Sclerocoelus vulgatus Kuwahara, Marshall & Paiero, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kuwahara, Gregory K.
name: Marshall, Stephen A.
name: Paiero, Steven M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Sphaeroceridae
Sclerocoelus
Sclerocoelus vulgatus

description: Sclerocoelus vulgatus sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7533119A-3F7A-4669-A2F7-324AFEF17694
Figs 9H, 144–146
Etymology
The species name (from the Latin ‘ vulgatus ’, meaning ‘make common’) refers to the abundance and wide distribution of S. vulgatus sp. nov. in Central and South America.
Material examined
Holotype
COSTA RICA • ♂; Puntarenas, Monteverde Reserve; 1500 m a.s.l.; Feb. 1980; W. Mason leg.; cloud forest; MNCR.
Paratypes
COSTA RICA – Puntarenas • 13 ♂♂, 32 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; CNCI • 14 ♂♂, 33 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; MCR. – San José • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Moravia, Zurquí de Moravia, Tower path; 10°02′58″ N, 84°00′57″ W; 1600 m a.s.l.; 30 Aug.–6 Sep. 2013; Proyecto ZADBI leg.; Malaise trap #1, 0 m.; MNCR.
Other material examined
COSTA RICA – Alajuela • 1 ♀; Quesada, Albergue Pozo Verde; 1800 m a.s.l.; 10°15′15.1″ N, 84°22′18.4″ W; 21 Apr. 2023; S.A. Marshall leg.; from foliage over refuse pile under Eciton burchellii bivouac; DEBU • 22 ♂♂; Volcán Tenorio, N slope; 1000 m a.s.l.; 18 Jun. 2000; S.A. Marshall leg.; trail to laguna, sweeping; DEBU • 1 ♂; Volcán Tenorio, N slope near Bijagua Biological Station; 700 m a.s.l.; 18 Jun. 2000; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep over Atta mound; DEBU. – Cartago • 1 ♂; La Suiza de Turrialba; Jul., P. Schild leg.; (“ L. Opacifrons coxata Stenh. Det Spuler ”); USNM • 2 ♂♂; La Suiza de Turrialba; Jul., P. Schild leg.; (“ L. Scotophilella rectangularis Mal. det Spuler”); USNM • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; Aug.; USNM • 1 ♂; La Suiza de Turrialba; Jul.; P. Schild leg.; (“ L. Scotophilella regularis Mal. det Spuler”); USNM • 1 ♀; Tapantí National Park; 1550 m a.s.l.; 7–12 Oct. 1999; Marshall and Buck leg.; pans in fallen tree; DEBU • 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Tapantí National Park; 1650–1750 m a.s.l.; 7 Oct. 1999; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep trail; DEBU • 3 ♂♂; Tapantí National Park, above ranger station; 1250 m a.s.l.; 12 Oct. 1999; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep trail/road; DEBU • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Tapantí National Park, Arboles Caídos Trail; 1200 m a.s.l.; 4 Oct. 1999; Marshall and Buck leg.; trail sweep; DEBU • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 1300 m a.s.l.; 9/ 11 Oct. 1999; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep; DEBU • 3 ♀♀; Tapantí National Park, Macizo de la Muerte, La Esperanza del Guarco; 9°42′00″ N, 83°51′49″ W; 2700 m a.s.l.; 17–18 Aug. 2001; S.A. Marshall leg.; oak forest, treefall pans; DEBU • 2 ♂♂; Tapantí National Park, near Catarata trail; 1450 m a.s.l.; 4 Oct. 1999; S.A. Marshall leg.; roadside, sweeping leaf litter; DEBU • 34 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Tapantí National Park, near west entrance; 1150 m a.s.l.; 11 Oct. 1999; Marshall and Buck leg.; trail to hydro tower/creek, sweeping; DEBU • 21 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; Tapantí National Park, outside near west entrance; 1150 m a.s.l.; 8–9 Oct. 1999; Marshall and Buck leg.; sweep trail; DEBU • 1 ♀; Tapantí National Park, Ranger Station; 1200 m a.s.l.; 7–12 Oct. 1999; M. Buck leg.; hand/pan traps in decaying vegetation; DEBU • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; pans in kitchen refuse; DEBU • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 9–12 Oct. 1999; Buck and Marshall leg.; human dung, hand and traps; DEBU. – Heredia • 1 ♂; 16 km SSE of La Virgen; 10°16′ N, 84°05′ W; 1050–1150 m a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 2001; transect; DEBU • 7 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Braulio Carrillo National Park; 1400–1500 m a.s.l.; 11 Apr. 1985; H. Goulet and L. Masner leg.; cool moist river bed, Selva Premontana; CNCI • 2 ♂♂; Moravia, near border of Braulio Carrillo National Park; 3–4 Mar. 1996; L. Masner leg.; creek bed, yellow pans; CNCI. – Puntarenas • 1 ♀; Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Derrumbe; 10°55′45″ N, 85°27′51″ W; 1220 m a.s.l.; 30 Oct. 2014; D.H. Janzen and W. Hallwachs leg.; forest, Malaise trap; BIOUG31500-D07 / GMCDA368-16 sequenced for CO1-5’; BIOUG • 2 ♂♂; 2000 m a.s.l.; 12 Jul. