Leptocera plax Buck, 2009

Buck, Matthias & Marshall, Stephen A., 2009, Revision of New World Leptocera Olivier (Diptera, Sphaeroceridae), Zootaxa 2039 (1), pp. 1-139 : 121-123

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2039.1.1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5319526

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BB4C084E-FFB7-A740-0CE0-FC4AFEDDA52D

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Leptocera plax Buck
status

sp. nov.

Leptocera plax Buck , new species

( Figs. 22 View FIGURES 16–29 , 280–286 View FIGURES 280–286 , 297–301 View FIGURES 297–304 )

Description. Body length 2.1–4.0 mm. Prosternum with (1–)2(–3) setulae on a small, brown plate on each side of midline. Pattern of scutum distinct: posterolateral areas (lateral of dorsocentral lines and posterior to presutural intra-alar bristle) with conspicuous blue (instead of colourless) reflections. Scutellum distinctly velvety. Mid tibia with dorsal posteroapical bristle only ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 16–29 ), ventral posteroapical not differentiated (indistinguishable from surrounding hairs).

Male terminalia ( Figs. 280–283 View FIGURES 280–286 ): Sternite 5 with long, pale bristles near hind margin, and 8–10 strong, black marginal scales; lateral scales about twice as long/strong as medial ones; the pale field in front of scales small, with small black teeth that are similar to the marginal scales but smaller. Sternite 8 tightly joined but completely separate from epandrium. Epandrium on each side with one row of long bristles above ventral margin; the bristles above this row very sparse and short (except those along hind margin). Perianal field not narrowed ventrally, with U- shaped outline. Anterior section of surstylus with anterior process very broad and completely rounded apically (no anterior point); ventral lobe broad and horizontal (nearly linear in lateral view), with a row of strong lateral bristles in anterior half, posteriorly with three strong bristles whose sockets form a triangle (ventral view). Posterior section of surstylus with basal portion forming a roughly triangular, horizontal plate whose posterior margin is curved up like a lip towards epandrium and bears an irregular row of strong bristles; ventral portion narrow and finger-like, directed ventrally, apically bearing one small bristle and three setulae. Cercus fairly large, bearing long bristles similar to those of posterior section of surstylus, with a long, finger-like process originating from its dorsomedial margin; process asetose, with roughened surface. Subepandrial sclerite as in Fig. 297 View FIGURES 297–304 . Aedeagal complex as in Figs. 298–301 View FIGURES 297–304 .

Female terminalia ( Figs. 284–286 View FIGURES 280–286 ): Sternite 7 slightly produced posteromedially, its posterior edge shining and paler. Fused tergite 10 + cerci rectangular with rounded corners.

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( ROME) and 5 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀ paratypes ( DEBU; ROME): ECUADOR, Prov. Napo, Baeza, 1,500 m, 16–19.v.1987, wet montane rain forest, malaise, Coote & Brown. Other paratypes: ECUADOR. Prov. Napo: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Baeza, 1,550 m, 15–19.v.1987, wet montane rain forest/pasture, malaise, Coote & Brown ( ROME); 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Baeza, 1,700 m, 16–19.v.1987, wet montane forest/pasture nr. small creek, malaise, Coote & Brown ( ROME); 1 ♀, Baeza, 5.iii.1979, S.A. Marshall ( DEBU); Baeza, 2,000 m, 1 ♀, 1.iii.1979, 1 ♀, 1–10.iii.1979, S.A. Marshall ( DEBU); 8 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, El Chaco , 2,000 m, 15–23.ii.1983, malaise, Masner & Sharkey ( DEBU, QCAZ); 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 4.8 km W El Chaco, 0°18'22"S, 1,750 m, 77°50'38"W, 7.xi.1999, S.A. Marshall ( DEBU, QCAZ); 3 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, 5 km N El Chaco, 15.ii.1983, malaise and wet net, M.J. Sharkey ( DEBU, QCAZ); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 4.2 km S Cosanga, pipeline trail, 2,200 m, 0°37'19"S, 77°50'01"W, 7.xi.1999, S.A. Marshall ( DEBU); 5 ♀♀, 2.5 km W Cosanga, 2,150 m, 0°35'24"S, 77°53'19"W, 5–7.xi.1999, dung/pans, S.A. Marshall ( DEBU, QCAZ); 1 ♀, SierrAzul Lodge, 14 km W Cosanga, 2,200 m, 0°40'55"S, 77°56'09"W, 5.xi.1999, S.A. Marshall ( DEBU). GoogleMaps

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition and refers to the flat, plateau-like ventral lobe of the anterior section of the surstylus (Gr. plax : plate, tablet).

Distribution. Presently known only from a small area of the Andean foothills in Napo Province, Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,200 m.

Discussion. This is the only species of this group known from South America. It differs in a number of ways from the two Central American species, notably by the absence of the ventral posteroapical midtibial bristle, armature of male sternite 5 (resembling the teeth of a predator’s jaw), the separate sternite 8 (not fused to epandrium), slender medial process of male cercus and other less conspicuous details of the male and female terminalia.

ROME

Royal Ontario Museum - Entomology

DEBU

Ontario Insect Collection, University of Guelph

QCAZ

Museo de Zoologia, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Sphaeroceridae

Genus

Leptocera

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