Poecilosomella conspicua, Papp, 2002

Papp, L., 2002, Eighteen New Oriental Species Of Poecilosomella Duda (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 48 (2), pp. 107-156 : 122-123

Poecilosomella conspicua sp. n.

Holotype male ( NMNH): MALAYSIA: Sabah: 1 km S. Kundasang, el. 1530m, 22 Aug. 1983, G. F. Hevel & W. E. Steiner.

Paratype male ( HNHM): data same as for the holotype; paratype female ( NMNH, abdomen much contracted): ibid., 25 km N Tambunan, el. 1500 m, 10 Aug.; 1 female ( MHNG, in a vial with alcohol): [ Malaysia] Sabah, Crocker Range, 1550–1650 m, 16. V. 87, leg. D. H. Burckhardt et I. Löbl, 27a. [à proximité du col (route Kota Kinabalu – Tambunan ), forêt de Lithocarpus – Castanopsis; a) tamisage de bois pourri, feuilles mortes et mousses] .

Measurements in mm: body length 2.98 (holotype), 2.50 (paratype male, not precisely measurable), not measurable on NMNH paratype female (c. 2.50 when alive), 2.64, wing length 2.89 (holotype), 2.47, 2.55, 2.64 (paratypes), wing width 1.36 (holotype), 1.23, 1.28, 1.24 (paratypes).

Comparatively large, robust, dark winged and dark bodied species. Body dark brown, frons, face and genae reddish, the usual frontal and thoracic spots light grey with some silvery reflection. Frontal setae and vibrissa comparatively strong, a very long (0.28–0.29 mm) upcurving genal seta present; gena below eye 0.155–0.17 mm broad. Scape plus pedicel 0.19 mm long, first flagellomere 0.21 mm. Apical wreath of bristles on pedicel comparatively long. Scape dark brown, pedicel and first flagellomere light reddish yellow, flagellomere with diffuse grey hue in its apical 2/3. Arista with long (0.05 mm) cilia. Two pairs of weak ifr (3 on holotype).

Anterior katepisternal half as long as posterior one. Scutellum definitely shorter than broad.

Wing covered by long microtrichia; wing margin on costa with long dense hairs (though shorter than in species of the P. borboroides -group). Basic colour of wings brown. Darker brown diffuse spots around H cross-vein, apical area of R 2+3 and above the apex of Rs. Veins light brown, cross-veins plus intercrossvein section of M, apex of R 1, apex of Rs and a very short section of M opposite pale area of Rs are pale yellow or even whitish. Cells r 4+5 and m with a darker brown diffuse spot at about their middle. Second costal section much shorter than third (0.83 mm vs. 1.16 mm, ratio 0.716). Vein R 2+3 angulately bent to costa, with a long vein appendage (which is longer than half of the apical section of the vein). Costa ends at tip of R 4+5. Intercrossvein section as long as, or slightly longer than, dM-Cu. Knob of halteres and apical half of stalk dark, its basal half yellow.

Femora dark brown, only apices lighter. Tibiae also dark brown with sharply bordered pale yellow rings medially and apically, tibial bases pale coloured. Hairs on ventral part of male fore femur not particularly long but male fore tibia with hairs longer than tibial diameter ventrally, and similar hairs in its apical half also posteriorly. Fore metatarsus, as well as 2nd and 3rd tarsomeres, with extremely long hairs posteriorly. Male mid tibia ventrally with short hairs only, no mid ventral seta but a rather long ventroapical seta present. Armature of mid tibia: anterodorsals: at 12/53 small, at 18/53 long, at 43/53 very long seta and a more anterior at 32–33/53; posterodorsals: at 10/53 small, at 15/53 long, at 28/53 and 44/53 a very long seta each; longest seta 0.31 mm. Basal part of basitarsi, as well as of 2nd tarsomeres, and basal parts of 4th and 5th tarsomeres dark, apical parts and the whole 3rd tarsomere yellow.

Male genitalia are rather small. Terminalia not studied.

Female cerci short (not much longer than broad), with 2 pairs of long apical and dorsoapical hairs.

This is a rather conspicuous species; possibly only P. furcata (DUDA) is more or less closely related (see key).