Dohrniphora divaricata (Aldrich)

Brown, Brian V. & Kung, Giar-Ann, 2010, 2699, Zootaxa 2699, pp. 1-142 : 91

Dohrniphora divaricata (Aldrich)

( Figs 81–82, 197–198, 213–214, 322–323)

Phora divaricata Aldrich, 1896: 437 .

Dohrniphora divaricata: Borgmeier, 1961: 111 .

Dohrniphora venusta: Brues, 1915: 95 .

Dohrniphora cornuta: Schmitz, 1929: 22 , 25, 32.

Dohrniphora obscuriventris Borgmeier, 1925: 105 . Synonymized by Disney & Kistner, 1997: 24.

Dohrniphora diffusa Borgmeier, 1960: 281–282 , fig. 35. Synonymized by Borgmeier, 1961: 111.

Dohrniphora recurvata Borgmeier, 1960: 272 , fig. 20. NEW SYNONYMY

Dohrniphora perplexa: Borgmeier, 1963 (in part, some males). misidentification.

Dohrniphora cavifemur Borgmeier, 1969a: 1–2 , figs. 1–2, (in part, female only). Synonymized by Kung & Brown 2006: 1936.

Dohrniphora caverna Disney, 1995: 421–423 , figs. 4A–B, 5A. NEW SYNONYMY.

Holotype of D. divaricata . ♂; SAINT VINCENT: no other data [ USNM no. 7765; LACM ENT 219927 ] ( USNM; examined).

Holotype of D. recurvata . ♂, PANAMA: Bat Cave , 8.x.1952, F.S. Blanton [ LACM ENT 248303 ] ( USNM; examined).

Holotype of D. caverna . ♂, TRINIDAD: Northern Range , Oropouche Cave, 7.x.1989, J. Darlington ( CUMZ; not examined).

Remarks. One specimen ( LACM ENT 090371) of this species has a single hind tibial seta, and was treated in our earlier Dohrniphora revision ( Brown & Kung, 2007); most specimens lack hind tibial setae. Variation of the hind femoral setae is extensive, and was considered in our treatment on Caribbean Dohrniphora ( Kung & Brown, 2006) .

We have examined a paratype male of D. caverna Disney , and conclude that this name should be synonymized with D. divaricata . Disney (1995) might not have associated the two because of couplet 16 of Borgmeier’s (1960) key, which separates species with a long (0.55 wing length or more) versus short (0.54 or less) costal vein. Specimens of D. caverna key the first way in this couplet, but D. divaricata specimens that Borgmeier examined (as D. diffusa ) were said to have a costal length of “approximately one-half wing length.” We previously ( Kung & Brown, 2006) found variation in the costal length of 0.48–0.54, but other specimens we have since examined have costal lengths of up to 0.56. We find that the costal length of species varies across Borgmeier 0.54–0.55 cutoff, and because of similarity in the hind femoral setation of D. caverna with that of D. divaricata , propose their synonymy.

We further examined the type material of D. recurvata and conclude that this name should be synonymized with D. divaricata as well. Borgmeier (1960) separated D. recurvata from D. divaricata (as D. diffusa ) in his key via the same problematic couplet based on costal length, and further noted the “strongly anteriorly bent fifth vein.” Comparison of this vein with that of a “typical” D. divaricata (i.e., as in Figs 197–198) shows that this is not a character unique to D. recurvata (compare Figs. 322–323). The number of femoral peglike setae is larger in D. recurvata specimens ( Figs 213–214), but this number varies widely in D. divaricata and there are intermediates between the two. Both have the distinctive shallow concavity distal to the peglike setae.

Borgmeier (1963) considered some males of this species to be those of D. perplexa (Brues) , a problematic species described from a female type series.

Distribution. Widespread in the New World tropical lowlands north to the USA.

Natural history. Borgmeier & Prado (1975) speculated that this species (as D. obscuriventris ) lives in association with termites. This seems to be unlikely as an obligate association.

Material examined. In addition to the Caribbean specimens listed previously ( Kung & Brown 2006), we examined about 255♂ specimens from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Panama, and the USA. The northernmost record was Falls Church , Virginia, USA ( USNM), whereas the southernmost was Buenos Aires, Argentina ( LACM) .