Melaloncha nigricorpus, BORGMEIER, 1934

Brown, Brian V., 2004, Revision of the subgenus Udamochiras of Melaloncha beekilling flies (Diptera: Phoridae: Metopininae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 140 (1), pp. 1-42 : 32-33

MELALONCHA NIGRICORPUS BORGMEIER ( FIG. 84 )

Melaloncha nigricorpus Borgmeier, 1934: 183–185 , fig. 7, plate 3, fig. 8 (♀); 1959: 176 (♂).

Holotype. ♀, BOLIVIA: La Paz: Mapiri, Sarampioni , 7.iii. 1903, 700 m (examined; Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, Germany).

Recognition. This relatively small species can be recognized by the narrow, curved, laterally flattened ovipositor ( Fig. 84 ) and the black frons. Also, the dorsal interfrontal setae are unusually low on frons. A male specimen mentioned by Borgmeier (1959) is questionably conspecific.

Description. Body length 1.6–2.4 mm. Frons dark brown to black (but most recent, best preserved specimen is black). Setal base of all setae coloured like rest of frons. Mean frontal width 0.34 head width; range 0.33–0.35. Frons with fine reticulate sculpturing, not shiny, punctate, with small, black setulae. Median furrow present. Frontal setae normal; arrangement of frontal setae unmodified, with ventral interfrontal setae near venter of frons. Dorsal interfrontal setae present, 0.8 length of postocellar setae, slightly dorsal to level of dorsal fronto-orbital setae. Palpus unmodified. Ocular and genal setae flattened, yellow. Fore tarsomeres yellowish-brown, relatively narrow. Combined length of fore tarsomeres approximately 0.8 tibial length. Fore tarsomere 1 approximately twice as long as tarsomere 2. Fore tarsomere 5 relatively narrow. Pulvilli of fore leg large. Tarsal claws of all legs small, finely bifurcate at apex. Mid and hind leg yellowish-brown. Mean costal length 0.51 wing length; range 0.47–0.54. Tergite 6 of similar colour to other tergites. Tergites 2–6 lateroventrally black, with silver pollinosity. Venter of abdomen grey. Ovipositor laterally compressed in apical one-half, strongly curved ventrally. In dorsal view, lateral setae of ovipositor minute, sparse. Ventrally, ovipositor with minute, sparse setae. Surface of ovipositor with fine, slightly transverse, striae.

Host. The specimen from Cumbre Alto Beni was attracted to an aggregation of bees of several species, but the most likely host (based on size) was Partamona sp. Also present in large numbers were A. mellifera .

Geographical distribution. Mexico to Bolivia. Barnes (1991) reported a specimen from southern Texas, USA, but this specimen has apparently been lost and I cannot confirm its identity.

Other material examined. BOLIVIA: La Paz: 40 km N Caranavi, Cumbre Alto Beni, 15.83∞S, 67.56∞W, 1♀, 14.iv.2001, B. Brown, G. Kung, honey-sprayed leaves, 1600 m ( LACM) , Mapiri, San Carlos , 1♀, i. 1903, 800 m ( MZSP) . MEXICO: Jalisco: Puerto Vallarta , 1♀, 25.i.1984, G. E. Bohart ( EMUS) . VENEZUELA: Zulia: El Tucuco, 45 km SW Machiques , 1♀, 5–6.vi.1976, A. S. Menke, D. Vincent ( USNM) .

Figures

Figures 76–86. Melaloncha spp., ovipositors. Figs 76–80: dorsal. Figs 81–86: left lateral. Fig. 85 additionally shows details of abdominal segment 6, intersegment 7–8 and stylet.