Milichiella zaiziksensis
Milichiella zaiziksensis has been collected in an Arnauld Flight Trap, on yucca (Agavaceae), and flying in small swarms in sun, mating. Specimens of the variety were collected on cotton (Malvaceae).
Differs from congeners in the combination of shiny black mesonotum and scutellum, yellow halter, hyaline wings, medium or long proboscis and protruding face, male abdomen with T2-5 silvery microtomentose, except for shiny tip of T5.
Male coloration and vestiture: frons subshiny black, ocellar triangle and upper orbital plates shiny black, lunule dark brown, basoflagellomere black, sometimes basomedially reddish, face brown microtomentose, palpus black; thorax with mesonotum shiny black, scutellum shiny, pleura slightly brown microtomentose, wing hyaline, veins light brown, brown spot at tip of vein R1 absent, calypter white, margin yellow, halter yellow, legs black except for yellowish mid and hind basitarsus (var.: all basitarsi yellowish); abdomen with T2-5 silvery microtomentose, except for shiny tip of T5. Female coloration and vestiture: halter yellow, abdomen with T1-4 brown microtomentose, T5 shiny.
Morphology. Head: frons with 2 orbital and 2 frontal setae, anterior frontal seta slightly medioreclinate. In males frons 2.1x as wide at posterior margin than at base of antenna, arista about 3.6x as long as basoflagellomere wide, pubescence on arista very short, posterior eye margin with narrow notch (3oc) and emargination (1-2oc).
Thorax: 2 dc, 1 prsc, 1 pprn, 1 prs, 2 keps setae, posterior prsc less than 0.8x as long as posterior dc, seta between posterior prsc and posterior dc absent. Wing with vein R4+5 and M1 converging (2.6), and ultimate section of vein M1 2.7x as long as penultimate section. Fore femur slightly stronger setulose, tibial organ absent.
Male abdomen: posteromedial triangular projection of T1 into T2 present. Tergal chaetotaxy: T2 anterolateral corner with single line of setae, T2-4 posterior margin with 1 row of setulae. S5 1.4x as long as wide, 2.0x as long and 1.7x as wide as S4, posterior margin indented, setulose on posterior 3/4, even more so near posterior margin, setae at posterior margin thinner than other setae. Male genitalia with long seta on cercus, 1 seta on subepandrial plate, surstylus 0.5x as long as epandrium high, dilated apically (1.4x), very broad, structure of lateral surface medium size honeycomb-like, medial surface without setulae.
Special characters: labella 1.0-1.4x as long as palpus and up to same length as vertical eye diameter, face protruding.
Body length: 2.5-2.6 mm; wing length: 1.9-2.3 mm.