Microphorella Becker, 1909

Brooks, Scott E. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2022, New Australasian Parathalassiinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae sensu lato), Zootaxa 5188 (6), pp. 521-543 : 535-536

Microphorella Becker

Microphorella Becker, 1909: 28 .

Type species: Microphorus praecox Loew, 1864 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Australasian Microphorella can be distinguished from other parathalassiines by the following suite of characters: head with face broad (about width of combined antennal bases or wider) ( Fig. 41 ), gena weakly developed to moderately broad, antenna with arista-like stylus not lengthened (about 2X length of postpedicel) ( Figs 40 , 51 ), mouthparts directed ventrally with fleshy labellum, palpus narrowly ovate ( Figs 40, 41 , 51 ), or broadly clavate and flattened; thorax with prosternum fused to proepisternum forming precoxal bridge, scutellum with 1 pair of strong setae near apex; wing with vein M 2 and cell dm present ( Fig. 52 ), vein R 1 reaching costa beyond or (rarely) just before base of M 2, cell cua convex apically, vein CuA + CuP short to absent, anal lobe barely developed; male terminalia with right epandrial lamella lacking ventral process, cerci including hypoproct nearly symmetrical and pointed ( Figs 44–46 , 48 ); female abdomen with apical segments retracted into segment 6, syntergite 9+10 divided and bearing acanthophorous setae or acanthophorous spines, cercus narrowly rounded or pointed apically with or without apical setae.

Remarks. Microphorella as currently recognized, is made up of at least 12 species groups worldwide ( Cumming & Brooks 2019, 2022). Three of these species groups are known from the Australasian Region and are not closely related ( Cumming & Brooks 2019). The three separate groups comprise the M. malaysiana species group with three Southeast Asian species plus M. papuana Shamshev & Grootaert from Irian Jaya, New Guinea ( Shamshev & Grootaert 2004), the M. iota species group, with a single species from eastern Australia, and a separate Australian species group that includes two new species described below. Worldwide the genus is known from various riparian and coastal habitats ( Cumming & Brooks 2019), with the New Guinean M. papuana restricted to coastal beaches and the Australian species collected along creeks and streams.

Figures

FIGURES 39–43. Male holotype of Microphorella bungle sp. nov. (CNC707570). 39. Habitus. 40. Head, oblique view. 41. Head, anterior view. 42. Thorax, dorsal view. 43. Abdomen and terminalia, right lateral view. Abbreviations: ph—phallus; plp—palpus.

FIGURES 49–55. Male holotype of Microphorella viticula sp. nov. 49. Habitus. 50. Head and thorax, dorsal view. 51. Head, lateral view. 52. Wing, ventral view. 53. Abdomen and terminalia, left lateral view. 54. Abdomen and terminalia, dorsal view. 55. Abdomen and terminalia, right lateral view.Abbreviations: dm—discal medial cell; dm-m—discal medial crossvein; M1, M2, M4—medial veins; ph—phallus; plp—palpus; R1, R2+3, R 4+5 —radial veins; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process.

FIGURES 44–46. Hypopygium of Microphorella bungle sp. nov. (CNC707574). 44. Hypopygium, left lateral view. 45. Hypopygium, right lateral view. 46. Cerci and hypoproct, dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; hyprct—hypoproct; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; (R)—right; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 47–48. Hypopygium of Microphorella iota Colless, paratype (ANIC Database No. 29 029402). 47. Hypopygium, left lateral view. 48. Hypopygium, right lateral view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; epand— epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; (L)—left; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.