Bromeloecia undulata Yau and Marshall, 2018

Yau, Tiffany & Marshall, Stephen A., 2018, A revision of the genus Bromeloecia Spuler (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae: Limosininae), Zootaxa 4445 (1), pp. 1-115 : 59-60

Bromeloecia undulata Yau and Marshall sp. n.

(Figs. 12.1–12.14)

Description: Body length 0.9–1.3 mm (males), 1.1–1.6 mm (females).

Head: Interfrontal setae in 5 pairs. Length of anterior fronto-orbital seta subequal to posterior seta. Flagellomere 1 with 1 long pit on basal outer edge. Genal height 0.6x eye height.

Wing: Angle between costa and R4+5 70°. Distance between radial fork and r-m 2.7x length of r-m; dm-cu subqual to length of r-m and distance between crossveins 0.5x length of dm-cu. M-pseudovein slightly bent towards costa, leveling off in distal half and ending close to wing margin.

WIPs: Basal angle of distal spot wide, 85°.

Legs: Fore femur posteroventrally with a row of 7–8 stout setae along most of length. Ventral surface of mid tibia with a small middle seta and a large apical seta.

Male abdomen and terminalia: Anteroventral arm of synsternite 6+7 wavy, apex plow-shaped; posteroventral lobe simple with anteroventral edge sclerotized. Subepandrial sclerite reduced to simple π-shape. Cerci slender, basolaterally sandwiched by large out-turned spurs. Surstylus with 3 well-sclerotized wide flattened setae of different sizes, partly overlapping each other, shielding a posteromedial short blunt spur.

Hypandrium rectangular with sclerotized anterior hypandrial apodeme on anterior two thirds; hypandrial arms broad. Ejaculatory apodeme distally finger-like, basally divided; ejaculatory bulb forming a ring round the basal division. Distiphallus WS apically forked anteriorly and posteriorly; well sclerotized basally with H-shaped anterior extension; LFS strong and wide, with thin ventromedial process; FDS weakly sclerotized, apically forked; SDS long, bent medially to form an open arch.

Female abdomen and terminalia: Female T6 with extended posterolateral corners, setae concentrated on wellsclerotized lateral triangular patch on each side of tergite. Each half of T8 ovoid, with 1 large and 5 smaller setae. Epiproct glossy on lateral eighths, otherwise covered with microtrichia. Cercus triangular, outer margin folded inwards. Each spermatheca with apical and basal thimble-shaped pit, spermathecal ducts with mid-length swelling.

Type specimens: Holotype: ♂: ECUADOR: Esmeraldas: 11 km SE San Lorenzo, La Chiquita , 5 m, dung trap, 10–11 Jun 1975, S. Peck ( QCAZ).

Paratypes: ECUADOR: Esmeraldas: La Chiquita , dung, 7–8 Jun 1975, S. Peck (8♂, 9♀, QCAZ, DEBU) ; La Chiquita , 11 km SE San Lorenzo, 5 m, dung trap, 6–7 Jun 1975, S. Peck (5♂, 5♀, QCAZ, DEBU) ; 17 km SE San Lorenzo, La Chiquita , 5 m, dung trap, 7–8 Jun 1975, S. Peck (1♀, DEBU) ; same as holotype (9♂, 12♀, QCAZ, DEBU); La Chiquita , 11 km SE San Lorenzo, 5 m, carrion trap, 10 Jun 1975, S. Peck (1♂, 1♀, DEBU) ; ditto, 9–10 Jun 1975 (6♂, 9♀, QCAZ, DEBU) ; Guayas: 78 km N Santa Elena, 27 km S Puerto López , 500ʹ, dung trap, 25–27 Jul 1976, S. Peck (1♂, DEBU) ; Napo: Jatun Sacha Res., 6 km E Misahuallí , 01°04ʹ00ʺS, 077°37ʹ00ʺW, várzea, 450 m, dung pans, 1–2 May 2002, Buck & Lonsdale (1♂, 3♀, DEBU) ; ditto, 2–7 May 2002, M. Buck (1♀, DEBU) ; Jatun Sacha Res., 6 km E Misahuallí, 01°04ʹ00ʺS, 077°37ʹ00ʺW, pond edge, 450 m, Malaise , 1–4 May 2002, Marshall, Paiero & Lonsdale (2♀, DEBU) ; 12 km SW Tena , dung trap, 8–11 Aug 1976 (1♂, 1♀, DEBU) ; ditto, 500 m (13♂, 14♀, QCAZ, DEBU) ; ditto, S. Peck (5♂, 3♀, DEBU) ; Pichincha: Maquipucuna Biol. Res. , river trail, 1200 m, sweeping, 29 Oct 1999, S. A. Marshall (1♀, DEBU) ; Rio Palenque Station, 47 km S Santo Domingo, 1° lowland rainforest, 160 m, Malaise head, 30 Apr–5 May 1987, L. Coote & B. Brown (1♂, DEBU) ; 16 km SE Santo Domingo, Tinalandia , 680 m, dung trap, 21–22 Jun 1975, S. Peck (3♂, 4♀, DEBU) ; ditto, pasture, 28–29 Jun 1975 (1♂, 1♀, DEBU) ; ditto, forest, 16–28 Jun 1975 (1♀, DEBU) ; 22.7 km E Tandapi , mass forest, 8000ʹ, dung trap, 24–29 Jun 1975, S. Peck (1♀, DEBU) .

