Scatophila hirsovae, Zatwarnicki & Kejval, 2025

Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz & Kejval, Zbyněk, 2025, A review of Palaearctic species of the contaminata group of Scatophila (Diptera: Ephydridae) with description of a new species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 65 (1), pp. 157-165 : 161-163

Scatophila hirsovae sp. nov.

( Figs 13–20 )

Type locality. Czech Republic, Bohemia, Kateřina, Soos National Nature Reserve, saline swamp near Císařský spring, 50°8′53.8″N 12°24′10.8″E, altitude 440 m.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (dissected), labelled: ʽCZ-Bocc 5840 , 5.7.2021, KATEŘINA, Soos Reserve, saline swamp near Císařský spring , pan traps, 440 m, Z. Kejval leg. 50°8′53.8″N 12°24′10.8″E [printed] // HOLOTYPE [red label, printed] // Scatophila hirsovae sp.nov. T. Zatwarnicki & Z. Kejval det. 2025 [printed]ʼ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 1 ♂ 1 ♀, same labels as holotype ( NMPC) ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, ʽCZ-Bocc 5840 , 21.6.2023, KATEŘINA, Soos Reserve, salt marsh (partly trans.) swept , 440 m, Z. Kejval leg. 50°09′04″N 12°24′05″E [printed]ʼ ( NMPC) ; 2 ♂♂, ʽCZ-Bocc 5548 , 12.8.2023 DOBROMĚŘICE, Dobroměřický ryb. (pond bottom) 195 m, Z. Kejval leg. 50°23′24″N 13°47′33″E [printed]ʼ ( NMPC) ; 1 ♂ (dissected): ʽCS: Borský Jur, edge of pine wood , 48.36N / 17.03E, 190 m Barták, 22. vii. 1989 ʼ ( CULSP) ; 1 ♀, ʽCZ: Chomutov, Libouš II jih nr brook , MT, 285m, 50°24′24″N, 13°23′21″E Barták, 5.vi.-17.vii. 1999 ʼ ( CULSP) ; 2 ♀♀, ʽCZ: Duchcov- 2 km E deciduous wood, 18 [number in the circle, handwritten] 50.36N / 13.43E, 220 m., Bartak, 9.v.1993 ʼ ( CULSP) ; 1 ♂, ʽSlovakia mer., Kamenín nr. Štúrovo, salty meadow , J. Roháček leg. // sweeping over boggy meadow, 31.V.1982 [printed, only date handwritten]ʼ ( SMOC) .

Other material examined. CZECH REPUBLIC: BOHEMIA: SE of Most, 50°28′01″N 13°40′16″E, alt. 250 m, mine dump, pond banks/sandy, 11.viii.2023, Z. Kejval leg., 1 ♂ without terminalia ( MCH). TURKEY: AYDIN: Çine, 8 km S, 37°32′34″N 28°03′46″E, alt. 68 m, river bank, swept, 29.iv.–1.v.2016, M. Barták & Š. Kubík leg., 1 ♂ ( CULSP).

Description. Small shore flies, male body length 1.02–1.37 mm; wing length 0.80–1.20; female body length 1.17–1.38, wing length 1.05–1.07.

Head. Frons almost 1.5× wider than long, parafrons grey with black lateral margins, mesofrons brownish-grey ( Figs 15–17 ); the length of the inner vertical seta 1.5× of outer vertical seta, ocellar and fronto-orbital seta subequal in length of outer vertical seta ( Figs 15–17 ); antenna black; face projected slightly, in 1/4 of eye width; face medially and ventrally brownish, antennal fovea and gena greyish; 3 strong submarginal setae and 2 midfacial setae, ventral one longer ( Figs 13, 16, 17 ); palpus black; gena very short, gena-to-eye ratio 0.086 –0.140.

