Megaselia cryptizona, Brown & Hartop & Wong, 2022

Brown, Brian V., Hartop, Emily A. & Wong, Maria A., 2022, Sixteen in One: White-Belted Megaselia Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae) From the New World Challenge Species Concepts, Insect Systematics and Diversity 6 (3), pp. 1-17 : 7-8

Megaselia cryptizona New Species Figs. 18, 32.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B2FBA5DE-8B52-4FA2-87B4-CD7FCFAFCE66

Megaselia (Megaselia) sulphurizona Borgmeier 1966: 111–112 , fig. 93, in part.

Holotype. Male : USA: CA: Los Angeles Co., El Segundo, 33.9248°N, 118.42474°W, 1–8.v.2016, J. Fulmer, BioSCAN Malaise trap sample 18240 [ LACM ENT 366284 ] ( LACM).

Paratypes (all CNCI). BIOUG32667 - G04 , 1 male, USA: California: San Diego County, Rancho Penasquitos , 32.958, –117.122, 5.iv.2017, S. Briley, Malaise trap ; BIOUG15831 -D08, San Dieguito

River Valley Conservancy, site 4 (Safari Park), 33.097, –116.996, 145 m, 7.ii.2014, J. Kohn, Malaise trap ( CNCI), BIOUG 16292-F06, 1 male, same data except 14.ii.2914, BIOUG 16439-D02, 1 male, same data except site 2 (Sutherland Dam), 33.12, –116.785, 597 m, 30.v.2014.

Holotype Barcode ACTTTATATTTTATTTTTGGAGCATGAGC TGGAATAGTAGGAACTTCTTTAAGAATTATAATTCGAGCT GAATTAGGACATCCAGGAGCCTTAATTGGTGATGACCAA ATTTATAATGTAATTGTAACTGCACACGCATTTATCATAAT TTTTTTTATAGTAATACCGATTATAATAGGAGGATTTGGAA ATTGATTAGTACCTTTAATATTAGGGGCCCCTGATATAGCC TTTCCACGTATAAATAATATAAGATTCTGAATATTACCCCC TTCATTAACTTTACTATTAGCAAGAAGTTTAGTAGAAAATG GGGCTGGTACAGGTTGAACTGTTTACCCTCCTTTATCTTC TAGAATTGCTCATAGAGGATCTTCTGTTGATCTTGCAATT TTTTCTCTTCATCTTGCAGGAATCTCTTCAATTTTAGGAG CAGTAAATTTTATTACTACAATTATTAATATGCGATCATCA GGAATTTCTTATGATCGAATACCTTTATTTGTTTGATCTGT AGGTATTACAGCTTTACTTTTACTTTTATCTTTACCTGTAC TTGCAGGAGCTATTACTATACTTCTAACAGATCGAAATTTT AATACATCATTTTTCGATCCAGCAGGAGGNGGAGACCCAA TTTTATACCAACACCTATTT

Other Specimens. In the 178 specimens of this species in BOLD, there are records from San Diego County, and the species is common in BioSCAN samples from the Los Angeles area.

Diagnosis. In addition to barcode data, we determined that the wing venation of this species is slightly different than that of the sympatric M. sulphurizona , with a short, slightly more arched subcosta ( Fig. 32). Furthermore, wing vein landmarking establishes a clear difference between these two species ( Fig. 2). The most similar CO1 barcodes are found in M. tropizona , which differs by a minimum p-distance of 1.56% ( Fig. 1, Table 1). The wings of M. tropizona and M. cryptizona are well-distinguished by wing vein morphometrics ( Fig. 31).

This species is in BOLD as BOLD:ACN6913.

Distribution. Southern California, USA.

Etymology. The name is based on Latin for hidden (crypt), referring to the unexpected discovery of this species mixed with M. sulphurizona .