Megaselia alisamorum, Disney, 2008

Disney, R. H. L., 2008, Six new species of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae) from mainland Australia, Zootaxa 1899 (1), pp. 57-68 : 57-58

Megaselia alisamorum sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

In the keys of Borgmeier (1967b) this will run to couplets 14, Lead 2 on page 93. It is distinguished from M. patellipyga Borgmeier by the different hypopygium. The new species could also run to couplet 87, lead 1 on page 91, to M. ustipennis Borgmeier , from which it is distinguished by its darker abdominal venter. See also M. tweedensis (below).

The name refers to my grandchildren Alistair and Samantha Climie.

Male. Frons brown, about as broad as long, with 62–70 hairs and dense but very fine microsetae. Supraantennal bristles (SAs) robust but lower pair a little shorter. The antials slightly lower on frons than upper SAs and about as far from the latter as either is from an anterolateral (AL) bristle, which is distinctly higher on frons than the upper SAs. Pre-ocellars (POs) slightly closer together than upper SAs but about as far apart as either is from a mediolateral bristle, which is very slightly higher on frons. Cheek with 3 small bristles and jowl with two long and robust bristles. The subglobose postpedicels brown, but not dark, and without SPS vesicles. Palps straw yellow, at most 0.4x as broad as a postpedicel and with 6 bristles, the 3 most apical being the longest, and as many hairs. Labrum pale straw yellow and about 0.8x as wide as a postpedicel. Labella mainly light brown above, together about 1.6x as wide as a postpedicel and with numerous short spinules below. Thorax brown. Two notopleural bristles and no cleft in front of these. Mesopleuron bare. Scutellum with an anterior pair of small hairs (at most as long as those in middle of scutum) and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with moderate hairs that are longest at the rear of T6 ( Fig. 1 ). Venter greyish brown and with a few hairs on segments 3–6, those at rear of segment 6 being more numerous and longest ( Fig. 1 ). Hypopygium with brown epandrium but largely straw yellow hypandrium and anal tube, and as Fig. 1 . With two rectal papillae. Legs with distal half of hind femur light brown, otherwise straw yellow, apart from brown patch on mid coxa. Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–5 and 5 slightly longer than 4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about 0.75x its length. Hairs below basal half of hind femur longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half. Hind tibia with 7–9 differentiated posterodorsal hairs and spinules of apical combs simple. Wings 1.48–1.49 mm long. Costal index 0.43–0.44. Costal ratios 3.5–3.6: 2.1: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.06 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3 small. With two axillary bristles, the outer being longer than costal cilia. Sc not reaching R1. Thick veins brown, thin veins 4–6 dark grey and 7 paler and very faint in basal quarter. Membrane lightly tinged grey (just evident to naked eye when viewed against a white background). Haltere brown.

Material. Holotype male, Australia, New South Wales, Tweed Heads, 10 The Quarterdeck , garden, water trap, 29 June 2008, R. H. L. Disney ( AMS, 25–61).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Megaselia alisamorum male, left face of hypopygium. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.