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 1 ♂; Las Alturas Biological Station; 1550 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 1995; T. Pape leg.; DEBU • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Las Alturas; 1500 m a.s.l.; 12 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; forest-pasture margin, sweep; DEBU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Las Alturas; 1500–1700 m a.s.l.; 12 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep; DEBU • 3 ♂♂; Las Alturas; 1600 m a.s.l.; 11–14 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; Malaise trap; DEBU • 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 15. Aug. 1995; ground Eciton raid; DEBU • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; swept over dung; DEBU • 1 ♂; Las Alturas, trail to Cerro Chai; 1700–2100 m a.s.l.; 13–15 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 18 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Monteverde Biological Reserve; 1500 m a.s.l.; 26 May 1998; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep; DEBU • 82 ♂♂, 22 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 11 Jun. 2000; M. Buck leg.; cloud forest, sweep; DEBU • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; S.A. Marshall leg.; on log over trail; DEBU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 12 Jun. 2000; on dung; DEBU • 49 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 11–13 Jun. 2000; cloud forest; DEBU • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 12–13 Jun. 2000; M. Buck leg.; cloud forest, pans along stream; DEBU • 20 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 13 Jun. 2000; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 13–14 Jun. 2000; M. Buck leg.; cloud forest, pans along stream; DEBU • 7 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 14 Jun. 2000; sweeping treefall and trail; DEBU • 20 ♂♂, 32 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; treefall sweep and pans; DEBU • 1 ♀; Monteverde Biological Station; 1500 m a.s.l.; 12 Jun. 2000; M. Buck leg.; white pans in kitchen compost; DEBU • 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 13 Jun. 2000; DEBU • 11 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Monteverde Biological Station, lower trail; 26 May 1998; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 4 ♀♀; Monteverde Reserve; 1550 m a.s.l.; 15–20 Jul. 1986; L. Masner leg.; CNCI • 5 ♂♂, 16 ♀♀; Monteverde Reserve; 1500 m a.s.l.; 15–20 Aug. 1986; L. Masner leg.; CNCI • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Monteverde; 1500 m a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 1980; D.M. Wood leg.; CNCI • 2 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀; Monteverde; 1500 m a.s.l.; 29 Feb. 1980; W.R. Mason leg.; cloud forest; CNCI • 2 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; Mason and Wood leg.; rainforest; CNCI • 4 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; Monteverde; 1500 m a.s.l.; 11–18 Jul. 1983; D.H. Lindeman leg.; fruit pitfall trap; CNCI • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 1520 m a.s.l.; flight-intercept trap; CNCI • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 15–23 Jul. 1983; CNCI • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 18–25 Jun. 1983; CNCI • 1 ♂; Monteverde, 25 Feb. 1991; H. and A. Howden leg.; flight-intercept trap; CNCI • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 27 Feb. 1991; dung traps; CNCI • 8 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; flight-intercept trap; CNCI • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀♀; Monteverde, Finca Canada; 1500 m a.s.l.; 5 Jun. 1988; B.V. Brown leg.; DEBU • 1 ♀; Monteverde, high pass between Pacific and Atlantic slopes; 10°18′ N, 84°48′ W; 1570 m a.s.l.; 3 Feb. 1986; A. Forsyth leg.; ROME • 4 ♂♂; Monteverde, Pension Queteal; 10°18′ N, 84°49′ W; 24 May 1987; A. Norrbom leg.; on human dung; DEBU • 6 ♂♂; Monteverde; 25 May 1998; S.A. Marshall leg.; sweep near Biological Station; DEBU • 1 ♂; San Gerardo; 1200 m a.s.l.; 15 Dec. 1994; D.C. Caloren leg.; sweep in banana grove; DEBU. – San José • 21 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Highway 2, km 68; 6 Aug. 1995; D.C. Caloren leg.; around Sphagnum bog/pond, sweeping; DEBU • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; San Gerardo de Dota; 9 Aug. 1995; S.A. Marshall leg.; disturbed area near river, sweep; DEBU • 1 ♂; Zurquí de Moravia; 1600 m a.s.l.; Mar. 1981; P. Hanson leg.; DEBU.
