Mesoconius keili, Marshall, 2019

Marshall, Stephen A., 2019, A revision of the genus Mesoconius Enderlein (Diptera, Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 548, pp. 1-126 : 106-107

Mesoconius keili sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1A0AD255-0E49-41F8-82AD-56BF3F005715

Fig. 42 D–E

Etymology

This species is named after Dr. Clifford Keil of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, in recognition of his efforts to expedite taxonomic work on Ecuador’s insects.

Material examined

Holotype

ECUADOR • ♀; Napo, 4.2 km S of Cosanga , pipeline trail; 2150 m a.s.l.; 7 Nov. 1999; S.A. Marshall leg.; MYCRO109-15 sequenced for CO1; QCAZ.

Description (female holotype only)

LENGTH. 12 mm.

COLOUR. Black to dark brown, with the following exceptions: parafacial, vibrissa and gena silvery microtrichose; clypeus shiny brown; fore tarsomeres 1, 2 and basal half of 3 white, 4 and 5 brown. Mid and hind femora with white distomedian bands, narrow on mid femur and broad on hind femur, apices reddish. Wing membrane lightly infuscated, except for a large, central clear area in cell r 4+5, pigmentation light along posterior margin.

HEAD. Epicephalon and paracephalon shiny and indistictly striate; frontal vitta elevated, posteriorly sharply tapered and ending in a patch of setulae anterior to postocellar bristles, anteriorly broad and ending well above frons. Outer vertical bristle absent, inner vertical bristle strong, postocellar bristle strong (one missing on holotype). Fronto-orbital bristles large, upper fronto-orbital bristle inserted above level of ocelli, lower fronto-orbital inserted in patch of microtrichia at epicephalon-orbital plate junction. Antennae separated by width of antennal socket, upper face broadly carinate, lower face flat and microtrichose. Clypeus shiny medially and laterally.

THORAX. Cervical sclerite with a vertical groove separating a bulbous, microtrichose, posterior portion from a smaller, flat, bare anterior portion. Prosternum microtrichose and sparsely setulose. Notum microtrichose, with rows of small acrostichal and dorsocentral setulae; postpronotal lobe microtrichose, with some scattered small setulae, anterior face almost vertical, shiny; posterior surface sloped, microtrichose except for a carinate ventral extension. Dorsocentral bristle slightly longer than scutellum. Scutellum with two small discal setulae and long apical bristles slighlty longer than scutellum. Katatergite not prominent, rounded and indistinctly convex. Vertical row of katepisternal bristles black. Coxae with anteroventral black setae.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal segments 1 and 2 petiolate; length of 1+2 2.2 × that of tergite 3. Oviscape of unique type missing.

Remarks

This distinctive species was collected at the same time and place as a female of M. eques Enderlein, 1922 and a female of M. cosanga sp. nov. All three flies were found on the surface of an oil pipeline.

Figures

Fig. 42. A–C. Mesoconius gelbifacies sp. nov. A–B. Holotype, ♀, QCAZ. C. Spermathecae and associated structures. — D–E. M. keili sp. nov., holotype, ♀, QCAZ, oviscape missing.