Review of the species of Michotamia from China with a description of a new species (Diptera, Asilidae)

Abstract Three species of Michotamia are recorded from China. Of these Michotamia aurata (Fabricius, 1794) was previously reported from Hainan and Taiwan. Michotamia assamensis Joseph & Parui, 1995 is recorded from China and Laos for the first time, and Michotamia yunnanensis sp. n., is described and figured. A key to the known species from China is provided. A new name, Michotamia subnigra, is given to Michotamia nigra Scarbrough & Hill, 2000, which is preoccupied by Michotamia nigra (Meijere, 1911).


Introduction
The species of Michotamia Macquart, 1838 are distinguished from the other Ommatiinae genera by the elongated postpedicel (see Stuckenberg 1999), which is at least 1.5 times longer than the combined length of the scape and pedicel. Of the known 24 species, 22 occur in the Oriental Region (Joseph and Parui 1983, 1984, 1987, 1995Scarbrough and Hill 2000;Grootaert 2003, 2008). The remaining two are from the Afrotropical and the Australasian/Oceanian regions, respectively (Geller-Grimm 2003/2004).The species from China remain poorly known with only one species, M. aurata (Fabricius, 1794), reported from Hainan (Hua 1985) and Taiwan (Joseph and Parui 1998). Here M. assamensis Joseph and Parui is recorded from China and Laos for the first time, and a new species, M. yunnanensis sp. n., is described and figured. A key to the known species of Michotamia from China is included. Types are deposited in Institute of Zoology (IOZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences.
taxonomy Key to the known species of Michotamia (male) from China Diagnosis. Slender, medium [15-20 mm] flies with sparse, short setae on the thorax. Head: Face ventrally with unusually long, stout bristles; proboscis thick, robust with numerous ventral setae, the latter often clustered apically; postpedicel attenuate, as least 1.5 as long as scape and pedicel combined, and at least 1/2 as long as stylus; wide stripe of long, abundant setae present on lower 1/2 of frons; ocellarium with two short, thin setae. Thorax: Mesonotum with dorsocentral bristles either thin or absent; scutellar groove absent. Wing: Mostly or entirely dense microtrichose. Leg: Row of anteroventral bristles absent. Abdomen: Usually clavate. Terminalia: Aedeagus long, often thick, curved dorsally, with apex at or beyond cercus; sternite 8 in females with short V-shaped notch along apical margin apically, a short furrow or fissure, broad X-shaped or U-shaped apodeme internally (Scarbrough 2010;Scarbrough and Tomasovic 2010).
Remarks. The long postpedicel is useful in diagnosing most species of Michotamia. A few undescribed species of Ommatius (Scarbrough, Dikow, & Tomasovic, in manuscript) and O. specious Scarbrough &Hill, 2000 andO. sparsus Scarbrough &Hill, 2000 have an unusually long postpedicel, i.e. ~1.5 times as long as the pedicel and scape combined. In addition, Michotamia has a low flattened mesonotum in which the maximum vertical height is less than 1/2 the length of the mesonotum, absence of stout anteroventral bristles on the hind femur, and a much longer, curved dorsad aedeagus distinguish the species. Further, a V-shaped apical notch medially which ends in a narrow fissure and a stout X-or U-shaped apodeme on the internal surface of sternite 8 distinguish females. In Ommatius, the postpedicel is usually is only as long as the pedicel and/or scape, rarely much longer; the mesonotum is strongly arched with the maximum vertical height being nearly 2/3 the length of the mesonotum; presence of stout anteroventral bristles on the hind femur; and a much shorter aedeagus, never curved dorsad and reaching the level of the cercus distinguish the species. Females lack a V-shaped apical notch medially that terminates in a fissure posteriorly and a stout X-or U-shaped apodeme on the internal surface of sternite 8. Diagnosis. Antennal pedicel brownish yellow, scape and postpedicel black; postpedicel 2.5 times as long as scape and pedicel combined. Fore and mid femora yellowish-orange, black extending from base to near apex dorsally and anteriorly; hind femur wider medially, 5 times longer than diameter, mostly black, basal 1/5 reddishyellow or yellow; epandrium of male genitalia wide with parallel dorsal and ventral margins, apex subtruncate, slightly emarginated, dorsal corner only slightly beyond ventral corner.

Michotamia aurata
Note. Scarbrough and Hill (2000) described Michotamia nigra from Sri Lanka. Unfortunately they failed to note that the binomen M. nigra (Meijere, 1911) had been used earlier for a species from Java. We propose M. subnigra as a replacement name for M. nigra Scarbrough and Hill. Distribution. Sri Lanka.
Legs (Figs 6-7). Largely yellow; coxae black, with dense pale pubescence and strong pale bristles. Fore and mid femora yellow with black tip, hind femur mostly yellow, blackish anterodorsally. Tarsi reddish-brown except basal half of tarsomere 1 brownish-yellow. Legs with most hairs and bristles black. Fore tibia with 1 av, 2 ad and 2 pd bristles, mid tibia with 2 ad; hind tibia with 1 av, 2 ad and 2 pd bristles. Claws black.
Etymology. The species name yunnanensis refers to the Province of Yunnan. Remarks. Michotamia yunnanensis sp. n. is distinguished from M. assamensis by the hyaline wings (Figs 6-7), color of the femora as described in the key, and the com- bined characters of the terminalia, especially the shape of the epandrium (Figs 2-5). In M. assamensis, the fore and mid femora are yellowish-orange ventrally and posteriorly, black dorsally and anteriorly from base to near apex, the hind femur is mostly black with the narrow base yellowish-orange, and the wing is dark brownish-yellow and basal 1/3 of the anal lobe is hyaline Parui 1995, 1998).