Diplonevra fumosa, Disney, 2011

Disney, R. H. L., 2011, Three new species and a new key to the Diplonevra Lioy (Diptera: Phoridae) from Australia, Zootaxa 2792 (1), pp. 41-50 : 43-44

Diplonevra fumosa sp. nov.

( Figs 3–8 )

In the partial key to females ( Disney & Kistner, 1997) the female will run to couplet 5, lead 2, to species B; but M. fumosa is immediately distinguished by its yellow haltere knobs and yellow femora (apart from the brown tips to the hind femora). The name refers to the smoky tips to the wings.

Male. Frons dark brown, broader than long, 30–40 hairs and no microtrichia. Antial bristles closer to anterolaterals than the distance between them and slightly higher on frons than ALs. Pre-ocellars about as far apart as antials and further apart than either is from a mediolateral, which is clearly a little lower on frons. A strong pair of supraantennal bristles present. Postpedicels brown, very slightly longer than greatest breadth. Palps dusky orange and each about 0.7 times as wide as postpedicel; with 6 bristles, the longest being 0.12–0.13 mm long, and as many hairs. Labrum orange, about 0.26 mm long and slightly wider than a palp and about twice as long as greatest breadth. Thorax brown. Scutellum with 4 bristles, the anterior pair being about 0.6x as long as those behind. Notopleuron with 4 bristles, but the second is much shorter than the rest. Propleuron with 2 ventral bristles and 2 in middle of hind margin and about 30 hairs. Abdominal tergites brown with pale yellow hind margins and small hairs on T1 to T5, but longer hairs on T6. Venter light grey with minute hairs on segments 3 and 4 and longer hairs on segments 5 and 6. Hypopygium brown but with a yellow anal tube and pale lobes at rear of hypandrium, and as Figs 4–5 . Legs yellow except for brown mid coxae, tips of hind femora, hind tibiae and tarsi. Front tibia with a dorsal bristle two fifths of length from base and with 7–10 small spines extending below this to the tip. Mid tibia with the usual pair of bristles in basal quarter and a near-dorsal and a posterodorsal hair palisade. Hind femur with hairs below basal half not differentiated from those of the anterior face and shorter than those of the anteroventral row in the distal half, and base as Fig. 3 . Hind tibia without pre-apical bristles. Wings 2.6–3.2 mm long. Costal index 0.44–0.46. Costal ratios 5.9–7.9: 1.1–1.5: 1. Costal cilia 0.06–0.10 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3 about 0.08 mm long. With 4 axillary bristles, the outermost being 0.14–0.18 mm long. All veins brown. Membrane clearly tinged brownish grey but more brownish near front margin beyond costa and at wing tip. Halteres yellow.

Female. Head similar to male except as follows. Palp orange yellow, about 0.9 times as broad as postpedicel, with 6 bristles (the longest being 0.17–0.18 mm long), about two dozen hairs and with a large depression on its outer face. Labrum dusky orange, about 0.56 mm long and about 1.8 times as broad as a palp. Notopleuron sometimes with the second, smallest, bristle absent. Scutellum with 4 bristles, the anterior pair being about 0.8x as long as those behind. Abdomen with tergites 1 and 2 normally developed and brown. T3 reduced to at most 0.28 times the width of the rear margin of T2 and T4 only about 0.6 times as wide as T3. Rest of segments 1–7 dark grey. Tip of abdomen yellow and as Fig. 8 . Furca as Fig. 7 . Vaginal sclerite as Fig. 6 . Legs similar to male except the hind tibiae and tarsi are paler and the cluster of brown, finger-like, processes at base of hind femur are reduced to a few colourless and minute pimples. Wings 3.4–3.5 mm long. Costal index 0.44–0.48. Costal ratios 5.7–6.7: 0.9–1.4: 1. Costal cilia 0.08 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3 is 0.08–0.09 mm long. With 4 axillary bristles, the outermost being 0.16 mm long. Otherwise the wings and the halteres are as male.

Material. Holotype male, Australia, Tasmania, Fern Tree, Grays Road , water trap, 11–12 March 2002, R. H. L. Disney (Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart) . Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female as holotype except male ( Australian National Insect Collection , CSIRO, Canberra) ; 2 males, 1 female, as holotype except dates 1–3 March 2002 ( University of Cambridge , Museum of Zoology) .

Figures

FIGURES 3–5. Diplonevra fumosa male: (3) posterior face of base of hind femur; (4) right face of epandrium and anal tube; (5) left face of hypopygium. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 6–8. Diplonevra fumosa female: (6) vaginal sclerite; (7) furca; (8) dorsal view of abdominal tergites 8 and 9, epiproct and right circus. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.