Spiniphora lawrencei, R. H. L. Disney, 2010

R. H. L. Disney, 2010, Three new species of scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) from Indonesia, Zootaxa 2357, pp. 63-67 : 66-67

Spiniphora lawrencei sp. nov.

( Figs 6–7 )

In the key to both sexes of the Oriental species (Disney & Bänziger, 2009) the new species runs to S. bergenstammi . However, it clearly differs from this species. Of the seven species known from the Oriental Region and Japan, three species are immediately distinguished from the new species by having only two, as opposed to three, bristles in the upper two thirds of the hind tibia. A species from Okinawa differs from the rest by having four bristles on the axillary ridge of the wing, as opposed to only one. A species from the Philippines has the thick veins of the wing dark brown, as opposed to being yellowish brown or paler. A Japanese species is larger, with the wing length about 3 mm, as opposed to being distinctly less than this, and with longer costal cilia. Of the two remaining species, the male of the cosmopolitan S. bergenstammi has short palps with a large excavation on its outer face (Fig. 132 in Disney, 1983). The hypopygium of the new species is notable for the immensely long surstylus extension of the right side of the epandrium ( Fig. 7 ), whose tip is deflected dorsally ( Fig. 6 ). This will immediately distinguish it from S. genitalis Schmitz (Figs 18–19 in Disney & Bänziger, 2009) and likewise from the species of the Far East of Russia whose hypopygia are illustrated by Michailovskaya (2004).

Male. Frons brown, with 30–40 small hairs and dense but fine microtichia. The antials close together and just above the supra-antennal bristles. The anterolaterals close to eye margins and only just below the preocellars, which are further from each other than either is from a mediolateral, which is much higher on frons. Postpedicels yellowish brown, tapered apically, being about 1.6x as long as greatest breadth, and with more than three dozen subcutaneous pit sensilla. Palps straw yellow, only about 0.4x as wide as postpedicel, and with 8–10 small bristles and as many hairs. The pale labrum only about 0.6x as wide as postpedicel. The even paler labella combined about 1.5x as wide as postpedicel. Three small bristles on cheek and a single long one on jowl. Thorax brown, with hairy propleura, three bristles on each notopleuron and four robust bristles on the scutellum. Abdominal tergites brown with hairs, but in addition T2 has a cluster of small bristles each side and T6 has long bristly hairs at its rear margin. Venter light grey with small hairs on segments 3–6, but those on 3 and 4 are minute. Hypopygium brown with a pale yellow anal tube and as Figs 6 and 7 . Legs yellow. Front tibia with a near-dorsal bristle about two-fifths of length from base, with 5–7 small spines below this. Front tarsus with a posterodorsal hair palisade on all five segments and 5 longer than 4. Mid tibia with the normal pair of bristles near base, an anteroventral bristle about 0.6x of length from base and a very small one just before the long apical spur. Hind femur with about 9 long hairs below the basal half, which are about as long as the more robust hairs of the anteroventral row of the outer half. Hind tibia with 3 antero-dorsal bristles situated about 0.3x and 0.5x from base plus a pre-apical, and with an anteroventral bristle about 0.4x of length from base. Wings 2.1–2.3 mm long. Costal index 0.54–0.57. Costal ratios 4.7–5.5: 2.7–3.0: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.05 mm long. Vein Sc runs to vein 1. A small hair at base of vein 3. Axillary ridge with a single fine bristle. All veins brown and membrane brownish tinged (evident to the naked eye when viewed against a white background). Haltere knob partly light brown and partly pale yellow.

Material. Holotype male, Indonesia, Maluku Utara ( Moluccas), Bacan, Makian, 1.5 km East of Labuha, Malaise trap, 23–26 September1985, A. Kirk-Spriggs (National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 16–87). Paratype male, Sulawesi Utara, Lake Mala, 0o34’N, 124o27’E, 1080 m, Malaise trap, 10–12 September 1985, A. Kirk- Spriggs (University of Cambridge Museum of Zoology, 16–88).

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 7. Spiniphora lawrencei male hypopygium: (6) left face; (7) right face. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.