Megophthalmidia mckibbeni, Kerr, Peter H., 2014

Kerr, Peter H., 2014, The Megophthalmidia (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) of North America including eight new species, ZooKeys 386, pp. 29-83 : 41-45

Megophthalmidia mckibbeni sp. n. Figs 31-40

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, "USA: CA: Amador Co.: Indian Grinding Rock St. Pk., dry wash nr. S. Nature trail, MT#2, 38°25' N, 120°38' W ', 715masl, 10-29.vi.2007 P. Kerr & M. Hauser 07LOT315" / "HOLOTYPE 12K727, Megophthalmidia mckibbeni ♂, Kerr, 2014" [red label]. Deposited in CSCA, mounted on gray point, complete specimen (Fig. 31). Locality as in Fig. 104.

Paratypes (all bearing blue paratype labels): 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, same locality as holotype [CSCA 2 ♀♀ including # 07Z047 (Fig. 31); LACM (♂, ♀); SBNM (♀)]; ♂, "USA: CA: Alpine Co.; Grover Hot Springs St. Pk., nr. Hoffman house, 38°41.997'N, 119°50.805'W; 1800masl, 8-22.vi.2006 PH Kerr & SL Winterton, MT#8 06LOT348" [CSCA]; ♂, "USA: CA: Amador Co.: Indian Grinding Rock SP, near campsites in gully, MT#1, 38°25.3' N, 120° 38.7 W, 715masl, 24. v– 10.vi.2007 P. Kerr & P. Raggio, 07LOT095" [SBNM]; ♂, ♀, "USA: CA: Amador Co.: Indian Grinding Rock St. Pk., dry wash nr. S.Nature trail, MT#2, 38°25' N, 120°38' W ', 715masl, 24. v– 10.vi.2007 P. Kerr & M. Hauser 07LOT096" [UAIC]; ♂, 3 ♀♀, "USA: CA: Amador Co.: Indian Grinding Rock St. Pk., dry wash nr. S.Nature trail, MT#2, 38.4216°N,-120.645°W 715masl, 15. v– 18.vi.2008 P. Kerr CSCA08L596" [CSCA; ♂ with specimen # 13M404]; ♂, "USA: CA: Calaveras Co., Calaveras Big TreesSP, South Grove old fire rd., 38°14.9'N, 120°15.45'W ~1400masl, 8-26.vii.2005, A.R. Cline & S.D. Gaimari, 06LOT289" [CSCA]; ♂, "USA: CA: Sonoma Co., Annadel SP, 0.9mi from park lot, Richardson trail, 38°26.11'N, 122°36.67'W 220masl, 6m MT, 3-26.iv.2007 P. Kerr & S. Blank, 07LOT029", [Locality Fig. 103; CSCA; specimen #13M281]; ♂, "USA: CA: Sonoma Co., Annadel SP, 0.9mi from park lot, Richardson trail, 38°26.11'N, 122°36.67'W 220masl, 6m MT#3, 17. v– 7.vi.2007 P. Kerr & S. Blank 07LOT196" [CSCA]; ♂, "USA: CA: Tulare Co.: Whitaker Forest, E. Eshom Crk. Drainage, nr. tree#142, 36.7062N,-118.9319W, 1650masl, MT, 16. vii– 12.viii.2010 P.H. Kerr CSCA10L286" [CSCA; specimen # 12J954, dissected (Figs 32-40)].

