Corresponding author: Shaun L. Winterton (
Academic editor: Torsten Dikow
An unusual new genus (
The stiletto fly subfamily
The nominal genus,
Seven phycine genera are currently known from Egypt and the Middle East (
Adult morphological terminology follows
Specimen images were taken at different focal points using a digital camera and subsequently combined into a serial montage image using Helicon Focus software. All new nomenclatural acts and literature are registered in ZooBank (
Body length: 6.5 mm (female). Antenna longer than head; enlarged bulbous scape with erect strong macrosetae (absent medially); pedicel medio-dorsally inserted on scape; flagellum two-segmented, large paddle-like first flagellomere longer than combined scape and pedicel length, style apical; parafacial without setae; proboscis barely protruding from oral cavity; prosternal depression and mid coxa without setae; metanepisternum without postspiracular setae; hind coxal knob present; costal vein ending just beyond R4; R1 with single row of setulae; M1 and M2 terminating before wing margin; costal margin with scattered setae, not arranged in two rows; cell m3 closed, petiolate to margin; distal tarsomere with pulvilli and claws relatively small, aligned with axis of leg, dorsal seta[e] on distal tarsomere elongate and projecting; sternite 8 rounded, strongly convex, posteriorly emarginate; tergite 10 as paired sclerites, not fused medially; acanthophorite spines greatly reduced in size.
This genus is named in honour of Prof. Dr. Salwa K. Mohammad. Gender is feminine.
It is difficult to identify characters likely to support the phylogenetic placement of
The type specimen is mounted with minuten pin on circular card, with two rectangular labels: Burg 11.7.34 [handwritten, black ink] / Zool. Dep. Collection, Egyptian University, Collector [printed, black ink, all caps] Shafik [handwritten, black ink] (Cairo University Collection (CUC)).
See genus diagnosis.
Body Length= 6.5 mm (female).
The species epithet is derived from the type locality, Burg (meaning tower in Arabic), or more recently Borg El-Arab, and is located within Alexandria, Egypt.
The male of
1 | Wing costal vein ends in radial or medial fields | 2 |
– | Wing costal vein ends at CuA2+A1 | 6 |
2 | Flagellum large and paddle-shaped ( |
|
– | Flagellum turbinate, conical to elongate cylindrical, never paddle-like; costal vein terminating at or beyond R5 | 3 |
3 | Wing costal vein ends at CuA1+M3; male frons wider than ocellar tubercle | |
– | Wing costal vein ends at R5, M1 or M2; male with eyes contiguous | 4 |
4 | Head height greater than length; frons usually with black spot or line medially; costal vein ends at R5; relatively small individuals (< 5.0 mm body length) | |
– | Head height subequal to length; frons usually without medial mark; costal vein ends in medial field; larger individuals, usually greater than 5.0 mm | 5 |
5 | Wing costal vein ending at M2 | |
– | Wing costal vein ending at M1 | |
6 | Flagellum elongate, longer than head | |
– | Flagellum shorter than head | 7 |
7 | Hind coxal knob absent | |
– | Hind coxal knob present | 8 |
8 | Head height greater than length; frons usually with black spot or line medially; body covered with extensive glaucous grey pubescence; prosternum without pile in central depression; wing with discal cell truncated basally; antennal scape not elongate or bulbous; small specimens (body length < 5.0 mm body length) | |
– | Head height subequal to length; frons usually without medial mark; body uniformly black, without extensive grey pubescence; prosternum with pile in central depression; wing with discal cell acute basally; antennal scape elongate, frequently bulbous; larger specimens (body length usually > 5.0 mm) |
Thank you to Donald Webb and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on the draft manuscript. Thank you also to Dr. Neveen S. Gadallah for permission to borrow the type specimen from the Cairo University Collection.