Other material examined: BRAZIL: Londrina: Mata dos Godoy , 28–31 Jun 1990, S. A. Marshall (1♂, 3♀, DEBU) ; Minas Gerais: 1 km E Lavras , in ditch dung traps, 18–20 Feb 1990, S. A. Marshall (1♂, 3♀, DEBU) ; Tiradentes, Serra de Tiradentes , human dung trap, 16 Feb 1990, S. A. Marshall (1♀, DEBU) ; Parana: Curitiba, FIT in woods behind Natural History Museum , 5–9 Feb 1990, S. A. Marshall (4♂, 2♀, DEBU) ; Curitiba , 30 km SE BR 277, dung trap, 6–9 Feb 1990, S. A. Marshall (4♂, 9♀, DEBU) ; Palmas, Linha Alegna, Fazenda Cerro Chato, 26°30ʹ09ʺS, 051°40ʹ13ʺW, 1224 m, on hill in campo, Malaise trap, 3–4 Mar 2015, Savaris & Norrbom (1♂, USNM). BOLIVIA: La Paz: Arroyo Tuhiri W Mapiri , 15°17ʹ27ʺS, 068°15ʹ29ʺW, 10 Apr 2001, S. A. Marshall (4♂, 4♀, DEBU) ; Coroico , 16°11ʹ23ʺS, 067°43ʹ36ʺW, grassy slope, 1700 m, dung traps, 5 Apr 2001, S. A. Marshall (1♂, 2♀, DEBU) ; San Antonio, ca. 8 km S Mapiri , 15°20ʹ56ʺS, 068°13ʹ31ʺW, secondary forest, dung trap, 11 Apr 2001, S. A. Marshall (1♀, DEBU) ; Santa Cruz: Potrerillo de Guerra , 17°40ʹ49ʺS, 063°27ʹ36ʺW, 4–7 Apr 1998, H. & A. Howden (3♀, DEBU) . COLOMBIA: Amazonas: Leticia , 28 Feb 1974, V. Nealis (2♂, DEBU) ; Norte de Santander: 3 mi N Chinacota , 3000ʹ, 8–10 Jun 1974, S. Peck (4♂, 1♀, DEBU) ; 2 mi N Chinacota , 3000ʹ, carrion, 12–14 May 1974, S. Peck (1♂, DEBU) ; 20 mi S Cúcuta Quebrada Honda , 2500ʹ, carrion trap, 13–15 May 1974, S. Peck (7♂, 6♀, DEBU). COSTA RICA : Alajuela: Florencia , forest, dung trap, 28 Feb 1980, H. Howden (3♀, 5♀, DEBU) ; Cartago: Turrialba Catie, Florence forest , 600 m, cup traps, 28 Feb 1980, H. & A. Howden (1♂, DEBU) ; Turrialba Catie , 600 m, 26 Feb 1980, H. & A. Howden (1♂, DEBU) ; Limon: Estrella Valley, Pandora , carrion trap, 20 Feb 1984, H. Howden (12♂, 11♀, DEBU) . ECUADOR: Pichincha: 113 km via Puerto Quito , 738–817 m, dung trap, 25–29 Aug 1976, J. Cohen (1♂, DEBU) ; 16 km SE Santo Domingo, Tinalandia , 680 m, dung trap, 19–20 Jun 1975, S. Peck (6♂, DEBU) . GRENADA: St. George: Grand Etang Forest , 12°05ʹ00ʺS, 061°42ʹ00ʺW, 460 m, dung traps, 7–8 Oct 1995, B. D. Gill (1♂, 4♀, DEBU) . GUYANA: Mazaruni-Potaro: Tukeit Falls, Potaro R., 1° rainforest, 300ʹ, human dung trap, 27–29 Nov 1990, B. Hubley (1♂, DEBU) ; E. side Potaro R., downstrem