Polytrichophora prolata, Mathis, Wayne N. & Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz, 2012

Mathis, Wayne N. & Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz, 2012, A revision of the new world species of Polytrichophora Cresson and Facitrichophora, new genus (Diptera, Ephydridae), ZooKeys 231, pp. 1-116 : 65-67

Polytrichophora prolata sp. n. Figs 114118

Diagnosis.

This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Moderately small shore flies, body robust, body length 2.55-2.85 mm.

Head: Frons largely dull, gray to dark brown with moderate investment of gray to yellowish gray microtomentum, anterior margin with some yellowish to orange coloration; fronto-orbits moderately narrow, whitish gray to yellowish white. Antenna mostly yellow; dorsum of pedicel blackish; basal flagellomere tannish yellow apicodorsally; arista with 5 dorsal rays. Face relatively narrow, at narrowest point width less than combined length of pedicel and basal flagellomere; face more densely microtomentose than frons, microtomentum with shiny luster, midfacies mostly grayish tan to brown; parafacial yellowish gold, becoming more whitish gray; gena becoming slightly more whitish to silvery white than face; parafacial becoming slightly wider ventrally with little ventral dilation; gena moderately short, height less than height of basal flagellomere; gena-to-eye ratio 0.09-0.10.

Thorax: Mesonotum mostly dull to faintly subshiny, moderately densely microtomentose, mostly tan to brown, becoming gray laterally and anteriorly; pleural area mostly gray. Anterior margin of wing lacking spine-like setae; costal vein ratio 0.54 - 0.59; M vein ratio 0.35-0.37. Legs, including most of coxae, yellow; forefemur lacking a row of 9-10 short, stout setulae along apical half of anteroventral surface; forefemur with a row of 4-5, of moderately well-developed, evenly spaced posteroventral setae on apical half, each seta less than width of femur; tibiae mostly gray, only apices yellowish; basal tarsomeres yellow, apical 1-2 becoming slightly darker, mostly tannish yellow.

Abdomen: Abdomen, including tergite 5 of male, entirely black, shiny dorsally, slightly grayish and very sparsely microtomentose ventrally; sternites 4-5 of male partially setulose but not as dense patches. Male terminalia (Figs 114-117): Epandrium in posterior view (Fig. 114) narrowly connected dorsally, dorsum bluntly rounded, each lateral half very narrowly triangular, tapered ventrally, ventral extensions well separated on ventral 1/3, but extended parallel to each other, each tapered to narrowly rounded point, extensions bearing short setulae, in lateral view (Fig. 115) as a bent turkey leg, ventral extension moderately well developed, mostly parallel sided, subapically shallowly sinuous, apex pointed; cerci evident in lateral view, moderately well developed; aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 117) very robustly developed, relatively very broad, length slightly more than twice length, broadly truncate apically, in ventral view (Fig. 116) wedge-like, robust, basal half with lateral margins parallel sided, tapered to point on apical half; phallapodeme in lateral view (Fig. 117) elongate, clavate, keel forming club, in ventral view (Fig. 116) narrowly T-shaped with short, robust bar basally; gonite in lateral view (Fig. 117) elongate, rod-like on most of length, end toward aedeagal base distinctly curved, in ventral view (Fig. 116) narrowly bar-like, parallel sided, rounded at each end; hypandrium in lateral view (Fig. 117) irregularly quadrate, somewhat pointed toward gonite, in ventral view (Fig. 116) robustly and deeply V-shaped.

Type material. The holotype male of Polytrichophora prolata is labeled "BELIZE. Stann Creek District: Cockscomb Basin W[i]ldlife Sanct[uary]. (16°47'N, 88°30'W)[,] 5-6Apr1993, W.Mathis/USNM ENT 00285966 [plastic bar code label]/HOLOTYPE ♂ Polytrichophora prolata Mathis & Zatwarnicki, USNM [red]." The holotype is double mounted (minuten pin in a block of plastic), is in excellent condition, and is deposited in the USNM. Nineteen paratypes (10♂, 9♀; USNM) bear the same label data as the holotype.

Type locality.

Belize. Stann Creek: Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (16°45'N, 88°30'W).

Other specimens examined.

Neotropical. BRAZIL. Paraná. Morretes (25°28'S, 48°59.1'W), 29 Aug 2000, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM).

ECUADOR. Puerto Orellana: Rio Tiputini Biodiversity Station (0°38.2'S, 76°8.9'W), 12-26 Aug 1999, A. Baptista, M. Kotrba, W. N. Mathis (4♂, 3♀; USNM).

PERU. Madre de Dios: Rio Manu, Pakitza (11°56.6'S, 71°16.9'W; 250 m), 9-23 Sep 1988, W. N. Mathis (2♂, 1♀; USNM).

Distribution

(Fig. 118). Neotropical: Belize, Brazil ( Paraná), Ecuador (Puerto Orellana), Peru (Madre de Dios).

Etymology.

The species epithet, prolata, is of Latin derivation and refers to the prolongated, ventral extensions of the epandrium.

Remarks.

This species is distinguished from Polytrichophora reginae in being larger (body length of 2.80 mm or longer), having male tergites one through five entirely black and somewhat subshiny (not bicolored as in Polytrichophora reginae ), and in having male sternites four and five more uniformly setulose (not in dense patches as in Polytrichophora reginae ). In addition, the ventral portion of the epandrium (Figs 114-115) is as two narrow, elongated processes (pointedly rounded in Polytrichophora reginae ).