Scatophila variofacialis Sturtevant and Wheeler

Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz & Mathis, Wayne N., 2024, Revision of the Nearctic Species of the Shore-Fly Genus Scatophila Becker (Diptera: Ephydridae), Zootaxa 5487 (1), pp. 1-100 : 61-65

15. Scatophila variofacialis Sturtevant and Wheeler

Figs. 110 , 130–138

Scatophila variofacialis Sturtevant and Wheeler 1954: 199 .— Wirth 1965: 759 [ Nearctic catalog].— Zatwarnicki 1987: 295 [checklist].— Zatwarnicki and Mathis 1994: 364 [phylogeny; noctula group].— Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995: 287 [world catalog].

Diagnosis.—This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Small to moderately small shore flies, body length 1.80–2.20 mm.

Head ( Figs. 130–133 , 137 ): Mesofrons and fronto-orbits tan to brown. Face of ♂ brown, slightly protuberant at ventral margin, with an elongate, medial depression bordered by dense curly setulae, especially laterally; face of ♀ with some subshiny luster. Gena moderately short, slightly more than half height of basal flagellomere; gena-to-eye ratio 0.24–0.25.

Thorax ( Figs. 137–138 ): Mesonotum ( Fig. 137 ) mostly brown with grayish stripes along setal tracks; scutum mostly brown with variable pattern of linear gray areas medially and anterolaterad of acrostichal tracks; a posteromedial, prescutellar spot; a medial, gray stripe; presutural dorsocentral setae lacking. Wing ( Figs. 138 ) with moderate pattern of white spots; veins R 2+3 and R 4+5 shallowly undulate near white spots; costal vein ratio 0.24–0.30; M 1 vein ratio 0.59–0.72. Legs dark; male midfemur lacking row of spine-like setulae along posteroventral margin Tarsi often yellowish to brownish red basally.

Abdomen ( Figs. 134–136 ): Mostly black, subshiny, with some blackish gray areas basally on tergites 2–4; subshiny. Male terminalia ( Figs. 134–136 ): Epandrium in posterior view ( Fig. 134 ) generally irregularly round, about as wide as high without measurement of ventrolateral projections, dorsal margin slightly projected dorsad, thereafter sloped ventrolaterally to lateral margins, lateral margins widest at midheight, and at midheight with shallow, rounded bulge, ventrolateral corners with ventral, digitiform projections, ventral margin curved ventrally, tending to be flattened medially, epandrial surface bearing sparsely scattered setulae, more clustered around ventral angle at base of ventrolateral projections; cercal cavity higher than wide, oval, ventral margin pointed ventromedially; cerci in posterior view ( Fig. 134 ) hemispherical; aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 136 ) squarish, only slightly higher than wide, ventral margin broadly rounded, dorsal excavation irregularly V-shaped with a short, thumb-like projection, anterior and posterior corners angulate; in ventral view ( Fig. 135 ) squarish, only slightly longer than width, apical margin evenly concave; ventral aedeagal process shallowly C-shaped; phallapodeme in lateral view ( Fig. 136 ) with distinct keel, long and rounded apically, extension toward base of aedeagus slightly longer and more robust, extension to postgonite tapered, shorter than opposite extension, in ventral view ( Fig. 135 ) shallowly Y-shaped with lateral extensions capitate apically, width of “Y” about nearly twice length; postgonite in lateral view ( Fig. 136 ) generally irregularly V-shaped, dorsal arm rectangular, posterior apex robustly digitiform, ventral arm parallel sided, narrow, shallowly curved; neohypandrium in lateral view ( Fig. 136 ) narrow, parallel sided, deeply curved strap.

Type Material.—The holotype male of Scatophila variofacialis is labeled “Carson, Wash[ington]. 8-6-51 [6 Aug 1951][handwritten]/M.R. Wheeler/ HOLOTYPE Scatophila variofacialis Stvt & Whlr [pink]/6687 TYPE [dark pink; number handwritten].” The holotype is double mounted (glued to a paper point), is in good condition, and is deposited in the ANSP (6687).

Other Specimens Examined.— UNITED STATES. CALIFORNIA. Alameda: Berkeley Hills (62°16.1'N, 145°23.1'W), 11 Apr 1908 (1♂; USNM) .

