Revision of the untreated taxa of Melaloncha s. s. bee-killing flies (Diptera: Phoridae)
Author
Brown, Brian V.
text
Zootaxa
2006
2006-08-03
1280
1
1
68
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.1280.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.1280.1.1
11755334
5070710
55F01BD6-4319-49C1-AA45-AAF0B27AEF15
Melaloncha hirsuta
new species
Fig. 44
Recognition.
As mentioned in the Recognition of
M. gomezi
, this species is similar, and might be just a variant of the latter. The ovipositor, however, is much broader dorsally, and much more setose, so for now I recognize it as a separate species.
Description.
Female (male unknown). Body length
2.1 mm
. Frons orange, bare of setulae except for few along eye margin; ocellar triangle black. Frons 0.49 head width. Medial furrow absent. Ocular setae black dorsally and ventrally, brown laterally; genal setae black. Flagellomere 1 white basally, mostly yellow; aristomeres 1–2 yellow, 3 brown. Palpus white; palpal setae black. Scutum yellowishbrown with posterolateral dark brown spot. Scutellum yellow, with anterolateral dark round spot. Pleuron yellowishbrown except basalare black. Legs yellowishbrown. Combined length of foretarsomeres 0.87 length of foretibia. Foretarsal claws recurved, with large basal lobe.
Costa
0.52 wing length. Halter yellow. Abdominal tergites anteriorly yellow, posteriorly black. Venter of abdomen yellow. Ovipositor yellow at base, mostly dark brown to black; relatively straight (with only slight dorsal bend at basal onethird), laterally and dorsally flattened; slightly differentiated into narrow dorsal and larger ventral lobe; with long setae concentrated near apex; setae densest dorsally, ventrally and especially laterally.
Host.
Scaptotrigona limae
Brèthes.
Geographical distribution.
Colombia
.
FIGURES 43–53.
Melaloncha
spp.
, female, ovipositor, left lateral (except Figs. 52 and 53, bottom). Figs. 45 and 52 showing intersegmental membrane and sclerite of intersegment 7–8.
Derivation of specific epithet.
Latin
hirsutus
for hairy, referring to the dense setae at the apex of the ovipositor.
Holotype
.
COLOMBIA
:
Cundinamarca
:
Arbalaez
,
4.27°N
,
74.41°W
,
7.x.2000
,
V. Gonzalez
,
1500 m
, nest entrance
Scaptotrigona limae
[
LACM
ENT 120268
] (
UNCB
).