Lonchaea fangi
Description : Holotype male: Head : Eyes bare. Frons shining black on upper half but relatively heavily dusted
on lower half, only bearing few short frontal setulae and few longer interfrontal setulae on anterior margin
above lunule, very short setulae scattered on the central part of frons. Lunule with two or three setulae on each
side. Orbital plates shining black, without setulae. Antennal flagellomere very long, three and a half times as
long as deep, mainly black but almost entirelly orange basally on the inner and outer surfaces, on inner margin
this orange coloration extending ventrally for just over half length of flagellomere. Arista only microscopically
pubescent. Parafacials lightly silvered as is the face in dorsal view. Anterior genal setulae in a single row
of four along the mouth margin.
Thorax; Disc and sclerites glittering blue-black. Disc covered in short setulae, which are no more than one
quarter length of orbital setae. Anepisternum with four setae anteriorly, central two being the strongest, two
setae posteriorly. Katepisternum with one strong setae, no setulae posterior or ventrally to it. One propleural
and one stigmatical setae, both equally strong. Scutellar margin with eight to nine setulae on each side
between the lateral and apical setae in multiserial rows, these creeping onto the disc in places, no setulae
between apical setae. Squamae pale with pale margins and fringes. Wings clear with yellow brown veins.
Wing length 3.2mm.
Legs; black apart from basal and second tarsomeres of all legs bright yellow, other tarsomeres darkened.
Male terminalia : Figs. 7–8. In ventral view each epandrium rather hemispherical bearing along posterior
margin four very strong setae as well as a few finer setulae. Cerci about half height of epandrium, apically
bearing a number of short setulae. Surstyli extending beyond shell of epandrium posteriorly as a rather blunt,
rounded process, extending slightly ventrally, bearing a few short setulae along ventral margin and having one
relatively large, black inner tooth. Aedeagus with basal portion shaped rather like the figure F, central process
bifurcate at apex, apical part a rather simple angled tube.
Differential diagnosis : This species belongs to the Lonchaea impressifrons group of species established
by McAlpine (1960). This group is composed of a number of very similar small species which have a combination
of yellow tarsomeres, clear wings, pale squamae and a long antennal flagellomere The male terminalia
characteristically have tall rather hooded cerci, rounded epandrium, long aedeagus and surstyli bearing hooks,
projections or spines. This species is distinguished from its near relatives by having only one sharp, black
tooth on the median lobe of the surstyli and by its uniquely shaped aedeagus.