Revision of New World Leptocera Olivier (Diptera, Sphaeroceridae)
Author
Buck, Matthias
Author
Marshall, Stephen A.
text
Zootaxa
2009
2009-03-16
2039
1
1
139
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2039.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.2039.1.1
11755334
5311868
Leptocera papallacta
Buck
,
new species
(
Figs. 94–101
)
Description
. Body length 2.2–4.0 mm. A predominantly dark brown species with few paler areas: anterior part of frons, inner surface of pedicel and basomedial area of first flagellomere sometimes with reddish tone; palpus, knees, apices of tibiae, as well as mid and hind tarsi paler brown. Arista pubescence of medium length. Palpus slender. All bristles of dorsocentral row more or less enlarged (including those near anterior end of scutum). Mid tibia with bristle above distal dorsal longer on average than in related species, usually at least 0.75x as long as distal anterodorsal bristle, rarely just 0.6x as long. Basal half of mid tibia with lowermost bristle of posterodorsal series shorter than lowermost bristle of anterodorsal series. Posteroapical bristles of mid tibia short and of subequal length, sometimes three present.
FIGURES 94–101
.
Leptocera papallacta
sp.n.
(Ecuador). Male terminalia (phallus and postgonites omitted): (94) lateral; (95) left cercus; (96) posterior; (97) ventral; (98) sternite 5. Female terminalia: (99) dorsal; (100) spermathecae; (101) ventral. cp—finger-like process of cercus, proc—process at base of posterior section of surstylus, sa—shining area of tergite 7.
Male terminalia (
Figs. 94–98
): Sternite 5 lacking pale desclerotized area in front of field of enlarged microtrichia; hind margin with 4–6 long and robust scales of subequal length. Epandrium with numerous long bristles ventrally. Anterior section of surstylus with anterior process relatively blunt, ventral lobe fairly produced but with few and relatively short bristles. Surstylus with an unusually long, finger-like process arising from membranous region between anterior and posterior section (clearly homologous to short, toothlike process at base of posterior section of
L. aequilimbata
and other species; visible in lateral and in ventral view). Posterior section of surstylus nearly square in posterior view, with membranous medial portion (ventral margin sclerotized); apex with two strong bristles (lateral one shorter and with blunt tip), posterior surface with fewer long pale hairs than in related species. Cercus with finger-like medial process, its apex microtrichose.
Female terminalia (
Figs. 99–101
): Tergite 7 long and strongly convex, anteriorly with a pair of strong, cruciate bristles, medial stripe in posterior 2/3 and hind margin shining, lacking tomentosity. Sternite 7 with thickened and narrowly shining hind margin (often difficult to appreciate in slightly teneral specimens). Fused tergite 10 + cerci short, with short hairs. Spermathecae elongate, with transversely ridged basal half and slightly dilated, bumpy distal half.
Type material
.
Holotype
♂
(
QCAZ
) and
61 ♂♂
,
41 ♀♀
paratypes
(
DEBU
,
QCAZ
):
ECUADOR
, Prov. Pichincha, Cotopaxi
Natl. Pk.
, Quebrada Mishahuaicu,
3,600 m
,
0°38'31"S
,
78°29'57"W
,
26.x–8.xi.1999
, pans along stream,
S.A. Marshall. Other
paratypes
:
2 ♂♂
,
5 ♀♀
, same but
25.x.1999
, under streamside vegetation (
DEBU
).
ECUADOR
.
Prov.
Azuay:
4 ♂♂
,
3 ♀♀
,
Tarqui
,
Rd.
to
Santa Isabel
,
2,200–2,800 m
,
10–13.iii.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
);
7 ♂♂
,
10 ♀♀
,
Tarqui
,
2,800 m
, various dates:
7–16.iii.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
);
6 ♂♂
,
7 ♀♀
,
Cerro Tinajillas
,
3,100 m
,
18–21.iii.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
);
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
,
28 km
S
Cuenca
,
2,500–2,800 m
,
15.iii.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
).
Prov.
Pichincha:
1 ♂
,
6 ♀♀
,
Papallacta
,
10,500 ft
,
29.i.1958
,
R.W. Hodges
(
MSUC
);
1 ♀
,
Quito
,
2,750–2,900 m
,
vi.1986
,
N.L.H. Krauss
(
USNM
).
Prov.
Loja:
1 ♂
,
Malacatus
,
xii.1955
,
Levi-Castillo
(
USNM
).
PERU
.
Dpto.
Cusco
:
1 ♂
,
Quispicamchis
,
Huambutio
,
2,900 m
,
1.ix.1988
,
A. Freidberg
(
USNM
).
Other material examined
.
ECUADOR
.
Prov.
Cañar
:
1 ♀
,
El
Tambo,
2,800 m
,
4–7.iii.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
.
Prov.
Carchi
:
1 ♂
,
3 ♀♀
, Páramo
El Angel
,
17.3 km
NW El Angel
,
3,400 m
,
0°42'5"N
,
78°0'0"W
,
1–3.xi.1999
,
pan traps
among
Espeletia
, S.A. Marshall (DEBU)
;
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
, Páramo
El Angel
,
24 km
NW El Angel
,
3,800 m
,
0°44'40"N
,
78°2'2"W
,
3.xi.1999
,
dung traps
in moss,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♂
,
2 ♀♀
,
El Angel
,
2,700 m
,
23–25.vi.1965
, L.E.
Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
1 ♂
,
2 ♀♀
, Bosque
El
Arrayán,
6 km
E San Gabriel
,
2,830 m
,
0°32'33"N
,
77°47'26"W
,
4.xi.1999
, ditch nr. forest, sweep,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♂
,
Troya
,
2,650 m
,
10–12.vi.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
,
Troya
,
2,950 m
,
11–13.vi.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
2 ♂♂
,
2 ♀♀
,
San
Isidro,
2,500 m
,
23.vi.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
3 ♂♂
,
2 ♀♀
,
San Gabriel
,
3,000 m
,
10.vi.1965
, L.E.
Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
3 ♀♀
,
Tulcán
,
2,800 m
,
27.vi.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
2 ♂♂
,
4 ♀♀
,
Guandera For. Res.
,
15 km
E San Gabriel
, trail to station,
3,300 m
,
0°35'11"N
,
77°44'37"W
,
1.xi.1999
, sweeping,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
.
Prov.
Cotopaxi
:
1 ♀
,
40 km
N Latacunga
,
3,350 m
,
17–25.vi.1985
, páramo, carrion, S. & J.
Peck
(
DEBU
)
;
3 ♂♂
,
1 ♀
,
Salcedo
,
2,650 m
,
22.ii.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
1 ♂
,
Lasso
,
5.xi.1954
,
H.R. Yust
(
USNM
)
;
1 ♂
,
34 km
W Pujili
,
3,650 m
,
15.i.1978
, W.N.
Mathis
(
USNM
)
.
Prov.
Loja
:
1 ♀
,
Loja
,
2,500 m
,
23–25.iii.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
.
Prov.
Napo
:
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
,
Baeza
,
9.ii.1983
,
malaise trap
,
Sharkey
&
Masner
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♀
,
22 km
W Baeza
,
8,000 ft
,
15.v.1975
, P.
Spangler
(
USNM
)
;
4 ♂♂
,
4 ♀♀
,
Quito-Baeza
pass,
4,000 m
,
1.iii.1979
, elfin forest,
dung trap
,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♂
,
7 ♀♀
,
Quito-Baeza
road,
4,000 m
,
10–18.ii.1983
, open páramo,
pan traps
, L.
Masner
(
DEBU
)
;;
23 ♂♂
,
22 ♀♀
, above
Papallacta
,
4,000 m
,
ii.1983
, páramo and elfin forest,
Sharkey
&
Masner
(
DEBU
)
;
7 ♂♂
,
34 ♀♀
,
Lago Papallacta
,
3,400 m
,
0°20'29"S
,
78°10'23"W
, lake shore, on mud,
5.xi.1999
,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♂♂
,
4 ♀♀
, “
Puerto Misahuallí
,
350 m
” [apparently mislabelled],
18–22.ii.1983
,
M.J. Sharkey
(
DEBU
)
.
Prov.
Pichincha
:
1 ♀
, same but
2,500
–3,000
m
(
USNM
)
;
2 ♂♂
,
41 km
E
Quito
,
15.v.1954
,
Spangler
&
Langley
(
USNM
)
;
1 ♂
,
2 ♀♀
,
6 km
W Quito-Baeza
pass,
4–8.xi.1999
, pans/dung, S.A.
Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
4 ♂♂
,
10 km
NW Quito
,
Valley
nr. Hostería
San
Jorge, 3,000 and
3,050 m
,
0°7'28"S
,
78°31'31"W
,
23.x.1999
,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♂
,
15 km
NW Nono
, road to
Mindo
,
2,000 m
,
0°1'58"S
,
78°39'19"E
,
24.x.1999
, roadside sweep, cow dung,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♂
,
Pomasqui
,
2,200 m
,
6.vi.1965
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
1 ♀
,
2 km
W Cayambe
,
2,300 m
,
7.vi.1965
, L.E.
Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
,
Cotopaxi
Natl. Pk.
,
Lago Limpiopungo
,
3,800 m
,
0°36'10"S
,
78°28'35"W
,
25.x.1999
, edge lake, nr. cow dung,
S.A. Marshall
(
DEBU
)
;
1 ♂
,
34.5 km
E Tandapi
,
2,835 m
,
24–29.vi.1975
, bamboo shrub,
dung trap
, S.
Peck
(
DEBU
)
.
PERU
.
Dpto.
Cusco
:
2 ♀♀
,
Cusco
,
3,200 m
,
20–21.xi.1962
,
L.E. Peña
(
CNCI
)
;
1 ♀
,
5 km
N Paucartambo
, trib.
Río Paucartambo
,
2,860 m
,
13°15'S
,
71°37'W
,
28.viii.1989
,
J.K. Gelhaus
(
ANSP
)
.
Dpto.
Junín
:
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
,
Pachacayo
,
27.v.1934
,
Bishopp No.
22869 (
USNM
)
.
Etymology
. The species name is a noun in apposition and refers to Papallacta in
Napo Province
,
Ecuador
, the first productive collecting locality for this species known to us.
Distribution
. Andes of
Ecuador
and
Peru
at altitudes of
2,200
–4,000
m
.
Discussion
.
Leptocera papallacta
sp.n.
is the only species in the
L. caenosa
group with a long process arising from the base of the posterior section of surstylus (other species have a short, tooth-like process at most). Externally, the species most closely resembles the allopatric
L. neocurvinervis
from
Chile
and
Argentina
, but the latter lacks the finger-like process of the male cercus, has more but weaker scales on male sternite 5, and spermathecae with weakly striate surface sculpture. Furthermore, in
L. papallacta
sp.n.
the bristle above the distal dorsal mid tibial bristle is usually longer than in other species (usually ≥0.75x as long as distal anterodorsal; in other species at most 0.6x as long).