Scipopus (Parascipopus) kubus, 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 : 92-94

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

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Fig. 38

Differential diagnosis

Scipopus (Parascipopus) kubus sp. nov. resembles most species of Scipopus s. str. in having a primarily orange head and dark brown body with a blue sheen, but differs from Scipopus s. str. in having an entirely white microtrichose anepisternum, an anteriorly tapered and pointed frontal vitta, a shiny orbital plate and a more anteriorly tapered thorax (length/height>1).

Etymology

The species name is a noun in apposition that honours the first author’s significant other.

Type material examined

Holotype

COSTA RICA • 1 ♀; Alajuela, San Ramón Biol. Res.; 900 m a.s.l.; Apr–May 2000.; P. Hanson leg.; debu00206289/MYCRO579-19 sequenced for COI; MNCR (photographed, Fig. 38A, B, D ).

Paratypes

COSTA RICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; debu00206315/MYCRO568-19 sequenced for CO1; MNCR (dissected and photographed, Fig. 38C ) • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MNCR .

Description

LENGTH. 11–15 mm.

HEAD. Antenna orange. Palpus orange, brown basally, pale microtrichose and setulose, narrow (length 5.0× height). Clypeus orange, brown medially, width ~2.1 × height, sparsely silvery microtrichose on entire surface. Frontal vitta dull, orange, microtrichose, posterior apex evenly tapered to a narrow apex. Orbital plate orange, shiny, bare, clearly delineated. Epicephalon orange, shiny, bare, wide (width>⅔ of upper frontal vitta width at inner verticals), clearly delineated from upper frontal vitta. Paracephalon orange. All head chaetotaxy well-developed.

THORAX. Scutum black-brown, dark brown microtrichose, with a very broad silvery-blue median sheen. Female cervical sclerite convex. Postpronotal lobe black-brown, setulose on outer lateral margin. Notopleuron black-brown. Pleuron black-brown with blue sheen, entirely covered in silvery microtrichosity, denser on posterior katepisternum and forming transverse silvery band (only visible at some angles). Legs black-brown; fore and hind tarsomere 1 dark brown or black with ventral golden fringe. Wing evenly dark brown infuscate. Apical scutellar seta present.

FEMALE ABDOMEN. T1 with fine, long, white setae. Pleuron pale grey, microtrichose, P1, dorsal half of P2 dark brown or grey, indistinctly dark brown or grey on dorsal half of P3–6. T1+2 ~2.2× length of T3. Oviscape black-brown, setulose, white microtrichose on anterior ⅓, ~3.0 × length of T6. Common duct very short, ⅛ of entire duct length. Paired spermathecal duct short (4.0 × length of paired spermathecae) narrow, very swollen distally. Paired spermathecal stems with very short, narrow, straight basal section and long, sinuate distal portion. Paired spermathecae ovoid, with an apical indentation (collapsed in Fig. 38C ). Single spermathecal duct arising from base of paired duct, narrow, ½ diameter and ¾ length of paired duct, single spermatheca elongate, inornate.

MALE ABDOMEN. Not observed.

Distribution

Costa Rica.

Figures

Fig. 38. Scipopus (Parascipopus) kubus subgen. et sp. nov. (MNCR) A. Head, ♀, anterior view, holotype. B. Head and thorax, dorsal view, holotype. C. Female spermathecae and associated structures. D. Habitus, holotype. Abbreviations: cd =common duct; pd = paired spermathecal duct; ps = paired spermatheca; ss = single spermatheca.