Megaselia dewittensis, DISNEY, 2003

DISNEY, R. H. L., 2003, Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species, Journal of Natural History 37 (5), pp. 505-639 : 600-602

Key to Tasmanian species of Megaselia

1 Abdomen ending in a complex hypopygium with the cerci being fused to the sides of

the proctiger to form an anal tube projecting from the rear of the epandrium (dorsal shield) of the hypopygium (e.g. figures 1C, 33B–34)....... males 2

– Abdomen ending in a pair of cerci that are separated by the median epiproct (e.g. figure 38)................... females 40

2 Mesopleuron with hairs, and sometimes bristles as well, in upper posterior quadrant 3 – Mesopleuron entirely bare................ 31

3 Hind tibia with a row of short, spine-like, differentiated anterodorsal hairs, as well

as a row of stronger posterodorsals (figure 16A). Labella of proboscis greatly enlarged and with dense fields of peg-like spinules on lower faces. Mesopleuron with hairs and one long bristle. Anterior scutellars reduced to short hairs (shorter and weaker than those at rear of scutum). Haltere knob yellow. Hypopygium as figure 16B....................... dewittensis sp. nov.

– Hind tibia without differentiated anterodorsals. Without the other features in combination..................... 4

4 Scutellum with an anterior (outer) pair of small hairs, a posterior pair of strong

bristles and four fine hairs between the latter (figure 45A). Mesopleuron with about a dozen short hairs. Costa distinctly less than half wing length. Epandrium with fine hairs (weaker than those on cerci) on sides and anal tube shorter than midline length of epandrium. Left lobe of hypandrium whitish yellow and with short hairs. Right lobe clearly shorter. Haltere with pale yellow knob... tasmaniensis (Malloch)

– Scutellum at most with four bristles or an anterior pair of hairs and a posterior pair of bristles, and without other features in combination......... 5

5 Haltere knob yellow, contrasting with brown stem.......... 6 – Haltere knob brown.................. 14

6 Base of hind femur suddenly narrowed before ventral row of hairs (figure 19A).

Labella enlarged and with dense fields of small spinules below. Left lobe of hypandrium a narrow curved process (figure 19B)....... filiciarboris sp. nov.

– Without this combination................ 7

7 Several hairs on left side of epandrium clearly more robust than those on cerci or

proctiger (e.g. figure 33B). Labella of proboscis densely spinose below (each with>30 spinules).................... 8

– Without this combination................ 9

8 Hairs below basal half of hind femur finer and at most subequal in length to longest hairs of anteroventral row of outer half. Costal section 1 longer than section 2 and usually subequal to sections 2+3. Right paraphysis (P 2 in figure 34) elongated and its tip bent forward when the penis is withdrawn (figure 33B). Left lobe of hypandrium only hairy in distal third (figures 33B, 34), but the shorter right lobe is hairy along its entire length............... pleuralis (Wood)

– Hairs below basal half of hind femur at least as robust and several are distinctly longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half. Costal section 1 shorter than 2 and thus clearly <2+3. Right paraphysis not elongated and left lobe of hypandrium hairy along its entire length (figure 29B), but the right lobe reduced to a vestige.. 26

9 Labella densely spinose below (each with>30 short spinules). Hypopygium as

figure 17B................ falciphalli sp. nov. – Labella with few spinules below (each with <30). Hypopygium otherwise... 10

10 Left lobe from rear of hypandrium well developed (figures 11A, 15A, 25B, 30B).. 11 – Left hypandrial lobe vestigial (figure 45B)........ trudiae sp. nov.

