Megaselia megasetigera, DISNEY, 2003

DISNEY, R. H. L., 2003, Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species, Journal of Natural History 37 (5), pp. 505-639 : 563-565

Megaselia megasetigera sp. nov.

(figure 27)

Material

H  : male, Tasmania, Mount Field National Park, Russell Falls , 11 January 1992 ( R. H. L. Disney —25-8) ( TMH).

P    : male—1 as holotype, except (25-9) ( UMZC).

Etymology The name refers to the enlarged seta at the base of vein 3.

Diagnosis

The combination of four unequal scutellar bristles; mesopleuron with hairs plus two or three bristles; forked vein 3; costal index>0.40 but <0.47; brown halteres; no differentiated anterodorsal hairs on hind tibia; costal cilia <0.1 mm long; unequal supra-antennal bristles, but lower pair are still bristles rather than fine hairs; no swelling of costa in basal half; and brown femora; will take this species to couplet 20 on p. 201 or (if the anterior scutellars are regarded as hairs) to couplet 52 on p. 205 of Borgmeier’s (1967a) keys. M. suspicata Borgmeier (only known in the female sex) has yellow femora (apart from the brown tip to the hind femur) and costa>0.5. M. moderata Borgmeier likewise has yellow femora, and its anterior scutellars are reduced to minute hairs. Other diagnostic features of the new species include the brown antennae with at least 30 SPS vesicles that are subequal in diameter to sockets of lower SA bristles; light brown palps; labella with only a few spinules below; notopleuron with three bristles; abdominal tergites and venter brown; epandrium with hairs but no differentiated bristles; left lobe of hypandrium well developed; cercus with less than seven hairs; front tarsus slender and segment 5 subequal to or slightly shorter than 4; near-dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends>0.9× its length; hairs below basal half of hind femur longer than anterodorsal hairs of distal half; about 10 differentiated posterodorsal hairs on hind tibia; a small bristle (longer than costal cilia and axillary bristles) at base of vein 3; Sc not reaching R; wing membrane tinged brown.

1

Male

Frons brown, a little wider than long and with numerous but very fine microsetae. Anterolateral bristles about level with upper SAs. Antials slightly lower and nearer ALs than upper SAs. Median bristles in almost straight transverse row, or preocellars fractionally higher, and equally spaced or POs closer to each other than either is to a mediolateral bristle. With three bristles on cheek and two stronger ones on jowl. Palp with seven to nine bristles of which four to six are strong. Yellowish brown labrum about half as wide as third antennal segment. Labella pale yellow lightly tinged brown, with darker bands dorsolaterally. Thorax brown. Mesopleuron with 9–12 hairs, of which 0–3 may be longer than the rest, plus two or three bristles. Anterior scutellars only 0.6–0.8× as long as posterior pair but longer than hairs at rear of scutum. Hairs of abdominal tergites moderately strong and clearly longer at rear of T 6 (figure 27B). Venter with hairs below segments 3–6. Hypopygium brown, including anal tube, and as figure 27B. Wing 1.3–1.4 mm long. Costal index 0.43–0.44. Costal ratios 3.5–3.6:2.1–2.3:1. Costal cilia 0.07–0.08 mm long. One or two axillary bristles. Veins light brown. Base of wing as figure 27A.