Polytrichophora rostra, Mathis, Wayne N. & Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz, 2012

Mathis, Wayne N. & Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz, 2012, A revision of the new world species of Polytrichophora Cresson and Facitrichophora, new genus (Diptera, Ephydridae), ZooKeys 231, pp. 1-116 : 39-40

Polytrichophora rostra sp. n. Figs 6468

Diagnosis.

This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Small to moderately small shore flies, body length 1.80-2.25 mm.

Head: Frons dull, moderately heavily microtomentose, partially2-toned, mostly grayish tan to grayish black with some faint golden reflections on posterior 3/4, anterior 1/4 becoming orange immediately along ptilinal suture. Antenna mostly yellow to yellowish orange, dorsal portion of pedicel and to a lesser degree basodorsal area of basal flagellomere with some blackish coloration; arista with 5 dorsal rays. Face at narrowest point about equal to combined length of pedicel and basal flagellomere; face densely microtomentose, microtomentum with subshiny to pearly luster, mostly yellowish white but with considerable gold coloration in antennal grooves and extended laterally onto parafacial; parafacial not markedly differing from midfacies in color, becoming silvery white ventrally and posteriorly; parafacial with slight ventral dilation; gena relatively short, less than 1/4 eye height; gena-to-eye ratio 0.18-0.19.

Thorax: Mesonotum mostly slightly dull to subshiny, moderately densely microtomentose, mostly brown to tan laterally; pleural area gray. Lacking stout setae on apical half; anterior margin of wing lacking large, spine-like setae; costal vein ratio 0.45-0.63; M vein ratio 0.55-0.58. Forefemur lacking row of 9-10 short, stout setae along apical half of anteroventral surface; forefemur with posteroventral row of 6-7 setulae, each subequal to width of femur; tibiae mostly yellowish at apices, otherwise gray medially; basal tarsomeres yellow, apical 1-2 brown.

Abdomen: Tergites subshiny to shiny medially, grayish black, becoming grayer laterally; tergite 5 of male somewhat pointed posteriorly, lacking distinctive row of setulae apically. Male terminalia (Figs 64-67): Epandrium in posterior view (Fig. 64) as an inverted tear drop, wide basally, at midheight, tapered ventrally to form a narrowly pointed ventral margin, connected dorsally around cerci, in lateral view (Fig. 65) with most of posterior margin mostly straight, angled anteriorly and either end, ventral portion forming a beak-like extension that tapers to a narrow point, anterior margin shallowly zigzagged, apical portion bearing numerous short setulae; cerci prominent, moderately well developed; aedeagus complex, in lateral view (Fig. 67) elongate, doubly folded back on itself, basiphallus elongate, narrow, pointed apically, distiphallus more narrowly developed than basiphallus, folded back twice with apical segment oriented in same direction as general plane of terminalia, with complicated smaller folds and lines, in ventral view (Fig. 66) with basiphallus tubular, elongate, distiphallus twisted and irregularly curved; phallapodeme in lateral view (Fig. 67) elongate, clavate, narrowed toward aedeagal base, keel only slightly extended, in ventral view (Fig. 66) appearing aforeshortened as small irregularly rounded structure with short knobs; gonite in lateral view (Fig. 67) rod-like, narrow, elongate, irregularly parallel sided, in ventral view (Fig. 66) angularly curved, like a boomerang; hypandrium in lateral view (Fig. 67) elongate, very narrow, sinuous, in ventral view (Fig. 66) irregularly H-shaped with bar shallowly curved and posterior arms subequal to each other, anterior arms, narrow, left arm considerably shorter than right arm, both narrowly developed.

Type material.

The holotype male is labeled "PERU. Madre de Dios: Manu, Rio Manu,250 m[,] Pakitza, 12[sic, 11]°7[six, 56.6]'S, 70[sic, 1]°58 [sic, 16.9]'W, 9-23 Sep 1988[,] Wayne N. Mathis/USNM ENT 00285963 [plastic bar code label]/HOLOTYPE ♂ Polytrichophora rostra Mathis & Zatwarnicki, USNM [red]." The holotype is double mounted (minuten pin in a block of plastic), is in good condition (abdomen removed and dissected, midlegs missing), and is deposited in the USNM. One paratype (♂; USNM) bears the same label data as the holotype. Other paratypes are as follows: PERU. Cuzco: Paucartambo, Atalaya ( Río Alto Madre de Dios; 12°53.1'S, 71°21.6'W; 600 m), 4 Sep 1988, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM).

Type locality.

Peru. Madre de Dios: Rio Manu, Pakitza (11°56.6'S, 71°16.9'W; 250 m).

Other specimens examined.

Neotropical. ECUADOR. Napo: Pastaza (01°38'S, 77°0.1'W), J. R. Levi-Castillo (1♂; USNM).

Distribution

(Fig. 68). Neotropical: Ecuador (Napo), Peru (Cuzco, Madre de Dios).

Etymology.

The species epithet, rostra, is the Latin word for beak and refers to the shape of the beak-like epandrium as viewed in lateral view.

Remarks.

Like Polytrichophora setulosa , this species has asymmetry in the anterior hypandrial arms, which is probably a synapomorphy that indicates a close relationship with that species. This species is distinguished by the beak-like apical process of the epandrium, best seen in lateral view (Fig. 65), which is unmistakable and is the primary character that distinguishes this species from congeners within the conciliata group.