Phalacrotophora nitida, Lengyel, Gábor Dániel, 2011

Lengyel, Gábor Dániel, 2011, A taxonomic discussion of the genus Phalacrotophora Enderlein, 1912 (Diptera: Phoridae), with the description of two new species from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 2913, pp. 38-46 : 41-43

Phalacrotophora nitida sp. n.

( Figs 1 ; 4–7)

Diagnosis. A phorid fly diagnosed by its shiny black frons, long antial setae, the characteristic shape of its anepisternum ( Fig. 1 ), the presence of four scutellar setae, and the well sclerotized ovipositor of characteristic structure ( Fig. 6 ). Body length: 4.5 mm.

Description. Female: Head ( Figs 4–5 ): frons shiny dark brown, longer than wide, its surface bare, median furrow absent. One pair of supraantennal setulae. Antial setae emerge closer to eye margin than to each other. Antials distinctly longer than other setae on frons. Anterolaterals emerge approximately in the midline of the frons, mediolaterals and preocellars arranged along a concave line. Posterolaterals absent. Verticals curved outward, other setae backward. Third antennal segment pale yellow, small, slightly oval. Palps yellowish, each with four dark setae and some weaker setulae ventrally. Thorax: brown. Four setae on scutellum. Anepisternum narrowing posteriorly, characteristic in shape ( Fig. 1 ). Furrow present as a shallow curved groove only. Setae or setulae absent. Legs: dark yellowish, hind femur laterodorsally brownish. Fore coxa enlarged, tibia with two anterodorsal rows of tiny but stout spines (19 at all). Metatarsus of fore leg as long as combined lengths of tarsomere 2+3. Fifth tarssomere longer than fourth. Mid and hind tibiae with an anterodorsal and a posterodorsal rows of setae and with a palisade of setulae between them. Hind femur brownish, metatarsus enlarged. Wing: tinted with brownish. Ten microtrichose setae on axillary ridge. Costal index: 0.39. Halteres yellow. Abdomen: brown, each tergites well developed, no conspicuous sternites except sternite 7 in ovipositor. 7-8 setae emerging laterally on tergite 3. Ovipositor well sclerotized and pointed ( Fig. 6 ). Tergites 6, 7, 8 as well as sternite 7 with strong setae. U-shaped sclerite (tergites 9+10) stout and short. Cerci small.

Male: similar to female, but smaller (body length: 2.5 mm). Frons slightly narrower. Hypopygium as in Fig. 7 , cerci long. Left and right lobes of epandrium each with 6–8 setae.

Etymology. The specific epithet (adjective) is from Latin nitida ‘shining’, ‘bright’, referring to the shiny black frons of the new species.

Affinities. In the key of Borgmeier (1967), P. nitida sp. n. runs to couplet 13, to P. vittipennis Schmitz, 1932 , of which it differs in several characters, most importantly the number of tergites, the number of scutellar setae, and the frontal chaetotaxy. The comparison is based on the original description of P. vittipennis ; the holotype is not present in Schmitz’s collection deposited in the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn (ZFMK) (Netta Dorchin, pers. comm.).

Type material. Holotype (Ƥ) Vietnam: 147 m, N20°15.6’ E105°42.3’, 30 Apr–1 May 2005, leg. A. Kun. Paratypes (2 3): Taiwan, Kaohsiung Hsien, Liukuei, Shan-Ping LTER site, creek valley, Mar 31– Apr 1 2003, leg. L. Papp & M. Földvári.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Anepisternum of different Phalacrotophora species. P. nitida sp. n. (1); P. quadrimaculata (2); Phalacrotophora sp. (3).

FIGURES 6 – 7. Ovipositor (6) and male genitalia (7) of Phalacrotophora nitida sp. n. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 4 – 5. Head of Phalacrotophora nitida sp. n. female frontal (4) and lateral (5) view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.