Silba ramuscula
MALE. Small in size; length about 3 mm. Shining black, with brownish fumose wings,
pale calyptrae and black tarsi. Frons rather dull black; brownish-grey pollinose in anteroventral
views; almost 1.5 times as long as wide; narrowest at middle; sides distinctly inwardly
bowed; orbital plates glossy blue-black; 2 lower pairs of interfrontal hairs longer and stronger
than the others. Lunule face and parafacial lightly greyish pollinose. Lunule with 3 setulae
on each side; orange-brown in colour. Parafacial wich a shiny area at junction with frons.
Bristles of cheek relatively fine; vibrissa-like bristle scarcely stronger than others. Antenna
brownish-black. Third segment distinctly orange-brown at inner base; short for this genus;
scarcely attaining oral margin; about twice as long as wide (50 : 25). Arista pale-brown at
base; plumosity rather short; apices of plumes not bent forward; greatest width of plumosity
about 0.4 that of third antennal segment (1.0 : 2.5).
Meronomm polished on disc; pollen confined to prescutellar area and notopleural deprcaions;
hairs fine, not very densc, and depressed. Scutellum sparsely and uniformly
brownish dusrcd; with 3 lateral and 2 apical setulae in addition to usual 4 bristles. Mesoplcuron
with 2 or 3 anterior and 3 posterior bristles. Anterior setrnopleural bristle much
weaker rhan posterior nne. Prcapical dorsal tibial bristles weak; strongest on mid tibia,
Calypuae sandy-white with slightly darker margins; fringes straw-coloured. Wings with
distinct brown tinge, especially anteriorly; veins brown. blue-black reflections. Epandrium and cercus similar to that of amita McAlpine in side view.
Anterior lobe of surstylus short as in fraterna IClcL41pine; median lohe proiecdng Iess broadly
than in fraterna; posterior lobe with 5 teeth, the posterior one at least twice as large and n111ch
more strongly inwardly-curved than the other?, anterior teeth progressively closer to mid lint.
Aedeagus trifurcate somewhat as in capsicarzmr klcAlpine; main stem (median) long and
slender as in filifera (Bezzi), but reaching only to rniddle of epandrium. Rasolateral prncenes
of aedeagus (below main stem in capsicarum) ]lying abvve main stem, with their apices intersecting
with main stem at apical third of latter; each of these processes with cumerous short
spurs, and at base with an elongate, sprout-like spike; the two proceses together reminiscent
of a stag's antlers.