Thorax ( Figs 23–25 ): Mesonotum ( Figs 24, 25 ) mostly dark brown with seven small grey areas: one medial stripe between acrostichal setae, better expressed towards scutellum, and three on each side ( Figs 24, 25 ): oval spot between acrostichal and dorsocentral setae, rounded spot between dorsocentral seta and presutural supra-alar seta, followed by a narrow, oval spot extending to posterior intra-alar seta; scutellum dark brown, with apex grey; central and ventral part of anepisternum, also ventral section of katepisternum dark brown, the rest of pleura grey ( Fig. 23 ); presutural acrostichal setulae larger than others. Wing ( Fig. 21 ) generally brown, infuscate with whitened spots; cell r 2+3 with three, basal radial cell and discal cell with one small, cell r 4+5 with three (basal small), m cell and cell cu A1 with two spots; costal vein ratio 0.28–0.41; M vein ratio 0.57–0.73; stem of halter whitish grey, knob of halter white. Legs uniformly black ( Fig. 23 ).

Abdomen. Tergites dark brown, unicolorous, subshiny, with slight bluish-green reflection; male fifth to fourth tergite ratio 1.2. Male terminalia ( Figs 18–20 ): epandrium in dorsal view ( Fig. 18 ) 1.24 times as long as wide, posterior margin widely rounded, anterior margin broadly truncate (nearly straight) with rounded lateral margins; cercal opening comparatively large, height of cercal opening equal to 0.64 epandrial length; cerci in dorsal view ( Fig. 18 ) moderate in size, hemispherical; postgonite in dorsal view irregularly deltoid with moderately broadened apically anterior process and small posteroventral projection ( Fig. 20 ) and slightly arcuate; in lateral view irregularly trapezoid in arcuate form, anterior process apically bifurcate, bearing setulae, ventral process narrow, elongate ( Fig. 19 ); neohypandrium in lateral view elongated, narrow, shallowly sinuous ( Fig. 19 ); phallapodeme in dorsal view helmet-like with addition of T-shaped posterior crossbar (spatulate in antero-dorsal view), medial process linear, distinctly longer than expanded section ( Fig. 20 ), in lateral view elongate, C-shaped with dorsal section narrowly elliptic, ventral process bar-like ( Fig. 19 ); phallus (= aedeagus) in dorsal view elongated, 1.63 times as long as wide, ovoid with broadened anterior margin, dorsal opening pentagonal with broad V-shaped anterior margin ( Fig. 20 ); in lateral view irregularly ampulliform with posterodorsal large circular indentation producing medial triangular projection, posterior margin moderately rounded, ventral margin straight, apically shallowly rounded ( Fig. 21 ), ventral phallic process lacking.

Differential diagnosis. Scatophila hirsovae sp. nov. is undoubtedly close to S. pumilio , as suggested by overall similarity of external and genital characters. It can be distinguished from this species by the wing slightly pointed at apex of vein R 4+5, knob of halter white and characters of the male terminalia, especially by the helmet-like phallapodeme in dorsal view (see the key above).

The new species is similar to the Nearctic S. exilis , which can be separated by yellowish trochanters, apices of femora and two basal tarsomeres (versus black legs); anterior section of epandrium (in front of cercal opening) rectangular, 3× wider than long in the midlength (versus anterior section of epandrium trapezoidal, 2× wider than long in the midlength), epandrial anterior margin bears 30 sub- and marginal setae (versus epandrial anterior margin bears 16 sub- and marginal setae); postgonites separated medially (versus postgonites connected medially).

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Dr. Hana Kubátová-Hiršová (Kobylnice, Czech Republic) in recognition of her contribution to the knowledge of Ephydridae , especially to faunistics of Central European species. The species epithet, hirsovae , is derived from her maiden name.

Distribution. Palaearctic: Czech Republic ( Bohemia), Slovakia, Turkey ( Anatolia).

Figures

Figs 13–17. Scatophila hirsovae sp. nov. 13 – head, thorax and abdomen, lateral view; 14 – wing, dorsal view; 15 – head and thorax, dorsal view; 16 – head, anterior view; 17 – habitus, latero-oblique view. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Figs 18–20. Scatophila hirsovae sp. nov., male terminalia. 18 – epandrium and cerci, dorsal view; 19–20 – internal male terminalia (19 – dorsal view, 20 – lateral view). Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Figs 21–25. Scatophila pumilio (Loew, 1860). 21 – wing, dorsal view; 22 – holotype, antero-oblique view; 23 – head and thorax, lateral view; 24 – head and thorax, latero-oblique view; 25 – head and thorax, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.