Megaselia elenae, Disney, R. H. L., 2013

Disney, R. H. L., 2013, An unusually rich scuttle fly fauna (Diptera, Phoridae) from north of the Arctic Circle in the Kola Peninsula, N. W. Russia, ZooKeys 342, pp. 45-74 : 47-49

Megaselia elenae sp. n. Fig. 1

Diagnosis.

In the key to the males of the species of the British Isles ( Disney, 1989) the males will run to couplet 291. At least six other European species will run to this couplet, two of which have been described since this key. However, it belongs to a subgroup of species within those reviewed by Buck and Disney (2001). This subgroup comprises species with a bare mesopleuron, only two bristles on the notopleuron and in front of these a notopleural cleft. This subgroiup is keyed below and includes this new species.

Etymology.

Named after Elena Zverevra, who asked me to identify the Phoridae obtained in this study.

Description.

Male. Frons brown, clearly broader than long, with 50-60 hairs and dense but very fine microtrichia. Supra-antennal bristles (SAs) with the lower pair clearly shorter and less robust than the upper pair. [Note: the right side of frons lacks its antial bristle but has 2 pre-ocellars. The following positions of these bristles is based on the left side]. The antials slightly lower on frons than upper SAs and anterolaterals, which are about level with the latter, and about midway between upper SAs and AL bristles. Pre-ocellars slightly further apart than either is from a mediolateral bristle, which is about the same level on frons. Cheek with 4 bristles and jowl with two. The subglobose postpedicels brown, each with more than 40 subcutaneous pit sensilla (SPS) vesicles which are about 0.01 mm in diameter. Palps yellow, at most a third as broad as postpedicel but slightly longer than breadth of latter, with 6-7 bristles, the most apical being shorter than a lower SA but the longest subequal to latter, and as many hairs. Labrum yellowish brown and about half as wide as a postpedicel. Labella coloured as palps but with light brown bands on upper sides towards margins and with very few short spinules below. Thorax brown. Two notopleural bristles and a cleft in front of these, which ends just before reaching a c-shaped ridge across its path. Mesopleuron bare. Scutellum with an anterior pair of small hairs and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with small hairs except for clearly longer hairs at rear of T6. Venter brown, and with a few hairs on segments 3-6, those at rear of segment 5 being longer, and those at rear of T6 being clearly the longest. The (damaged) hypopygium is brown, with a pale brown anal tube, which is clearly longer than the length of the dorsal face of the epandrium. Each side of the latter 16-18 hairs, which are longer and stronger anteriorly but are smaller and weaker behind, and with a strong bristles (about 0.13 mm long). The hairs of the proctiger are as long and clearly thicker than hairs of the cerci. The left lobe of the hypandrium is pale grey, about 0.06 mm long, and lacking micritrichia. The right lobe is also pale grey and bare, but is only 0.02 mm long (and only 0.03 mm wide at its base). With 4 rectal papillae. Legs yellowish brown with the hind femora being the darkest and the front legs the more yellowish. Fore tarsus with a posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1-5 and 5 a little longer than 4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about two thirds of its length. Hairs below basal half of hind femur clearly longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half, which are themselves long (Fig. 1). Hind tibia with 10 differentiated posterodorsal hairs and spinules of apical combs simple. Wings 1.4 mm long. Costal index 0.54 Costal ratios 3.1: 2.7: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.13-0.14 mm long. Hair at base of vein 3 as small as costal cilium at base of costa. With 3 axillary bristles, all shorter than costal cilia. Sc not reaching R1. All veins yellowish grey, with thin veins 4-6 being darkest. Membrane lightly tinged grey (just evident to naked eye when viewed against a white background). Haltere knob yellow.

Type material.

Holotype ♂, RUSSIA, Kola Peninsula, near Monchegorsk, in yellow trap, 26. vi– 6.vii.2010, M. Kozlov (UCMZ, 17-89).

Megaselia haraldlundi Disney: YT - 1 female.

Megaselia humeralis (Zetterstedt): BT - 1 male. This species parasitizes the pupae of the leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica ( Chrysomelidae ) (Disney and Zvereva 2008).

Megaselia immodensior Disney: BT - 1 male, 1 female. YT - 1 male. This species is a little variable and the specimens from the Kola Peninsula extend the range of variation a little. For example the costal index of the male is only 0.42, but in the type series it is more than 0.44 ( Buck and Disney 2001). The CI of the female from the Kola Peninsula is 0.45 to 0.46.

Megaselia fallobreviseta Disney: BT - 3 females. YT - 5 males, 2 females. This is sibling species of Megaselia breviseta . The males are almost indistinguishable but the females of the two species are readily distinguished ( Disney 2011b). It has been reared from the caterpillar tents of an ermine moth ( Yponomeuta sp.) in Germany.

Megaselia fuscovariana (Schmitz): BT - 1 male, 1 female. YT - 1 male, 1 female.