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 calatha
new species
Fig. 13
Recognition.
This species is easily separated from others in the
M. sinistra
group by the yellowish body color, the darkcolored halter, and the extremely long setae at the apex of the ovipositor.
Description.
Female (male unknown). Body length
2.4 mm
. Frons yellow, punctate; lateral ocelli with medial black band, ventral ocellus with dorsal black band. Frons 0.39 head width. Medial furrow present, but extremely faint. Ocular setae brown dorsally, yellow laterally and ventrally; genal setae yellow. Flagellomere 1 white basally, light brown apically; arista dark brown. Palpus white; palpal setulae yellow, small. Scutum yellowish brown. Scutellum yellowishbrown, with round anterolateral dark brown spots. Pleuron yellow to white; basalare dark brown. Legs yellow. Forefemur slightly swollen anteriorly along entire length. Combined length of foretarsomeres approximately 0.5 length of foretibia. Foretarsal claws recurved, not greatly enlarged, with large basal lobe.
Costa
0.50 wing length. Halter dark brown. Abdominal tergites yellow, with lateral dark brown maculae. Venter of abdomen yellow. Ovipositor yellow on basal onethird, with apical twothirds dark brown; short, curved dorsally; with long, fine setulae, especially dorsally, and extremely long, thicker setae curving posterodorsally from ventral apex.
Host.
Unknown. The single specimen was attracted to a mixed aggregation of bees.
Geographical distribution.
Bolivia
.
Derivation of specific epithet.
From Latin
calathus
, for a
type
of basket, euphemistically referring to the enclosing structure formed by the long setae at the apex of the ovipositor.
Holotype
.
♀
,
BOLIVIA
:
La Paz
:
40 km
N Caranavi
,
Cumbre Alto
Beni
,
15.83°S
,
67.56°W
,
21.iv.2004
,
E. Zumbado
, honey spray,
1600 m
[
LACM
ENT 194428
] (
CBFC
).