Microphorella similis sp. nov. from Switzerland, a close relative of the type species, M. praecox (Loew) (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Parathalassiinae)

Microphorella similis Brooks, a new Palaearctic species, is described and illustrated. It is very closely related to M. praecox (Loew, 1864), the type species of the genus. The new species is known from Leuk-Pfynwald in the Swiss Alps, where it was found sympatrically with M. praecox on gravel in the floodplain of the Rhône River in May. A diagnosis and abridged redescription of M. praecox is also provided, including detailed illustrations of the male genitalia. Both M. praecox and the new species share several features in common with the recently described Tunisian species, M. cassari Gatt, 2011.