Scatophila pulchra Sturtevant and Wheeler

Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz & Mathis, Wayne N., 2024, Revision of the Nearctic Species of the Shore-Fly Genus Scatophila Becker (Diptera: Ephydridae), Zootaxa 5487 (1), pp. 1-100 : 91-94

25. Scatophila pulchra Sturtevant and Wheeler

Figs. 71 , 218 , 221–222, 224 , 226–228

Scatophila pulchra Sturtevant and Wheeler 1954: 196 .— Wirth 1965: 758 [ Nearctic catalog].— Zatwarnicki 1987: 294 [checklist].— Zatwarnicki and Mathis 1994: 365 [phylogeny, quadriguttata group].— Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995: 285 [world catalog].

Description.—This species is distinguished from congeners, especially those of the quadriguttata group, by the following combination of characters: Body generally light colored, small to moderately small shore flies, body length 1.70–2.15 mm.

Head ( Figs. 221–222 ): Mesofrons brown. Face yellow to whitish yellow, sometimes lighter laterally. Gena whitish gray; gena-to-eye ratio 0.25–0.31.

Thorax ( Figs. 218 , 224 ): Mesonotum ( Fig. 224 ) mostly brown with some gray coloration; scutellum dark brown laterally and posteriorly, anteromedial area gray. Wing ( Fig. 218 ) cell r 1 lacking spots, or with a single, weak, basal white area, or wings very pale, not appearing spotted; cell r 3 with a large, quadrate white spot, often with a prominent dark center; costal vein ratio 0.25–0,30; M 1 vein ratio 0.80–0.91; knob of halter yellow. Legs generally pale colored, amber to yellow; femora and tibiae yellow; male midfemur lacking row of spine-like setulae along posteroventral margin; tarsi yellow to yellowish orange.

Abdomen ( Figs. 226–228 ): Tergites mostly dark brown, with wedge-like gray areas along lateral margins. Male terminalia ( Figs. 226–228 ): Epandrium in posterior view ( Fig. 226 ) generally irregularly rectangular, width almost 2/3 height, ventral margin somewhat truncate ( Fig. 226 ) with medial, shallow truncate projection, ventral margin distinctly wider than width of cercal opening; dorsal margin of epandrium in posterior view ( Fig. 226 ) broadly and shallowly rounded, almost flat, lateral margins widest at midheight, thereafter somewhat narrowed posterolateral corner; epandrial setulae about equal in length, sparser medially and laterally, those along ventral margin abundant; height of cercal opening about 1/3 epandrial height; cerci in posterior view ( Fig. 226 ) robustly lunate, slightly more narrowed dorsally; aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 228 ) robustly and irregularly rounded basally, forming irregular rectangle, posterior portion broadly truncate, ventral margin nearly straight, dorsal margin deeply excavated basally, cavity becoming sharply narrow, in ventral view ( Fig. 227 ) irregularly rectangular, lateral margins shallowly sinuous, posterior margin narrowly and moderately emarginate with medial, short pointed projection; ventral aedeagal process L-shaped; phallapodeme in lateral view ( Fig. 228 ) elongate, narrow, elbowed, dorsal extension about half length of ventral extension, dorsal extension tapered, ventral extension shallowly sinuous, in ventral view ( Fig. 227 ) Tshaped, width of basal crossbar about half length of medial process, crossbar slightly tapered laterally; postgonite in lateral view ( Fig. 228 ) irregularly V-shaped, with dorsal arm somewhat rectangular, posterodorsal corner produced, thumb-like but with nipple-like process at posterodorsal angle, bearing setulae, ventral arm elongate, parallel-sides shallow curved, in ventral view ( Fig. 227 ) with posterior, thumb-like extensions moderately robust, apices produced laterally, bearing setulae along medial margin and 2 setulae laterally; neohypandrium in lateral view ( Fig. 228 ) narrow, bowl-shaped.

