Melaloncha carinata, Brown, 2004

Brown, Brian V., 2004, Revision of the subgenus Udamochiras of Melaloncha beekilling flies (Diptera: Phoridae: Metopininae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 140 (1), pp. 1-42 : 11-13

MELALONCHA CARINATA -GROUP

Diagnosis. Ovipositor with dorsomedial carina ( Figs 31-33 ).

Included species. M. brevicarina sp. nov., M. carinata sp. nov., M. premordica sp. nov.

MELALONCHA BREVICARINA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 23 , 28, 31 )

Recognition. This species is most easily recognized by the brown body colour ( Fig. 23 ), in contrast to the mostly yellow coloration ( Fig. 24 ) of other M. carinata - group species.

Description. Body length 2.4–2.6 mm. Frons orange, except ocellar triangle black. Setal base of all setae coloured like rest of frons. Mean frontal width 0.4 head width; range 0.39–0.4. Frons with fine reticulate sculpturing, slightly shiny, weakly punctate, with small, pale setulae. Median furrow absent. Frontal setae normal; arrangement of frontal setae unmodified, with ventral interfrontal setae near venter of frons. Dorsal interfrontal setae absent. Flagellomere 1 entirely orange. Palpus unmodified. Ocular and genal setae flattened, yellow. Scutum dark brown, except anterolaterally yellowish-brown. Thoracic pleuron with anterior portion of anepisternum, dorsum of posterior portion of anepisternum, bottom margin of katepisternum, and round spot on dorsal margin of katepisternum light brown; meron light brown except for dark band on dorsal one-third. Fore tarsomeres yellowish-brown, relatively narrow. Combined length of fore tarsomeres approximately 1.1 tibial length. Fore tarsomere 1 approximately twice as long as tarsomere 2. Fore tarsomere 5 relatively narrow. Pulvilli of fore leg relatively small. Tarsal claws of all legs small, finely bifurcate at apex. Mid and hind leg yellowish-brown, tarsomeres brown on medial surface. Mean costal length 0.53 wing length; range 0.52–0.54. Abdominal tergites 2–6 dark brown, with small medial and lateroventral orange markings and usual silver pollinosity; with several small and one large

M. brevicarina M. carinata new species new species new species 28 29 30

33 M. premordica new species

Figures

Figures 28–33. M. carinata-group. Figs 28–30: ovipositors, dorsal. Figs 31–33: ovipositors, left lateral.

Figures 22–27. M. (Udamochiras) species. Figs 22–25: Habitus, left lateral. 22. M. hansoni sp. nov. 23. M. brevicarina sp. nov. 24. M. carinata sp. nov. 25. M. flavilata sp. nov. Figs 26 & 27: Heads, anterior. 26. M. deinocerca Borgmeier. 27. M. maculifrons sp. nov. Abbreviations: dif, dorsal interfrontal seta; vif, ventral interfrontal seta.