Melaloncha schiaffinoae, 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 : 11-12

Melaloncha schiaffinoae new species

Figs. 8 , 15

Recognition. The ovipositor of this species is most similar to that of M. apicula Brown , from which it differs by lacking the apical expansion of the tip of the ovipositor found in that species. In Brown’s (2004a) key, if it is taken through the second lead of couplet 23, it keys out to couplet 37, with M. sarmientoi , M. altobenia , M. falcata , and M. exigua . Unlike all but A. altobenia , its ovipositor lacks any large, thick ventral setae; unlike A. altobenia , the apex of its ovipositor comes to an extremely narrowed, rounded point.

Description. Female (male unknown). Body length 2.4–2.6 mm. Mean frontal width 0.33 head width; range 0.32–0.35. Frons orange, except ocellar triangle black; with fine reticulate sculpturing and scattered shallow punctures; median furrow absent. Dorsal interfrontal setae present, located slightly ventral to ventral ocellus. Palpus unmodified. Ocular and genal setae yellow, flattened. Foreleg brownish yellow. Foretarsomeres slightly thickened, slightly darker than tibia. Combined length of foretarsomeres 0.70 tibial length. Tarsal claws on all legs bifurcate, on foreleg deeply so. Mid­ and hind leg brownish yellow; hind femur with dark brown macula at apex. Mean costal length 0.54 wing length; range 0.53–0.55. Vein R2+3 absent. Abdominal tergites black with anterior band of silver pollinosity. Venter of abdomen gray; venter of segment 6 with scattered setae. Ovipositor with slight lateral keel, slightly dorsoventrally flattened at apex, evenly curved ventrally in lateral view; apically narrowed to an slightly upturned, rounded point. Short, fine, lateral and ventral setae present on ovipositor.

Host. Unknown. Flies were attracted to an aggregation of T. spinipes and A. mellifera at Iguazu and mixed aggregations of bees at Urugua­í, mostly of A. mellifera and Plebeia sp.

Distribution. Northern Argentina.

Derivation of specific epithet. Named for Karina Schiaffino of the Centro de Investigaciones de Ecologia Subtropical, who graciously hosted us during our field work at Iguazu National Park.

Holotype. Ψ, ARGENTINA: Misiones: Iguazu National Park, 25.68°S, 54.45°W, 5.xii.2003, B. Brown, G. Kung, Syagrus palm flowers, 400 m [LACM ENT 188083] (MACN).

Paratypes. ARGENTINA: Misiones: Iguazu National Park, 25.68°S, 54.45°W, 3Ψ, 4.xii.2003, 1Ψ, 5.xii.2003, 3Ψ, 6.xii.2003, B. Brown, G. Kung, Syagrus palm flowers, 200 m (LACM, MACN), Reserva Vida Silvestre Urugua­í, 25.97°S, 54.11°W, 1Ψ, 17.xii.2003, 2Ψ, 18.xii.2003, 2Ψ, 22.xii.2003, 1Ψ, 27.xii.2003, 1Ψ, 29.xii.2003, L. Gonzalez, G. Kung, honey spray, 200 m (LACM, MACN).

Figures

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

FIGURES 10 – 16. Melaloncha (Udamochiras) spp. Ovipositors, right lateral.