Leptocera nigra Olivier, 1813

Buck, Matthias & Marshall, Stephen A., 2009, Revision of New World Leptocera Olivier (Diptera, Sphaeroceridae), Zootaxa 2039 (1), pp. 1-139 : 117-119

Leptocera nigra Olivier, 1813

( Figs. 29 , 273–278 )

Leptocera nigra Olivier, 1813: 489 (neotype ♂, HNHM, not examined).

Limosina curvinervis Stenhammar, 1855: 406 (neotype ♂, MZLU, not examined).— Roháček, 1982: 6 (synonymy). Limosina roralis Rondani, 1880: 37 (lectotype ♂, MZUF, not examined).— Collin, 1912: 101 (synonymy).

Leptocera nigra .— Roháček et al., 2001: 155 (World catalog).

Diagnosis. This species was redescribed and fully illustrated by Roháček (1982). Body length 1.6–2.4 mm. External characters as in species group diagnosis.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 273–275 ): Sternite 5 with lobes on each side of posteromedial emargination spinulose, simple (i.e., without medial digitiform process). Anterior section of surstylus with extremely reduced anterior process (omitted in Roháček, 1982: Fig. 6 ), ventral lobe divided by shallow notch into a smaller anterior and a larger posterior part; anterior part with apical row of 3–4 bristles, posterior lobe rising posteriorly, with one strong posterior bristle plus a weaker one in front of it. Posterior section of surstylus with medial and lateral lobe (lower edge of the latter somewhat emarginate); lateral lobe with a vertical series of four bristles on posterior surface, inner corner with two bristles. Postgonite (cf. Roháček, 1982: Fig. 7 ) lacking posterobasal notch, with completely straight apical half and acute tip.

Female terminalia ( Figs. 276–278 ): Sternite 8 with moderately convex lateral margins, posteromedial lobe of moderate width (laterally not extending beyond inner pair of marginal bristles). Spermathecae with tuberculate processes near base.

Material examined. VENEZUELA. Aragua: 2 ♂♂, Henri Pittier Natl Pk., Rancho Grande, 1,500 m, 3.ix.1992, L. Masner ( DEBU). Mérida: 1 ♀, Mérida, Mérida Fac. Forest, 1,800 m, 11.v.1981, old coffee plantation, L. Masner ( DEBU). We have also examined numerous specimens from the Old World: England, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Spain, Morocco, Japan, Pakistan, Nepal, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa (Natal, Transvaal) ( DEBU, CNCI, CMNH).

Distribution. Newly recorded from northern Venezuela (1,500 –1,800 m) where it has apparently been introduced. Temperate and warm areas of Palaearctic (Europe excluding Iceland and northern half of Scandinavia, North Africa, Turkey, Middle East, Caucasus, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia to Japan), adjacent areas of Oriental region ( Pakistan, northern India, Nepal) and much of Afrotropical region (especially eastern and southern regions). Also on many Atlantic islands: Azores, Canary Is., Madeira, Cape Verde Is., Saint Helena ( Roháček et al., 2001; Roháček, 1982).

Discussion. This species is easily recognised based on the greatly unequal posteroapical bristles of the mid tibia, shortened lower orbital bristle, uniform acrostichals and lobate male sternite 5. The species appears to be rare in Venezuela (only three specimens recorded) but this might be due to inadequate sampling. It is likely that the species occurs mostly in heavily disturbed areas (such as coffee plantations, see Material examined), which are usually avoided by collectors. Leptocera nigra is one of the few sphaerocerid species introduced to the Neotropical region that are not associated with dung.

Figures

FIGURES 16–29. Leptocera mid tibiae and basitarsi. Mid tibia, dorsal: (16) L. neocurvinervis (Chile); (17) L. duplicata (Juan Fernández Is.). Apical half of mid tibia and basitarsus, posterior: (18) L. parallelipennis sp.n. (Juan Fernández Is.); (19) L. ellipsipennis (Juan Fernández Is.); (20) L. erythrocera (Honduras); (21) L. sphaerotheca sp.n. (Mexico); (22) L. plax sp.n. (Ecuador); (23) L. tapanti sp.n. (Costa Rica); (24) L. cymatonota sp.n. (Mexico); (25) L. parafinalis (Canada); (26) L. neofinalis sp.n. (Canada); (27) L. kanata sp.n. (Canada); (28) L. fontinalis (France); (29) L. nigra (South Africa). d ad—distal anterodorsal bristle, d d—distal dorsal bristle, d pa—dorsal posteroapical bristle, l ad—lowermost bristle of proximal anterodorsal series, l pd—lowermost bristle of proximal posterodorsal series, mv—midventral bristle, pa v—preapical ventral bristle, vb—ventrobasal bristle of basitarsus, v pa—ventral posteroapical bristle.

FIGURES 273–278. Leptocera nigra (273–275: Spain, 276–278: Venezuela). Male terminalia (phallus and postgonites omitted): (273) lateral; (274) posterior; (275) sternite 5. Female terminalia: (276) dorsal; (277) spermathecae; (278) sternites 7 and 8. ass—anterior section of surstylus, ce—cercus, cp—ventral process of cercus, ep—epandrium, fm—field of dense microtrichia, ha—hypandrial apodeme, pa—phallapodeme, pss—posterior section of surstylus, S—sternite, se—subepandrial sclerite, T—tergite (female tergite 8 divided into two halves).

FIGURES 2–6. Leptocera heads and antennae. Heads of (2) L. argentinica sp.n. (Argentina); (3) L. fulva (Costa Rica). Arista and first flagellomeres of (4) L. aequilimbata (Peru); (5) L. neocurvinervis (Chile); (6) L. caenosa (U.S.A.). ad s—additional setulae on orbit, l or—lower orbital bristle, u or—upper orbital bristle.

FIGURES 7–9. Leptocera thoraces: (7) L. cymatonota sp.n. (Guatemala); (8) L. hexadike sp.n. (Costa Rica); (9) L. fulva (Belize). ad sc—additional scutellar bristles.