Additional material examined: CALIFORNIA: 6 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, same locality as holotype [CSCA, 3♂♂, ♀; SBNM, ♂, ♀; SBNM, ♂, ♀; UAIC, ♂, ♀]; ♂, "USA: CA: Alpine Co.; Grover Hot Springs St. Pk., nr. Hoffman house, 38°41.997'N, 119°50.805'W; 1800masl, 8-22.vi.2006 PH Kerr & SL Winterton, MT#8 06LOT348" [CSCA; specimen #12J962]; 12 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, "USA: CA: Amador Co.: Indian Grinding Rock St. Pk., dry wash nr. S.Nature trail, MT#2, 38°25' N, 120°38' W ', 715masl, 24. v– 10.vi.2007 P. Kerr & M. Hauser 07LOT096" [CSCA, 11 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; SBNM, ♂, ♀; UAIC, ♂, ♀; Locality Fig. 104]; 23 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, "USA: CA: Amador Co.: Indian Grinding Rock St. Pk., dry wash nr. S.Nature trail, MT#2, 38°25' N, 120°38' W ', 715masl, 10-29.vi.2007 P. Kerr & M. Hauser, 07LOT315" [CSCA; including specimen numbers 07Z050 (dissected ♂), 07Z069 (♂), and 07Z071 (♂)]; 8 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, "USA: CA: Amador Co.: Indian Grinding Rock St. Pk., dry wash nr. S.Nature trail, MT#2, 38.4216°N, -120.645°W 715masl, 15. v– 18.vi.2008 P. Kerr CSCA08L596" [CSCA, 7 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; LACM ♂, ♀]; 4 ♂♂, "USA: CA: Calaveras Co., Calaveras Big TreesSP, South Grove old fire rd., 38°14.9'N, 120°15.45'W ~1400masl, 8-26.vii.2005, A.R. Cline & S.D. Gaimari, 06LOT289" [CSCA; one marked specimen #07Y096]; ♂, "USA: CA: Calaveras Co., Calaveras Big Trees SP, S. grove fire rd., nr. Beaver Creek, MT#1, 38°15.41'N, 120°15.25'W 1385masl, 22.v.-11.vi.2007 P.H. Kerr & A.R.Cline 07LOT086" [CSCA; specimen # 10F289, in alcohol]; ♂, "USA: CA: Calaveras Co., BigTreesSP, S. Grove, Sequoia tree #298 (Creek), canopy trap (153'), bottom bottle, 38.2415°N, 120.2554°W 1405masl, 6-27.vi.2009, P. Kerr & R. Frizzell CSCA09L410" [CSCA; specimen # 09D648, in alcohol]; ♂, "USA: CA: Calaveras Co., BigTreesSP, S. Grove, Sequoia tree #298 (Creek), canopy trap (153'), bottom bottle, 38.2415°N, 120.2554°W 1405masl, 27. vi– 18.vii.2009, P. Kerr & R. Frizzell CSCA09L428" [CSCA; specimen # 09D639, in alcohol]; ♂, "Mill Valley, Marin Co. Cal., 11.VI.50 / H. B. Leech / Caught in cheese cloth trap" [CAS]; ♂, "U.S.A. CAL. Napa Co., N. side Howell Mt., 2 mi. NNE. Angwin, 1300 ft. H. B. Leech, 16.V.1975" [CAS]; 3 ♂♂, "U.S.A. CAL. Napa Co., N. side Howell Mt., 2 mi. NNE. Angwin, 1300 ft. H. B. Leech, VI.1978" [CAS]; ♂, "U.S.A. CAL. Napa Co., N. side Howell Mt., 2 mi. NNE. Angwin, 1300 ft. H. B. Leech, VII.1980" [CAS; dissected specimen #13M590]; ♂, "CALIF. Napa Co. Snell Valley, Stage Coach Canyon road, at Spanish Valley trail. 4-V 1980, Hugh B. Leech collector" [CAS]; ♂, ♀ "USA: CA: Nevada Co., Nevada City, Beckman St., canopy trap in pine, 39.2682°N, 121.0219°W, 800masl 10-28.v.2008 P. Kerr CSCA08L577" [CSCA; in alcohol]; 3 ♂♂, "USA: CA: Sonoma Co., Annadel SP, 0.9mi from park lot, Richardson trail, 38°26.11'N, 122°36.67'W 220masl 6m MT, 3-26.iv.2007 P. Kerr & S. Blank, 07LOT029" [Locality Fig. 103; CSCA]; ♂, "USA: CA: Sonoma Co., Annadel SP, 0.9mi from park lot, ravine near Warren Richardson trail, 38°26.11'N, 122°36.67'W, 220masl, 6m MT, 26. iv– 17.v.2007 P. Kerr & S. Blank 07LOT049" [CSCA; specimen #07Y263]; 2 ♂♂, "USA: CA: Sonoma Co., Annadel SP, 0.9mi from park lot, Richardson trail, 38°26.11'N, 122°36.67'W 220masl, 6m MT#3, 17. v– 7.vi.2007 P. Kerr & S. Blank 07LOT196" [CSCA]; 42 ♂♂, "U.S.A. CALIFORNIA: Tuolumne County, Basin Creek Campground, 1 –VI– 1963, P. H. Arnaud, Jr." [CAS]; 4 ♂♂, "U.S.A. CALIFORNIA: Tuolumne County, Basin Creek Campground, 2 –VI– 1963, P. H. Arnaud, Jr." [CAS]. MEXICO: ♂, "La Zanja, el 6800 ft., VI–16– 1953, MEX: B. Calif., Sierra San Pedro Martir, P. H. Arnaud, Jr." [CAS].

