Paramixogaster conveniens
Creators: name: Reemer, Menno
name: Sankararaman, Hariharakrishnan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Paramixogaster
Paramixogaster conveniens

description: Paramixogaster conveniens (Brunetti, 1923)
Figs 39–45
Microdon conveniens Brunetti, 1923: 311. Holotype ♀: India (NHMUK) [examined]; Knutson et al. 1975: 370.
Paramixogaster conveniens (Brunetti) – Reemer and Ståhls 2013 a: 145.
Studied type specimens.
Holotype of Microdon conveniens Brunetti. India • 1 ♀; Assam; Cameron leg.; NHMUK. Label 1 (round, red-bordered): “ Holotype ”; label 2: “ Assam. ”; label 3: “ Cameron Coll. // 1902-105 ”; label 4: “ M. conveniens // Brun. Type. [female] // det. Brun. 1923 ”.
Diagnosis.
Only female known. Body length: 9.5 mm. This species and P. contracta share a unique character among Microdontinae: a setulose metanepisternum. Within Paramixogaster, both species also stand out because of the complete transverse suture on the mesoscutum. Paramixogaster conveniens differs from P. contracta in the following characters: legs with femora partly black (entirely yellow in P. contracta) and vein M 1 recurrent at acute angle (more or less right angle in P. contracta).
Redescription
(based on holotype). Adult female Body length: 9.5 mm.
Head. Face occupying ~ 1 / 3 of head width in frontal view, with sides more or less parallel below antennae; black; entirely white setulose. Gena widely developed; black; white setulose. Oral margin not notched anteriorly, laterally not produced. Frons and vertex black; yellowish white setulose. Ocellar triangle not elevated. Occiput black; white setulose. Eye bare. Antennal fossa approximately as high as wide. Antenna: scape brown [other segments are missing in type specimen].
Thorax. Mesoscutum shining black, brownish along margins; entirely white setulose. Postpronotum pale brown; bare. Postalar callus pale brown; white setulose. Scutellum shining blackish brown; white setulose. Anepisternum with shallow sulcus separating posterior from anterior part; blackish brown; white setulose, except bare on narrow strip along anterior margin. Anepimeron blackish brown; entirely white setulose. Katepisternum blackish brown; white setulose dorsally; bare ventrally. Katatergite brown; long microtrichose. Anatergite brown; short microtrichose. Calypter and halter brownish yellow.
Wing: hyaline; microtrichose, except bare on cell bc and basal 1 / 3 of cell c, basal 1 / 4 of cell r 1, basal 2 / 3 of cell br, basal 1 / 2 of cell bm, basal 1 / 2 of cell cup, and baso-median 1 / 2 of alula.
Legs: Pale yellow, except hind femur dark brown on basal 3 / 4 and hind tibia with brown ring on apical 1 / 3; yellow to white setulose.
Abdomen. With tergite 2 constricted and tergites 3 and 4 widened; narrowest point at anterior 1 / 4 of tergite 2, widest at posterior margin of tergite 3. Tergites blackish brown, except anterior 1 / 2 of tergite 2 yellow; entirely white setulose, with setulae long and conspicuous on anterior 1 / 4 of tergite 3, anterior 1 / 3 of tergite 4 and on most of tergite 5. Sternites brown, white setulose.
Distribution.
Only known from Assam (India).
description: Published as part of Reemer, Menno & Sankararaman, Hariharakrishnan, 2024, Revision of the Oriental species of the hoverfly genus Paramixogaster Brunetti, 1923 (Diptera, Syrphidae, Microdontinae), pp. 1-48 in ZooKeys 1208 on pages 1-48, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1208.122829