Opeatocerata cooperi Smith

Câmara, J. T. & Rafael, J. A., 2014, Revision of Opeatocerata Melander, 1928 (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae), Zootaxa 3846 (4), pp. 502-546 : 514-517

Opeatocerata cooperi Smith

( Figs 58–63)

Opeatocerata cooperi Smith, 1989: 515 ; Yang et al., 2007: 146 (cat.); Câmara & Rafael, 2011: 37 (cit.).

Diagnosis. Dark yellow species abdominal tergites 3–6 with paramedian subtriangular, brown spots ( Fig. 60); sternite 8 wider and V-shaped at base, rounded and narrower at apex ( Fig. 61); genital fork with anterior constriction and arms separated at apex ( Fig. 62); tergite 10 divided into two subtriangular plates ( Fig. 61).

Re-description. Female ( Fig. 58). Head: Frons dark brown, shiny, as wide as superior margin of the face. Face dark brown, shiny, slightly convergent toward the proboscis, about 3 X longer than lower width. Ocellar tubercle dark brown with brown pruinescence; ocelli brown. Scape and pedicel brown with black bristles. Proboscis yellow longer than head height. Thorax dark yellow, shiny ( Fig. 58). Legs yellow, except for hind femur and tibial with apical black ring and all tarsomeres 4–5 black. Hind tibia and tarsus with anterodorsal and posterodorsal row of long bristles. Wing ( Fig. 59) hyaline, pterostigma brown, conspicuous, about 2.3 X longer than wide. Halter yellow. Abdomen dark yellow; tergites 3–6 with paramedian subtriangular, brown spots ( Fig. 60). Terminalia: Tergite 8 subretangular ( Fig. 61). Sternite 8 wider and V-shaped at base, rounded and narrower at apex ( Fig. 61). Genital fork ( Fig. 62) with anterior constriction and arms separated at apex. Tergite 10 divided into two subtriangular plates, with approximately half the length of tergite 8 ( Fig. 61). Sternite 10 with straight base and convex apex ( Fig. 61). Receptacle of spermatheca spherical ( Fig. 63). Specimen length: 3.0 mm; wing length: 3.5 mm. Male. Unknown.

Geographical distribution. Ecuador ( Fig. 211).

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♀, labelled: Ecuador, Morona-Santiago, Cord[illera] of Cutucu, 6 km east of Macas, 1100 m. 8.v. 1981. M. Cooper ( BMNH). Paratypes: Ecuador. Same data as holotype, 15.vi. 1981 (1 ♀, BMNH); Napo Mayuna 5 km W of Tena, 550 m, M. Cooper / 25.viii. 1979 (1 ♀, BMNH).

Holotype condition. Ocellar bristles, styles and first flagellomere lost; left wing on microslide; abdomen in microtube with glycerin.

Remarks. Opeatocerata cooperi has sternite 8 wider and V-shaped at base and rounded at apex, similar to O. melanderi . Differs from the latter by tergites with paramedian subtriangular, brown spots ( Fig. 60), tergite 10 divided into two subtriangular plates ( Fig. 61) and genital fork with arms longer than length of the base ( Figs 61, 62). Opeatocerata melanderi has spots on the lateral margins of the tergites, an undivided tergite 10 ( Fig. 128) and genital fork with arms shorter than the length of the base.