A Remarkable New Species of Scuttle Fly and First Record of Microselia Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae) from Australia

. A remarkable new species, Microselia lorien , from northern coastal New South Wales, Australia is described and illustrated. This is


Introduction
Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) are a large family of small flies with about 4,444 species that range between 0.4-5 mm in body length (Brown, 2022).They are believed to exhibit the most diverse life histories, unrivalled by any other insect family (Disney, 1994) and yet they are profoundly understudied in Australia.This is true, in part, because no Australian entomologist has ever specialized in the study of Phoridae (Disney, 2003).The few who made this venture were Arthur White (two species); Arthur Mills Lea (one species), and Mary Ellen Fuller and David Joseph Lee (one species), though Fuller may have contributed far more but for her early, tragic death (Evenhuis, 2010).These authors were active prior to the Second World War, over three generations ago.
Consequently, Australia has one of the least described phorid fauna for any major region of the world with a current list of 141 valid species (Australian Faunal Directory, 2022).Such a poor showing when compared to 75 species collected in Buckingham Palace Garden (17 hectares) in England (Disney, 2001).Also, given that in 2010 there were 195 phorid workers worldwide (Evenhuis, 2010), and that this number has increased to 489 (Neal Evenhuis, personal communication), it is almost inconceivable that an Australian dipterist has not taken up the mantel.
Without a doubt, it will be contentious that we author a single species description, based on a single specimen.Should we wait until more material presents itself for a generic revision, or until a long series is available?An unlikely event, given that no other specimen has been found from the thousands of specimens collected over the last six decades.
The Australian phorid fauna is so large that attempts to make a taxonomic contribution can easily be thwarted at the very outset by the enormity of the task.Undaunted, we have chosen to start here by focusing on just one small genus and a single rare species.
In the present paper the genus Microselia Schmitz is reported for the first time from Australia, with the description of one species new to science (Table 1).

Materials and methods
The unique specimen was collected in a Malaise trap, with ethanol as the preserving agent.It was dehydrated in 97% alcohol, then prepared using HMDS (Brown, 1993), and double mounted on a micropin.The specimen was examined using a Leica Microscope.Photographs were taken on a Leica stereo microscope M205 A, stacked in Zerene Stacker v. 1.04, processed in Adobe Photoshop v. 22.3.1 and sharpened in Topaz Labs Sharpen AI v. 3.3.1.
The placement of this specimen in Microselia, and not Epacteon, is based on the third antennal segment being bean-shaped with a dorsal, pre-apical, arista and with the conus of the second antennal segment being inserted into the base of segment in normal way.Epacteon specimens have a pear-shaped third antennal segment, with an apical arista and with the conus of second segment inserted into the side, and not the base, of the third antennal segment.
Most species of Microselia are described from females only.Phoridae genera are often known only from the morphology of specimens of one sex.
High variability of characters for Microselia has been noted in the literature: absence, presence of vein 2 (Disney & Shaw, 1994;Carles-Tolra, 2006); absence, presence of supraantennal bristles and the variable configuration of last tarsal segment of the foreleg (Disney, 1991) which is particularly relevant and morphologically similar to this specimen.
Based on existing definitions of Phoridae genera, and with the understanding that Microselia is closely related to Pseudacteon (Delage et Lauraire, 1971;Disney, 1988Disney, , 1994)), and Epacteon is perhaps a synonym of Microselia (Brian Brown, personal communication), the authors place this species in Microselia as identified by the world key to genera of female Phoridae (Disney, 1994).
Legs.Hind tibia with a single, near dorsal, longitudinal, hair palisade ; absent on mid and fore tibia.Hind tibia with postero-dorsal row of differentiated hairs (Fig. 10); antero-dorsal row of differentiated hairs absent.Mid tibia without bristles in basal half (Fig. 12).All tarsi five segmented.Last tarsal segments on both front and middle legs longer than fourth segments; tapered but not pointed .
Wings.Fully developed.Infuscated.Vein 3 without hairs at base or along upper face.Subcostal vein strongly developed fusing with R 1 .Costa, uniform in thickness.Axillary ridge with two bristles (Fig. 9).Vein 3 (R 2+3 present) forked (Fig. 9).Etymology.The species is named in recognition of the "Lorien" Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area-a natural sanctuary established by Geoff and Thusnelda Williams.The "Lorien" site is the source of thousands of specimens collected over the past six decades and deposited in the Australian Museum.The specific epithet lorien is a noun in apposition to the generic name.

Figure 6 .
Figure 6.Microselia lorien sp.nov., line drawing of anterior view of head showing bristles and antennae.