OREGON. Baker: Goose Creek (35 km E Baker City; 44°49.2'N, 117°27.79'W; 825 m), 7 Jun 2006, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM) . Benton: Philomath (1.6 km W; 44°32.4'N, 123°22'W), 29 May 1972, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM) ; Rock Creek (6.5 km SW Philomath; 44°30'N, 123°26.4'W), 29 May 1972, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM) . Josephine : Oregon Caves (42°05.9'N, 123°24.4'W), 27 Jun 1972, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM) . Polk: Helmick State Park (44°46.8'N, 123°14.2'W), 20 Mar 1972, W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM) .

WASHINGTON. Clallam: Sequim Bay (48°04.8'N, 123°06.1'W), 3 Sep 1934, A. L. Melander (1♂; USNM) . Clark: Vancouver (44°37.7'N, 122°40.1'W), 7 Jul 1917, A. L. Melander (1♀; USNM) . Lewis: Toledo (46°26.2'N, 122°50.5'W), 27 Jun 1935, A. L. Melander (1♂; USNM) . Okanagan: Twisp (6.5 km E; 48°29.5'N, 120°07.1'W), 19 Jul 1972, W. J. Turner (1♂; USNM) . Pierce : La Grande (4.8 km N; 46°50.1'N, 122°19.1'W), 4 Aug 1971, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM) . Thurston: Puget (47°08.8'N, 122°47.6'W), 4 Jul 1925, A. L. Melander (2♂; USNM) . Yakima: Tieton (12.8 km SW; 46°42.1'N, 120°45.2'W; Bear Creek ), 16 Jul 1972, W. J. Turner (1♀; USNM) .

Type Locality.— United States. Washington. Skamania: Carson (45°43.6'N, 121°49.1'W) .

Distribution ( Fig. 110 ).— Nearctic : United States (California, Oregon, Washington).

Remarks.—This species is placed in the noctula group.

The quadriguttata Group

Diagnosis.—Medial portion of male face often depressed. Ventral margin of epandrium generally with short, sharp, medial process, sometimes broadly convex ( Figs. 188 ); neohypandrium band-like, strongly deflected; postgonite lobate with convex ventral margin; proximal margin arcuately rounded or slightly incised; distal process of postgonite triangular, its apex narrowly pointed, ventral process long and band-like; aedeagus with ventral process, in dorsal view elongate, in lateral view ventral margin slightly rounded or in medial portion nearly straight; distal margin of the dorsal aedeagal opening bears variously developed lobes, which could be acuminate or with lateral processes; phallapodeme in lateral view ( Figs. 190 , 201 ) deflected before its proximal top, in dorsal view with subapical lateral projections, lobate, surrounding the proximal portion of the aedeagus, remaining portion elongate.

Nearctic species included in the quadriguttata group are: Scatophila arenaria Cresson , S. bipiliaris Sturtevant and Wheeler , S. bisignata Cresson , S. conifera Sturtevant and Wheeler , S. cribrata (Stenhammar) , S. disjuncta Cresson , S. hirsuta Sturtevant and Wheeler , S. mystacina sp. nov., S. picta Sturtevant and Wheeler , S. pulchra Sturtevant and Wheeler , S. rubribrunnea Sturtevant and Wheeler.

This is the most speciose species group in the Nearctic Region with 11 species.

Figures

FIGURE 110. Distribution map of Scatophila bolwigi sp. nov. (squares), S. tuberculosa Cresson (triangles), and S. variofacialis Sturtevant & Wheeler (circles).

FIGURES 130–133. Head of Scatophila variofacialis Sturtevant & Wheeler. 130. Male, latero-oblique view. 131. Male, lateral view. 132. Female, latero-oblique view. 133. Female, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 134–136. Male terminalia of Scatophila variofacialis Sturtevant & Wheeler. 134. Epandrium and cerci, posterior view. 135. Internal male terminalia (gonite, phallapodeme, aedeagus, neohypandrium), ventral view. 136. Same, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 137–141. Head, thorax and wing of Scatophila. 137. S. variofacialis Sturtevant & Wheeler, head and thorax, dorsal view. 138–139. Wing, dorsal view 138. S. variofacialis Sturtevant & Wheeler. 139. S. arenaria Cresson. 140. Head of S. arenaria Cresson, latero-oblique view. 141. Same, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 188–190. Male terminalia of Scatophila disjuncta Cresson. 188. Epandrium and cerci, posterior view. 189. Internal male terminalia (gonite, phallapodeme, aedeagus, neohypandrium), ventral view. 190. Same, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 199–201. Male terminalia of Scatophila hirsuta Sturtevant & Wheeler. 199. Epandrium and cerci, posterior view. 200. Internal male terminalia (gonite, phallapodeme, aedeagus, neohypandrium), ventral view. 201. Same, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.