Boreantrops avignis, Kits, Joel H. & Marshall, Stephen A., 2015

Kits, Joel H. & Marshall, Stephen A., 2015, A revision of Boreantrops Kits & Marshall (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae: Archiborborinae), Zootaxa 3915 (3), pp. 301-355 : 314-316

Boreantrops avignis sp. nov.

( Figs. 10 , 16, 37, 38, 106)

Diagnosis. Separable from other members of the avignis subgroup by the following combination of characters: Occiput mostly yellow to orange. Mesoscutum covered with sparse microtomentum, scutellum entirely covered with microtomentum. Katepisternum mostly shiny. Fore tarsus with distal one or two tarsomeres brown.

Description. Head yellow to orange, occiput with some black to dark brown medially, extent variable but usually not reaching eye margin. Microtomentum on frons at anterior corners, along ventral and anterior margins of gena, thin band on face below lunule and antenna, on prementum, and on occiput. Ocellar bristles just anterior to median ocellus. Subvibrissal bristle and anterior genal bristle about 0.5X length of vibrissa.

Thorax black, microtomentum on mesoscutum and scutellum (somewhat sparse on mesoscutum), lateral surface of postpronotum, on anepisternum along posterior third except ventral corner, on katepisternum outlining a shiny patch behind fore coxa and ventrally, on anepimeron and laterotergite, and metapleuron. Mesoscutum sculptured. Scutellum subtriangular, dorsal surface concave medially ( Fig. 10 ). Halter whitish.

Legs black, trochanters yellow, joints paler. Fore tarsus with 3 basal tarsomeres white, 4th white to pale brown, 5th brown, mid and hind tarsi with 3 basal tarsomeres ivory white, distal 2 pale brown. Mid tibia with one preapical anterodorsal, 4 subapical bristles. Hind tibia with one small ventroapical bristle.

Wing clear, veins yellow to light brown (Fig. 16).

Abdomen with tergites and sternites weakly sclerotized. Syntergite 1+2 with posterolateral corners and a thin band between them strongly sclerotized, tergites 3–4 with a thin posterior band moderately sclerotized. Pleural setae on small discs, about the diameter of spiracles.

Male postabdomen: Sternite 5 narrow, posterior corners strongly flared, posterior margin not notched, with a complete row of setae, anterior apodeme about half as long as external portion ( Fig. 38 ). Surstylus long, paddleshaped. Hypandrial arms with ventral tab-like structures. Pregonite fused with postgonite. Postgonite with lobes not separated, anterior lobe truncate, posterior lobe pointed. Basiphallus with long epiphallus, thin, transparent preepiphallus. Distiphallus with curved spinose dorsal tube, distal tip slightly recurved ( Fig. 37 ).

Female postabdomen: Tergites 6–7 and sternites 6–7 moderately sclerotized. Tergites with 3 posterior strips, sternites with 2 posterior strips. Tergite 8 trapezoidal, shallowly emarginated anteriorly, covered with microtomentum except anterior corners. Epiproct with short anterior arms, microtomentum medially reaching cleft between arms, with 1 pair of setae. Cerci broad. Sclerites of sternite 8 broad posteriorly, slightly narrower and rounded anteriorly, posterior half covered with microtomentum. Hypoproct broad, shallowly emarginated anteriorly. Spermathecae barrel-shaped, about 1.5X longer than wide, invaginated apically, sclerotized duct short.

Type material. Holotype ♂: COSTA RICA: Alajuela: San Gerardo Biol. Stn., 10°52'51"N 85°23'20"W, 590 m, on monkey dung, 15 Aug 2010, J.H. Kits, debu00338379 ( INBC). Paratypes: same data as holotype (14 ♂, 11 ♀, DEBU, INBC); Fca. San Gabriel, 2 km SE Dos Rios, 600 m, 1 May 1990, [no collector] (1 ♀, INBC); Volcán Tenorio, N slope nr. Bijagua Biol. Stn., 700 m, sweeping trail, 18 Jun 2000, S.A. Marshall (1 ♀, DEBU); as above but rain forest, RET over Atta mound, 16–20 Jun 2000 (2 ♂, DEBU). VENEZUELA: Aragua: Henri Pittier Natl. Pk., Maracay-Choroni highway, km 19, 1330 m, creek, 15 Apr 1994, L. Masner (1 ♀, DEBU); Henri Pittier Natl. Pk., Maracay-Choroni highway, km 32, 100 m, forest, 15 Apr 1994, L. Masner (1 ♀, DEBU); Henri Pittier Natl. Pk., Rancho Grande, 1500 m, 3 Sep 1992, L. Masner (2 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU); Henri Pittier Natl. Pk., Rancho Grande Biol. Stn., 1250 m, 1 May 1998, Ashe, Brooks & Hanley (1 ♀, DEBU); Henri Pittier Natl. Pk., Rancho Grande, La Cumbre, 1500 m, cloud forest, FIT, 1–10 Aug 1987, Borden & Peck (1 ♂, DEBU); Henri Pittier Natl. Pk., Rancho Grande, La Toma, 1150 m, 17 Apr 1994, L. Masner (1 ♂, DEBU); Portachuelo Pass, 16 Aug 1967, R.W. Poole (1 ♀, USNM).

Distribution. Known from apparently disjunct localities in northern Costa Rica and the Venezuelan coastal range (Fig. 106).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin avius (remote) + ignis (fire), referring to the remote and disjunct volcanoes comprising part of the species' range.

Comments. Specimens of this species were collected syntopically with B. albipes at San Gerardo Biological Station; see the comments for that species for biological notes.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 14. Boreantrops specimens, head and thorax, dorsal. 9) B. albipes; 10) B. avignis; 11) B. hispidus; 12) B. inbio; 13) B. subemarginatus; 14) B. zacapa. ads: additional setulae.

FIGURES 37 – 42. Boreantrops male terminalia. B. avignis: 37) phallus, postgonite, and phallapodeme, lateral view, 38) sternite 5; B. costaricensis: 39) phallus, postgonite, and phallapodeme, lateral view, 40) sternite 5; B. durango: 41) phallus, postgonite, and phallapodeme, lateral view, 42) sternite 5.