Scatophila contaminata (Stenhammar)

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 : 14

1. Scatophila contaminata (Stenhammar)

Figs. 5–8, 11–13, 30

Ephydra (Ephydra) contaminata Stenhammar 1844: 185 .

Scatophila contaminata .— Becker 1896: 240 [generic combination].— Zatwarnicki 1987: 280–281, 291 [figures of ♂ genitalia].— Zatwarnicki and Mathis 1994: 362 [phylogeny, contaminata group].— Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995: 282 [world catalog].

Scatophila halterata Becker 1896: 245 .— Zatwarnicki 1987: 280 [synonymy].

Diagnosis.—This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Body generally very dark, blackish brown to black; small shore flies, body length 1.10–1.60 mm.

Head: ( Figs. 5–7): Mesofrons anterior of ocellar triangle dark gray; fronto-orbits brownish black; parafrons charcoal to grayish charcoal. Face of ♂ normally protuberant (best seen in lateral view); face mostly brownish black but with some gray microtomentum in antennal grooves and slightly anteriorly; face of female like that of male; gena very short, height slightly more than half height of basal flagellomere; gena-to-eye ratio 0.12.

Thorax ( Figs. 5, 8): Scutum mostly dark brown, subshiny to shiny, with some partially grayish coloration as vitta anteriorly between setal tracks and posteromedially; scutellar disc extensively brownish black; pleural region mostly dark brown, subshiny dorsally, becoming more grayish, microtomentose anteriorly and ventrally; presutural dorsocentral setae lacking. Wing ( Fig. 8), including base, generally brown, infuscate with whitened spots conspicuous; cell r 1 lacking spots; cell r 3 with large rectangular spot medially and a spot subapically; cell r 5 with 3 spots; costal vein ratio 0.34–0.37; M 1 vein ratio 0.57–0.60. Knob of halter blackish. Femora and tibiae black; male midfemur lacking row of spine-like setulae along posteroventral margin; tarsi brownish black.

Abdomen: Tergites uniformly black, shiny. Male terminalia ( Figs. 11–13): Epandrium in posterior view ( Fig. 11) generally oval except for truncate ventral margin, width nearly 0.76 epandrial height, lateral margins shallowly and regularly curved, width of truncate ventral margin about equal to width of cercal opening; dorsal margin of epandrium in posterior view ( Fig. 11) somewhat evenly and shallowly rounded; epandrial setae about equal in length, sparser laterally, more abundant along ventral margin; height of cercal opening about half epandrial height; cerci in posterior view ( Fig. 11) ovate; aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 13) slipper-like, narrowly rounded basally, ventral margin rounded, becoming narrower posteriorly, posterior apex narrowly rounded, dorsal margin moderately and uniformly excavated, cavity nearly equal to width of opening, in ventral view ( Fig. 12) rectangular with rounded corners; ventral aedeagal process lacking; phallapodeme in lateral view ( Fig. 13) elongate, narrow, shallowly curved, with keel subapically to dorsal apex, in ventral view ( Fig. 12) narrow, lacking T-shaped crossbar, broad basally, thereafter tapered to just before posterior apex, posterior apex trifurcate, middle process slightly more robust than lateral processes; postgonite in lateral view ( Fig. 13) generally V-shaped, dorsal arm or extension irregularly rectangular with a posterior, narrowed process at apical ¼, apical process bearing setulae, ventral arm narrow, elongate, nearly straight, in ventral view ( Fig. 12) with posterior processes narrowly rod-like, very slightly tumid apically; neohypandrium in lateral view ( Fig. 13) narrow, nearly straight, rod-like, elongate.

Type Material.—The lectotype male of Ephydra (Ephydra) contaminata Stenhammar , designated herein, is labeled “ E. contaminata St [enhammar]. ♂ a Stenh.[ammar; = by Stenhammar; handwritten]/MZLU-DIPT 000 67432 [“67432” handwritten]/ LECTOTYPE ♂ Ephydra contaminata Stenhammar designated by Zatwarnicki & Mathis” preserved in MZLU.

Other Specimens Examined.— UNITED STATES. ALASKA. Fairbanks North Star: Olnes, on road to Livegood (65°04.4'N, 147°40.6'W), 11 Jul 1948 , S. Lienk (1♀; USNM). Juneau: Douglas Island , Fish Creek (58°19.8'N, 134°35.7'W), 20 Jul 2011 , D. and W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM). Valdez-Cordova ( Census Area ): Gulkana River (19.3 km N Glennallen; 62°16.1'N, 145°23.1'W), 7 Aug 2012 , D. and W. N. Mathis (2♂, 5♀; USNM) .

WASHINGTON. Thurston: Olympia (47°02.3'N, 122°54'W), 9 May 1971, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM) .

Type Locality.— Sweden .

Distribution ( Fig. 30).— Nearctic : United States (Alaska, Washington). Palearctic: Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia (European Territory), Sweden.

Remarks.—This is the first record of this species from the Nearctic Region. As suggested by the species name, this species is placed in the contaminata group. This species is generally very darkly colored, blackish brown to black, and the abdominal tergites are shiny, lacking microtomentum.