Mesoconius hoffmannsi ( Enderlein, 1922 ) Marshall, 2019

Marshall, Stephen A., 2019, A revision of the genus Mesoconius Enderlein (Diptera, Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 548, pp. 1-126 : 83

Mesoconius hoffmannsi ( Enderlein, 1922) comb. nov.

Fig. 30 A–B

Tanypoda hoffmannsi Enderlein, 1922: 202 .

Aristobata hoffmannsi – Hennig 1935: 31 .

Zelatractodes hoffmannsi – Steyskal 1968: 20 .

Diagnosis

Unique type male dirty yellow except for uniformly brown mid and hind tibiae and tarsi, paler fore tibia and tarsus, slightly darkened distal/preapical thirds of all femora, and black ocellar triangle surrounding orange ocelli. Frontal vitta matt yellow-orange, orbits subshining. Wing uniformly yellowish infuscated, without clear areas. Inner vertical, outer vertical and postocellar bristles present; fronto-orbital bristles not noted on type. Abdominal segments one and two petiolate. Sternite 8 matt yellow and slightly larger than subquadrate epandrium. Length about 16 mm.

Material examined

Holotype

PERU • ♂; Cushi Libertad ; 1800 m a.s.l.; Aug. 1903; Hoffmanns leg.; MNBG.

Remarks

The type male is unusually dull and matt yellow-orange, but it is also very dirty and the matt appearance may be the result of problems with moulds. The species is distinguished from other species of Mesoconius without a strongly swollen katatergite by the absence of any distinguishing colour such as femoral bands, pigmented tarsi or notal pigmentation. The head chaetotaxy is damaged, but notes on the type taken in Berlin in 2001 record the presence of outer vertical bristles, thus putting this species in the M. nono group.

Figures

Fig. 30. Species of the Mesoconius nono group known only from original type specimens. A–B. Mesoconius hoffmannsi (Enderlein, 1922), holotype (Peru), ♂, MNBG. C–D. Mesoconius ottoi nom. nov. (replacement name for Tanypoda garleppi Enderlein, 1922), lectotype (Bolivia), ♀, MNBG. E. Mesoconius scurrus (Hennig, 1935), holotype (Bolivia), ♂, SMTD.