Milichiella mexicana
Milichiella mexicana has been reared from Opuntia (Platyopuntia), Pachycereus schottii, Myrtillocactus, and Cereus giganteus (Cactaceae) and specimens of variety 3 also from Myrtillocactus geometrizans.
Differs from other members of the aethiops-group in the combination of subshiny mesonotum, yellow halter and black legs.
Male coloration and vestiture: frons subshiny black, ocellar triangle and orbital plates slightly brown microtomentose with a shiny spot posteriorly on orbital plate, lunule brown, basoflagellomere black, face greyish microtomentose, palpus black; thorax with mesonotum subshiny (very slightly brown microtomentose), scutellum and pleura slightly brown microtomentose except for shiny spot on an- and katepisternum, wing hyaline, veins brown, brown spot at tip of vein R1 absent, calypter white, halter yellow, legs black; abdomen with T2-4 brown microtomentose except for shiny posterolateral corners, T5 shiny black except for microtomentose anterior margin. Female coloration and vestiture: halter yellow, abdomen with T1-4 brown microtomentose dorsally, T5 shiny.
Morphology. Head: frons with 2 orbital and 2 frontal setae, anterior frontal seta medioreclinate. In males frons 1.6x as wide at posterior margin than at base of antenna, arista about 2.6x as long as basoflagellomere wide, pubescence on arista very short, posterior eye margin without notch, gradually separating from head margin ventrally.
Thorax: 2 dc, 1 prsc, 1 pprn, 1+0.6 prs, 1+0.8 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 (2.0), and ultimate section of vein M1 2.2x as long as penultimate section. Fore femur normal setulose, tibial organ absent.
Male abdomen: posteromedial triangular projection of T1 into T2 weak. Tergal chaetotaxy: T2 anterolateral corner with 2-3 lines of setae, T2-5 setulose. S5 about 1.1x as long as wide, roughly rectangular with posterior margin indented, posterior 2/3 setulose. Male genitalia with apical seta on cercus shorter than longest epandrial seta, 1 seta on subepandrial plate, surstylus as long as epandrium high, dilated posteroapically (1.6x) bent anteriorly, about 3.4x as long as wide, structure of lateral surface smooth, medial surface without setulae.
Special characters: setae on lunule longer than interfrontal setulae.
Body length: 1.9 mm; wing length: 2.0 mm.