Mesoconius rex, Marshall, 2019

Marshall, Stephen A., 2019, A revision of the genus Mesoconius Enderlein (Diptera, Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 548, pp. 1-126 : 117-119

Mesoconius rex sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EBF11F77-E8B9-4155-AFDD-4416FC14607D

Fig. 48

Etymology

The specific name of this unique male, superficially similar to Mesoconius reinai sp. nov., known only from a single female, is from the Latin for ʻkingʼ.

Material examined

Holotype

COLOMBIA • ♂; Boyacá, SFF Iguaque, Cerro Pan de Azucar ; 05°25ʹ N, 73°27ʹ W; 3300 m a.s.l.; 27 Mar.–16 Apr. 2000; Malaise trap; M1517; P. Reina leg.; IAVH.

Description (male only)

LENGTH. 14 mm.

COLOUR. Mostly shiny blue-black to brown; all femora white at base, mid and hind femora with a white band just beyond middle, with band on mid femur much wider; apex of mid and (more distinctly) hind femora yellowish-brown. First flagellomere yellow-brown; notum with broad, silvery dorsocentral vittae. Wing uniformly black. Abdominal segment 1 blue-black; T3–5 black; pleuron white.

HEAD. Epicephalon and paracephalon distinctly striate, dull. Frontal vitta velvety brown and broad, centrally depressed, more or less diamond-shaped, with anterior point reaching front of frons and lateral points with extensions broadly reaching eye. Postocellar bristles and inner vertical bristles well developed, postocellars very close to one another. Upper fronto-orbital strong, above level of upper ocelli, lower fronto-orbital minute or absent.

THORAX. Scutum conspicuously microtrichose; dorsocentral and acrostichal setulae very small; dorsocentral microtrichose strips broad, expanding postsuturally. Cervical sclerite with a shiny anterior portion divided from a setulose posterior portion by a vertical carina. Postpronotal lobe sparsely microtrichose, sparsely setulose on posterior half, anterior surface vertical and shiny along dorsal margin, posterior surface sloped and microtrichose, except for a strong ventral carina. Dorsocentral bristle strong, distinctly longer than scutellum. Scutellum with one pair of discal setulae and one pair of long apical bristles (longer than scutellum). Vertical row of katepisternal bristles dark brown. Katatergite moderately swollen, without median process, evenly convex and microtrichose. All coxae with an anteroventral tuft of long, golden-brown setae.

ABDOMEN. T1+2 2.8× T3. S5 and S6 reduced, linear. S8 shiny and much larger than microtrichose epandrium. Cercus large, subquadrate. Hypandrium relatively short (similar in length to anteroventral epandrial arms), anterior margin broad, scoop-like and symmetrical. Basal basiphallus broad, distally expanding to an excavated apex holding a broad phallic bulb; distal distiphallus apparently wiry, narrow, flanged at base, but otherwise parallel-sided, forming an ʻSʼ shape.

Remarks

Although this species is only known from a single male, it is distinctive for several features, including the sinuate distal distiphallus and mostly metallic blue-black body.

Figures

Fig. 48. Mesoconius rex sp. nov., holotype, ♂, IAVH. A. Habitus, dorsolateral view. B. Head and thorax, dorsolateral view. C. Apex of abdomen, with terminalia detatched (phallus teased out, ejaculatory duct broken). D. Phallic bulb.