Scipopus (Parascipopus) nigriscapus Lindsay & Marshall 2023, subgen. et sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lindsay, Kate
name: Marshall, Stephen A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Micropezidae
Scipopus
Scipopus nigriscapus

description: Scipopus (Parascipopus) nigriscapus subgen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F905C84D-EBE3-49C4-9C71-226396A23583
Figs 6C, 42
Differential diagnosis
Scipopus (Parascipopus) nigriscapus sp. nov. resembles S. (Pa.) fenestratus sp. nov. in having a mostly orange body, but differs by the basally orange mid and hind femora with preapical orange bands, the apical scutellar seta, and the shiny, bare orbital plate. The frontal vitta of S. (Pa.) nigriscapus is often (but not always) partially or entirely dark brown or black.
Etymology
The name refers to the partially or entirely dark antennal scape on many representatives of this species.
Type material examined
Holotype
COSTA RICA • 1 ♂; San Jose, San Carlos, Cerro Cura, 14 km SSW of San Marcos de Tarrazzú; 9°36′31″ N, 84°07′09″ W; 1800 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 2003; S.A. Marshall leg.; UGIC116-15/MYCRO017-15 sequenced for CO1; MNCR.
Paratypes
COSTA RICA • 3 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; MNCR (2 ♂♂ specimens photographed, Fig. 42A,C) • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; UGIC260-15/MYCRO161-15 sequenced for CO1; MNCR • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 24 Feb. 2006; S.M. Paiero leg.; cloud forest; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MNCR • 1 ♂; San Jose, Finca Zacatales; 2100 m a.s.l.; 8–10 Aug. 1995; M.A. Zumbado leg.; L_S_389000_484300; MNCR • 1 ♂; San Jose, San Gerardo de Dota; 2000–2500 m a.s.l.; 22–26 Feb. 1992; Curso Tachinidae y Syrphidae; L-S 387400,482700; MNCR • 1 ♂; Prov. Punta, Send ac. Pittier; 1800–2500 m a.s.l.; 17 Jan. 1995; S. Avila leg.; L_S_331800_577400; MNCR • 1 ♀; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Z.P. Las Tablas, Est. Biol. Las Alturas; 82°50′04″ W, 08°57′07″ N; 1500–1600 m a.s.l.; 7–13 May 2013; Malaise trap; Projecto ZADBI; ZADBI-883; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 22–29 Apr. 2013; ZADBI-881; INBIO0004442497/MYCRO581-19 sequenced for CO1; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 27 May–3 Jun. 2013; ZADBI-886; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 2–9 Apr. 2013; ZADBI-683; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 9–16 Jul. 2013; ZADBI-1266; UGIC258-15/MYCRO159-15 sequenced for CO1; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 1–7 Jan. 2013; ZADBI-544; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 9–15 Apr. 2013; ZADBI-684; MNCR • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 11–19 Mar. 2013; ZADBI-680; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 5–13 Aug. 2013; ZADBI-1270; MNCR (dissected and photographed, Fig. 42D) • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 29 Jun.–2 Jul. 2013; ZADBI-1264; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 3–11 Jun. 2013; ZADBI-887; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 29 Apr.–7 May 2013; ZADBI-887; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 19–26 Mar. 2013; ZADBI-681; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 15–22 Apr. 2013; ZADBI-685; MNCR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 11–18 Jun. 2013; ZADBI-888; MNCR • 1 ♂; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Z.P. Las Tablas, Camino a Cotoncito, Send a las Juntas; 1400–1500 m a.s.l.; 26 Apr. 2002; M. Alfaro leg.; libre; L_S_320800_594500; MNCR • 6 ♀♀; Prov. Puntarenas, Buenos Aires, Estación Altamira, C. Biolley; 1766 m a.s.l.; 14 May–8 Jun. 2000; D. Rubi leg.; Malaise; L_S_332400_572200; MNCR • 1 ♀; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, P. Int. La Amistad, Estación Pittier, Fila Pittier; 2200 m a.s.l.; 19 Feb. 2002; M. Alfaro leg.; Libre; L_S_332800_579050 • 1 ♀; Prov. Punta, Est. Pittier, Send. A Rio Canasta; 1670 m a.s.l.; 22–28 Jun. 1995; R Villalobos leg.; L_S_330900_577400; MNCR • 1 ♂; Prov. Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Send a C. Echandi; 2500 m a.s.l.; 16 May 2000; A. Picado leg.; manual; L_S_382900_593000; MNCR (dissected and photographed, Fig. 42B, E).
