Microgephyra elegans Hauser & Irwin 2005, sp. n.
Creators: name: Hauser, Martin
name: Irwin, Michael E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Therevidae
Microgephyra
Microgephyra elegans

description: Microgephyra elegans sp. n.   Figs 1E, 1F, 2E, 2F, 3E, 3F, 4E, 4F, 5E, 5F, 6C, 7C, 8C, 9B  
 Etymology: L. elegans (fine, graceful). Named in reference to its long antennae and delicate body.   
Diagnosis: This species is recognised by its red-orange thorax and extremely long antennae, which can be several times the length of the head in the male (Figs 2E, 2F).  
Description:  
Male.  
 Head: Ocellar tubercle polished greyish-black, with a few short, black setae. Eyes dichoptic, separated by distance greater than width of ocellar tubercle, ommatidia homogeneous (Fig. 1E). Frons cuticle color greyish-black dorsally, lower frons brown, lacking setae or pubescence (Fig. 1E). Parafacial white pubescent, lacking setae. Genal setae sparse, brownish-black. Lower face dense, white pubescent. Antenna four times longer than head, orange-brown. Scape nearly twice as long as wide with short, black setae overall and some longer setae on ventral apical end. Pedicel nearly square with few black setae. First flagellomere 14 times as long as wide, covered with microsetae bent towards apical tip of antenna. Second flagellomere very small, square with stylus (Fig. 2E). Maxillary palp brown, constricted in middle with long, erect setae on basal half, short, appressed, brown setae in apical half. Proboscis as long as head.   
 Thorax: Mesonotal and pleural cuticle orange-brown, polished without any pubescence, except faint silver pubescence on scutellum, metanepisternum and anatergite. Mesonotum with sparse, short, black setae, and two brown vittae laterally enlarged towards humeral callus, disappearing towards scutellum. Katepisternum and katatergum with sparse, black setae. Wing membrane translucent brownish-grey, covered with microtrichia except the baso-apical part of cell cu-p; two dark bands (Fig. 7C). Pterostigma black. Halter dark brown. Coxae and femora light orange brown, hind coxa with small, brown, apical spot. Fore and hind tibia brown, basally orange, mid tibia orange. Tarsi dark brown, hind basitarsus yellowish. Hind coxa with intense silver pubescence. Coxae with two black macrosetae; hind coxa lacking dorso-lateral macroseta but with hair-like, black setae laterally.   
 Abdomen: Cuticle dark brown, contrasting to orange thorax, polished, with sparse, short, black setae. Gonocoxite with two long black macrosetae laterally (Figs 3E, 4E). Inner margin of gonocoxite with atrium-like cavity. Epandrium with corners folded inwards over nearly a third of width of epandrium and with row of setae on this part; subepandrial sclerite with setae only in most apical part (Fig. 4F). Gonostylus elongate and thin, and curved apically (Figs 3E, 3F, 4E). Hypandrium with about 20 black macrosetae.Aedeagus with apical cap broadly bilobed (Figs 5E, 5F). Ejaculatory apodeme not broadened apically (Fig. 5E).   
Body length: 6.3 (5.4–6.4) mm. Wing length: 5.4 (4.7–5.4) mm.  
Female similar to male except as follows:  
 Head: Antenna 2.5 times longer than head, orange-brown (Fig. 2F). First flagellomere 10 times longer than wide, covered with microsetae bent towards apical tip of antenna. Wing membrane generally more infuscate and darker than in males.   
 Abdomen: Sternite 8 dark brown with a row of 10–12 and a row of 10 long, dark brown macrosetae. Furca as in Fig. 6C.   
Body length: 6.5–8.5 mm. Wing length: 5.1–6.5 mm.  
 Holotype (CASC type number: 18070): MADAGASCAR: Toliara Province: Andohaela National Park, Tsimela, [24.937, 46.627], 175 m, in transitional forest, Parcel II, 19–26.iv.2003, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 1ơ, (153174, CASC).   
 Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: Toliara Province: Parc National d’Andohahela, 23.5 km 63 deg ENE Amboasary 7.6 km 99 deg E Hazofotsy, Forêt de Manantalinjo, [24.817, 46.61], 150 m, in spiny forest thicket, 12–16.i.2002, MTr, Fisher, Griswold et al., 1ơ (146490, MEI); Andohaela National Park, Tsimela, Parcelle II, [24.937, 46.627], 175 m, transitional forest, 6–16.i.2003, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 1ơ (166265, MEI); 15–26.ii.2003, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 1ơ (166264, MEI); 26.ii–8.iii.2003, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 1ơ (166267, MNHN); 8–18.iii.2003, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 1ơ (166310, MEI); 28.iii–8.iv.2003, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 3ơ (166276, 166283, 166303, MEI); 28.i–12.ii.2004, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 2ơ (166261, 166301, MEI), 1^ (166274, MNHN); 12–23.ii.2004, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 1^ (166275, MEI); Andohaela National Park, 1 km S Ihazofotsy, [24.831, 46.536], 62 m, in spiny forest, Parcel III, 13–20.v.2003, MTr, RHH, MI, 4ơ (146485, 146486, 146488, 146489, MEI), 1^ (146487, MEI); Andohaela National Park, Tsimela, [24.937, 46.627], 175 m, in transitional forest, Parcel II, 19–26.iv.2003, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 15ơ (153155, NMSA), (153160, USNM), (153156, 153159, 153162, 153170, 153171, 153172, 153180, 153181, 153182, 153183, 153184, 153185, MEI), (153161, BMNH), 3^ (153186, 153187, 153196, MEI); 1–26.iv.2003, MTr, RHH, MI, 1ơ (146504, MEI), 1^ (146503, MEI); 26.iv–3.v.2003, MTr, MI, RHH, 2ơ (153163, 153167, MEI), 7^ (153189, INHS), (153190, NMSA), (153193, ZMUC), (153191, 153192, 153194, 153195, MEI); 31.v.2003, MTr, RHH, MI, 2ơ (153178, MEI), (153179, SMNS), 1^ (153188, MEI); Berenty Special Reserve, [25.007, 46.303], 36 m, in gallery forest, 23–30.xi.2002, MTr, MI, FDP, RHH, 1ơ (166284, MEI); 30.xi–7.xii.2003, MTr, MI, RHH, 1ơ (166280, MEI); 8–15.xi.2002, MTr, RHH, 1ơ (165114, MEI), 1^ (165105, MEI); 16–23.xi.2002, MTr, MI, RHH, 1ơ (165128, MEI), 1^ (165107, MEI); 23–30.xi.2002, MTr, MI, RHH, 1ơ (165102, MEI); 17–26.i.2003, MTr, MI, RHH,ơ (165112, MEI); Andohaela National Park, Tsimela, Parcelle II, [24.937, 46.627], 176 m, 26.i–5.ii.2003, MTr, MI, RHH, 2ơ (165104, INHS), (166406, MEI); 26.xi–2.xii.2003, MTr, MI, RHH, 1ơ (165103, MEI); 11–21.xii.2003, MTr, MI, RHH, 1ơ (166244, MEI).   
Biology: This species has been collected from November to May in Malaise traps in spiny forest and in transitional forest.
description: Published as part of Hauser, Martin & Irwin, Michael E., 2005, The subfamily Xestomyzinae (Diptera: Therevidae) new to Madagascar, with the description of four new species, pp. 181-202 in African Invertebrates 46 on pages 189-191, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7666789