GUATEMALA – Baja Verapaz • 13 ♂♂, 50 ♀♀; 4.8 km W of Purulhá; 1680 m a.s.l.; 29 Jun.–3 Jul. 1993; J.S.Ashe and R.W. Brooks leg.; flight-intercept trap; SEMC • 13 ♂♂, 17 ♀♀; 7.4 km S of Purulhá; 1650 m a.s.l.; 2–3 Jul. 1993; J.S. Ashe and R.W. Brooks leg.; flight-intercept trap; SEMC • 1 ♀; 17 km N of Salama, Highway 5; 1700 m a.s.l.; 25 Jun.–3 Jul. 1993; J.S. Ashe and R.W. Brooks leg.; flight-intercept trap; SEMC • 1 ♂; Biotopo Quetzal; 15°12′44″ N, 90°12′57″ W; 1740 m a.s.l.; 7–10 May 2009; cloud forest, near stream, Malaise trap; UVGC. – Quetzaltenango • 2 ♀♀; 8 km SE of Quetzaltenango, Zunil; 2630 m a.s.l.; 17–19 Jun. 1993; J.S. Ashe and R.W. Brooks leg.; flight-intercept trap; SEMC. – San Marcos • 1 ♀; 8 km N of San Lorenzo; 4–18 Jul. 1986; J.M. Campbell leg.; flight-intercept trap; DEBU • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 13 Jul. 1986; DEBU. – Zacapa • 1 ♀; 1.5 km E of Rio Mondo; 350 m a.s.l.; 27 Jun. 1993; R.W. Brooks and J.S. Ashe leg.; flight-intercept trap; SEMC • 4 ♂♂, 25 ♀♀; 3.5 km SE of La Union; 1500 m a.s.l.; 23–25 Jun. 1993; J.S. Ashe and R.W. Brooks leg.; flight-intercept trap; SEMC • 4 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 25–27 Jun. 1993; SEMC.
HONDURAS – Olancho • 21 ♂♂, 19 ♀♀; La Muralla National Park; 15°05′49″ N, 86°44′17″ W; 1450 m a.s.l.; 4–7 Jul. 2002; Smith and Ocampo leg.; flight-intercept trap; DEBU.
MEXICO – Chiapas • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀; 5 km NNW of Coapilla; 17°10′56″ N, 93°09′06″ W; 1910 m a.s.l.; 25 May 2008; 2° mesophyll forest, Malaise trap; DEBU • 12 ♂♂, 25 ♀♀; Logos de Montebello, Lago Pojoj; 1500 m a.s.l.; 2–12 Jun. 1990; B. Gill and H. Howden leg.; flight-intercept trap; DEBU.
NICARAGUA – Jinotega • 1 ♀; Reserva Natural Cerro Kilambé; 13°34′09″ N, 85°39′27″ W; 1500 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2011; cloud forest, ex. sifted leaf litter; DEBU.
PANAMA – Chiriquí • 1 ♂; Hartmann’s Finca; 1700 m a.s.l.; 28 Jun.–3 Jul. 1981; B. Gill leg.; DEBU.
PERU – Loreto • 1 ♂; 1.5 km N of Teniente Lopez; 230–305 m a.s.l.; 22 Jul. 1993; R. Leschen leg.; flight-intercept trap; DEBU.
TOBAGO – Eastern Tobago • 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀; Charlotteville, Mon-o-War Bay cottages; 26–31 Jun. 1993; S. and J. Peck leg.; littoral rainforest, UV light; DEBU.
