Sclerocoelus nitidistylus, Kuwahara & Marshall & Paiero, 2025

Kuwahara, Gregory K., Marshall, Stephen A. & Paiero, Steven M., 2025, A revision of the genus Sclerocoelus Marshall (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 979, pp. 1-277 : 82-85

Sclerocoelus nitidistylus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8D08C8DB-566E-4603-A1ED-8E009E135A15

Figs 1A , 8B , 96–98

Etymology

This name refers to the shining outer surface of the male surstylus (from the Latin ‘ nitidus ’, meaning ‘shiny, polished’).

Material examined

Holotype

COSTA RICA • ♂; Puntarenas, Los Alturas trail to Cerro Chai ; 1700–2100 m a.s.l.; 13–15 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; MNCR.

Paratypes

COSTA RICA – Alajuela • 2 ♂♂; Quesada, Albergue Pozo Verde ; 1800 m a.s.l.; 10°15′15.1″ N, 84°22′18.4″ W; 21 Apr. 2023; S.A. Marshall leg.; from refuse pile under Eciton burchellii bivouac; DEBU • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; MNCR • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; W. Porras leg.; MNCR . – Cartago • 1 ♂; Braulio Carrillo National Park ; 500 m a.s.l.; 10 Apr. 1985; L. Masner leg.; rainforest; CNCI • 1 ♀; Braulio Carrillo National Park ; 1400–1500 m a.s.l.; 11 Apr. 1985; H. Goulet and L. Masner leg.; cool moist riverbed, Selva Premontana; CNCI . – Guanacaste • 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Guanacaste National Park, Cacao Field Station ; 1000–1100 m a.s.l.; 12–15 Feb. 1996; S.A. Marshall leg.; carrion traps; DEBU • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 700 m a.s.l.; 13–15 Feb. 1996; MNCR • 2 ♂♂; Guanacaste National Park, Cacao Field Station ; 1100–1200 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 1996; S.A. Marshall leg.; MNCR • 1 ♂; Guanacaste National Park, Santa Rosa Station ; 300 m a.s.l.; 11 Feb. 1996; S.A. Marshall leg.; dry riverbed; MNCR . – Heredia • 4 ♀♀; 6 km ENE of Vera Blanca ; 10°11′ N, 84°07′ W; 2000 m a.s.l.; 21 Feb. 2002; DEBU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Moravia, near border of Braulio Carrillo National Park ; 3–4 Mar. 1996; L. Masner leg.; creek bed, yellow pans; DEBU . – Puntarenas • 6 ♂♂; Monteverde Biological Reserve ; 1500 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2000; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 6 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNCR • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; M. Buck leg.; DEBU • 9 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 11–13 Jun. 2000; cloud forest; DEBU • 10 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNCR • 10 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 11 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNCR • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 12 Jun. 2000; M. Buck leg.; on dung; DEBU • 50 ♂♂, 19 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 11 Jun. 2000, M. Buck leg.; sweep; DEBU • 51 ♂♂, 19 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNCR • 8 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 12–13 Jun. 2000; pans along stream; DEBU • 6 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 13–14 Jun. 2000; pans along stream; MNCR • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 14 Jun. 2000; treefall sweep and pans; DEBU • 7 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 26 May 1998; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep; DEBU • 13 ♂♂; Monteverde Biological Station , lower trail; 26 May 1998; S.A. Marshall leg.; MNCR • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Monteverde ; 10°18′ N, 84°48′ W; 1539 m a.s.l.; 24 Feb.–2 Mar. 1988; B. Hubley leg.; 1° tropical cloud forest, pan traps; ROME • 1 ♂; Monteverde, Pension Queteal ; 10°18′ N, 84°49′ W; 24 May 1987; Norrbom and Max leg.; DEBU • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Monteverde ; 1500 m a.s.l.; 11–18 Jul. 1983; D.H. Lindeman leg.; fruit pitfall; CNCI • 1 ♂; Monteverde ; 1500 m a.s.l.; 29 Feb. 1988; Mason and Wood leg.; rainforest; DEBU • 2 ♂♂; Monteverde ; 1500–1800 m a.s.l.; 24–27 Feb. 1991; B.J. Sinclair leg.; trail sweep; DEBU • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Monteverde ; 1520 m a.s.l.; 15–23 Jul. 1983; D.H. Lindeman leg.; flight-intercept trap; CNCI • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Monteverde ; 23–27 Feb. 1991; B.J. Sinclair leg.; DEBU • 2 ♂♂; Monteverde, Finca Canada ; 1500 m a.s.l.; 28 May–1 Jun. 1988; B. V. Brown leg.; treefall, Malaise trap DEBU • 3 ♂♂; Monteverde ; 25 Feb. 1991; H. and A. Howden leg.; flight-intercept trap; DEBU • 1 ♂; Monteverde; 25 May 1998; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep near Biological Station ; DEBU . – San José • 1 ♂; San Gerardo de Dota ; 2300 m a.s.l.; 9 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep along forest stream; MNCR • 1 ♂; San Gerardo de Dota ; 9°33′ N, 83°48′ W; 2400–2600 m a.s.l.; 8–9 Aug. 1996; S.A. Marshall leg.; near trail; DEBU • 1 ♀; San Gerardo de Dota, near Lodge ; 9°33′ N, 83°48′ W; 2000 m a.s.l.; 9 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; stream in pasture, sweep; DEBU .

