Milichiella margaretae
Content
Description
Male coloration: Brown black, except for pale joints between femora and tibiae, tibiae and tarsi, and between tarsomeres. Yellow setulae ventrally on distal tip of tibia and first tarsomere of foreleg and on first two tarsomeres of hindleg. Basoflagellomere appears to be reddish in holotype, black in paratype. Tergites 2-5 silvery microtomentose dorsally. Wing hyaline, veins light brown, with a very slightly darker spot at end of R1; calypter with light brown margin; halter black.
Head: Eye 1.9x as high as long, notch in posterior eye margin about 0.1x the length of eye. Very slight emargination below notch. Posterior orbital seta slightly shorter than other 2 orbital setae, 2 long medioclinate frontal setae and a third shorter one anteriorly, next to lunule. Pedicel with long seta, about 2x as long as basoflagellomere. Palpus with short setulae at tip and a few longer setulae ventrally.
Thorax: Three posterior dorsocentral with are progressively shorter anteriorly, 2 prescutellar and 1 elongate acrostichal seta between prescutellar and dorsocentral setae; 1 long and 1 shorter (>0.5x) presutural, and 1 long and 1 shorter (>0.5x) katepisternal setae.
Wing: R4+5 and M1 converging, costal section between R4+5 and M1 0.5-0.6x as long as section between R2+3 and R4+5. Ultimate section of M1 about 1.8-2.0x length of penultimate section. Notch at subcostal break extending about breadth of costa into wing plane. Wing length: ~2.6 mm.
Abdomen: Tergites 2-5 silvery microtomentose dorsally, the silvery area bare except for one row of setulae at the posterior margin, many setae along lateral and posterior margins of silvery area. Sternite 5 with many setulae, progressively getting more numerous posteriorly. Male genitalia with very long and thin surstylus and cercus (Fig. 15).
Body length: ~2.6 mm.A
A. Brake 2006: Diverse Milichiella Giglio-Tos (Diptera: Milichiidae) in Miocene Dominican amber. – Insect Syst. Evol. 37: 17-26
Head: Eye 1.9x as high as long, notch in posterior eye margin about 0.1x the length of eye. Very slight emargination below notch. Posterior orbital seta slightly shorter than other 2 orbital setae, 2 long medioclinate frontal setae and a third shorter one anteriorly, next to lunule. Pedicel with long seta, about 2x as long as basoflagellomere. Palpus with short setulae at tip and a few longer setulae ventrally.
Thorax: Three posterior dorsocentral with are progressively shorter anteriorly, 2 prescutellar and 1 elongate acrostichal seta between prescutellar and dorsocentral setae; 1 long and 1 shorter (>0.5x) presutural, and 1 long and 1 shorter (>0.5x) katepisternal setae.
Wing: R4+5 and M1 converging, costal section between R4+5 and M1 0.5-0.6x as long as section between R2+3 and R4+5. Ultimate section of M1 about 1.8-2.0x length of penultimate section. Notch at subcostal break extending about breadth of costa into wing plane. Wing length: ~2.6 mm.
Abdomen: Tergites 2-5 silvery microtomentose dorsally, the silvery area bare except for one row of setulae at the posterior margin, many setae along lateral and posterior margins of silvery area. Sternite 5 with many setulae, progressively getting more numerous posteriorly. Male genitalia with very long and thin surstylus and cercus (Fig. 15).
Body length: ~2.6 mm.A
Discussion
There are at least two extant species, M. argentea (Fabricius, 1805) from the Australian Region and M. smithi Aldrich, 1931 from the Oriental Region, with a completely silvery abdomen and long surstyli (male genitalia not described for all species) Milichiella smithi differs in having 1 dorsocentral, 1 presutural, and 3 katepisternal setae and a posteriorly silvery microtomentose thorax. Milichiella argentea is very similar to M. margaretae and differs only in 1 presutural and 3 katepisternal setae and the presence of many setae on the dorsal side of the forefemur. Milichiella margaretae n. sp. differs from M. theodori n. sp. in the shape of the male genitalia and thoracic chaetotaxy.B
B. Brake 2006: Diverse Milichiella Giglio-Tos (Diptera: Milichiidae) in Miocene Dominican amber. – Insect Syst. Evol. 37: 17-26