Leptocera finalis ( Collin, 1956 )

Buck, Matthias & Marshall, Stephen A., 2009, Revision of New World Leptocera Olivier (Diptera, Sphaeroceridae), Zootaxa 2039 (1), pp. 1-139 : 77-78

Leptocera finalis ( Collin, 1956)

( Figs. 155–156 , 200 )

Paracollinella finalis Collin, 1956: 175 (lectotype ♂, OXUM, not examined).

Leptocera finalis .— Roháček, 1982: 24 (redescription); Marshall, 1997: 666 (first Nearctic record); Roháček et al., 2001: 153 (World catalog).

Taxonomy. In the Nearctic the name “ L. finalis ” has been misapplied to the following five species (records from Yukon Territory in Marshall, 1997): L. angulispina sp.n., L. neofinalis sp.n., L. neovomerata sp.n., L. kanata sp.n., and L. parafinalis .

Description. A detailed redescription of the species was provided by Roháček (1982). Outstanding paramedian acrostichals moderately enlarged, longest one about 2/3 as long as lower orbital bristle; prescutellar acrostichals also somewhat enlarged. Mid tibia with bristle above distal dorsal shorter than anteroapical bristles; dorsal posteroapical bristle shorter than ventral one (rarely almost of same length), extending well beyond socket of ventrobasal metatarsal bristle (as in Fig. 26 ).

Male terminalia ( Figs. 155, 156 ): Sternite 5 with posteromedial desclerotized area somewhat small (see Roháček, 1982: Fig. 36 ). Anterior section of surstylus with anterior process in lateral view more or less rectangular and relatively short; bare lateral ridge at apex of anterior process prominent and darkened (best seen in ventral view); ventral lobe triangular and prominent, with short bristles; no bristles between long, basal, posterior bristle and apex of ventral lobe. Posterior section of surstylus with few bristles on dorsal (posterior) surface and slightly unequal apical bristles. Postgonite as in Fig. 200 .

Female terminalia (indistinguishable from L. neofinalis sp.n., Figs. 174–176 ): Hind margin of sternite 7 straight, simple. Sternite 8 with lateral margins angulate, posterolateral lobes well developed, triangular; median process rounded and of moderate width. Spermathecae pear-shaped with basolateral invagination, without or with small and shallow invagination near apex; spicules noticeably crowded towards base.

Material examined. (Identification of females through association with males) CANADA. Labrador : 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Cartwright , 29.vi.1955, E.F. Cashman ( CNCI) . Nova Scotia : 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Kingsport , 26.vi.1980, pan trap, Dondale & Redner ( DEBU) . Quebec: 1 ♂, Thunder River [= Rivière-au-Tonnerre], 11.vi.1929, W.J. Brown ( CNCI) . Manitoba: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Churchill , 21/ 22.vi.1948 G.E. Shewell and 17.viii.1952, J.G. Chillcott ( CNCI) ; 1 ♀, Churchill , 28.v.1952, muskeg, E.E. Wiffen ( DEBU) ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀, Fort Churchill , 17.vi., 29.vi. and 11.viii.1952, J.G. Chillcott ( CNCI) ; 1 ♂, Hudson Bay Railway mi 505, 13.vi.1952, J.G. Chillcott ( CNCI) ; 1 ♀, same as previous but mi 504, 21.vi.1952. Northwest Territories : 1 ♂, Hyndman Lake , 68°15’N 131°3’W, 30.vii.1969, G.E. Shewell ( CNCI) . Yukon Territory: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Rampart House , 2.vi.1951, C.C. Loan ( CNCI) . U.S.A. Alaska: 1 ♂, Healy , 26.vi.1921, J.M. Aldrich ( USNM) ; 1 ♂, Steese Hwy mile post 98.4, 4.ix.1948, G. Jefferson ( USNM) ; 5 ♂♂, Matanuska , 7–17.v.1944, rotary trap and 5–11.viii.1945, J.C. Chamberlin ( USNM) [Note: part of a mixed series of 52 ♂♂, 104 ♀♀, with roughly 60% of the specimens pertaining to L. finalis ; the remainder are L. neofinalis sp.n.]. We have also examined numerous specimens from the Novosibirsk area in Russia ( DEBU) .