Other material examined

COSTA RICA – Guanacaste • 1 ♂; Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Derrumbe ; 10°55′45″ N, 85°27′51″ W; 1220 m a.s.l.; 12 Feb. 2015; D.H. Janzen and W. Hallwachs leg.; forest, Malaise trap; BIOUG32728 -A03/ GMCDQ410-17 sequenced for CO1-5’; BIOUG .

Description

BODY ( Figs 1A , 96A ). Length 2.2–3.4 mm. Head dark brown, lower half of frons, gena, face, and antennae orange. Frontal width 2.3–2.4 × frontal height. Two pairs of strong interfrontal bristles surmounting a fine third pair; anterior orbital 0.4–0.5 × length of posterior. Palpus yellow. Eye very large, greatest height about 5.0× shortest genal height. Thorax brown, scutum with paler lateral edges. Two pairs of dorsocentral bristles (anterior pair distinct, 0.4× length of posterior pair) separated by 7–8 rows of acrostichal setulae; prescutellar acrostichal setulae only slightly larger than others. Membrane around prosternum bare. Legs yellowish-brown, base of fore femur paler. Fore femur with three large ventral preapical setae. Ventral surface of male mid tibia with two rows of stout setae in apical third. Wing ( Fig. 8B ) slightly infuscate. CS2 0.7–0.8× CS3. Halter pale brown.

MALE ABDOMEN ( Figs96B–C , 97 ).Dark brown, posterior edges of tergites sometimes slightly desclerotized. T2–5 and S2–4 uniformly long-setose with large posterolateral setae. S5 rectangular, 1.8× length of S4, laterally sparsely setose with a dark, narrow, ventrally projecting patch of dense setulae flanked by pale setose areas. Anterior flange of S6+7 large, 2.0× as long as wide. Sclerite A dark, unmodified; sclerite B reduced to an indistinct filament arising from posterolateral corner of sclerite A; sclerite C broad but reduced and indistinct, arising from anterolateral corner of sclerite A; sclerite D well sclerotized, Y-shaped and bent distally; sclerite E dark, elongate, and slightly curved; sclerite F large, laterally concave, left side with an elongate apicoventral process; sclerite G small, dark, narrowly separated from sclerite F; ring sclerite small, dark. Epandrium moderate, 0.3 × length of S8, height 1.4× maximum length and 0.7× maximum width, uniformly setose, posteroventral margin deeply emarginate; anal fissure rounded; perianal pads weakly developed. Pseudocercus large, bearing three setae, and fused to posteroventral corners of epandrium; halves of subepandrial sclerite strongly arched, slightly flattened dorsally, and completely separate. Subcercus large, projecting posteriorly, elongate, apically bilobed, anteriorly with a short, dark, basal lobe. Hypandrium with Y-shaped anteromedial apodeme. Surstylus large, subtriangular, laterally concave and shining, inner surface setulose along a broad medial ridge and a dark carinate anterobasal lobe. Postgonite short, apically truncate and expanded, and posterolaterally crenulate. Phallapodeme very large, thick, apex dorsoventrally flattened; basiphallus small, tapered with a distinct, triangular epiphallus; distiphallus largely membranous.