MEXICO • 1 ♂; Chiapas, 4 km SE of Custepec; 15°42′30″ N, 92°55′51″ W; 2100 m a.s.l.; 20 May 2008; cloud forest, Malaise trap; DEBU.
PANAMA • 4 ♀♀; Chiriqui, Hartmann’s Finca, 15 km NW of Hato de Volcán; 1200 m a.s.l.; 20–31 May 1977; S. Peck leg.; DEBU • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; DEBU _0085/ DEBU085-06 sequenced for CO1; DEBU.
Description
LENGTH. 10–13 mm.
HEAD. Antenna dark orange and/or black and/or light orange, flagellum usually darker apically (Fig. 42A). Palpus orange, pale microtrichose and setulose, narrow (length 4.5× width). Clypeus orange or light brown, dark brown medially, width ~1.8× height, silvery microtrichose on entire surface. Frontal vitta dull, orange and/or black, microtrichose, posterior apex strongly tapered to a point. Epicephalon light brown and/or orange, wide (width>⅔ of upper frontal vitta width at inner verticals), clearly delineated from upper frontal vitta. Paracephalon light brown and/or orange. Outer vertical seta absent, all other head chaetotaxy well-developed.
THORAX. Scutum orange to reddish brown. Female cervical sclerite convex. Postpronotal lobe orange, orange setulose anteriorly. Notopleuron orange. Proepisternum orange, with dark brown or black stripe on posteroventral margin. Pleuron orange, sparsely covered in silvery microtrichosity. Tibiae black. Fore femur mostly dark brown or black, orange basally; mid and hind femora black or dark brown, orange on basal ⅛ to ½, with preapical orange band. Fore tarsomere 1 and sometimes 2 almost entirely white, hind tarsomere 1 dark brown or black with ventral golden fringe. Wing brown infuscate with indistinct, coalesced subapical hyaline spots (Fig. 42F). Apical scutellar seta present.
ABDOMEN (J+ ♀). T1 with fine, yellow or orange setae. T1–6 dark brown or black, setulose.
FEMALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron pale yellow or off-white, microtrichose, P1, dorsal ⅔ of P2 and dorsal half of P3–6 dark brown or black. T1+2 ~2.2 × length of T3. Oviscape dark brown or black, darker apically, white microtrichose on anterior ventral ⅓, lateral ⅓ and dorsomedian ⅛ (Fig. 6C), ~4.0–5.0× length of T6. Combined spermathecal duct length short; common duct ½ of entire duct length. Paired spermathecal duct narrow, short (2.0–3.0 × length of paired spermathecae), parallel-sided. Paired spermathecal stems narrow basally, swollen and wrinkled distally, longer than paired spermathecae. Paired spermathecae ovoid with an apical indentation. Single spermathecal duct arising from base of paired duct, narrow, ½ diameter and ≈ length as paired duct. Single spermatheca elongate, swollen apically, inornate.
MALE ABDOMEN. Pleuron off-white, P1–3, dorsal half of P4–6 dark grey, pleural sac dark brown or black. T1+2 ~2.3 × length of T3. T6 short, genital fork 2.3× as long as T6, with arms converging, inner basal process angled inwards, ⅛ the length of arm. Epandrium elongate (length ~2.0 × height), short setose on posteroventral margin. Basiphallus small, crescent-shaped. Basal distiphallus short (~⅓ length of epandrium), ending in small, short (length ≈ height) phallic bulb with upper chamber with indistinct posterior round projection and rounded lower chamber. Distal distiphallus narrow, long (≈ in length to epandrium), apex very expanded, spinulose and funnel-like. Phallapodeme very broad and expanded apically. Anterior hypandrium expanded and broad.
Remarks
The expanded and spinulose distiphallus apex of this species is an unusual character state, not found elsewhere in Scipopus s. lat. The modified apex resembles what is referred to as the ‘glans’ in some Afrotropical genera (Marshall 2014).
Distribution
Mexico to Panama.
description: Published as part of 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), pp. 1-189 in European Journal of Taxonomy 904 on pages 101-104, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.904.2323, http://zenodo.org/record/10123238