Scipopus (Scipopus) furcifer Hennig, 1934

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 : 60-64

Scipopus (Scipopus) furcifer Hennig, 1934

Figs 22–23

Scipopus furcifer Hennig, 1934: 327 , tab. 3, figs 28–29.

Scipopus furcifer – Hennig 1937: 48 (listed). — Aczél 1949: 342 (catalog). — Steyskal 1968: 48.16 (catalog).

Differential diagnosis

Scipopus (Scipopus) furcifer resembles S. (S.) nigripennis in having a white first fore tarsomere and a shiny epicephalon that is clearly delineated from the upper frontal vitta, but it differs by the brown microtrichose ventral corner of the katepisternum.

Type material examined

Syntypes (photos provided Frank Menzel, Dec. 2020, SDEI)

HONDURAS? • 1 ♂; Bolixe, VII; coll. Oldenberg; SDEI.

BELIZE • 1 ♀; SDEI .

Other material examined

GUATEMALA • 1 ♂; Piedras Negras; Apr.–Jun. 1937; T. Proskouriakoff leg.; Lot 904; DEBU • 1?; Concepción ; 1400 ft. a.s.l.; Mar. 4 1932; “C.N.A. Inslie” leg.; USNM.

MEXICO • 5 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; Chiapas, 6 km N of Ococingo ; 840 m a.s.l.; 8 May 1985; A. Freidberg leg.; TAUI (1 ♂, 1 ♀ dissected and photographed, Fig. 22B–C, E–F ) • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; debu01089057/MYCRO642-20 unsuccessfully sequenced for CO1–5′; TAUI • 1 ♀; Chiapas, Nahá ; 16°56′55″ N, 91°35′37″ W; 930 m a.s.l.; 9–13 Jun. 2008; Malaise trap, mesophil forest; debu00312075/ MYCRO566-19 sequenced for CO1–5′; DEBU (photographed, Fig. 22A, D, G ) • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; debu00312073/MYCRO538-19 sequenced for CO1–5′, CO1–3′, 12S, 28S; DEBU • 1 ♀; Veracruz “#11”, 14 mi. SE of San Andres Tuxtla ; 600 ft. a.s.l.; 24 Jun. 1961; G.W. Byers leg.; SEMC • 1 ♂; Chiapas, Finca Prusia , 33 km S of Jaltenango; 1000 m a.s.l.; 10–12 May 1985; A. Freidberg leg.; TAUI • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; debu01089058/MYCRO641-20 unsuccessfully sequenced for CO1–5′; TAUI • 1 ♀; Veracruz, Fortin, Barranca de Metlac ; 25–23 Jun. 2003; R. Arce and L. Delgado leg.; IEXA • 1 ♀; San Luis Potosi, Aquismon, Tambaque ; 13 Jun. 2001; V. Hernandez leg.; IEXA • 1 ♀; Veracruz, Teocela, Texolo ; 1167 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 1989; res area; V. Hernandez leg.; IEXA • 1 ♂; Veracruz, San Andrés Tuxtla, Est. Biol. Lox Tuxtlas ; 80 m a.s.l.; 11–13 Jul. 1990; red area; R. Peréz leg.; IEXA .

Description

LENGTH. 14–17 mm.

HEAD. Palpus light brown or orange, pale brown microtrichose and setulose, narrow (length 5.0× height). Clypeus orange or light brown, width ~1.8 × height, bare medially, white microtrichose in posterolateral corners. Frontal vitta and orbital plate dull, orange, microtrichose. Epicephalon orange to light brown, shiny, indistinctly silvery-microtrichose, narrow or wide, clearly delineated from upper frontal vitta. Paracephalon slightly convex on posterolateral portions ( Fig. 22H ). All head chaetotaxy well-developed.

THORAX. Scutum black-brown, brown microtrichose, with three pale brown median vittae, sometimes overlayed by blue sheen; pale brown spot anterior to transverse suture ( Fig. 22D ). Female cervical sclerite convex. Postpronotal lobe black-brown, sparsely setulose on outer margin. Notopleuron black-brown with pale line of microtrichosity anteriorly and medially. Pleuron black-brown with the following microtrichosity: entirely white on proepisternum, entirely white on proepimeron except median brown line, white on anteroventral ⅓ of anepisternum, with ventral corner and remainder brown, almost entirely brown on katepisternum, or mostly brown with white transverse band and median brown spot; ventral corner always brown ( Fig. 23 ), white on margins of katatergite. Legs black-brown with blue sheen; first fore tarsomere white, hind tarsomere 1 almost entirely white dorsally. Wing uniformly black-brown infuscate.

ABDOMEN (J+ ♀). T1 with fine, long, white setae.

FEMALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron pale grey, microtrichose, P1 and dorsal half of P2 dark brown, dorsal half of P3–6 lighter brown. T1+2 ~2.0 × length of T3. Oviscape ~2.0–3.0× length of T6, black-brown, white microtrichose on anterior ⅓. Combined spermathecal ducts short; common duct narrow, ¼ of total duct length. Paired spermathecal duct narrow, short (5.0 × length of paired spermathecae), bent basally, parallel-sided, swollen apically. Paired spermathecal stems of equal length to spermathecae, with pointed tubercles. Paired spermathecae ovoid, bent basally, with apical indentations. Single spermathecal duct arising from basal ⅛ of paired duct, very narrow, ½ diameter and length of paired duct, swollen apically. Single spermatheca elongate, finger-like, with sparse, minute tubercles.

MALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron of available specimens discoloured. T1+2 ~2.2–3.0× length of T3. Genital fork ~2.5× length of T6, arms converging, inner basal process straight, over ½ length of arms. Epandrium elongate (length 2.0× height), posteroventral margin densely short setose. Basiphallus small, crescent-shaped. Basal distiphallus short (~3.0× phallic bulb), broad, ending in phallic bulb. Phallic bulb small and short, length ≈ height, approximately round, upper chamber with very small rounded posterior projection, lower chamber semi-circular. Distal distiphallus long and slender, ~2.0× length of epandrium, apex very slightly expanded. Phallapodeme apically expanded (not visible in Fig. 22E ).

Distribution

Honduras, Belize, Mexico (new record) to Guatemala (new record).

Figures

Fig. 22. Scipopus (Scipopus) furcifer Hennig, 1934. A. Head, ♀, anterior view, Mexico, non-type (DEBU). B. Male genital fork, ventral view, Mexico, non-type (TAUI). C. Female spermathecae and associated structures, Mexico, non-type (TAUI). D. Head and thorax, ♀, dorsal view, Mexico, non-type (DEBU). E. Male terminalia, lateral view, Mexico, non-type (TAUI). F. Male terminalia, ventral view, Mexico, non-type (TAUI). G. Habitus, ♀, Mexico, non-type (DEBU). H. Head, lateral view, red line indicating slight convexity, Mexico, syntype (SDEI) (Photo credit: Frank Menzel). Abbreviations: b = basiphallus; bc = bursa copulatrix; bdp = basal distiphallus; cd = common duct; ddp = distal distiphallus; e = epandrium; ea = ejaculatory apodeme; h = hypandrium; p = phallapodeme; pb = phallic bulb; pd = paired spermathecal duct; ps = paired spermatheca; pss = paired spermathecal stems; sd = single spermathecal duct; sp = sperm pump; ss = single spermatheca.

Fig. 23. Variation in white microtrichosity on the left lateral thoracic pleuron of Scipopus (Scipopus) furcifer Hennig, 1934. A. ♀, Mexico. B. ♀, Mexico. C. ♂, Mexico.