Sphegina (Asiosphegina) trispina sp. n.

Figs 12 A–E

MALE. Body length 9.0 mm, wing length 7.5 mm. Head. Face strongly concave and strongly projected anteroventrally; frontal prominence moderately developed (somewhat similar to Figs 1J, L). Width of vertex at anterior ocellus more than 1/4 [1:3.8] the width of head; the depth of occipital fossa:width of an eye in dorsal view is 1:3.5. Width of face:width of head is 1:3.8. Face black, pale pollinose. Gena shiny black. Frons and vertex dull black, the pile short and erect; lunula shiny brown. Occiput dull black. Antenna dark brown; arista pilose. Thorax. Colour black; postalar callus dark brown; pale pollinose, laterally on pleura semi-shiny; scutum with medial fascia of more dense pollinosity; the pile short and adpressed, reddish; scutellum semicircular [ratio of length:width 1:2.5], the pile pale; a pair of long, thin, black setae at apical margin. Wing. Hyaline, stigma yellowish. Legs. Procoxa and protrochanter yellow; profemur yellow with the subbasal 1/3 brownish; protibia yellow on basal 1/2, brownish on the apical 1/2 with an indistinct paler annulus subapically; protarsus yellow, tarsomeres 4 and 5 brownish; mesoleg brown with the tibia and two basal tarsomeres yellow, brownish apically; metaleg: coxa brownish; trochanter brownish, simple; femur dark brown, a couple of small converging black bristles ventrally on the yellow basal part; with one long seta antero-dorsally near apex; tibia without a distinct apicoventral tooth, brown, the basal 1/6 yellow, with yellow annulus near apical 1/4. Abdomen. Length ratio of tergites I, II, III and IV 1:3.3:2.2:1.3; colour of tergites shiny black, anterior 1/3 of tergite III yellow; pile pale, short and adpressed, becoming longer laterally; tergite I with 2 narrowly separated strong, black setae laterally on apical 1/2 and thin shorter seta anteriorly; sternite IV (Figs 12 A, B) black, pile pale, the strong setae and bristles black; sternite VI (Fig. 12 A) with a conical tubercle, black, the pile long and pale; sternites VII and VIII simple, black, the pile long and pale. Genitalia, Figs 12 C–E. Note the strongly asymmetrical surstyli and superior lobes and the short finger-like process subbasally on the medial side of the dorsal lobe of surstylus. FEMALE. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE. ♂, N.E. Burma, Kambaiti, 7000 ft, 7.vi. 1934, R. Malaise (SMNH).

Etymology. The name is composed of the Latin words tres, three, and spina, thorn, referring to the three strong spine-like setae on the male sternite IV.

Discussion. Sphegina trispina is similar to S. carinata, S. crassispina, S. gigas, S. index and S. malaisei. For further discussion, see under S. gigas.