Melaloncha colossia Enderlein
Creators: name: Brown, Brian V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2004
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Phoridae
Melaloncha
Melaloncha colossia

description: M. COLOSSIA -SUBGROUP   
 Diagnosis. Frons with deeply impressed, broad median furrow. Dorsal interfrontal setae absent. Fore tarsal claws deeply bifurcate.   
 Included species. I tentatively assign to this subgroup M. trua sp. nov. and the species of the M. colossia - series (below). The ovipositor of M. trua is extremely unusual within the subgenus, and its relationships are difficult to interpret. It is one of the few species sharing the M. colossia -subgroup characters, however.   
 MELALONCHA TRUA SP. NOV.   
(FIGS 12–14, 35, 39)  
 Recognition. This species has an extremely distinctive ovipositor, which is dorsoventrally flattened and dorsally concave (Figs 35, 39).   
 Description. Body length 3.2–3.4 mm. Frons orange, except vertex and ocellar region, which are black. Setal base of all setae coloured like rest of frons. Mean frontal width 0.28 head width; range 0.26–0.3. Frons with fine reticulate sculpturing, slightly shiny, slightly punctate (punctures shallow, nearly invisi-   
Melaloncha Melaloncha Melaloncha Melaloncha flavilata n. sp. trua n. sp. rhampha n. sp. valeria n. sp. 34 35 36 37  
38 Melaloncha flavilata n. sp.  
39 Melaloncha trua n. sp. ble), with extremely small dark setulae. Median furrow present. Frontal setae normal; arrangement of frontal setae unmodified, with ventral interfrontal setae near venter of frons. Dorsal interfrontal setae absent. Palpus unmodified. Ocular and genal setae flattened, yellow. Fore tarsomeres yellowish-brown, slightly expanded. Combined length of fore tarsomeres approximately 0.8 tibial length. Fore tarsomere 1 approximately twice as long as tarsomere 2. Fore tarsomere 5 expanded. Pulvilli of fore leg large. Tarsal claws of all legs enlarged, deeply bifurcate. Mid and hind leg yellowish-brown, with tarsomeres 4–5 and apex of tarsomere 3 of mid leg dark brown dorsally. Mean costal length 0.58 wing length; range 0.57–0.58. Tergite 6 of similar colour to other tergites. Tergites 2–6 lateroventrally black, with silver pollinosity. Venter of abdomen grey. Ovipositor elongate, dorsoventrally flattened at apex, apically expanded and concave, relatively straight. In dorsal view, lateral setae of ovipositor minute, sparse. Ventrally, ovipositor with minute, sparse setae. Surface of ovipositor with fine longitudinal striae. Intersegment 7–8 apically truncate, with expanded lateral apices (Fig. 12).  
 Geographical distribution. Costa Rica.   
 Etymology. Latin noun for stirring spoon, referring to the shape of the ovipositor.   
 Holotype. ♀, COSTA RICA: Alajuela: 20 km S Upala, 30.x.1990, F. D. Parker [Malaise trap] [LACM ENT 020606] (LACM).   
 Paratypes. COSTA RICA: Alajuela: 20 km S Upala, 1♀, 16.x.1990, 2♀, 30.xii.1990, 1♀, 6.i.1991, 1♀, 22.i.1991, 1♀, 31.i.1991, 1♀, 21–31.viii.1991, F. D. Parker [Malaise trap] (EMUS, LACM); Guanacaste: 9 km S Santa Cecilia, Estación Pitilla, iii.1990, P.Rios, C.Moraga, R. Blanco, 700 m, 330200–380200 (INBC).
description: Published as part of Brown, Brian V., 2004, Revision of the subgenus Udamochiras of Melaloncha beekilling flies (Diptera: Phoridae: Metopininae), pp. 1-42 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 140 (1) on pages 14-16, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00086.x, http://zenodo.org/record/5439603