Leptomorphus guatemalensis Fitzgerald, 2021

Fitzgerald, Scott J., 2021, Two new species of Neotropical Leptomorphus Curtis (Diptera: Mycetophilidae), Zootaxa 4985 (3), pp. 423-431 : 424-427

Leptomorphus guatemalensis Fitzgerald sp. n.

Figs. 1–3

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E8EFC947-0A07-4C07-B9E4-3412E08EEEA1

Type material. Holotype: Male ( Figs. 2–3 ), point-pinned, missing right front leg, terminalia in vial pinned under specimen. White label: “ GUATEMALA: Guatemala, Puerta Parada, 1850 m alt., 24–31 Aug. 2013, Col.: J.C. Schuster,” ( CNCI). Red label: “ HOLOTYPE / Leptomorphus / guatemalensis / Fitzgerald.” Paratypes: same data as HT except: 17–21 Aug. 2013, 1 male ( SFC) ; 24–31 Aug. 2013, 2 males (1 SFC, 1 UVGC) ; 31 Aug.–7 Sept. [no year, but probably 2013], 2 males (1 SFC, 1 USNM) ; 7–14 Sept. 2013, 1 male ( SFC) ; 14–21 Sept. 2013, 2 males ( SFC) ; 21–28 Sept. 2013, 2 males (1 SFC, 1 UVGC) ; Bosques cipres, 29 Sept.–5 Oct. 2013, 1 male ( SFC) ; 12–19 Oct. 2013, 1 male ( SFC) ; Bosque cipres, 19–26 Oct. 2013, 2 males ( SFC) ; 20–27 June 2015, 1 male ( SFC) ; 1840m, 16–23 June 2018, 1 male ( SFC) ; 1840m, 30 June–7 July 2018, 1 male ( SFC) ; 1840m, 7–14 July 2018, 2 males ( SFC) .

Diagnosis. L. guatemalensis sp. n. can be distinguished from other New World Leptomorphus by the combination of the following characters: R 4 absent, male fore tibia with dense row (comb) of short bristles on anteroventral surface, tergite 9 with two pairs of pointed lobes on posterior margin (one pair lateral and the other ventral submedian and separated by a U-shaped indentation), gonocoxite bulbous, crescent-shaped with apex asetose and spatulalike.

Remarks. L. guatemalensis sp. n. will key to couplet 20 ( L. walkeri Curtis ) in Borkent & Wheeler (2012).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Head: Yellow-orange, except area immediately around ocelli dark brown. Head with dark appressed setae posterior to ocelli. Antenna brown except scape, pedicel and tapered base of flagellomere one yellow-orange. Scape slightly projecting anteroapically with tuft of anteroapical setae, pedicel with a few small setae antero- and posteroapically and one stronger seta posteroapically. Flagellomeres barrel-shaped, slightly laterally compressed, flagellomere 6 ca. 2X as long as broad. Clypeus and face cream-colored, clypeus oval, somewhat bulbous with light brown, apically-directed setae. Labellum and palpus yellowish, palps five-segmented. Eye with sparse, short inter-ommatidial setulae scattered on surface. Three ocelli in a straight line, close together at vertex, lateral ocelli larger in diameter. Thorax: Scutum yellowish in ground color, gradually becoming brown on posterior 2/5, anteriorly either with a pair of brown spots along anterior margin or with two thin brown posteriorly converging stripes and a very thin medial stripe. Surface of scutum covered with small brown appressed setae; macrosetae absent except a cluster of one to several setae near cream-colored humeral ridge and several rows of setae laterally. Scutellum yellowish-brown with small dark appressed setae and a pair of slightly stronger setae on apical margin (often only represented by a pair of larger setal sockets). Mediotergite yellowish-brown medially, whitish laterally, with 5–6 stronger setae on posterolateral corners and small appressed setae covering medial area. Laterotergite yellowish-brown with dark small appressed setae anteriorly and larger stronger setae posteriorly; anterior margin of laterotergite not reaching katepisternum. Remaining pleurae cream to yellowish, bare except antepronotum and proepisternum with setae. Legs: Coxae cream-colored, remainder of legs primarily yellowish, gradually becoming brown distally; hind femur yellow with apex tipped in brown, apices of other femora yellow. Mid femur without apical spine-like process. Fore tibia with a row of short closely-spaced setae (comb) along length of anteroventral surface. Tibial spurs brown, 1:2:2. Wing: Length ca. 6.0 mm, (n = 3), largely hyaline, but with faint apical macula covering most of wing tip (often darker anteriorly) and faint cloud over base of Rs/r-m (see Fig. 1 ). R 4 absent, remainder of venation as in Fig. 1 . Macrotrichia in all cells. Setae on basal posterior margin of wing alternating long and short. Halters yellowish. Abdomen: Tergite 1 brown, 2 brown (sometimes with extreme posterolateral corners yellowish), 3–6 anteriorly yellow, posteriorly brown, and 7–8 brown, ( Fig. 1 ). Tergite 8 much broader than long, telescoped within segment 7, asetose. Sternite 8 small, setose, with posterior margin convex, broadly triangular. Terminalia ( Figs. 2–3 ): Yellow. Sternite 9 internal, minute, anterior half of sclerite light brown, nearly transparent and only very lightly sclerotized, with posterolateral corners very slightly drawn out into minute points. Posterior half of sternite 9 transparent, consisting of a pair of rounded lobes extending posteriorly and cradling apex of aedeagus, lobes separated by a median slit-like invagination extending about ½ the total length of the sclerite. Tergite 9 longer than wide with two pairs of pointed lobes on posterior margin; ventrally with a pair of elongate strongly tapered submedian lobes separated by a U-shaped indentation and laterally with a shorter tapered point ( Figs. 2 & 3 , tg evg) which appears acute in ventral view, but is narrowly rounded apically in lateral view. Gonocoxite placed centrally on tergite 9 (considering posterior lobes as part of total length); short, bulbous, crescent-shaped with inner (medial) margin slightly serrate and apex asetose, spatula-like. Gonostylus flattened, blade-like, slightly curved with some setae on the anterior edge; narrow basally, broadest medially, followed by a distinct constriction (easiest to see in posteroventral view) and a more strap-like apical portion with very apex rounded and spatulate. Gonocoxite III a small rounded, digitate, setose lobe just dorsal to base of gonostylus, but not fused to it. Aedeagus, median in position, a pair of long whip-like strands, curving dorsoapically with apex cradled by posterior lobes of sternite 9. Parameres lateral to aedeagus, long, slender, rod-like, apex terminating near gonocoxite III. Cerci fleshy, setose.

Female. As in male, except as follows. Wing ca. 6.0–7.0 mm (n=2). Fore tibia without comb of short setae on anteroventral surface. Cercus yellow.

Distribution. Guatemala.

Figures

FIGURE 1. L. guatemalensis sp. n., male, habitus (left wing removed). Scale bar = ca. 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 2–3. L. guatemalensis sp. n., holotype, male terminalia. 2a. Ventral, (photograph). 2b. Ventral, (line drawing). 3. Dorsal. Scale bar = ca. 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: aed, aedeagus; ce, cercus; gc, gonocoxites; gc III, gonocoxite III; gs, gonostylus; S9, sternite 9; tg evg, tergal evagination; T7, tergite 7; T8, tergite 8; T9, tergite 9.