Meiosimyza sp. #3

Meiosimyza nr. [Sapromyza] virescens Group – Macquart (1851) described virescens from a female specimen (currently placed under Sapromyza in the catalogs) – the fly has a greenish-black body, contrasted by an orange head, antennae and legs (excepting the blackish tarsi), and with wings yellowish. The description lacks details of chaetotaxy so genus cannot be confidently assigned to Macquart’s species – the flies below belong in Meiosimyza by mesoscutum dorsocentral bristle pairs numbering 1+3 (i.e. one pair placed anterior of the transverse suture). Sapromyza virescens was not considered by Malloch in his reviews of the Australian Sapromyza fauna (note his characterisation of this genus also included species that would now be considered Minettia or Meiosimyza). We have also recorded similar coloured lauxaniids with Sapromyza chaetotaxy, Sapromyza nr. virescens, and ‘Sapromyza’ metallica with Meiosimyza chaetotaxy (just to confuse things!).