Type Material.—The holotype male of Scatophila pulchra Sturtevant and Wheeler is labeled “Pasadena[,] CALIF[ORNIA][,] Mar 16 1949 [month and day handwritten]/M.R.Wheeler Collectors/ HOLOTYPE Scatophila pulchra Stvt & Whlr [pink]/6680 TYPE [dark pink; number handwritten]. The holotype is double mounted (glued to a paper point), is in good condition, and is deposited in the ANSP (6680).

Other Specimens Examined.— UNITED STATES. ARIZONA. Cochise: Fairbank (31°43.4'N, 110°11.3'W), 13 Jun 1951 , A. H. Sturtevant (1♂; USNM); Portal ( Southwest Research Station ; 31°53’N; 109°12.5'W), 4–8 Jun 1972 , W. W. Wirth (1♂; USNM); Ramsey Canyon (31°26.8'N, 110°18.4'W), 15 Jun 1951 , A. H. Sturtevant (1♂, 4♀; USNM). Graham: Swift Trail (32°43.8'N, 109°42.8'W), 9 Jun 1951 , A. H. Sturtevant (4♂, 1♀; USNM) .

CALIFORNIA. Los Angeles: Pasadena (34°09.4'N, 118°07.9'W), 16 Mar–8 Apr 1949, 1950, A. H. Sturtevant (5♂, 4♀; USNM) . Riverside: Andreas Canyon (33°46.8'N, 116°52.4'W), 12 Nov 1952, A. L. Melander (2♂, 1♀; USNM) ; Palm Canyon (33°35.9'N, 116°28'W), 3 Feb–7 Nov 1934, 1951, A. L. Melander, A. H. Sturtevant (1♂, 2♀; USNM) ; Riverside (33°57.2'N, 117°23.8'W), 3 Feb 1935, A. L. Melander (1♂; USNM) . San Diego: Palm Springs (33°55.2'N, 116°13.1'W), 19 Nov 1943, A. L. Melander (1♀; USNM) ; Palm Springs (6.5 km E; 33°55.2'N, 116°12'W), A. L. Melander (1♀; USNM) . Tulare: Sequoia Park (36°33.8'N, 118°46.4'W), 6 Jun 1935, A. L. Melander (1♂; USNM) .

NEW MEXICO. Catron: Silver City (32°46.4'N, 108°16.5'W; 1790 m), 7 Jun 1951, A. H. Sturtevant (1♀; USNM) .

Type Locality.— United States. California. Los Angeles: Pasadena (34°09.4'N, 118°07.9'W) .

Distribution ( Fig. 71 ).— Nearctic : United States (Arizona, California, New Mexico).

Remarks.—This species is placed in the quadriguttata group where it has been found in the American southwest.

Figures

FIGURE 71. Distribution map of Scatophila mesogramma (Loew) (circles), and S. pulchra Sturtevant & Wheeler (squares) in Nearctic Region.

FIGURES 215–219. Head, thorax, and wing of Scatophila. 215–216. Head of Scatophila picta Sturtevant & Wheeler. 215. Latero-oblique view. 216. Lateral view. 217. Scatophila mystacina sp. nov., head and thorax, dorsal view. 218–219. Wing, dorsal view. 218. S. pulchra Sturtevant & Wheeler. 219. S. rubribrunnea Sturtevant & Wheeler. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 221–225. Head and thorax of Scatophila. 221–222. Head of S. pulchra Sturtevant & Wheeler. 221. Latero-oblique view. 222. Lateral view. 223–225. Head and thorax, dorsal view. 223. Scatophila picta Sturtevant & Wheeler. 224. S. pulchra Sturtevant & Wheeler. 225. S. rubribrunnea Sturtevant & Wheeler. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 226–228. Male terminalia of Scatophila pulchra Sturtevant & Wheeler. 226. Epandrium and cerci, posterior view. 227. Internal male terminalia (gonite, phallapodeme, aedeagus, neohypandrium), ventral view. 228. Same, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.