Microdon papuanum (Mann, 1920):61

Bardistropus was established for a Microdon species, which has a greatly elongate basoflagellomere.

Form very slender; color black with the sides of front, pedicel and basoflagellomere, apex of scutellum, metanotum, broad lateral vitta on first abdominal segment and legs (except tarsi) reddish brown, tarsi yellowish white (from Mann, 1920).

While the description states that the species was based on two female types, these are males (Cheng and Thompson, 2008).

Synonym:

Bardistopus papuanum Mann, 1920: 61.

Microdon (Bardistopus) papuanum Mann, 1920.

Mann, W.M. (1920) Ant guests from Fiji and the British Solomon Islands. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 13, 60-69. [1920.04.27]

From original description (Mann 1969).

MALE.

Head: Frons at vertex more than a third as broad as head, not narrowed toward antennse, subquadrate in shape and barely longer than broad, coarsely and in parts confluently punctate. Ocelli flat, situated on a tubercle which is bordered in front and at sides by a deep groove. Occiput truncate. Face straight in profile, sides with coarse, short, black hairs and yellow pollinose pubescence. Antennse very long; arista twice as long as basal joint; basal joint about six times as long as 2nd joint; terminal joint about seven times as long as the basal, very gradually thickened toward apex, which is rounded.

Thorax: coarsely and irregularly punctate and with abundant, semirecumbent, coarse, black hairs. Scutellum transverse, rounded above, unarmed, anterior posterior borders nearly straight. Metanotum strongly transverse; with a sub-circular, broad, shallow depression at middle, microscopically striolate and without hairs. Wings: hyaline, veins brown. Halteres yellowish white.

Abdomen: Gaster four times as long as broad, rugulose and punctate, moderately densely covered with semirectmibent, silky hairs. First segment margined at sides and elevated in front; second segment transversely impressed in front, the impression deep near sides; third segment as long as the first and second together.

New description:

MALE.

Head: Face concave without tubercle, brown, yellow laterally on eye margins, black pilose; gena narrow, not visible in lateral view; broadly dichoptic; frons brown, black pilose; antenna dark brown, extremely elongate, scape 3 times as long as wide, basoflagellomere more than 11 times as long as wide; occiput brown, black pilose.

Thorax: Scutum and scutellum brown, black pilose; postpronotum pilose; scutellum simple, rather small. Pleuron brown, bare except anterior and posterior anepisternum, anterior anepimeron, katepisternum dorsally and katatergum black pilose; metasternum bare; calypter and plumula brown; halter yellow; spiracular fringes brown. Wing: Wing membrane hyaline, apically microtrichose with broad bare areas basally; veins sc-r and M2 present, vein M1 recessive, vein R4+5 with appendix, cell R1 broadly open. Alula broad, microtrichose. Legs. Femora, tibiae and tarsi broad, especially in the apical extreme; pro- and mesofemora and tibiae brownish yellow, black pilose; pro- and mesotarsi yellow, yellow pilose; metafemur, metatibia and metabasitarsomere brown, black pilose, rest of metatarsi yellow, yellow pilose.

Abdomen: Parallel-sided to oval, with narrowest portion being 2nd tergum with lateral margins subparallel, concave in cross section. Dorsum dark brown, black pilose.

Body length: 6.5 mm.

The species is endemic to the Solomon Islands.