Morellia

Nihei, Silvio Shigueo & Carvalho, Claudio José Barros De, 2009, The Muscini flies of the world (Diptera, Muscidae): identification key and generic diagnoses, Zootaxa 1976, pp. 1-24 : 14

Subgenus Morellia s.s.

Morellia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 405 (as genus). Type species: Morellia agilis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 [= Musca hortorum Fallén, 1817 ].

Diagnosis. Colouration metallic bluish-black to violaceous; wing without maculae, but with maculae in several Neotropical species. Female with proclinate fronto-orbital usually developed; parafrons setulose on upper half; interfrontal seta absent. Postsutural intra-alars 1; intrapostalar present. Prosternum setulose or bare. Katepisternals 1+2. Wing with the basal portion of stem-vein setulose ventrally (bare in basalis -group); R4+5 setulose dorsally and ventrally; M bent forward towards R4+5 ( Fig. 11 ). Lower calypter enlarged posteriorly, extending under base of scutellum. Subcostal sclerite bare. Male mid femur of some species with a dorsal preapical protuberance bearing a dense set of setulae ( Fig. 18 ). Calcar weak or strong.

Comments. The monophyly of Morellia s.s. was not supported by Nihei and de Carvalho (2007a). A comprehensive phylogenetic study of Morellia s.l. is required to clarify the composition of Morellia s.s., as well as its relationship with other subgenera.

Note on basalis -group: This species-group was indicated as monophyletic by Nihei and de Carvalho (2007a) and is composed so far of two Neotropical species, namely, M. basalis (Walker) and M. paulistensis Pamplona & Mendes.

Distribution (50 species). Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oriental and Palaearctic

References. Afrotropical species: Peris (1961), Zielke (1971), Couri et al. (2006); Australasian: Pont (1973); Nearctic: Huckett (1965); Neotropical: Pamplona and Couri (1995), de Carvalho and Couri (2002); Oriental: Emden (1965), Xue and Chao (1998); Palaearctic: Zimin (1951), Hennig (1964a), Peris and Llorente (1963), Zimin and Elberg (1988), Xue and Chao (1998), Gregor et al. (2002), Shinonaga (2003).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 11. 9. Schematic presentation of Muscidae thorax, dorsal view. 10. Thorax (partial), Neomyia cornicina (Fabricius), lateral view. 11. Wing, Morellia podagrica (Loew). Figures 9 – 11 after Nihei and de Carvalho (2007 a).

FIGURES 15 – 18. Apex of mid femur and tibia: 15. Pyrellina distinct (Walker), female, posterior view. 16. Biopyrellia bipuncta, male, posterior view. 17. Morellia (Parapyrellia) maculipennis (Macquart), male, anterior view. 18. Morellia podagrica, male, posterior view. Figures 15 – 18 after Nihei and de Carvalho (2007 a). All figures on same scale.