FEMALE ABDOMEN ( Fig. 98 ). T7 broad, slightly emarginate posteromedially; T8 divided into a small, pale dorsal sclerite and a pair of large, dark lateral sclerites, posteroventral corners pointed. Epiproct shield-like, medially pale, apically tapered and setulose. Cercus elongate, slightly tapered with long apical and dorsal setae. S7 broad, rounded, broadly and deeply desclerotized posteromedially with four large posterior setae; S8 a single small but well-developed sclerite. Three spermathecae, bulb spherical, finely striate with a small apical invagination and a deep basal invagination.

Distribution

Neotropical: Costa Rica.

Remarks

Sclerocoelus nitidistylus sp. nov. is similar to other members of the S. dasysternum group, but can be readily distinguished by the very shiny outer surface of the surstylus, almost beak-shaped subcercus, and the female S7 with a deep, semicircular posterior desclerotized area. Sclerocoelus nitidistylus is commonly collected in the cloud forests of Costa Rica, where it is one of four endemic Costa Rican Sclerocoelus species and one of the seven members of the S. dasysternum group found in Costa Rica.

Sclerocoelus ocellatus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6EB0AB11-D632-4787-B09F-A3C6886FD2DC

Figs 8C , 99–101

Etymology

This name refers to the greatly reduced eye of this species, smaller than that of any other species of Sclerocoelus (from the Latin ‘ ocellatus ’, meaning ‘having small eyes’).

Material examined

Holotype

COSTA RICA • ♂; San José, Cerro de la Muerte , 20 km S of Empalme; 2800 m a.s.l.; Nov.–Dec. 1989; P. Hanson leg.; MNCR.

Paratypes

COSTA RICA – Cartago • 1 ♀; Highway 2, km 95; 9°36′ N, 83°44′ W; 3200 m a.s.l.; 1–7 Jun. 1985; H. Goulet and L. Masner leg.; DEBU . – San José • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; MNCR .

Description

BODY ( Fig. 99A ). Length 2.9–4.0 mm. Head dark brown, very bottom of frons orange; anterior half of gena orangish. Frontal width 2.2–2.3× frontal height. Three pairs of strong interfrontal bristles surmounting a fine fourth pair; anterior orbital 0.6× length of posterior. Palpus brown. Eye small, greatest height about 1.1–1.3 × shortest genal height. Thorax dark brown, scutum with paler lateral edges. Two pairs of dorsocentral bristles (anterior pair distinct, 0.6× length of posterior pair) separated by 6–7 rows of acrostichal setulae. Membrane around prosternum bare. Legs brown, mid femur slightly darker. Fore femur with four large ventral preapical setae. Wing ( Fig. 8C ) infuscate. CS2 subequal to CS3. Halter brown.

MALE ABDOMEN ( Figs 99B–C , 100 ). Dark brown, posterior edges of tergites sometimes slightly desclerotized. T2–5 and S2–4 uniformly long-setose with large posterolateral setae. S5 rectangular, 1.2× length of S4, sparely setose with a dark, elongate, posteromedial patch of dense setulae flanked by long-setose, pale patches. Anterior flange of S6+7 rectangular, 1.0 × as long as wide. Sclerite A pale, setulose, and weakly fused to S6+7; sclerite B dark and strongly arched into genital pouch; sclerite C apparently absent; sclerite D dark, elongate, expanded where it articulates with left side of posteromedial lobe of S5; sclerite E dark, elongate, closely associated with sclerite D, together forming a V-shaped; sclerites F and G fused, sclerite F with an elongate posteroapical process on left side, sclerite G bulbous and setulose; ring sclerite well developed but thin. Epandrium moderate, 0.6× length of S8, height 1.4× maximum length and 0.8× maximum width, uniformly long-setose; perianal pads bulging but membranous. Pseudocercus small, fused to posterolateral corner of epandrium and overlapping base of subcercus, bearing 3 setae; halves of subepandrial sclerite strongly arched with inner arch broadened. Subcercus large, setulose, flattened posteriorly with a triangular posteroventral lobe curving inwards. Hypandrium with sinuate, evenly tapered anteromedial apodeme. Surstylus large, 1.4 × as long as deep, bulbous, long-setose along inner surface with a small, triangular, inner anterobasal lobe. Postgonite short, sinuate, apically truncate with a slight constriction about midlength and a small, tooth-like, preapical anterior lobe. Phallapodeme large, slightly sinuate, with apex dorsoventrally flattened; basiphallus large, curved with an elongate, beak-like epiphallus and expanded distally along dorsal margin of distiphallus; distiphallus short, largely membranous with an elongate dorsal sclerite and a pair of short lateral sclerites.

