Megaselia chicheckliensis n. sp.

(Figs 12–24)

Material examined. Holotype male, East Azerbaijan province, Chichekli region, Arasbaran forests, open forest, 38°39.899’ N, 46°31.248’ E, 2140 m, 14.vi.2016, S. Khaghaninia (34, CUMZ—13-84) . Paratypes: 3 males, locality data as the holotype (ICHMM) .

Description. Male. Fig. 12, whole fly. Frons as Fig. 13, with suopra-antennal bristles equally strong and dense very fine microtrichia. Cheek with 4 bristles and jowl with 2 as long and as robust. Postpecicels without SPS vesicles, but with pale spots (Fig. 14). Palps and proboscis as Fig. 15. Thorax brown, with 3 notopleural bristles and no cleft in front of these and mesopleuron with hairs and 1 bristle (Fig. 16). Scutellum with an anterior pair of small hairs and a posterior pair of bristles (Fig. 17). Abdomen as Fig. 18, the venter having hairs restricted to segments 4 and 5. Hypopygium as Figs 19–21, the penis complex including a pale process tipped with a pair of short but thick spines (Fig. 20). Hind legs brown but middle and hind legs increasingly yellowish brown. Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–4 (Fig. 22). Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about 0.6 times its length. Hind femur as Fig. 23. Hind tibia with about a dozen only moderately differentiated posterodorsal hairs, without anterodorsals, and spinules of apical combs simple. Wings (Fig. 24) 1.29 mm long. Costal index 0.35. Costal ratios 3.92: 1.22: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.06 mm long. No hair at base of vein 3. With 2 unequal axillary bristles the outer being 0.10 mm long. Sc not reaching R1. Haltere brown.

Recognition. In the key the British species (Disney 1989) it runs to couplet 58, where neither option fits. Of five excluded Palaearctic species running to this couplet only M. tama (Schmitz) is close, but its hypopygium is clearly different. In the key of Schmitz (1958) for Abteilung III it runs to couplet 26 lead 2, to M. filamentosa Schmitz, but its palps are brown not yellow and the wings not so pale.

Etymology. Named after the region of the holotype, Chicheckli region.