Megaselia bangiensis, Zuha & Disney, 2018

Zuha, Raja Muhammad & Disney, R. Henry L., 2018, Four new Megaselia species (Diptera: Phoridae) from animal carcasses in Bangi, Malaysia, Zootaxa 4508 (4), pp. 551-561 : 552

Megaselia bangiensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–6 )

Description. Male only. The specimen is somewhat faded and in particular the wings beyond the costa are so bleached that neither the thin veins nor the boundaries of the membrane beyond the costa are discernible.

Frons as Fig. 1 , with 130–136 hairs and dense but very small microtrichia. SAs very unequal. The antials lower on frons than anterolaterals, and about as far from upper SAs as either is from an AL bristle. Mediolateral row convex, with the mediolaterals clearly below pre-ocellars but otherwise the four bristles about equally spaced. Cheek with two bristles and jowl with two, which are a little longer but equally fine. Postpedicels yellow, without SPS vesicles. Palps yellow, at most a fifth as broad as postpedicel but about 1.4 times as long as breadth of latter, with seven bristles, the 2–3 apical ones being longest, and 2–3 hairs. Labrum pale and about 0.7 times as wide as a postpedicel. Labella paler than palps and with numerous short spinules below. Thorax as Fig. 2 , with two notopleural bristles and no cleft in front of these. Mesopleuron bare. Scutellum with an anterior pair of hairs and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites as Fig. 2 , with moderate hairs some of which are longer posterolaterally, especially on T2 and T6 ( Fig. 3 ). Venter ( Fig. 2 ) with hairs on segments 3–6 at least as long as those on tergites. Hypopygium ( Figs 3–5 ) with a pale anal tube. Anal tube length shorter than epandrium. Hairs on proctiger and cercus longer than hairs on epandrium. Hypandrium left lobe pale ( Fig. 4 ) and with microtrichia ending before its tapered tip. The right lobe is vestigial ( Fig. 5 ). Legs brown to yellowish brown. Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–4 and 5 clearly longer than 4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about 0.8 times its length. Hairs below basal half of hind femur ( Fig. 6 ) longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half. Hind tibia with 11–12 only moderately differentiated posterodorsal hairs, without anterodorsals, and spinules of apical combs simple. Wing length and costal index not discernible. Costal ratios 1.8: 1.5: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.04 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3. With 3 axillary bristles, the outer being 0.05–0.06 mm long. Sc obscure and not reaching R1. Thick veins yellowish brown (wing beyond costa obscure). Haltere knob brown.

Etymology. The name refers to the city location where the specimen was collected.

Material. Holotype, ♂, MALAYSIA: Selangor, Bangi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia , rabbit carcass, 18.xii.2010 ( UCZM, 41–48)

Recognition. In the keys of Borgmeier (1967) this species will belong to either Group VII or VIII, depending on the costal index. In Group VII it will run to couplet 67, which the relative length of the costal index distinguishes the two options, but the first option leads to couplet 68, where both options are ruled out. Proceeding to couplet 69, again the differing CIs are the choice presented. Taking the first option the species are excluded on differences in the hypopygia and/or the costal ratios. The second option leads on to couplet 79, where neither species fits as the first option has different costal ratios and the median row of frontal bristles are all at the same level. The second option has yellow hind femora, stronger lower SA bristles and only two axillary bristles.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Megaselia bangiensis sp. n. male: 1—frons; 2—thorax and abdomen; 3–5—hypopygium; 3—left face; 4— hypandrium; 5—right face; 6—hind femur.