VENEZUELA – Aragua • 1 ♀; Henri Pittier National Park, Portachuelo Pass, Rancho Grande; 10 Apr. 1994; L. Masner leg.; Malaise trap; CNCI.
Description
BODY (Fig. 144A). Length 2.4–3.8 mm. Head dark brown, lower third of frons, gena, and antennae orange; face orange-brown. Frontal width 2.2–2.3× frontal height. Three pairs of strong interfrontal bristles surmounting a very fine fourth pair; anterior orbital 0.5–0.6 × length of posterior. Palpus yellow. Eye large, greatest height about 4.0× shortest genal height. Thorax brown, scutum with paler lateral edges. Two pairs of dorsocentral bristles (anterior pair only slightly larger than surrounding acrostichal setulae) separated by 7–8 rows of acrostichal setulae. Membrane around prosternum bare. Legs brown, trochanters and fore femur yellow. Fore femur with three large ventral preapical setae. Ventral surface of male mid tibia with two rows of stout setae in apical third. Wing (Fig. 9H) slightly infuscate. CS2 0.7–0.8 × CS3. Halter pale brown with white apex.
MALE ABDOMEN (Figs 144B–C, 145). Dark brown, posterior edges of tergites sometimes slightly desclerotized. T2–5 and S2–4 uniformly long-setose with large posterolateral setae. S5 rectangular, 2.0× length of S4, posterolaterally long-setose, posteromedially with a long, dark, deflexed patch of very dense setulae flanked by wide desclerotized patches. Anterior flange of S6+7 very large, 1.0 × as long as wide and longer than S5. Sclerite A lightly sclerotized, separated from S6+7; sclerite B long, very thin, and arched; sclerite C absent; sclerite D oblong, anteriorly bilobed; sclerite E long, basally notched; sclerite F large with a long, tapered distal lobe; sclerite G elongate, distally fused to sclerite F; ring sclerite well sclerotized with a small mesial lobe. Epandrium moderate, 0.6 × length of S8, height 1.5 × maximum length and 0.8× maximum width, uniformly setose; perianal pads weakly developed. Pseudocercus small, separate from epandrium, and bearing two setae; halves of subepandrial sclerite simple, strongly arched and broadly fused medially. Subcercus elongate, wedge-shaped in posterior view and triangular in lateral view with a broad, flat, anterior inner lobe. Hypandrium with thick anteromedial apodeme. Surstylus simple, triangular, anterior edge setose with a small basal lobe, lateral surface almost white, posterior edge dark. Postgonite short, apex broadened and crenulate with a large preapical anterior lobe. Phallapodeme large, thick, with a short dorsal ‘fin’; basiphallus elongate, sinuate with a short, flat epiphallus and bifurcate apex extending beyond junction with distiphallus; distiphallus dorsoventrally flattened with very dark J-shaped ventrolateral sclerites.
FEMALE ABDOMEN (Fig. 146). T7 broad, very dark at least laterally; T8 divided into a small, pale dorsal sclerite and two broad, black lateral sclerites, ventrolateral corners expanded posteriorly. Epiproct small, medially pale, and posteriorly setulose. Cercus elongate, tapered with long apical and preapical setae. S7 rounded, posterior margin widely desclerotized with six large posterior setae; S8 variously developed, from a single well sclerotized plate (in Costa Rican specimens) to two well separated, desclerotized lateral plates (in some Guatemalan specimens). Three spermathecae, bulb elongate, bean-shaped, finely striate with a large subapical invagination.
Distribution
Neotropical: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Tobago.
Remarks
Sclerocoelus vulgatus sp. nov. is externally similar to most species in the S. dasysternum group but differs by the bicoloured outer surface of the surstylus, large preapical anterior lobe on the postgonite, and only slightly ventrolaterally expanded lateral plates of the female T8. As the etymology of the species name suggests, Sclerocoelus vulgatus is one of the most frequently collected Sclerocoelus species across a wide Neotropical range, mostly in Mexico and Central America as is typical for members of the S. dasysternum group.
description: Published as part of Kuwahara, Gregory K., Marshall, Stephen A. & Paiero, Steven M., 2025, A revision of the genus Sclerocoelus Marshall (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), pp. 1-277 in European Journal of Taxonomy 979 on pages 118-122, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.979.2803, http://zenodo.org/record/14980852