Suwaia, Šifner, 2009

Šifner, František, 2009, Two new genera of the family Scathophagidae (Diptera), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (1), pp. 287-292 : 290

Suwaia gen. nov.

Type species. Parallelomma longicornis Hendel, 1913 , here designated.

Diagnosis. The main diagnostic characters are as follows: anterior third of frons arcuatelly receding in both sexes (in lateral view), genae with one strong and long bristle, palpi without long apical bristle, one katepisternal bristle, fore femora with one distinct, short spine-like bristle interiorly.

Differential diagnosis. Suwaia gen. nov. differs distinctly from other related genera in the following characters: i) anterior third of frons strongly arcuately receding in both sexes; ii) arista very sparsely plumose, palpi rectangular, very narrowed basally, in proximal half enlarged and apically rounded with four black bristles; iii) fore femora with one distinct bristle interiorly; iv) epiphallus short with lateral plates, from basal part of distiphallus prolate with two lateral membraneous lobes ( Figs. 7–8 ); and v) sternite 8 narrow without bristles ( Fig. 9 ). Other key diagnostic characters, i.e., long apical bristle on the palpus, the shape of surstylus and the shape of female abdominal sternites are entirely different in both Parallelomma Becker, 1894 and Megaphthalma Becker, 1894 (see Comments below).

Etymology. I dedicate this genus to the Japanese dipterist Maasaki Suwa (Hokkaido University Museum, Sapporo). The gender is feminine.

Comments. HENDEL (1913) described and classified Parallelomma longicornis in the genus Parallelomma and VOCKEROTH (1977) placed it in the genus Megaphthalma . However, the species cannot be placed in either genus due to the combination of its diagnostic characters, including the newly recognized characters on male and female genitalia. Therefore, I establish for it a new genus, Suwaia gen. nov.

Figures

Figs. 5–9. Suwaia longicornis (Hendel, 1913). 5–8 – J paratype: 5 – abdominal sternites 4 to 5; 6 – cerci and surstyli (caudal view); 7 – pregonite and postgonite (lateral view); 8 – epiphallus, pregonites, postgonites and lateral membraneous lobes (dorsal view). 9 – ♀ paratype, abdominal stenites 6 to 8 (lateral view). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Figs. 5–6, 9), 0.1 mm (Figs. 7–8).