Scipopus (Parascipopus) alturas, 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 : 86-89

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

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6B2870CA-9436-4B0A-84EC-948BDAF8BDD6

Fig. 35

Differential diagnosis

Scipopus (Parascipopus) alturas sp. nov. is easily distinguished from congeners by the dark reddish-brown thorax, the hyaline wings with apical and discal infuscations, the orange head and the basally yellow legs.

Etymology

The name is a noun in apposition inspired by the collection locality of the holotype.

Type material examined

Holotype

COSTA RICA • 1 ♂; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Z.P. Las Tablas, Est. Biol. Las Alturas; 8°57′07″ N, 82°50′04″ W; 1500–1600 m a.s.l.; 3–11 Jun. 2013; Proyecto ZADBI; Malaise trap; #107105; MNCR.

Paratypes

COSTA RICA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 2–9 Apr. 2013; #106674; MNCR (♀ photographed, Fig. 35C ) • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Z.P. Las Tablas, Camino a Cotoncito, Send. la Juntas ; 1400–1500 m a.s.l.; 26Apr. 2002; M.Alfaro leg.; Libre; L_S_320800_594500 #68061; MNCR (♂ photographed, Fig. 35A, E ) • 1 ♀; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Sabalito, Z.P. Las Tablas, Send. Saino ; 1250 m a.s.l.; 25 Jul. 2002; M. Alfaro leg.; Libre; L_S_317700_594900; UGIC271-15/MYCRO172-15 sequenced for CO1; MNCR • 1 ♂; Puntarenas, Monteverde, San Luis ; 1000–1350 m a.s.l.; Apr. 1994; Z. Fuentes leg.; L_N_449250_250850; #2845; MNCR (dissected and photographed, Fig. 35B, D ) • 1 ♀; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Sabalito, Est. El Progreso, Sector Fila Pizote ; 1400 m a.s.l.; 11 May 2001; M. Alfaro leg.; Libre; L_S_317700_597800; #63209; MNCR • 1 ♀; Prov. Puntarenas, Estación Altmua , 1 km S of Cerro Biolley; 1300–1450 m a.s.l.; 5–9 Mar. 1996; R. Villabos leg.; L_S_331700_572100; #45499; MNCR (dissected and photographed, Fig. 35F ) • 1 ♂; Puntarenas, Finca Cafrosa , 2100 al. E of Escuela Progreso; 2100 m a.s.l.; 5–7 Mar. 1996; M. Chinchilla leg.; L_S_318300_596400; #7298; MNCR • 1 ♂; Puntarenas, Las Alturas Bio. Stn ; 8°57′ N, 82°58′ W; 15–1700 m a.s.l.; 12–14 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; MNCR .

Description

LENGTH. 11–12 mm.

HEAD. Antenna orange. Palpus orange, pale brown microtrichose and setulose on entire surface, narrow (length 4.5 × height). Clypeus pale orange, shiny, width ~1.8 × height, silvery microtrichose on entire surface. Frontal vitta dull, orange, microtrichose, posterior apex strongly tapered, pointed. Orbital plate shiny, bare. Epicephalon shiny, wide (width>⅔ of upper frontal vitta width at inner verticals), clearly delineated from upper frontal vitta. All head chaetotaxy well-developed.

THORAX. Scutum black-brown with wide median silvery-blue sheen. Female cervical sclerite slightly convex. Postpronotal lobe black-brown, setulose on outer margins. Notopleuron black-brown. Pleuron dark reddish-brown, entirely white microtrichose, with microtrichia denser anteriorly and posteriorly, forming posterior transverse band. Legs light brown, femur pale brown or yellow basally, gradually fading to darker brown apically. Tarsomeres dark brown. Wing mostly hyaline, apex dark infuscate anterior to M, with discal patch divided into anterior and posterior sections by a clear band. Scutellum with apical seta.

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

FEMALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron pale yellow, microtrichose, dark brown or black on P1, dorsal half of P2–6. T1+2 ~2.2× length of T3. Oviscape dark brown, white microtrichose on anterior ½, ~3.0 × length of T6. Combined spermathecal ducts short; common duct short, ¼ of entire duct length. Paired spermathecal duct short (3.0× length of paired spermathecae), mostly parallel-sided, narrower basally, swollen distally. Paired spermathecal stems bare, narrow basally, wrinkled and sinuate distally, longer than spermathecae. Paired spermathecae cup-shaped, with apical indentation. Single spermathecal duct arising from halfway point of common duct, narrow (½ the diameter and ½ the length of paired duct), swollen apically. Single spermatheca elongate, swollen and wrinkled distally, inornate (not visible in Fig. 35F ).

MALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron off-white or pale yellow, dark brown or black on anterior ¾ of P1, dorsal ¾ of pleural sac and dorsal third of P3–6 ( Fig. 35E ). T1+2 ~2.8× length of T3. T6 short, genital fork 3.0× as long as T6, arms densely setose, broad, converging; inner basal process angled inwards, ¹/6 the length of arm. Epandrium elongate, ~2.0× as long as high, short setose on posteroventral margin. Basiphallus projecting posteriorly, crescent-shaped. Basal distiphallus long (≈ length of epandrium), terminating at short (length ≈ height), approximately round single-chambered phallic bulb. Distal distiphallus absent. Phallapodeme slender, not expanded apically.

Distribution

Costa Rica.

Figures

Fig. 35. Scipopus (Parascipopus) alturas subgen. et sp. nov. (MNCR). A. Head, J, anterior view, Costa Rica, paratype. B. Male genital fork, ventral view, Costa Rica, paratype. C. Head and thorax, ♀, dorsal view, Costa Rica, paratype. D. Male terminalia, lateral view, Costa Rica, paratype. E. Habitus, ♂, Costa Rica, paratype. F. Female spermathecae and associated structures, Costa Rica, paratype. Abbreviations: b = basiphallus; bdp = basal distiphallus; e = epandrium; h = hypandrium; pb = phallic bulb; pd = paired spermathecal duct; ps = paired spermatheca; sd = single spermathecal ducts; sp = sperm pump; ss = single spermatheca.