes with brownish tinge), tarsomere 3 brownish (sometimes indistinctly), tarsomeres 4-5 dark brown; mid tarsus with tarsomere 1 largely yellowish, yellowish brown apically, tarsomeres 2-5 brown; hind tarsus similar to mid tarsus but tarsomere 2 paler (in paler specimens mid and hind tarsi with tarsomere 2 yellowish, with slight brownish tinge); additionally, femora with dark-green tinge on darkened parts (in some angle of view). Wing as in M. malaysiana , new species, but basal section of costa with 1 short and 1 long bristles. Abdomen with sternites 3 and 4 bearing cluster of long and strong setae on each side ( Figs. 25, 26 ); sternite 5 with short and rather slender median posteromarginal process, sternite 6 with longer, broad (viewed ventrally) process; sternites 5-6 and segment 7 lacking setation. Terminalia ( Figs. 27-30 ) with right surstylus long, broad, crescent-shaped. Otherwise as in M. malaysiana , new species.

Female body length 1.4-1.5 mm, wing length 1.2-1.3 mm. Similar to male except the following characters. Palpus brown, with ordinary setulae. Colour pattern of legs similar to that in male but all femora with broader brown space, tibiae usually darker and tarsi almost wholly light brown (tarsomere 1 paler basally). Postabdomen, including cerci, brown, as in M. malaysiana , new species (spermatheca was not studied).

Differential diagnosis. – This species is most closely related to M. bira , new species. Main differences between these species are given in the key. The females of these species are hardly distinguishable in the colour of legs.

Etymology. – The species is named after the whole region of its origin, Papua New Guinea.

Distribution. – New Guinea.

Figures

Figs. 21-26. Microphorella papuana, new species, male. 21 – habitus, right lateral view (scale 1.0 mm), 22 – fore leg, anterior view, 23 – mid leg, anterior view, 24 – hind leg, anterior view, 25 – postabdomen (segment 8 and hypopygium not shown), left lateral view, 26 – same, ventral view. Scale 0.1 mm.

Figs. 27-30. Microphorella papuana, new species, male. 27 – terminalia, right lateral view, 28 – same, left lateral view, 29 – same, dorsal view, 30 – same, ventral view. Scale 0.1 mm.