Megaselia sidneyae Hartop, Brown & Disney, 2015, new species
Creators: name: Hartop, Emily A.
name: Brown, Brian V.
name: Disney, R. Henry L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Phoridae
Megaselia
Megaselia sidneyae

description: Megaselia sidneyae new species (Figs. 28, 32, 60, 90, 121, 122)
Diagnosis. Male. In the group V key of Borgmeier (1964), M. sidneyae keys to M. divergens Malloch, which in the description (1912) lacks the characteristic femoral sculpturing (Fig. 32) and curved, spinelike left process of the hypandrium (Figs. 90, 121, 122). M. divergens is also a smaller species (1 mm compared to M. sidneyae at> 1 mm measuring only the thorax through tergite 6). Examination of type material was inconclusive; the male and female from Plummers Island, Maryland designated in the original description are both female, and the male from Washington, District of Columbia from 30 September 1912 is not to be found. This leads us to believe that it is possible this species was mistakenly identified from females only, as the “male” from Maryland is clearly female with withdrawn genitalia. Of the material mentioned by Malloch from Williams, Arizona, only three of the four specimens were found. Two are females, and the third needs to be slide mounted but is almost certainly a different species based on the long, heavy setation visible on the tergites (M. sidneyae has short setation throughout, and M. divergens is noted by Borgmeier as having bare tergites). Of the males in the non-type collection material of M. divergens (that can be positively identified as mounted), there are some that clearly belong to M. sidneyae and are listed in additional material examined. These were obviously designated as this species post-description according to mostly venational characteristics. At this time, with no way to assuredly match males and females, we here describe M. sidneyae as a new species, distinct from M. divergens as above, easily recognized by the basal femoral sculpturing and curved, spinelike left hypandrial process.
Description. See Table 7.
Distribution. Los Angeles, California (USA).
Etymology. Named in honor of Sidney Higgins, host of BioSCAN site 23.
Biology. Unknown.
Holotype. ♂, USA: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Eagle Rock, 3–10.V.2014, Keller, Malaise trap (LACM 329831).
Paratypes. 4 ♂, USA: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Elysian Park, 3–10.V.2014, Harding, Malaise trap (LACM 329832, LACM 329833, 2 CUMZ).
Additional Material Examined. USA: CALIFORNIA: El Dorado County: Lake Tahoe, 2 ♂, 8–12.VI.1916 (USNM); Los Angeles County: Exposition Park, University Park, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Leimert Park, Glendale, Elysian Park, Larchmont, Burbank, Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, Pico-Union, Mid-Wilshire, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Mount Washington, 205 ♂, I–V.2014, Malaise traps (LACM, MCZC, USNM); San Mateo County, 2 ♂, 23.VIII.1951 (USNM). NEW MEXICO: Jemez Springs, 2 ♂, 4.VII.1953 (USNM). WASHINGTON DC: 2 ♂, 28–29.I.1912 (USNM).
description: Published as part of Hartop, Emily A., Brown, Brian V. & Disney, R. Henry L., 2015, Opportunity in our Ignorance: Urban Biodiversity Study Reveals 30 New Species and One New Nearctic Record for Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) in Los Angeles (California, USA), pp. 451-484 in Zootaxa 3941 (4) on pages 475-477, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3941.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/242977