Diagnosis.

Megophthalmidia mckibbeni sp. n. is separated from its apparent closest relative, Megophthalmidia occidentalis , by the brown coloration of its thorax and abdomen (Fig. 31) and the shape of the aedeagal complex (Figs 38-40). It is distinguished from other Nearctic Megophthalmidia by the morphology of its male reproductive structures, particularly the aedeagal fork, which bears a short recurved ventral hook (Figs 38, 40), and the posterior process of the epandrium, whose apex is swollen (wider than midpoint width), broadly rounded, and curved abaxially (Fig. 33). For additional information, see diagnosis of Megophthalmidia occidentalis .

Description.

Male. Body length: 2.5-2.9, 2.7 [2.7] mm (n=10). Wing length: 2.5-2.9, 2.6 [2.7] mm (n=10).

Coloration (Fig. 31). Head dark brown; antennal scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres brown; face dark brown, clypeus and labrum brown; palps and labellum cream-colored to pale yellow (palpomere 2 usually slightly darker than others). Thorax brown to dark brown throughout; scutum setae brown. Coxae cream-colored to pale yellow, femora becoming gradually darker dorsoapically, tibiae light brown to brown (hind tibia darkest), tarsi brown; hind tibial comb yellowish, preceded by 0-3 (usually 3) dark brown setae. Wing hyaline without markings, wing veins brown; haltere stem and knob cream-colored to pale yellow. Abdominal segments concolorous brown to dark brown, except sternites 1-3 usually paler light brown to brown. Terminalia brown to dark brown.

Head. Ocelli slightly raised, median ocellus in line with anterior margin of lateral ocelli, median ocellus approx. 0.5 × size as lateral ocelli; lateral ocellus located approx. 1 –1.3× diameter of ocellus from eye margin, separated from median ocellus by approx. twice its own diameter. Eyes with microsetae, which are approximately as long as width of facet. Frons microtrichose, without setae, flattened. Antennal length 0.9-1.1, 1.0 [1.1] mm (n=10) (approx. 1 × length of head and thorax). Face clearly longer than wide, setose; clypeus and labrum microtrichose, without setae. Palpus with four palpomeres; palpomere 1 triangular in shape, without setae; other palpomeres with golden brown to dark brown setae; palpomere 2 bearing small pocket of sensilla; palpomere 1 length shorter or subequal in length to palpomere 2; palpomere 3 length subequal to or longer than combined length of palpomeres 1 and 2; palpomere 4 length 0.75 –1× combined lengths of palpomeres 1-3.

Thorax. Dorsum with evenly-distributed, short, appressed setae, bearing longer setae only along lateral and posterior margins. Antepronotum, proepisternum, and laterotergite bearing setae; remaining lateral thoracic sclerites bare. Costal wing vein extends beyond R5, one-half to approx. two-thirds distance between R5 and M1; R1 approximately the same length as r-m; cubital fork proximad of r-m base (as in Megophthalmidia occidentalis , Fig. 52); R1, M1, M2, CuA1, and CuA2 with setae on upper surface (lacking setae on M1 + M2). Wing veins A1 and CuP absent.

Male genitalia (Figs 32-40). Epandrium dorsal surface flat or nearly so, with or without setae medially, posterior broadly but shallowly emarginate at center (Fig. 34). Posterior processes of epandrium greater than 7 × longer than wide, separated at base by approx. 2 × width of process, length of setae at base of epandrial processes ~1 × width of process; apex of posterior process swollen (wider than midpoint width), broadly rounded, and curved abaxially (Figs 33). Gonocoxites as in Figs 35-37. Aedeagal fork with short recurved hook, bearing subtending process approx. 1/2 length of base to tip of hook (Fig. 38).

Female. Body length: 2.1-3.0, 2.6 mm (n=7). Antennal length: 0.6-0.8, 0.7 mm (n=7). Wing length: 2.2-2.8, 2.6 mm (n=7).

Coloration (Fig. 31). Same as male; cerci light brown to brown.

Head and thorax. Same as male, except palpomere 4 appx. length of palpomeres 2-3 or slightly longer, antenna length shorter.

Etymology.

The species epithet “mckibbeni” is given to this species in honor of William Earnest “Bill” McKibben, noted author, environmental activist, and founder of 350.org. The magnificent diversity of life on our planet depends on a stable climate, which is now under grave threat. There are solutions, but they require the wisdom, persistence, and activism that Bill McKibben exemplifies.