Strongylophthalmyia spinosa Frey

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2016, World review of the genus Strongylophthalmyia Heller (Diptera: Strongylophthalmyiidae). Part I: Introduction, morphology, species groups, and review of the Strongylophthalmyia punctata subgroup, Zootaxa 4189 (2), pp. 201-243 : 237-238

Strongylophthalmyia spinosa Frey

( Figs. 43 , 52 , 75 )

Strongylophthalmyia spinosa Frey 1956: 131 . Steyskal 1971: 142; 1977: 22. Papp in Papp et al. 2006: 166. Iwasa & Evenhuis 2014: 104.

Diagnosis. Based on a yellow prothoracic region contrasting an otherwise black thorax, this species is most similar in general appearance to S. nigripalpis , n. sp., but it can be separated from it based on the differently shaped flagellomere and male palpus. The combination of the anepisternal tuft of hairs ( Fig. 43 ) and flagellomere shape place it in a cluster of species including S. pappi , n. sp. and S. punctata Hennig. It can be separated from them by the yellow anterior portion of the thorax (all black in S. pappi and S. punctata ), and the 4 short thorn-like spicules dorsally on the fore femur ( Fig. 75 ). A photograph of the wing ( Fig. 52 ) is provided here to further aid in its identification.

Remarks. No specimens were available for direct examination during this study. However, photographs of the holotype (deposited in MZH) were made available from which the above diagnosis was made. The dorsal antennal processes of both antennal flagellomeres are broken off and missing; however, the combination of the shape of the flagellomere (subrhomboid/axe-shaped) and the presence of the anepisternal tuft of silvery white hairs puts S. spinosa into the cluster of species that have an S-shaped dorsal process and it is coded as such here in the key to species.

One of the specimens from Thailand identified in Papp et al. (2006: 166) as S. spinosa was misidentified. It was not available for study, but photographs were sent, which show it to have an all black thorax, which confirms that it belongs to another species. It lacks a head, which makes it difficult to positively place it to species, but it may be S. thailandica .

Distribution: Northern Burma.

Figures

FIGURES 42 – 45. Male Strongylophthalmyia, thoraces, left lateral view. 42. S. punctata Hennig; 43. S. spinosa Frey, photo: courtesy MZH; 44. S. thailandica, n. sp.; 45. S. ustulata (Zetterstedt).

FIGURES 50 – 53. Male Strongylophthalmyia, right wing, dorsal view. 50. S. palpalis Papp, photo: courtesy HNHM, anal lobe folded toward viewer giving false appearance of reduced shape; 51. S. shatalkini Iwasa & Evenhuis; 52. S. spinosa Frey, photo: courtesy MZH, anal lobe folded toward viewer giving false appearance of reduced shape; 53. S. ustulata (Zetterstedt).

FIGURES 70 – 77. Male Strongylophthalmyia, fore femur, left lateral view. 70. S. microstyla Shatalkin,, arrow points ventral thorn-like seta; 71. S. nigripalpis, n. sp., arrow points to tight thorn-like cluster of setae; 72. S. palpalis Papp, holotype, photo: courtesy HNHM, arrow points to tight thorn-like cluster of setae; 73. S. pappi, n. sp.; 74. S. punctata Hennig, holotype; 75. S. spinosa Frey, holotype, photo: courtesy MZH; 76. S. thaii Papp; 77. S. thailandica, n. sp.