Sclerocoelus paranebulosus, 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 : 85-86

Sclerocoelus paranebulosus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:08E72442-9AB8-497D-8CA8-FD2BBA1EA24D

Figs 8D , 102–103

Etymology

This name refers to the overall similarities between this species and Sclerocoelus nebulosus sp. nov. (from the Greek ‘ para -’, meaning ‘near, beside’).

Material examined

Holotype

VENEZUELA • ♂; Mérida, 6 km S of Azulita , near road; 3 May 1988; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU.

Paratypes

COSTA RICA – Cartago • 1 ♂; Tapantí National Park ; 1650–1750 m a.s.l.; 7 Oct. 1999; M. Buck leg.; trail sweep; debu00105688/ MYCRO1030-22 sequenced for CO1-5’; MNCR .

VENEZUELA – Mérida • 3 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; DEBU • 1 ♂; Jají-La Azulita ; 3 May 1988; S.A. Marshall leg.; roadside sweeps; DEBU • 2 ♂♂; Mérida, Los Chorros ; 2200 m a.s.l.; 23 Apr. 1988; S.A. Marshall leg.; decaying vegetation; DEBU • 1 ♂; Mérida, Los Chorros, Santa Rosa Road ; 30 Apr. 1988; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep; DEBU .

Description

BODY ( Fig. 102A ). Length 3.4 mm. Head dark brown, lower fifth of frons, face, and gena orange; antennae brown. Frontal width 2.3–2.4× frontal height. Three pairs of strong interfrontal bristles surmounting a very fine fourth pair; anterior orbital 0.5–0.6× length of posterior. Palpus pale brown. Eye large, greatest height about 3.5 × shortest genal height. Thorax brown, scutum with orangish 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 leg darker. Fore femur with four large ventral preapical setae. Ventral surface of male mid tibia with two rows of stout setae in apical third. Wing ( Fig. 8D ) slightly infuscate. CS2 0.7–0.8 × CS3. Halter pale brown.

MALE ABDOMEN ( Figs 102B–C , 103 ). Dark brown, posterior edges of tergites sometimes slightly desclerotized. T2–5 and S2–4 uniformly long-setose with large posterolateral setae. S5 rectangular, 1.1× length and 1.1 × width of S4, laterally long-setose with a round posteromedial emargination and a loose cluster of setulae above a small, dark central process. Anterior flange of S6+7 1.0× as long as wide. Sclerite A bean-shaped, apically densely setulose; sclerite B weakly developed, arched; sclerite C fused to S6+7, twisted; sclerite D broad, asymmetrical, closely associated with middle of posteromedial part of S5; sclerite E broad, folded, with a prominent, setose anteroventral lobe; sclerite F elongate, sinuate; sclerite G broad, triangular and narrowly fused to sclerite F; ring sclerite well developed. Epandrium small, 0.4× length of S8, height 1.8× maximum length and 0.8 × maximum width, uniformly setose; perianal pads weakly developed. Pseudocercus absent; halves of subepandrial sclerite reduced, slightly curved, and widely separated. Subcercus large, longer than surstylus, triangular in posterior view, rectangular in lateral view, apex slightly curved outwards with a small posteroventral tooth. Hypandrium with thin anteromedial apodeme, lateral arms narrowly fused with base of anteromedial apodeme. Surstylus simple, short, long-setose, quadrate with a slight anteroventral notch. Postgonite broad, slightly sinuate, ventrally crenulate, anteroventral corner produced into a distinct, sharp process. Phallapodeme long with large dorsal ‘fin’; basiphallus stout and connected to distiphallus by a neck-like distal part; distiphallus largely membranous, dorsoventrally flattened with two sinuate dorsolateral sclerites.

FEMALE ABDOMEN. Female unknown.

Distribution

Neotropical: Costa Rica, Venezuela.

Remarks

Sclerocoelus paranebulosus sp. nov. is externally similar to S. lazulita sp. nov. and S. nebulosus sp. nov., which are also among the unplaced lineages of Sclerocoelus that lack the derived characters of the S. galapagensis and S. dasysternum groups. It differs from S. lazulita by the three large interfrontal bristles (versus two in S. lazulita ), and from S. nebulosus by the broad postgonite. Females of S. paranebulosus and S. nebulosus appear to be indistinguishable. The holotype was collected in an area of mid to highelevation cloud forest along with specimens of S. lazulita and S. xynos sp. nov.

Figures

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. 102. Sclerocoelus paranebulosus sp. nov., paratype.A. Male habitus, lateral view.B. Male terminalia, posterior view. C. Male terminalia, lateral view. Abbreviations: epa=epandrium; sc = subcercus; se =subepandrial sclerite; ss=surstylus. Scale bars: A=1.0 mm; B–C =0.25 mm.

Fig. 103. Sclerocoelus paranebulosus sp. nov., paratype. A. Aedeagus and associated structures, lateral view. B. Male S5 and genital pouch, ventral view. Abbreviations: bp = basiphallus; dp =distiphallus; pg =postgonite; ph =phallapodeme. Scale bars: A=0.13 mm; B= 0.25 mm.