Leucophenga mutabilis

The mutabilis species group

Leucophenga mutabilis species group: Bächli, 1971: 77; Okada, 1989: 803; Fartyal et al., 2005: 407.

Diagnosis (modified from Okada 1989). Palpus brown, sexually dimorphic (large, with 2–4 thin setae in female, slender, with a row of 5–7 setae in male) (Figs 2A, B, 5 A); proclinate orbital seta (Orb 1) close to ocellar triangle (Figs 2A, B, 5 A); cercus with 10 long setae near posterior margin (Figs 5 B, 6–11A).

Description. Eyes red to brownish red. Postocellar setae distinctly thick. Ocellar triangle brown to black, mostly with 2 pair of setae above ocellar setae. Frons narrower than 1/3 width of head, nearly aequilate, with a few minute setulae medially. All orbital setae large; proclinate orbital setae and anterior reclinate orbital setae close together (Fig. 5 A). Arista plumose, with long branches. Face usually brownish to brown; facial carina absent. Clypeus brownish medially, dark brown laterally. Vibrissa prominent; subvibrissal setae small. Gena and postgena narrow. Mesonotum yellowish to yellowish brown. Postpronotal lobe yellow, with 2–4 long setae and a few of shorter setae. Acrostichal setulae in ca. 12–16 irregular rows. Prescutellar setae large. Pleura mostly yellowish and with brown to black patches. Katepisternal with small setae medially, and 2 large ones anteriorly and posteriorly, respectively. Subscutellum somewhat swollen. Wing hyaline, sometimes infuscate, lacking patch. Basal medialcubital crossvein absent. Costal vein between R2+3 and R4+5 distally with 4–8 peg-like spinules on ventral surface; R2+3 slightly curved; R4+5 and M1 nearly parallel distally. Legs yellowish except for dark brown on knees of mid and hindlegs. Abdominal tergites yellow, with variable, black patterns. Male terminalia: Epandrium usually pubescent, with several setae around antero-ventral corner to posterior margin and developed apodeme along anterior margin. Surstylus usually broad and flat, nearly entirely pubescent, with several setae on outer and inner surface. Cercus separated from epandrium, pubescent and setigerous. Hypandrium (gonopod in Bächli et al. 2004) anteriorly fused to aedeagal apodeme, laterally broad, usually with 1 paramedian seta distally. Gonopods (dorsal arch in Bächli et al. 2004) fused with each other, forming slightly triangular plate, antero-ventrally with curved, median rod. Paramere (outer paraphysis in Bächli et al. 2004) contiguous to arm of aedeagal apodeme basally, usually distorted basally, with a few sensilla distally. Aedeagal basal bridges (inner paraphysis in Bächli et al. 2004) contiguous to median rod of gonopods, bifurcated basomedially.

In the following species descriptions, only characters that depart from the above universal characters are provided for brevity.