Scipopus (Phaeopterina) rufilabris Enderlein, 1922

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 : 149-151

Scipopus (Phaeopterina) rufilabris Enderlein, 1922 comb. nov.

Fig. 66

Scipopus rufilabris Enderlein, 1922: 210 .

Scipopus rufilabris – Hennig 1934: 329 (listed). — Aczél 1949: 343 (catalog). — Steyskal 1968: 48.16 (catalog). — Schumann 1988: 107 (catalog).

Pseudeurybata rufilabris – Marshall 2016: 265, figs 32–35.

Differential diagnosis

Scipopus (Phaeopterina) rufilabris resembles species of Scipopus s. str. that also have a primarily orange head with a shiny, narrow, clearly delineated epicephalon, primarily dark brown body and evenly brown legs and wings, but differs from species in that subgenus by the entirely white microtrichose anepisternum, the more elongate thorax (length/height = 0.97) and characters in the female and male terminalia.

New material examined

MEXICO • 2 ♀♀; Veracruz, Totutla , Finca el Mirador; 23 Mar. 2004; S. Ibañez and F.A. Pech leg.; IEXA (photographed, Fig. 66A–B, F ) .

Other material examined

See Marshall (2016).

Description

LENGTH. 11–12 mm.

HEAD. Palpus orange, pale microtrichose and setulose, narrow to wide (length 3.5–4.2 × height). Clypeus orange, width ~1.6–2.0× height, bare. Frontal vitta dull, orange, microtrichose. Epicephalon orange or light brown, white microtrichose, narrow (width <⅔ of upper frontal vitta width at inner verticals), clearly delineated from upper frontal vitta. Paracephalon light brown. 1–2 pairs of lower fronto-orbital setae; all other head chaetotaxy well-developed.

THORAX. Scutum black-brown, dark brown microtrichose, with wide, shiny, silvery-blue median sheen flanked anteriorly by black triangular spots ( Fig. 66A ). Female cervical sclerite very slightly convex. Postpronotal lobe black-brown, very few scattered setulae on outer lateral margin. Notopleuron black-brown. Pleuron black-brown with blue sheen, entirely silvery microtrichose. Legs dark brown; first fore tarsomere 1 dark brown with ventral golden fringe, hind tarsomere 1 dark brown. Wing entirely brown infuscate.

ABDOMEN (J+ ♀). T1 with fine, long black setae.

FEMALE ABDOMEN. T1+2 ~1.8× length of T3. Abdominal pleuron pale grey, P1 light brown, dorsal half of P2–P4 dark brown. Posterior margin of T2 ~1.5× as wide as T1 dorsally. Oviscape dark brown, white microtrichose on anterior ½, ~3.0–4.0× length of T6. Paired and single spermathecal ducts arising independently from bursa copulatrix. Paired spermathecal duct narrow, short (1.0–2.0 × length of paired spermathecae, but paired spermathecae large in this species), with apical bulb-like swelling. Paired spermathecal stems very short; paired spermathecae cylindrical, with finger-like tubercles. Single spermathecal duct narrow, ½ diameter and ⅔ length of paired duct. Single spermatheca like paired spermathecae but much smaller.

MALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron of available specimen discoloured. T2–6 with short black setulae. Posterior margin of T2 ~1.5 × as wide as T1 dorsally. T1+2 ~2.5× length of T3. T6 short, genital fork small, 1.5× length of T6. Genital fork with arms converging, inner basal process absent. Epandrium stout (length 1.5× height), short setose posteroventrally. Basiphallus projecting far beyond junction with distiphallus, frame-like. Basal distiphallus long (≈ length to epandrium), broad, ending in phallic bulb. Phallic bulb large, elongate (length 3.0 × height), irregular and complex, with multiple chambers and terminating in either tube-like opening or very short, broad distal distiphallus. Phallapodeme and hypandrium not observed.

Remarks

The male of this species in unusual in having a basiphallus that projects outwards, far beyond the junction with the distiphallus.

Distribution

Mexico.

Figures

Fig. 66. Scipopus (Phaeopterina) rufilabris (Enderlein, 1922), Mexico, non-type. A. Head, ♀, dorsal view (IEXA). B. Head, ♀, anterolateral view (IEXA). C. Male terminalia, left lateral view (basal distiphallus overcleared, inconspicuously broad) (USNM). D. Female spermathecae and associated structures (IEXA). E. Male genital fork, ventral view (USNM). F. Habitus, ♀, Mexico (IEXA). Abbreviations: b = basiphallus; bc = bursa copulatrix; bdp = basal distiphallus; ddp = distal distiphallus; dot = distance between ocellar triangle and apex of frontal vitta; e = epandrium; iv = inner vertical seta; lfo = lower fronto-orbital seta; ov =outer vertical seta; pafv (in red) = posterior apex of the frontal vitta; pb = phallic bulb; pd = paired spermathecal duct; poc = postocellar seta; ps = paired spermatheca; sd = single spermathecal duct; ss = single spermatheca; ufo = upper fronto-orbital seta.