Mythicomyia (Heterhybos) Brethes 1919
Creators: name: Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany
name: Rojas-Portilla, Edilberto
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Mythicomyiidae
Mythicomyia

description: Key to the South American species of Mythicomyia (Heterhybos)
[modified from Hall (1976)].
1 Eyes holoptic.................................................................................... Males
- Eyes dichoptic................................................................................. Females
MALES
1 Knob of halter black, usually white below and at apex.................................................... 2
- Halter knob white or yellowish above and below............................................................ 6
2 Proboscis short, less than height of eye................................................................. 3
- Proboscis longer, either equal to or greater than height of eye.................................................. 4
3 Postpronotal lobe entirely black, posterior margin in some specimens brownish............ M. (H.) collina (Philippi, 1866)
- Postpronotal lobe white or yellow........................................................................ 5
4 Mesonotum entirely dark brown (Fig. 6); legs predominantly whitish, with light brown to brown spots in some of its structures (Fig. 3).......................................................................... M. (H.) bilobata sp. nov.
- Mesonotum with light colored stripe on lateral margin of mesonotum incised above near transverse suture, but not interrupted; legs usually entirely black................................................ M. (H.) hyalinipennis (Brèthes, 1919)
5 Proboscis not longer than height of eye, usually less................................... M. (H.) brachytis Hall, 1976
- Proboscis long, projecting at least twice eye height beyond oral margin....................... M. (H.) problis Hall, 1976
6 Middle tibia straight................................................................................... 7
- Middle tibia curved arcuate on basal half, best seen in lateral view...................... M. (H.) trepta Hall, 1976
7 Length of proboscis from oral margin equal to or greater than height of eye....................................... 9
- Length of proboscis from oral margin less than height of eye................................................... 8
8 Scutellum dull black................................................................ M. (H.) orthis Hall, 1976
- Scutellum whitish yellow..................................................... M. (H.) pusillima Edwards, 1930
9 First abdominal segment narrowly yellow in middle; diadem absent......................... M. (H.) citrina Hall, 1976
- First abdominal segment entirely black, diadem present................................... M. (H.) macra Hall, 1976
FEMALES
1 Legs black, knees at most yellow and occasionally underside of femora narrowly yellow............................. 2
- Legs predominantly yellow, sometimes basal half femora and tips of tarsi blackish................................. 6
2 Proboscis projecting beyond oral margin less tan height of eye............................................ 3
- Proboscis equal to or longer than eye height................................................................ 4
3 Light colored stripe on lateral margin of mesonotum inside above near transverse suture, but not interrupted at transverse suture; legs usually black................................................. M. (H.) hyalinipennis (Brèthes, 1919)
- Lateral pale stripe broadly interrupted at transverse suture; legs black but knees yellow........... M. (H.) orthis Hall, 1976
4 Scutellum black, or black in middle and yellow at sides....................................................... 5
- Scutellum entirely yellow, never with black............................................ M. (H.) citrina Hall, 1976
5 Proboscis equal to eye height or nearly so.......................................... M. (H.) brachytis Hall, 1976
- Length of proboscis at least three times height of eye..................................... M. (H.) macra Hall, 1976
6 Abdominal dorsum black, first segment yellowish white in middle of posterior margin only, rest of abdominal segments narrowly fasciate with yellow-white across their posterior margins or Abdominal dorsum black, tergite I entirely yellow or at least posterior and lateral margins of all segments yellow...................................................... 7
- Abdominal dorsum nearly entirely yellow; only extreme bases of all segments blacks, black color most extensive on two basal segments............................................................. M. (H.) diasema Hall, 1976
7 Proboscis at most equals eye height, usually less............................................................. 8
- Proboscis projecting at least twice eye height, usually more, middle of frons marked with a small black stripe............................................................................................ M. (H.) problis Hall, 1976
8 Abdominal segments narrowly yellow on posterior margins, bases broadly black, not reduced in extent posteriorly.................................................................................... M. (H.) collina (Philippi, 1866)
- Posterior margin of abdominal segments broadly yellow, amount of black color at base reduced posteriorly.............. 9
9 Antenna dark brown (Fig. 15); mesonotum with ground color brownish yellow, with three thick longitudinal bands (Fig. 17)................................................................................. M. (H.) bilobata sp. nov.
- Antenna black; mesonotum black with yellow markings, without longitudinal bands............. M. (H.) trepta Hall, 1976
description: Published as part of Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany & Rojas-Portilla, Edilberto, 2024, First record of Mythicomyia Coquillett, 1983 from Colombia with description of a new species of Mythicomyia (Heterhybos) Brèthes, 1919 (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae: Mythicomyiinae) and an updated key to South American species, pp. 539-550 in Zootaxa 5397 (4) on page 548, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5397.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/10469180