Megaselia elegantula Borgmeier 1969

Megaselia (Megaselia) elegantula

FEMALE.—Length, with the abdominal segments fully extended, 2.00 mm. Head width, 0.45 mm. Frons as broad as long medially (0.23 mm), slightly narrower anteriorly (0.20 mm), reddish yellow, finely pubescent, with a distinct median line. Lower su rudimental, about one-third in length of the upper which are about one-fourth of anterior frontal width apart. Antials reclinate, slightly divergent, much approximate to upper su, a trifle lower, twice as far from eye-margin than from su, about midway between su and l1 which are slightly above level of su, near eye-margin. Second row nearly straight, preocellars farther from each other than from mediolaterals. Upper postocular well developed; lower postocular strong; no bristle on jowls; cheeks with 2 weak bristles. Third antennal joint of normal size, globose, width 0.09 mm, brownish; arista 0.39 mm, distinctly pubescent. Palpi pale yellow, slender, with short bristles on apical half.

Thorax reddish yellow, pleura pale. Pubescence short, longer behind, Scutellum with 4 bristles of equal length.

Abdomen: venter pale yellow; tergites subequal in length, dark brown, with short hairs on hind margins; 2nd teigite with a group of short hairs laterally, no bristles. Venter with a few hairs on hind margins of sternites 4–7; 7th segment with a narrow elongate tergal plate. Cerci distinct.

Legs pale yellow, hind femur maculated at tip. Foretibia 0.28 mm. Foretarsus slender, 0.39 mm. Midtibia 0.36 mm, hair-seam reaching apical fourth. Hind femur 3 times as long as broad, ventrobasal hairs inconspicuous. Hind tibia 0.48 mm, with a complete dorsal hair-seam and 6 strong posterodorsal setulae, the longest below middle nearly as long as width of tibia.

Wing (Figure 35) grayish yellow, veins brown. Length 1.30 mm, width 0.52 mm. Costa 0.54 of wing length, ratio of segments 19:22:7. Cilia moderately short (0.091 mm), there are about 8 pairs between tip of 1st vein and apex of costa. Mediastinalis distinct. Fork acute. Third vein with a conspicuous bristle at base; 4th starting a little behind fork, distinctly arcuate on basal half, less so on distal half; 5th slightly sinuate; 6th nearly straight; veins 4–7 obsolete at apex. Anal margin convex, the angle not pronounced. Axillary margin with 2 hairs. Halteres dark brown.

Holotype female, on slide (USNM 70249), Dominica, Clarke Hall 1–10 Feb. 1965, light trap (Wirth).