Alavesia magna Sinclair & Grimaldi 2020, new species
Creators: name: Sinclair, Bradley J.
name: Grimaldi, David A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Atelestidae
Alavesia
Alavesia magna

description: Alavesia magna, new species   Figures 1E, 3B, 5B, 6D–E, 8C–D, 10A, 11B–C, 15A–B  
 DIAGNOSIS: One of two largest species of genus (fig. 15A, B), wing length 3.0 mm; wing linear, long and slender, L/ W 2.97; R 4+5 and M 1+2 entirely parallel; apex of CuA not recurved; postpedicel slender, L/ W 3.45. Male genitalia: surstylus very slender, digitiform, with small dorsal lobe bearing stiff, short seta; postgonites+phallus long, phallus downcurved, minutely feathered at tip.   
 DESCRIPTION: Coloration: Yellowish portions of body: palpus, labellum, much of coxae (also with light brown portions), stem of halter, proximal halves of femora, tergites 6–8; remaining areas light to dark brown (fig. 15A, B). Female paratype slightly darker (preservational artifact?). Wing lightly tinted yellowish on costal half. Male. Head: Scape short, caplike; pedicel short, caplike, with distal ring of setulae. Postpedicel large, lanceolate (fig. 1E), tapered in distal half, L/ W 3.45; stylus of moderate length, 0.45 × L postpedicel, with 2 minute basal articles (fig. 8C, D). Palpus very small; labellum bulbous, with ~7–8 pseudotracheae.   
 Thorax: Macrosetae thickened (fig. 5B); acrostichals very fine, small, in irregular biserial rows; dorsocentral setae slightly larger than acrostichals, gradually longer posteriad, ending in pair of long prescutellar setae (longest setae on thorax). Two postpronotal setae (slightly larger than setulae); 8 notopleural setae of variable lengths, 3 posterior ones longest; 1 postsutural supraalar seta; 1 postalar seta; 2–3 pairs of scutellar setae, apical pair largest, crossed at midlength.   
 Legs (fig. 11B, C): Forecoxa with short, erect setae on anterior surface, longer ones apically. Forefemur with anteroventral row of ~40 small, spinulelike setae; short row of such setae near apices of mid and hind femora. Tibiae with long, apical ventral setae: 1–2–2. Hind tibia with 2 dorsolateral rows of thicker setae, lengths ~0.7 × width of tibia; posterior surface with slight brush of finer setae.   
 Wing: Length 3.0 mm (figs. 3B, 10A). Vein C terminating slightly beyond M 1+2; Sc nearly touching costal margin; R 4+5 entirely parallel to M 1+2, both very straight, crossvein r-m at apical 1/3 of cell dm; apex of M 4 about equidistant between M 1+2 and CuA+CuP; CuA arched; apex of cell cua acute, cell cua longer than cell bm; CuA+CuP virtually straight.   
 Abdomen: Longer than thorax; setae short, no differentiation of posteromarginal setae on tergites or sternites. Segments 1–4 very broad (2 very large), remaining segments much smaller, partially retracted. Terminalia (fig. 6D, E): observable dorsally and laterally. Epandrium complete dorsally, with setulae and marginal fringe of ~8–10 long, fine setae on ventral margin. Surstylus long, slender, digitate, with small dorsal lobe bearing small spinelike seta, apically with minute toothlike apical seta that points inward; mesal surface of surstylus with microtrichia. Postgonites highly integrated, projecting posteriad; phallus abruptly bent ventrad, apex bifid and finely feathered. Female terminalia telescoping; cerci exposed and deflexed downward.   
TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype male AMNH Bu-KL2-7. Paratype, female USNM PAL 726873.  
 ETYMOLOGY: In reference to the body size, being one of the largest of all the Burmese amber species, along with A. longicornuta.
description: Published as part of Sinclair, Bradley J. & Grimaldi, David A., 2020, Cretaceous diversity of the relict genus Alavesia Waters and Arillo (Diptera: Empidoidea: Atelestidae), pp. 1-40 in American Museum Novitates 2020 (3961) on pages 26-28, DOI: 10.1206/3961.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5370399