Metopina Macquart (Diptera: Phoridae) of Israel, with description of a new species, new records and an identification key Author Mostovski, Mike B. text Zootaxa 2016 4111 1 61 68 journal article 39080 10.11646/zootaxa.4111.1.5 d7373320-479b-4261-a6db-b0978b2bef52 1175-5326 271454 9D970A1C-0883-41E5-8640-3D3FDACAC2B9 Metopina kuslitzkyi sp. n. ( Figs 3 , 10 ) LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5D568BC7-901B-4F8E-934E-A311F8 E82512 Etymology. The species is named after Dr Wolf Kuslitzky, whose collecting efforts in Israel have led to this discovery. Description. Female : Body length : 1.4 mm . Colour : Head dark brown, antenna brown, palpus yellow, labrum dark yellow; scutum and scutellum dark brown, pleura, mid and hind coxae brown, fore leg including coxa yellow, mid and hind legs light brown; abdominal tergites dark brown, abdominal venter grey. Head : Frontal setation 4-2- 2-2-2-4 (4 supra-antennals, 2 antials, 2 mediolaterals, 2 preocellars, 2 ocellars, 4 verticals); palpus slender, with 6 bristles and at least 10 hairs. Thorax : Scutellum with anterior pair of hairs and posterior pair of bristles. Wing : Length 1.07–1.09 mm , CI 0.47–0.50, costal section ratio 0.70–0.73:1; membrane lightly tinged brown, particularly along veins; haltere brown. Abdomen : Tergite 2 with short setulae, membranous part of segment 2 bare; segment 3 with setulae on T3 and few on each side of the tergite and on ventral side; segment 4 with setae on T4 and a number of them next to it and on ventral side, but these patches do not fuse; segments 5 and 6 with setae on tergites and on entire membrane. Tergites 2 and 3 subrectangular, tergite 4 broader than long, tergite 5 spear-shaped with vestigial membranous or weakly sclerotized anterior flap ( Fig. 3 ), tergite 10 cuneate with S-shaped anterolateral arms (apodemes). Male : Body length : 1.2 mm . Colour : Like in female, but generally darker; hypopygium dark brown. Head : Chaetotaxy of frons and palpus as in female. Thorax : Same as in female. Wing : Length 0.68–0.76 mm , CI 0.44–0.45, costal section ratio 0.86–0.96:1; membrane and haltere as in female; costa thickened starting at Sc midlength, 2nd thin vein sinuous basally (attached to RS at acute angle), alular lobe not broadened. Legs : Microsculpture on the posterior face of the hind femora with scaly appearance along the ventral edge and irregular (basally) and honeycomb-shaped (distally) cells above several rows of the ‘scales’ ( Fig. 10 ). Abdomen : Membranous part entirely bare with no sclerotization ventrally; tergites 2–5 with 1–2 rows of short hairs along rear edge, with 3–5 hairs medially anteriad of these rows; tergite 6 with 22–25 longer hairs in a broadly triangular patch along posterior margin. Comparison. The female of the new species differs from other Metopina females in having a rudimentary poorly sclerotized or membranous flap of the abdominal tergite 5; other species demonstrate either well-developed flap or complete absence thereof. The male differs from other Metopina males with a bare abdominal venter in having a peculiar ornament on the posterior face of the hind femora; the microsculpture has a scaly appearance along the ventral edge and consists of areas of irregular (basally) and honeycomb-shaped (distally) cells above several rows of the ‘scales’. Type material. Holotype ♀: Israel : Almagor [ 32°55'N 35°36'E ], 10–25.xii.2010 , W. Kuslitzky, Malaise trap. Paratypes : 2♀ same data as holotype , but collected on 16–30.xi.2010 . Other material examined. 3♂ same data as paratypes ; 1♂ same data as holotype , but on 8–28.ii.2011 ; 1♂ Ma'agan Mikha'el [ 32°33'N 34°55'E ], 1–9.iii.2009 , W. Kuslitzky, Malaise trap. Remarks. Taxonomy of Metopina is based primarily on females. There are several species, including M. trochanteralis Schmitz, 1953 from Switzerland , that have been described from males only. Hypothetically, females of M. kuslitzkyi may turn to be missing females of a species previously known in one sex. However, the chance of this is rather slim, and association of males to hand with females of the new species seems correct.