Scipopus (Parascipopus) tico, Lindsay & Marshall, 2023

Lindsay, Kate & Marshall, Stephen A., 2023, A revision of Scipopus Enderlein including the subgenera Scipopus s. str., Phaeopterina Frey and Parascipopus subgen. nov. (Diptera, Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 904, pp. 1-189 : 109-111

Scipopus (Parascipopus) tico subgen. et sp. nov.

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Fig. 45

Differential diagnosis

Scipopus (Parascipopus) tico sp. nov. resembles S. (Pa.) zadbi in having a primarily dark brown or black body with a blue sheen but it differs by the at least partially white first fore tarsomere.

Etymology

The name is a noun in apposition derived from the idiomatic term for a native of Costa Rica.

Type material examined

Holotype

COSTA RICA • 1 ♂; Prov. San José, P.N. Chirripó, Pérez Zeledón, Cementerio de la Máquina ; 1900 m a.s.l.; 2 Feb. 2001; M. Alfuro leg.; manual; INBIO0003330662/MYCRO580-19 sequenced for CO1; MNCR (photographed, Fig. 45D–E ).

Paratype

COSTA RICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; L_S_378500_513200 #63191; MNCR (dissected and photographed, Fig. 45A–C ) .

Description

LENGTH. 11 – 12 mm.

HEAD. Antenna dark orange and/or black. Palpus dark brown, pale brown apically, pale microtrichose and setulose, wide (length 3.8× height). Clypeus light to dark brown, darker brown or black medially, width ~1.9 × height, silvery microtrichose on entire surface. Frontal vitta dark orange, microtrichose, posterior apex strongly tapered to a point. Orbital plate dark brown, shiny, bare. Epicephalon black-brown, shiny, bare, wide (width>⅔ upper frontal vitta width at inner verticals), clearly delineated from upper frontal vitta. Paracephalon black-brown. One lower fronto-orbital seta, outer vertical seta and upper fronto-orbital seta absent, all other head chaetotaxy well-developed.

THORAX. Scutum black-brown, dark brown microtrichose, silvery blue sheen medially. Female cervical sclerite convex. Postpronotal lobe black-brown, setulose anteriorly. Notopleuron black-brown. Pleuron black-brown with blue sheen, entirely covered in silvery microtrichosity, denser on posterior corner of katepisternum and extending anterodorsally to form silvery transverse band only seen at some angles. Legs dark brown or black, mid and hind femora paler brown basally. Fore tarsomere 1 almost entirely white; hind tarsomere 1 dark brown or black with ventral golden fringe. Wing mostly hyaline with slight brown infuscation on apex and anterior margin. Apical scutellar seta absent.

ABDOMEN (J+ ♀). T1 with fine, long, white or pale brown setae.

FEMALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron pale grey, microtrichose, P1 and dorsal half of P2–6 dark brown. T1+2 ~3.0 × length of T3. Oviscape black-brown, setulose, microtrichosity not observed (not visible in dissection), ~3.0× length of T6. Common duct short, ⅓ of entire duct length. Paired spermathecal duct short (5.0 × length of paired spermathecae), tapered medially, swollen apically. Paired spermathecal stems slightly sinuate, longer than spermathecae. Paired spermathecae nearly ovoid, slightly constricted distally, with apical indentation. Single spermathecal duct arising from base of paired duct, narrow, ½ diameter of base of paired duct. Single spermatheca elongate, wider distally, with median swollen process.

MALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron of available male discoloured. T1+2 ~3.0 × length of T3. T6 short, genital fork 3.0× as long as T6, with arms converging, inner basal process straight, ½ the length of arms. Epandrium elongate (length ~2.0 × height), densely setose on posteroventral margin. Male terminalia not dissected and internal characters are thus not available for description.

Distribution

Costa Rica.

Figures

Fig. 45. Scipopus (Parascipopus) tico subgen. et sp. nov. (MNCR). A. Head and thorax, ♀, dorsal view, Costa Rica, paratype. B. Head, ♀, anterior view, Costa Rica, paratype. C. Female spermathecae and associated structures, Costa Rica, paratype. D. Habitus, Costa Rica, holotype. E. Male terminalia, lateral view, Costa Rica, holotype. Abbreviations: bc = bursa copulatrix; cd = common duct; e =epandrium; pd = paired spermathecal duct; ps = paired spermatheca; sd = single spermathecal duct.