Megaselia alius, DISNEY, 2003

DISNEY, R. H. L., 2003, Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species, Journal of Natural History 37 (5), pp. 505-639 : 526-527

Megaselia alius sp. nov.

(figure 10B)

Material

H  : male, Tasmania, Mount Field National Park, Russell Falls , 11 January 1992 ( R. H. L. Disney —25-9) ( TMH).

P    : male, Tasmania, Hobart, Battery Point, De Witt Street, garden, 1–11 January 1992 ( RHLD —25-39) ( UMZC).

Etymology The named refers to this being yet another new species!

Diagnosis

The combination of scutellum with a pair of small hairs and a pair of bristles; mesopleuron with hairs but no bristles; costal index exceeding 0.44 but <0.50; no differentiated anterodorsals on hind tibia; brown halteres; yellowish brown palps; and dense microsetae on frons; takes this species to couplet 14 on p. 206 of Borgmeier’s (1967a) keys. It differs from the Australian species M. politiceps Borgmeier by its paler palps, more dense microsetae on the frons (=not ‘glossy’) and longer anal tube. Epandrium with relatively strong hairs and a differentiated bristle in posterior half of left side; each cercus with fewer than nine hairs; anal tube subequal in length to midline length of epandrium; left lobe of hypandrium short and bare distally, right lobe very short; femora brown; front basitarsus swollen and with three or four rows of peg-like reduced hairs below; near-dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends just beyond midpoint; hairs below basal half of hind femur scarcely differentiated from adjacent hairs of anterior face and shorter than those of anteroventral row near tip; hind tibia with fine posterodorsals; costal section 1>2+3; costal cilia 0.10–0.13 mm long; and no hair at base of vein 3.

Male

Frons brown and broader than long. Antials level with upper supra-antennal bristles, but a little below anterolaterals, but distinctly closer to ALs than SAs. Lower SAs robust but a little shorter than upper SAs. Pre-ocellars closer together than either is from a mediolateral, and all four bristles in an almost straight transverse row. Third antennal segment brown and lacking SPS vesicles. Palp with seven bristles. Labrum brown and with greatest breadth only about 0.75× that of third antennal segment. Labella pale with only scattered hairs and spinules below. With three notopleurals. With 9–15 hairs on mesopleuron. Anterior pair of hairs on scutellum shorter and weaker than those at rear of scutum. Abdominal tergites brown with short hairs, those at rear of T 6 being strongest. Venter brownish grey with hairs below segments 2–6. Hypopygium and anal tube brown and as figure 10B. Legs brown with brownish yellow tarsi, but front legs generally paler. Front tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisades on segments 1–4 only, and segment 4 a little shorter than both 3 and 5. Wing length 1.3–1.4 mm. Costal index 0.45–0.47. Costal ratios 3.17–3.20: 1.52–1.67: 1. Two bristles on axillary ridge about as long as costal cilia of section 3 or a little shorter. Veins light brown. Sc not reaching R. Membrane 1

only lightly tinged grey.