Tasmanian Phoridae (Diptera) and some additional Australasian species
Author
DISNEY, R. H. L.
text
Journal of Natural History
2003
2003-03-31
37
5
505
639
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00222930110096564
journal article
10.1080/00222930110096564
1464-5262
5273495
Megaselia armipectus
Borgmeier, 1967
(figure 11E–F)
Megaselia armipectus
Borgmeier, 1967a: 230
.
This species was described from
two females
from
New South Wales
.
The
procurement of a series of males and females in
Tasmania
, including a pair
in copula
, allows description of the hitherto unknown male.
Most
females run out at couplet 20 on p. 201 of
Borgmeier’s
(1967a) keys, but the few whose costal index is <0.44 run to couplet 6 on p. 205.
Likewise
many males will run to couplet 20 on p. 201, and those with the anterior scutellars relatively short will run to couplet 46 on p. 204; but most males (with CI <0.44) run to couplet 6 on p. 205
.
Male
Frons similar to female, with dense but very fine microsetae. Antennae brown with numerous SPS vesicles that are smaller than sockets of lower
SA
bristles plus an irregular large vesicle near base. Labrum pale dusky yellow, paler than female, and its greatest width at most only 0.66× that of third antennal segment, Labella, as in female, with only a few scattered hairs and spinules below. Thorax as female, with three bristles on notopleuron. Abdominal tergites brown with hairs on rear halves, which are only a little longer at rear of
T6
(figure 11F). Venter greyish brown, with hairs below segments 3–6. Hypopygium mainly brown, with pale yellow but slightly dusky tinged, anal tube, and as figure
11F.
Legs similar to female, but hairs below basal half of hind femur longer, being even more obviously longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half. Wing length
0.8–1.4 mm
. Costal index 0.41–0.45. Costal ratios 3.3–5.1:1.7–2.4:1. Costal cilia
0.05–0.08 mm
long. Otherwise it and haltere as female
.
Female
Dufour’s crop mechanism oval but almost as wide as long and usually with the posteromedian region demarcated as a dorsal lobe. With four rectal papillae.
Material
Seven males,
3 females
,
Tasmania
,
Hobart
,
Battery Point
,
De Witt Street
, garden,
23–31 December 1991
,
1–11 January 1992
(
R
.
H. L. Disney
—25-4, 25-7, 25-34, 25-39)
;
6 males
,
7 females
(including one pair
in copula
),
Mount Field National Park
,
Russell Falls
,
11 January 1992
(
RHLD
—25-8, 25-9)
;
1 male
,
Lake St Clair
, near
Cynthia Bay
,
20 September 1998
(
RHLD
—25-26)
;
5 males
,
10 females
,
Hobart
,
Sandy Bay
,
Acushla Court
, garden,
17–26 September 1998
(
RHLD
—25-22, 25-24, 25-25, 25-27, 25-29, 25-30, 25-32)
.
24 males
,
36 females
,
Fern Tree
,
Grays Road
, 147°15∞E, 42°57∞S (grid ref. 203474),
540 m
altitude,
7–17 August 2000
(
RHLD
— 25-41-44)
.
Natural history
The gut contents (mainly the crop) of some females included pale fungus spores (at most
0.01 mm
in diameter). The female caught
in copula
was gravid, with only three mature eggs (
0.47–0.50 mm
long). In other females there were
seven immature
eggs.