Megaselia confusus, DISNEY & WINQVIST, 2018

DISNEY, R. Henry L. & WINQVIST, Kaj, 2018, New records including new species of Megaselia Rondani and Triphleba Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae) from Finland, Fragmenta Faunistica 61 (1), pp. 11-33 : 12-14

Megaselia confusus n. sp.

( Figs 1–8 )

Diagnosis. (Male). In the keys to British species ( Disney 1989) it runs to couplet 133, where neither lead fits. The subsequently described M. solii Disney runs to this couplet and is similar, but its hypopygium differs and it has shorter costal cilia and outermost axillary bristles, a longer hair palisade on the mid tibia and half as many differentiated posterodorsal hairs on the hind tibia. In Schmitz & Delage’s (1974) keys to Abteiling V it runs to couplet 29, where neither lead fits.

Male. Frons as Fig. 1 and with very dense but very fine microtrichia. Cheek with 2 bristles and jowl with 2 that are a little longer and more robust. The subglobose postpedicels brown, with many pale spots, but without SPS vesicles. Palps and proboscis as Fig. 2 . Thorax brown. Three notopleural bristles and mesopleuron with 5–8 hairs ( Fig. 3 ). Scutellum with an anterior pair of hairs and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with moderate hairs that are only a little longer at rear of T6. Venter brown, and with hairs on segments 3–6. Hypopygium as Figs 4–5 , the lobe of the right side of the hypandrium being vestigial. Fore tarsus with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–4 and as Fig. 6 . Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends only about 0.4 times its length its length ( Fig. 7 ). Hairs below basal half of hind femur shorter than those of anteroventral row of outer half ( Fig. 8 ). Hind tibia with about two dozen differentiated posterodorsal hairs, without anterodorsals, and spinules of apical combs simple. Wings 1.34 mm long. Costal index 0.35. Costal ratios 6.3–6.4: 1.8: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.14 mm long. No hair at base of vein 3. With 2 unequal axillary bristles, the outer being 0.12 mm long. Sc not reaching R1. Thick veins brownish gray, veins 4–6 gray and 7 very pale. Membrane lightly tinged gray (not evident to naked eye when viewed against a white background). Haltere brown.

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d. Holotype male, Finland, Ab : Turku , Satava, Samppa, 67020.32310, roadside, 24 Jun 2016, K. Winqvist leg. ( UCMZ, 39-83).

Etymolo gy. Named M. confusus because at low magnifications it can be readily confused with several other species.

Figures

Figs 1–8. Megaselia confuses n. sp. male: 1 – frons; 2 – palps and proboscis; 3 – right thoracic pleura; 4 – left face of hyopopygium; 5 – right face of hypopygium; 6 – front tarsus; 7 – mid tibia; 8 – hind femur.