11 Hairs of epandrium fine, being weaker than those on venter of segment 6 (figures 11A,

25B, 30B).................... 12

– Hairs of epandrium more robust, being at least as strong as those on venter of segment 6 (figure 15A)............ comparabilis Schmitz

12 Left hypandrial lobe with hairs extending to tip (figure 25B). Palps not inflated and

with longer bristles (figures 25C, 30A)............. 13 – Left hypandrial lobe bare on distal quarter or more (figure 11A). Palps somewhat inflated and with short bristles (figure 11B)............ 28

13 Hind femur brown, even if gradually becoming a more yellowish brown in basal half.

Abdominal tergites entirely brown. Hypopygium as figure 25B. impariseta Bridarolli – Hind femur yellow with a brown tip. Abdominal tergites 5–6 frequently at least partly orange. Hypopygium as figure 30B.............. 29

14 Left lobe of hypandrium bilobed, each lobe with a subcircular brush of pale hairs; each side of epandrium with a single strong bristle and a few small hairs; and each cercus typically with about a dozen (or more) hairs (figure 13A). Front basitarsus slender, but with long hairs below (figure 13B)...... cercisetaria sp. nov.

– Hypandrium not thus and without other features in combination...... 15

15 Near-dorsal, longitudinal, hair palisade of mid tibia extends almost full length of

latter (the last modified hair being about level with socket of the small posteroventral spur). A bristle-like hair (longer than axillary bristle and costal cilia) at base of vein

3 (figure 27A). Hypopygium as figure 27B....... megasetigera sp. nov.

– Mid-tibial hair palisade usually extends less than three-quarters of length, but always ends before level of posteroventral spur. Hair at base of vein 3 smaller or absent. Hypopygium otherwise.................. 16

16 Anteroventral hairs of outer half of hind femur clearly longer and more robust than those below basal half (figure 12A). Hypopygium as figure 12B, the hypandrium having a pair of short, rounded, hairy lobes at rear margin... bilobulus sp. nov.

– If anteroventral hairs are longer than those below basal half of hind femur the contrast is less marked. Hypopygium otherwise.......... 17

17 Front basitarsus with at least one row of ventral hairs reduced to short spinules and this segment usually somewhat thickened (e.g. figure 32A)....... 18

– Front basitarsus without such modified hairs and not thickened...... 24

18 Anal tube distinctly longer than midline length of epandrium and latter with a single bristle and a few, much smaller, hairs on each side (figures 28, 32B)..... 19

– Anal tube subequal to or shorter than midline length of epandrium and latter with bristles and hairs otherwise (figures 10A, B, 36B, 44A, 45C)....... 20

19 With hairs on left side of epandrium fine and mainly crowded in a patch by the strong bristle; the hair of lower margin of left cercus bristle-like; the tip of the right paraphysis of penis complex curves forwards ventrally (figure 28)......................... mountfieldensis sp. nov.

– With hairs on left side of epandrium a little stronger and in an irregular row extending from adjacent to the strong bristle to dorsal face; the hair of the lower margin of left cercus not obviously differentiated from the other hairs; the tip of the right paraphysis not curving forwards ventrally (figure 32B)....... nudilobulus sp. nov.

20 Hairs of epandrium relatively strong and with a clearly differentiated bristle in posterior third of left face (figure 10B).......... alius sp. nov.

– Hairs of epandrium either obviously weaker and/or fewer in number and at least one differentiated bristle nearer middle of left side (figures 10A, 36B, 44A, 45C)... 21

21 The anteroventral row of hairs on front basitarsus differentiated to form a conspicuous comb of spine-like hairs, of which the most distal are at least 1.5× as long as spur of segment 2 (figure 44B). Hind femur relatively slender (figure 44C). Lower half of left side of epandrium with scattered hairs above the single strong bristle, a posterolat- eral patch of small hairs and a cluster of stronger hairs in between (figure 44A)...................... triplicicristae sp. nov.

– Without this combination................ 22

22 Apart from short, fine, hairs on posterolateral region, the left side of epandrium with less than nine hairs and bristles............... 23

– With more than nine hairs and bristles on left side of epandrium (figure 45C)..................... wellingtonensis sp. nov.

23 Lobe from rear of left side of hypandrium well developed and tinged brown; at least six hairs at posterolateral extremity of left side of epandrium forming a compact cluster (figure 36B).............. richardsoni sp. nov.

– Lobe of left side of hypandrium small and a pale straw colour; only three or four hairs at posterolateral extremity of left side of epandrium and these are arranged in a single row (figure 10A)........... amatorum sp. nov.