Melaloncha cucharella, Gonzalez, Lisa & Brown, Brian V., 2004

Gonzalez, Lisa & Brown, Brian V., 2004, New species and records of Melaloncha (Udamochiras) bee­killing flies (Diptera: Phoridae), Zootaxa 730, pp. 1-14 : 4-6

Melaloncha cucharella new species

Fig. 2

Recognition. This species is easily recognized by the deep, shiny concavity at the dorsal apex of the ovipositor. The somewhat similar M. concavella has a similar concavity, it is not shiny and heavily sclerotized, and other details of the ovipositor differ. In the key of Brown (2004a), this species keys to couplet 38 (once the error in couplet 7 is fixed, see above), where it agrees with M. trua in having a dorsally concave ovipositor. In M. cucharella , however, the ovipositor is much more narrow in dorsal view, and the concavity is much more clearly defined.

Description. Female (male unknown). Body length 2.8 mm. Frontal width 0.23 head width. Frons orange, except for black ocellar triangle; with fine reticulate sculpturing and slightly punctate with small black setulae; median furrow faint but present. Dorsal interfrontal setae absent. Palpus unmodified. Ocular and genal setae flattened, yellow. Foreleg, including relatively narrow foretarsomeres, brownish yellow. Combined length of foretarsomeres approximately 0.70 tibial length. Tarsal claws on all legs finely bifurcate. Mid­ and hind legs brownish yellow. Hind femur without apical darkening. Costa 0.60 wing length. Vein R2+3 absent. Abdominal tergites black, with anterior band of silver pollinosity. Venter of abdomen gray; venter of segment 6 with few setae. Ovipositor in lateral view strongly curved basally, straightening as it reaches apex; base with distinctive dorsal yellowish brown coloration. In dorsal view, basal one­half of ovipositor with fine reticulate sculpturing; fine lateral setae present. Midsection of ovipositor abruptly laterally compressed. Dorsoapical half of ovipositor deeply concave with surrounding lip, inside of concavity shiny and smooth.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Honduras.

Derivation of specific epithet. Based on the Spanish cuchara for spoon, referring to the dorsoapical concavity of the ovipositor.

Holotype. Ψ, HONDURAS: Olancho: Muralla National Park, 1480 m. 15.09°N, 86.73°W, 4–7.vii.2002, D. Yanega, Malaise trap [LACM ENT 114144] (LACM).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Melaloncha (Udamochiras) spp. Ovipositors, dorsal.