Megaselia variana is one of the very few Megaselia species where a
non expert has a chance to identify it, because of the pattern of
bristles on the posterior face of the tip of tibia 3. On the photo
below from top to bottom: about 4 bifurcated bristles, the
posteroventral bristle, two stronger not bifurcated bristles, and
the ventral spurs.
The ninth segment can easily be pulled out of the abdomen and
separated. Below you see a left and right view. Where the epandrium
(above) overlaps the hypandrium (below), both views are obstructed.
To separate them we insert a blunt pin from the left, press the
dorsal side of the epandrium to the bottom, and lift out the
hypandrium with a second pin (or acute scapel) by starting with
slight movements. We see that the connection between both parts is
very weak and the can easily be separated.
For the epandrium this doesn't yield more information, except the
outlines are a bit clearer and it's easier to see the fine hairs.
But for the hypandrium we can get a 3 dimensional understanding by
the caudal, dorsal, and right views below. On the right view we get
a good glimpse into the internals of the hypandrium
