Corresponding author: Brian V. Brown (
Academic editor: Torsten Dikow
The phorid fly genus
A new species of
The enormous genus
Amongst the many thousands of phorid flies captured by Malaise traps in the BioSCAN project were a few specimens of “another” white-spotted species. Furthermore, we found large differences in the extent of the white colour on the dorsum of
The description of this species follows the reduced, table-based method we previously established (
See Table
This species differs from all North American
Named in memory of Dr. Patricia Bates Simun and Mr. Richard V. Simun by their daughters, Ann and Mary.
Known only from California, USA (Fig.
The habitats at the sites where this species was collected vary from a willow spring in an interior grassland (Wind Wolves), a sycamore/oak forest near a small creek, a coastal floodplain, an old field near the coast, to an inland urban backyard. Many involve at least some exposed water, but this might be simply a reflection of where we put our Malaise traps.
We thank the site hosts of the BioSCAN project for making this research possible, in this case, Laura Schare. The BioSCAN project was also supported by Ester Chao, the Seaver Foundation and Luis Chiappe (in his role as Senior VP of Research & Collections at the LACM). We also thank Celeste Royer of Rancho El Chorro and Landon Peppel of Wind Wolves Preserve for permission to collect. For technical support, we thank Estella Hernandez and Giar-Ann Kung of the LACM and Daisy Carrillo, Charissa Fisher, Elizabeth Perez and Brooke Wainwright of Wind Wolves Preserve.
Distribution of
Description of
|
|
SA ratio | 0.42-0.68 |
VIF position | normal |
SPS vesicles | present |
Palpal setae length | long |
Labellum spinosity | spinose |
|
|
Anepisternum | bare |
Relative halter colour | lighter |
# NP setae | 2 |
NP cleft | absent |
Scutellar setae | 2+2 |
|
|
ts1 palisade | 1 to 4 |
t2 palisade | 0.65-0.75 |
t3 comb bifurcate | absent |
t3 setulae | PD only |
f3 basal setae | B<AV |
f3 basal setae differentiation | absent |
|
Fig. |
Wing Length (mm) | 1.49-1.88 |
Subcosta | complete (but apically faint) |
R seta | long |
R2+3 | present |
Costal index | 0.36-0.45 |
Costal ratios | 2.83-3.77: 1.44-2.08: 1 |
Costal setae length (mm) | 0.10-0.14 |
Number alular setae | 3 |
Alular setae length (mm) | 0.09-0.14 |
Wing colour | lightly infuscated/ clear |
|
Fig. |
AT length | AT<E |
E setation | hairs + bristles |
General Remarks | Membranous, semi-circular white spot on tergites 5 and 6; abdominal venter with conspicuous plumose setae coming out of sclerotised sockets. |