Lonchaea melanesia Macgowan, 2014, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Macgowan, Iain
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Lonchaeidae
Lonchaea
Lonchaea melanesia

description: Lonchaea melanesia sp. nov.
Description. Male: Head. Eyes bare. Frons black, slightly dulled by microsculpture, frontal and interfrontal setulae very short, at most 0.20 length of orbital seta, longer setulae present on anterior margin. Orbital plate shining, bare apart from orbital seta. Lunule, ground colour brown, intensely dusted silver, all of face and parafacials more lightly silver dusted. Antennae entirely black, 1st flagellomere slightly narrowing apically, 2.5x as long as deep. Arista with plumosity at maximum equalling depth of 1st flagellomere. Anterior genal setulae in single row of 6–7 along mouth edge, second basal almost twice as long and strong as the others.
Thorax: Dorsum and sclerites subshining black, dorsum covered in short setulae, Anepisternum with two posterior and two anterodorsal setae. Katepisternum with one strong dorsocentral seta. Scutellum with dorsum slightly dulled by dust, on margin between lateral and apical setae with four very short setulae, none between apical setae. Calypteres pale, with a uniform pale fringe. Wings with a uniform fumose tint, veins brownish, wing length 4,0mm. legs as in L. fiji.
Male terminalia: (Figs. 18–20). Epandrium in lateral view slightly wider than high, narrowing significantly dorsally, with a rounded posterior ventral process covered in setulae. Cerci relatively large with a rounded apex bearing a fringe of long setulae. Inner surface of surstyli partially divided into two lobes each with an obvious posterior projection, outer lobe with a row of setulae along outer margin, these becoming longer, stronger and more numerous anteriorly where they extend out beyond the margin of the epandrium, posterior projection bare. Inner lobe bare on surface but posterior projection with a group of approx 5 strong setulae situated both on margin and on surface. Phallus in lateral view with a relatively stout basal section and a small shield-shaped apical section.
Type material: Holotype ♂. FIJI; Viti Levu, Sigatoka Sand Dunes N. Pk.. Malaise, 14.xii–22.xii.2002, 10m, M. Irwin, P. Schlinger, M. Tokota’a, 177º 30’E, 18 º 10’S.
Paratypes; Viti Levu, one male with same data as holotype. Sigatoka Sand Dunes N. Pk. Malaise, 31.i–12.ii.2003, 44m, M. Irwin, P. Schlinger, M. Tokota’a, 177º28’910’’E, 18 º9’999’’S, 2 males. Taveun i; Cacaudrove Prov., Mt. Koronibuabua, 235m, 5–17.vi.2004, Malaise, Schlinger & Tokata’a, 1 male. Vanua Mbalavu, 23.ix.1924, E.H. Bryan Jnr., 1 male.
Differential diagnosis: Lonchaea melanesia is distinguished primarily by the structure of the genitalia. The phallus has a short shield-shaped apical section and apex of basal section without spicules. The inner surface of the surstyli is almost bare and there are a group of strong setulae on the posterior margin.
description: Published as part of Macgowan, Iain, 2014, The Lonchaeidae of Fiji (Diptera: Schizophora), pp. 537-552 in Zootaxa 3814 (4) on pages 538-539, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3814.4.6, http://zenodo.org/record/229314