Megophthalmidia lenimenta, Kerr, Peter H., 2014

Kerr, Peter H., 2014, The Megophthalmidia (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) of North America including eight new species, ZooKeys 386, pp. 29-83 : 38-41

Megophthalmidia lenimenta sp. n. Figs 21-30

Type material.

Holotype: "USA: CA: Yolo Co., McLaughlin NR, Clover Valley, Oak grassland, MT#1, 38.8400°N, 122.3451°W, 500masl, 24. iii– 29.iv.2010 P. H. Kerr & C. E. Koehler, CSCA10L050" / "HOLOTYPE 13M302, Megophthalmidia lenimenta ♂, Kerr, 2014" [red label]. Deposited in CSCA, mounted on gray point, complete specimen (Fig. 21). See Fig. 108 for image of type locality.

Paratypes (all bearing a blue paratype label): 3 ♂♂, 2♀♀, same locality as holotype [Locality Fig. 108; SBNM # 13M283 (♂); CSCA 13M317 (dissected ♂; Figs 22-30), 13M337 (♂),13M338 (♀), 13M339 (♀; Fig. 21)]; 3 ♂♂, ♀ "USA: CA: Yolo Co., McLaughlin NR, Clover Valley, Oak grassland, MT#1, 38.8400°N, 122.3451°W, 500masl, 29. iv– 9.vi.2010 P. H. Kerr & C.E. Koehler, 10L187" [LACM # 11H156 (♂); CSCA numbers 13M303 (♂, dissected), 13M340 (♂), and 13M342 (♀)].

Additional material examined: 2 ♂♂, "USA: CALIFORNIA, Stanislaus County, Del Puerto Canyon, Frank Raines Park / ca 1120', 3 –IV– 70, Paul H. Arnaud, Jr., Collector" [CAS; one specimen dissected, #13M588].

Diagnosis.

Megophthalmidia lenimenta sp. n. may be confused with several Nearctic congeners that also have a brown thorax. Among these, it is probably most similar to Megophthalmidia browni sp. n. on account of both species having epandria with a medial notch along the posterior margin, a medial depression, and elongated posterior processes. In Megophthalmidia lenimenta , one aedeagal tine is very reduced/undeveloped, only slightly longer than wide (Fig. 29; whereas in Megophthalmidia browni both tines are many times longer than wide (Fig. 9)). Among other Nearctic congeners with elongate posterior epandrial processes, including Megophthalmidia browni , Megophthalmidia lenimenta is also distinguished by having length of dorsomedial epandrial surface at least half the length of epandrium (Fig. 24).

Description.

Male. Body length: 2.4-3.1, 2.8 [n/a] mm (n=5). Wing length: 2.6-2.9, 2.8 [2.9] mm (n=7).

Coloration (Fig. 21). Male. Head dark brown; antennal scape brown or dark brown, pedicel and flagellomeres brown; face dark brown, clypeus and labrum brown to dark brown; palps and labellum cream-colored to pale yellow (palpomeres 1-3 usually slightly darker than others, palpomere 2 with light patch where sensilla present). Thorax brown to dark brown throughout; scutum setae brown. Coxae lighter in color than thorax, cream-colored to light brown, sometimes with area at base somewhat darker in color, fore coxa slightly lighter in color than mid- and hind coxa; femora cream colored to light brown, becoming gradually darker dorsoapically on mid- and hind femora; tibiae light brown, tarsi light brown to 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 white to cream-colored. Abdominal segments concolorous brown to dark brown. Terminalia brown.

Head. Ocelli slightly raised, median ocellus in line with anterior margin of lateral ocelli, median ocellus approx. 0.3 –0.5× size of lateral ocelli; lateral ocellus located approx. 2 × diameter of ocellus from eye margin, separated from median ocellus by approx. 1.9 –2× its own diameter. Eyes with microsetae, which are approximately as long as width of facet. Frons microtrichose, without setae, flattened. Antennal length 1.3-1.7, 1.6 [1.5] mm (n=7). Face clearly longer than wide, setose; clypeus and labrum microtrichose, without setae. Palpus with four palpomeres; palpomere 1 oblong-triangular, without setae; other palpomeres with brown setae; palpomere 2 bearing small pocket of sensilla; palpomere 1 length longer than or subequal in length to palpomere 2; palpomere 3 length subequal to or slightly shorter than combined length of palpomeres 1 and 2; palpomere 4 length 0.7 –1× combined lengths of palpomeres 1-3.

Thorax. Antepronotum, proepisternum, and laterotergite bearing setae; remaining lateral thoracic sclerites bare. Dorsum with evenly-distributed, short, appressed setae, bearing longer setae only along lateral and posterior margins. Costal wing vein extends beyond R5, approx. two-thirds distance between R5 and M1; R1 longer than 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 22-30). Epandrium dorsal surface with clear medial depression, where setae are lacking; posterior margin narrowly emarginate at center (Fig. 24). Posterior processes of epandrium elongate, approx. 4 –5× longer than narrowest width near base, separated at base by approx. 0.8 × narrowest width of process, length of setae at base of epandrial processes 2 –3× width of process, bare along most of length (Figs 22, 23). Gonocoxites as in Figs 25-27. Adeagal fork uneven; one tine a mere nub, the other, elongate, gently s-curved, and pointed outward (Fig. 29).

Female. Body length: 2.6-3.1, 2.9 mm (n=3). Antennal length 1.0-1.1, 1.1 mm (n=3). Wing length: 2.6-3.2, 3.0 mm (n=3).

Coloration (Fig. 21). Noticeably darker in color throughout body; abdominal segments 8-10 orange-brown to brown, brown along margins; cerci light brown to brown.

Head and thorax. Same as male, except palpomere 4 appx. length of palpomeres 1-3.

Etymology.

The species epithet “lenimenta” is an adjective, derived from the Latin word for remedy/melioration/reclamation. This name is given in thanks to the preservation efforts of Sylvia Mclaughlin and the University of California Donald and Sylvia Mclaughlin Reserve staff, including Cathy Koehler, and the Homestake Mining Company.