Sclerocoelus recurvatus, 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 : 99-100

Sclerocoelus recurvatus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:966F8022-9A56-45BC-B686-BB16ED448E40

Figs 9A, 122–124

Etymology

The species name (from the Latin ‘ recurvatus ’, meaning ‘recurved, bent backwards’) refers to the recurved, hook-like projection of the female S8.

Material examined

Holotype

COSTA RICA • ♂; Heredia, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Barva Biological Station ; 16 Feb. 2003; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep downed bromeliads; MNCR debu00206369.

Paratypes

COSTA RICA – Cartago • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Tapantí National Park, La Esperanza del Guarco ; 9°42′00″ N, 83°51′49″ W; 2700 m a.s.l.; 17–18 Aug. 2001; S.A. Marshall leg.; oak forest, treefall pans; MNCR . – Heredia • 7 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; DEBU • 7 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; MNCR . – San José • 1 ♂; Cerro de la Muerte, km 10; 2500 m a.s.l.; 25 Feb. 1984; A. Howden leg.; carrion trap; DEBU • 1 ♀; San Gerardo de Dota ; 9°33′ N, 83°48′ W; 9 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; disturbed area near river, sweep; DEBU .

Description

BODY ( Fig. 122A). Length 2.6–4.0 mm. Head dark brown; gena and antennae orange-brown. Frontal width 2.1–2.2 × frontal height. Three pairs of strong interfrontal bristles surmounting a very fine fourth pair; anterior orbital 0.4–0.5 × length of posterior. Palpus off-white. Eye large, greatest height about 4.0× 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. Membrane around prosternum bare. Legs brown, hind tibia darker. Ventral surface of male mid tibia with two rows of stout setae in apical half. Wing ( Fig. 9A) slightly infuscate. CS2 0.7–0.8 × CS3. Halter brown.

MALE ABDOMEN ( Figs 122B–C, 123). Dark brown, posterior edges of tergites sometimes slightly desclerotized. T2–5 and S2–4 uniformly long-setose with large posterolateral setae. S4 broadly emarginate posteromedially. S5 rectangular, 1.1× length of S4, slightly emarginate anteromedially, posterolaterally long-setose with a dark, elongate posteromedial patch of dense setulae flanked by narrow pale areas and then dark setose patches. Anterior flange of S6+7 small, 1.0 × as long as wide. Sclerite A pale, laterally setose; sclerites B and C reduced, indistinct from sclerite A; sclerite D dark, elongate, originating at left side of posteromedial patch of S5; sclerite E dark, broad with a narrow apical process; sclerite F large, elongate and curved; sclerite G elongate, narrow; ring sclerite small, weakly sclerotized. Epandrium small, 0.6× length of S8, height 1.2× maximum length and 0.6× maximum width, sparsely long-setose, posteroventral corner slightly reduced; perianal pads dark, flattened, narrow, and densely setulose. Pseudocercus small, separate from epandrium, and bearing three setae; halves of subepandrial sclerite very strongly arched (U-shaped) and medially fused. Subcercus small with a narrow, rectangular posterior lobe and a broad, rounded anterior lobe. Hypandrium with stout, sinuate, Y-shaped anteromedial apodeme. Surstylus simple, setose, subrectangular with a slight anteroventral lobe and a weak anterodorsal carina. Postgonite elongate, curved, distally expanded and desclerotized. Phallapodeme relatively small, apex flattened dorsoventrally; basiphallus greatly expanded distally along dorsal margin of distiphallus, with an elongate, hooked epiphallus; distiphallus short, largely membranous with a pair of dark, sinuate dorsolateral sclerites.

FEMALE ABDOMEN ( Fig. 124). T7 broad, simple; T8 divided into a small, pale, dorsal sclerite and two large, dark, lateral sclerites, posterolateral corners slightly expanded posteriorly and rounded. Epiproct elongate, rectangular, divided medially, and entirely setulose. Cercus relatively short, apically rounded with large apical, preapical, and dorsal setae. S7 broad, rectangular with four large posterior setae; S8 large, triangular with a large, dark, curved, ventral projection. Three spermathecae, bulb stout, spherical, finely grooved.

Distribution

Neotropical: Costa Rica.

Remarks

Sclerocoelus recurvatus sp. nov. is superficially similar to S. synorios sp. nov. differs by the rectangular male S5 with an elongate posteromedial setulose patch, stout surstylus, large recurved process on the female S8, and elongate hypoproct. Sclerocoelus recurvatus and its probable sister species S. grandicercus sp. nov. are sympatric in the montane Quercus forests of Costa Rica. They are among the four endemic Costa Rican Sclerocoelus species and among the seven members of the S. dasysternum group found in Costa Rica.