Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) reared from fungi in Benin
Author
Disney, R. Henry L.
Author
Kurina, Olavi
Author
Tedersoo, Leho
Author
Cakpo, Yvonne
text
African Invertebrates
2013
2013-08-27
54
2
357
357
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5733/afin.054.0204
journal article
10.5733/afin.054.0204
2305-2562
7918627
Megaselia labiata
Borgmeier, 1967
Megaselia labiata
:
Borgmeier 1967: 420
.
Megaselia termitomyca
Disney, 1989: 46
.
Syn. n.
This species was described from the
Congo
, where it was associated with termites (
Borgmeier 1967
). Having been described after
Beyer’s (1965)
keys, it was included in Borgmeier’s (1968) catalogue. However, many of Beyer’s species were omitted from this catalogue as Beyer declined to send Borgmeier a copy of his 1965 monograph. This was because Beyer had been upset by Borgmeier’s criticisms of his work. Beyer’s monograph only became known to Borgmeier in
March 1969
when it was abstracted by the
Zoological Record
(Borgmeier 1971). Consequently Borgmeier was unable to indicate how
M. labiata
runs down in Beyer’s keys. It was only when RHLD belatedly annotated these 1965 keys to include subsequently described species that it revealed
M. termitomyca
to be a synonym of
M. labiata
. This species is not covered by any key. In
Beyer’s (1965)
keys both sexes run to couplet 19 on page 54. The male runs to lead 2, to
M. nigricauda
Beyer, 1965
, but is immediately distinguished by its enlarged labella of the proboscis (
Borgmeier 1967
: fig. 2). The female of
M. labiata
fits neither option in couplet 19, as the thorax is too pale for lead 2 and the frons too wide for lead 1.
It was previously reared from the stipes of
Termitomyces
sp.
in Zaria,
Nigeria
(
Disney 1989
).
Material examined:
2♂
2♀
(
2♂
) Kpessou, ex
Termitomyces medius
R. Heim & Grassé
(
TU116021
), 30.vi, emerged 10.vii (42-10)
.