Distribution (Map 6). Transcontinental in boreal and arctic Canada (records from LB, NS, QC, MB, NT, YT), Alaska; Palaearctic region from Great Britain to the Russian Far East ( Roháček et al., 2001). Most records from Yukon Territory listed in Marshall (1997), except those from Rampart House (see above), actually belong to other species in the L. fontinalis group, especially the Nearctic sister species L. neofinalis sp.n. In the Nearctic, L. finalis extends less far southward and appears to be much rarer than L. neofinalis sp.n. Due to the fact that both species can only be separated by male genitalic characters it is possible that some examined series of L. neofinalis sp.n. (see below) might include further specimens of L. finalis . Even though the range of L. finalis seems to overlap the range of L. neofinalis sp.n. entirely, Rampart House (Yukon Territory) and Matanuska (Alaska) are presently the only localities known where both species occur together.

Discussion. Leptocera finalis , L. neofinalis sp.n. and L. parafinalis differ from all other Nearctic members of the L. fontinalis group in possessing a more of less angulate (not rounded) ventral lobe of the anterior section of the surstylus, a simple female sternite 7 (hind margin neither sharp-edged nor medially produced) and pear-shaped spermathecae with spicules mostly restricted to basal half (other species have subcylindrical spermathecae with more or less evenly spiculate surface). For characters separating L. finalis from L. neofinalis sp.n. and L. parafinalis see Discussion under these species.

Figures

FIGURES 155–156. Leptocera finalis (Russia). Male terminalia (phallus and postgonites omitted): (155) lateral; (156) ventral. cp—ventral process of cercus.

FIGURES 199–209. Postgonites and aedeagal complex of Leptocera fontinalis group (excluding L. cymatonota subgroup). Postgonites of (199) L. angulispina sp.n. (Canada), (200) L. finalis (Canada), (201) L. kanata sp.n. (Canada), (202) L. neofinalis sp.n. (Canada), (203) L. parafinalis (Canada), (204) L. neovomerata sp.n. (U.S.A.), (205) L. tenuispina sp.n. (Canada). Aedeagal complex of L. fontinalis (Spain): (206) posterior; (207) anterior; (208) lateral; (209) dorsal. bcp—basal connection between postgonites, bp—basiphallus, dp—distiphallus, ea—ejaculatory apodeme, pa—phallapodeme, pg—postgonites.

FIGURES 16–29. Leptocera mid tibiae and basitarsi. Mid tibia, dorsal: (16) L. neocurvinervis (Chile); (17) L. duplicata (Juan Fernández Is.). Apical half of mid tibia and basitarsus, posterior: (18) L. parallelipennis sp.n. (Juan Fernández Is.); (19) L. ellipsipennis (Juan Fernández Is.); (20) L. erythrocera (Honduras); (21) L. sphaerotheca sp.n. (Mexico); (22) L. plax sp.n. (Ecuador); (23) L. tapanti sp.n. (Costa Rica); (24) L. cymatonota sp.n. (Mexico); (25) L. parafinalis (Canada); (26) L. neofinalis sp.n. (Canada); (27) L. kanata sp.n. (Canada); (28) L. fontinalis (France); (29) L. nigra (South Africa). d ad—distal anterodorsal bristle, d d—distal dorsal bristle, d pa—dorsal posteroapical bristle, l ad—lowermost bristle of proximal anterodorsal series, l pd—lowermost bristle of proximal posterodorsal series, mv—midventral bristle, pa v—preapical ventral bristle, vb—ventrobasal bristle of basitarsus, v pa—ventral posteroapical bristle.

FIGURES 36–37. Leptocera caenosa group adults: (36) L. argentinica sp.n., male from type locality (Argentina); (37) L. erythrocera pararoralis, male (Ontario, Canada).

FIGURES 170–176. Leptocera neofinalis sp.n. (Canada). Male terminalia (phallus and postgonites omitted): (170) lateral; (171) posterior; (172) ventral; (173) sternite 5. Female terminalia: (174) dorsal; (175) spermathecae; (176) ventral. as—sclerotized anterolateral angle of surstylus, ce—cercus.