Opportunity in our Ignorance: Urban Biodiversity Study Reveals 30 New Species and One New Nearctic Record for Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) in Los Angeles (California, USA)
Author
Hartop, Emily A.
Author
Brown, Brian V.
Author
Disney, R. Henry L.
text
Zootaxa
2015
3941
4
451
484
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3941.4.1
4a423dfe-e6dc-48fc-8149-d17562f026b3
1175-5326
242977
0282A923-893A-45BC-941A-6CDECBE36618
Megaselia steptoeae
new species
(
Figs. 29
,
61
,
91
,
123
)
Diagnosis.
Male. In the group III key of
Borgmeier (1964)
,
M. steptoeae
keys to couplet 13 where it can readily be distinguished from both
M. scopalis
Brues
and
M. renata
Borgmeier.
M. steptoeae
lacks the forceps-like epandrial process and strong anipisternal bristle of
M. scopalis
.
M. steptoeae
is differentiated easily from
M. renata
by the structure of the genitalia. In
M. renata
, the epandrium has a triangular notch near the rear margin and numerous stout bristles near the lower margin of the epandrium;
M. steptoeae
lacks such a notch and has few bristles arranged in a more-or-less vertical row on the epandrium (
Fig. 91
).
Description.
See
Table 7
.
Distribution.
Los Angeles, California (
USA
).
Etymology.
Named in honor of LaChristian Steptoe, host of BioSCAN site 10.
Biology.
Unknown.
Holotype
.
♂,
USA
: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Los Feliz,
4–11.IV.2014
, Louie, Malaise trap (
LACM
329834).
Paratypes
.
4 ♂
,
USA
: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Koreatown,
5–12.IV.2014
, Ralph, Malaise trap (
LACM
329835,
LACM
329836, 2
CUMZ
)
Additional Material Examined.
USA
: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles: Exposition Park, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Leimert Park, Koreatown, Mid-City, Elysian Park, Gardena, Hollywood, Glendale, Larchmont, Carthay, Echo Park, Eagle Rock, Pico-Union, Highland Park,
45 ♂
,
I–V.2014
, Malaise traps (
LACM
,
MCZC
,
USNM
).