FEMALE ABDOMEN ( Fig. 101 ). T7 broad, simple; T8 divided into a large, pale, dorsal sclerite and two large, dark, lateral sclerites, posterolateral corners expanded and pointed. Epiproct large, subtriangular, entirely sparsely setulose with an additional posteromedial seta near posterior margin. Cercus elongate, apically rounded with long apical and dorsal setae. S7 broad, broadly desclerotized posteriorly and medially with four large posterior setae; S8 entirely membranous. Hypoproct with entirely densely setulae. Three spermathecae, bulb stout, subspherical, finely striate with shallow basal and subapical invaginations, both with a small, finger-like, central process.

Distribution

Neotropical: Costa Rica.

Remarks

Sclerocoelus ocellatus sp. nov. is easily distinguished from all other species of Sclerocoelus by its small eye (1.1–1.3× genal height). Sclerocoelus ocellatus is known from a few specimens collected in high elevation forests in the mountains south of San Jose, Costa Rica. It is one of four endemic Costa Rican Sclerocoelus species and one of the seven members of the S. dasysternum group found in Costa Rica.

Figures

Fig. 1. Sclerocoelus Marshall, 1995, live specimens. A. Sclerocoelus nitidistylus sp. nov. near an Eciton bivouac in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. B. Probably Sclerocoelus copiosus sp. nov. from Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Ecuador.

Fig. 8. Sclerocoelus Marshall, 1995, left wings, ventral view. A. Sclerocoelus nebulosus sp. nov. B. Sclerocoelus nitidistylus sp. nov. C. Sclerocoelus ocellatus sp. nov. D. Sclerocoelus paranebulosus sp. nov. E. Sclerocoelus pararegularis sp. nov. F. Sclerocoelus parasordipes sp. nov. G. Sclerocoelus plumiseta (Duda, 1925) H. Sclerocoelus punensis sp. nov. I. Sclerocoelus puyensis sp. nov.J. Sclerocoelus rectangularis (Malloch, 1914). Scale bars: A–J=0.5 mm.

Fig. 96. Sclerocoelus nitidistylus sp. nov. A. Male paratype habitus, lateral view (debu00125692). B. Male paratype terminalia, posterior view. C. Male paratype terminalia, lateral view. Abbreviations: epa= epandrium; pc =pseudocercus; sc =subcercus; se =subepandrial sclerite; ss= surstylus. Scale bars: A=1.0 mm; B–C =0.25 mm.

Fig. 97. Sclerocoelus nitidistylus sp. nov., paratype. A. Aedeagus and associated structures, lateral view. B. Male S5 and genital pouch, ventral view. C. Subcercal complex, posterior view. Abbreviations: bp =basiphallus; dp =distiphallus; epi= epiphallus; hyp= hypandrium; pg =postgonite; ph =phallapodeme; sc (subcostal); se = subepandrial sclerite; ss=surstylus. Scale bars: A= 0.13 mm; B=0.25 mm; C= 0.10 mm.

Fig. 98. Sclerocoelus nitidistylus sp. nov., paratype. A. Female terminalia, dorsal view. B. Female terminalia, ventral view. C. Female terminalia, lateral view. D. Spermatheca. Scale bars:A–C =0.25 mm; D =0.03 mm.

Fig. 99. Sclerocoelus ocellatus sp. nov. A. Female paratype habitus, lateral view. B. Male holotype terminalia, posterior view (MNCR). C. Male holotype terminalia, lateral view (MNCR). Abbreviations: epa= epandrium; pc =pseudocercus; sc =subcercus; se =subepandrial sclerite; ss= surstylus. Scale bars: A=1.0 mm; B–C =0.25 mm.

Fig. 100. Sclerocoelus ocellatus sp. nov., male holotype (MNCR). A. Aedeagus and associated structures, lateral view. B. Male S5 and genital pouch, ventral view.Abbreviations:bp = basiphallus; dp =distiphallus; epi= epiphallus; pg =postgonite; ph =phallapodeme. Scale bars: A=0.13 mm; B=0.25 mm.

Fig. 101. Sclerocoelus ocellatus sp. nov., paratype. A. Female terminalia, dorsal view. B. Female terminalia, ventral view. C. Female terminalia, lateral view. D. Spermatheca. Scale bars:A–C =0.25 mm; D =0.03 mm.