Scatophila mesogramma (Loew)

Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz & Irwin, Anthony G., 2018, Taxonomic notes on the genera Scatella and Scatophila (Diptera: Ephydridae) with a remark on Trixoscelis chilensis (Trixoscelididae), Zootaxa 4377 (1), pp. 91-109 : 102-103

Scatophila mesogramma (Loew)

( Figs. 18–23 )

Scatella mesogramma Loew, 1869: 42 .

Scatophila mesogramma: Sturtevant, 1923: 12 (combination). Scatophila grisescens Frey, 1915: 32 , new synonym.

Scatophila infantina Becker, 1926: 89 , synonymized by Zatwarnicki, 1987: 282.

Type material examined: One female of the senior synonym, in good condition, was labelled: “ Scatophila mesogramma ♀ ”, "364", "R. I.", "Loew Coll.", "mesograma Lw.", " Type 11148", mounted directly, preserved in MCZ. The holotype female of the junior synonym, which is glued to a paper triangle, in moderate condition (left basal flagellomere missing, left wing broken at the base), labelled: empty gold round label; "Kasatschie 5. VII. 1909 " (handwritten), " Scatophila grisescens n. sp.? Frey det." (name handwritten), " Holotypus " (printed, red), and is preserved in ZIN.

Other material examined: CANADA: Northwest Territories: Chesterfield , 10. VII. 1950, J. G. Chillcott, 4 ex ; Nova Scotia: East End, Sable Is. , 9. VI. 1967, D. M. Wood, 2 ex, S. Harbour Bch . PG957946, 11. VIII. 1 983, J. R. Vockeroth, 26 ex; Quebec: Gt. Whale R., 23. VI.–24. VIII. 1949, J. R. Vockeroth, 24 ex ( CNC); Natashquwan , 23. VII. 1930, W. J. Brown, 1 ex ( AMNH) . USA: Oregon, Boiler Bay , 9–30. III. 1930, J. Wilcox, 2 ♂ ; Massachusetts: Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs, 13. VI. 1917, C. W. Johnson, 1 ♀ ; New Jersey: Wildwood , 18. VII. 1908, 1 ♀ (all ANSP) . DENMARK: Frederikshavn , 30. VI. 1908, Th. Mortensen, 2 ♀ ( ZMUC) . GERMANY: Nordrhein-Westfallen: distr. Herford, Enger/ Bünde , 5. VII. 1994, T. Zatwarnicki, 1 ♂ ( TZPC) . POLAND: Wrocław-Leśnica , 10. V. 1985, T. Zatwarnicki, 1 ♀ ( TZPC) . RUSSIA: Karelia: Paanajärvi, R. Frey, 2 ♀ ( MZH); Nenetsia : Pechora Bay (68°53'N, 53°34'E), 25–26. VIII. 1994, C. Hansson, 1 ♀ ( MZLU) . SWEDEN: Norrbotten: Piteå, Pitholmen, 7. IX. 1965, H. Andersson, 1 ♀ ( MZLU) ; Skania, Borgeby, WSW Löddesnäs , 26. VII. 1966, L. Hedström, 1 ♀ ( UUZM).

Type localities: Senior synonym was described from " Newport, Rhode Island " ( USA) . Junior synonym was collected in Russia. " Jana-Land , Dorf Kasatschje am Fl. Jana " (= Kazachye, near Jana river; coordinates 70°44' 2.3" N, 136° 13' 10.9" E) .

Diagnosis. The species is closely related to S. arenaria Cresson but is distinguished from other species by mostly pale, whitish wing, with a spotted pattern scarcely evident; gena broad, more than twice as wide as width of basal flagellomere ( Figs.18–19 ); mesonotum uniformly brownish-grey, frequently with small pale presutural spots ( Fig. 23 ). Male terminalia ( Fig. 20–22 ) with concave anterior margin of epandrium and triangular shape of anterior portion of the gonite, sclerotized part of the aedeagus with length twice the height.

Distribution. Nearctic: Canada (Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Quebec), United States (Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island). Palaearctic: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Russia (European Territory, Siberia), Sweden.

Remarks. External features of the holotype of S. grisescens have been examined and clearly represent S. mesogramma , with which it is now formally synonymized.

Figures

FIGURES 18–19. Head with a part of thorax of Scatophila mesogramma Sturtevant, 1923. 18. antero-oblique view. 19.lateral view (Sweden:Pitholmen; MZLU).Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 20–22. Structures of the male terminalia of Scatophila mesogramma Sturtevant, 1923 (USA: Oregon, Boiler Bay; ANSP).20.Epandriumand cerci, ventral view.21. Internalstructures (aedeagus,phallapodeme,gonite), lateral view.22.Same, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES23–24. Head with thorax, dorsal view.23. Scatophila mesogramma Sturtevant, 1923 (Sweden: Pitholmen; MZLU). 24. Scatophila quadriguttata (Meigen, 1830) (Belgium: De Panne; RBINS).Scale bar = 0.2 mm.