Boreantrops mexicanus (Steyskal)

Kits, Joel H. & Marshall, Stephen A., 2015, A revision of Boreantrops Kits & Marshall (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae: Archiborborinae), Zootaxa 3915 (3), pp. 301-355 : 328

Boreantrops mexicanus (Steyskal)

(Figs. 15, 73, 108)

Archiborborus (Procopromyza) mexicanus Steyskal 1973: 155

Boreantrops mexicanus (Steyskal) : Comb. Kits & Marshall 2013

Description. Head orange, occiput black, posterior half of frons and prementum reddish brown. Mostly covered with microtomentum, frons shiny with microtomentum medially reaching from postocellar bristles anteriorly through ocellar triangle to anterior margin of frons, orbital plates with microtomentum, reaching bases of interfrontal setae, face with patch of microtomentum below lunule and antenna. Ocellar bristles just anterior to median ocellus. Subvibrissal bristle about 0.4X length of vibrissa, anterior genal bristle about 0.3X length of vibrissa.

Thorax black, mostly covered with microtomentum. Proepisternum shiny, anepisternum with microtomentum along dorsal third and posterior third, katepisternum with a shiny spot behind fore coxa, meron shiny, metapleuron shiny with a stripe of microtomentum between posterior spiracle and hind coxa. Mesoscutum sculptured. Halter white, brownish below knob.

Legs black, trochanters, bases and tips of femora orange, fore tarsus with 2 basal tarsomeres ivory white, mid and hind tarsi with 2 basal tarsomeres yellow, all tarsi with 3 distal tarsomeres brown. Mid tibia with 1 anteroventral, 1 posteroventral, 6 apical bristles. Hind tibia with 1 ventroapical bristle.

Wing brown, veins dark brown, crossveins r-m, bm-cu, and dm-cu white, vein R4+5 with 2 spots distal to crossvein r-m (Fig. 15).

Abdominal tergites 1–3 mostly heavily sclerotized, black, covered with microtomentum, syntergite 1+2 with a semicircular weakly sclerotized patch anteriorly. Tergite 4 with a median band heavily sclerotized, tergite 5 weakly sclerotized. Sternites weakly sclerotized.

Male unknown.

Female postabdomen: Tergites 6–7 with anterior and lateral margins heavily sclerotized, center and posterior margin not sclerotized. Tergite 8 covered with microtomentum, except anterior margin. Epiproct without anterior arms, mostly covered with microtomentum except anterior corners, with 2 setae. Cerci broad. Sternites 6–7 with margins heavily sclerotized, center not sclerotized. Sclerites of sternite 8 broadest posteriorly, posterior half covered with microtomentum. Hypoproct lozenge-shaped, covered with microtomentum. Spermathecae about 1.25X longer than wide, annulated, apex shallowly invaginated, sclerotized duct about 2.5X as long as bulb (Fig. 73).

Type material. Holotype ♀: MEXICO: Tamaulipas: 2 km NW Gómez Farías, Sótano del Porvenir, 13 Jan 1971, Elliot & Cooke ( USNM; examined). Paratype: same data as holotype (1 ♀, USNM; examined).

Other material examined. MEXICO: Tamaulipas: nr. Gómez Farías, Rancho del Cielo, 1000 m, cloud forest, FIT, 6 Jun – 7 Aug 1983, S. & J. Peck (1 ♀, DEBU).

Distribution. Currently only known from near Gómez Farías, in or near the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve in Tamaulipas (Fig. 108).

Comments. The spermathecae of this species are most similar to those found in B.longiphallus . However, there are small differences in proportions and we cannot confidently associate the males described here as longiphallus with the type of B.mexicanus on the basis of this character alone. Male specimens from the type locality are needed to confirm the identity of this species.