Tukeit Falls, 1° rainforest clearing along river, 300ʹ, Malaise-fine , 26–30 Nov 1990, B. Hubley (1♂, DEBU). PANAMA : Colón: Santa Rita Ridge, 10 mi SE Colón , 270 m, dung trap, 10–12 Jun 1977, S. Peck (1♀, DEBU) ; Panamá: Canal Zone, Madden Forest , carrion trap, 10–13 Jun 1977, S. Peck (5♂, 5♀, DEBU) . PERU: Madre de Dios: Amazonas Lodge, N of Atalaya , 12°52ʹ12ʺS, 071°22ʹ36ʺW, 480 m, FIT, 10–13 Nov 2007, D. Brzoska (1♀, DEBU) . TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO : Eastern Tobago: 10 km NE Roxborough, Gilpin Trail , rainforest, 450 m, carrion trap, 26–31 Jun 1993, S. & J. Peck (2♂, 1♀, DEBU) ; St. George: Arimaward, NY Zoological Society Station , pig dung trap, 11 Jun 1977, R. Woodruff (3♂, 1♀, DEBU). VENEZUELA : Bolívar: 135 km S El Dorado , 1400 m, dung trap, 20 Jul–7 Aug 1986, B. Gill (3♂, 1♀, DEBU) ; km 40 Santa Elena Icabaru Rd. , 220 m, 4–6 Aug 1986, B. Gill (3♂, DEBU) ; ditto, 1000 m (2♂, 4♀, DEBU) ; ditto, 100 m (2♀, DEBU) ; Quebrada de Jaspe , 19–20 Jul 1986, B. Gill (9♀, DEBU) ; Mérida: FIT, 1989, S. Peck (1♀, DEBU) ; Táchira: 20 km NE San Cristóbal, 4000ʹ, dung trap, 18–22 May 1974, S. Peck (1♂, 1♀, DEBU) . BARBADOS: Saint Andrews: Turner Hall Woods , dung trap, 21 Feb 1979, S. Peck (4♀, DEBU) ; Saint Thomas: Welchman Hall Gully , dung trap, Feb 1979, S. Peck (3♂, 2♀, DEBU) ; Welchman Hall Gully , 250 m, carrion moist wood, 20–25 Feb 1979, S. & J. Peck (3♀, DEBU) .

Etymology: Bromeloecia undulata is named for the wavy M-shaped anteroventral arm of synsternite 6+7 (Latin ‘undulatus’: wavy)

Comments: B. undulata is a widespread species found in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Males can be easily distinguished from the remaining B. wolverinei species group by the wavy arm of synsternite 6+7 and the wide flattened surstylar setae. Females are distinguished from other members of the species group by the extended posterolateral corners on the very well-sclerotized patches on T6. When the surstyli are tucked into the genital pouch and synsternite 6+7 is obstructed by legs or S5, one can still sometimes identify males of B. undulata by the comparatively convex (in contrast to B. triunguia and B. wolverinei ) and short (in contrast to B. brachium ) subanal plate.