Microphorella bira, 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 : 54-55

Microphorella bira , new species

( Figs. 31-35 )

Material examined. – Holotype - male, Indonesia, Sulawesi: Bira , beach, 970011, 19 Apr.1997, coll. P. Grootaert ( RBINS).

Paratypes: 2 females, same data as in holotype. All deposited in RBINS, Brussels .

Diagnosis. – Resembling M. papuana , new species, but smaller, legs with indistinct pattern, only male abdominal sternite 6 with large, broad process; right surstylus long, narrow.

Description. – Male body length 1.3-1.4 mm, wing length 1.1-1.2 mm. Head and thorax greyish pollinose, with darkgreen 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 with indistinct pattern: coxae yellowish brown, fore coxa yellowish in apical part; trochanters of all legs brownish yellow; femora yellowish, with brownish tinge, more distinctly brownish dorsally; tibiae yellow; fore tarsus with tarsomeres 1-3 yellow and tarsomeres 4-5 brown, mid and hind tarsi with tarsomeres 1-2 yellow and tarsomeres 3-5 becoming gradually darker (tarsomere 5 brown). Tarsi slender (except tarsomere 5). Wing with basal section of costa bearing 1 short and 1 long bristles. Abdomen with sternite 4 bearing row of long, strong setae on each side ( Figs. 31, 32 ); sternite 5 lacking process, with several ordinary setae, sternite 6 with large broad (viewed ventrally) process; sternite 6 and segment 7 lacking setation. Terminalia ( Figs. 33-35 ) with right surstylus long, rather narrow. Otherwise as in M. malaysiana , new species.

Female body length 1.3-1.4 mm, wing length 1.2-1.3 mm. Similar to male except the following characters. Palpus brown, with ordinary setulae. Legs darker, with more distinct pattern; femora largely brownish, paler apically, all tibiae and tarsomeres 1-2 of all tarsi yellowish brown. Postabdomen, including cerci, brown, as in M. malaysiana , new species (spermatheca was not studied).

Differential diagnosis. – The new species can be distinguished from other species described here as it is given in the key.

Etymology. – The species is named after the type locality, Bira.

Distribution. – Indonesia, Sulawesi.

Figures

Figs. 31-35. Microphorella bira, new species, male. 31 – postabdomen (segment 8 and hypopygium not shown), left lateral view, 32 – same, ventral view, 33 – terminalia, right lateral view, 34 – same, left lateral view, 35 – same, ventral view. Scale 0.1 mm.