Polytrichophora barba, 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 : 28-30

Polytrichophora barba sp. n. Figs 43-47

Polytrichophora orbitalis of authors, not Loew [misidentification]. Woodley and Hilburn 1994: 31 [list, Bermuda].

Diagnosis.

This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Small to moderately small shore flies, body length 1.65-2.10 mm.

Head: Frons largely dull to faintly subshiny, moderately microtomentose, mostly grayish to brown, extreme anterior portion yellowish orange. Antenna mostly yellow to yellowish orange, arista with 5 dorsal rays. Face at narrowest point about equal to combined length of pedicel and basal flagellomere; face densely microtomentose, microtomentum with faint shiny to pearly luster, mostly yellow to faintly whitish yellow; parafacial and gena becoming slightly more whitish than face; parafacial becoming much wider ventrally with moderate ventral dilation; gena moderately short, height less than combined length of pedicel and basal flagellomere; gena-to-eye ratio 0.16-0.17.

Thorax: Mesonotum mostly dull to faintly subshiny, densely microtomentose, mostly tan to brown, becoming gray laterally and anteriorly; pleural area mostly gray. Anterior margin of wing lacking spine-like setae; costal vein ratio 0.48-0.68; M vein ratio 0.47-0.60. Forefemur lacking a row of 9-10 short, stout setulae along apical half of anteroventral surface; forefemur with a row of 4-5, of moderately well-developed, evenly spaced posteroventral setae on apical half, each seta less than width of femur; tibiae mostly gray, only apices yellowish; basal tarsomeres yellow, apical 1-2 becoming slightly darker, mostly tannish yellow.

Abdomen: Tergites widely subshiny gray medially, laterally tan to tannish gray. Male terminalia (Figs 43-47): Epandrium in posterior view (Fig. 43) moderately broadly rounded dorsally, thereafter tapered ventrally to narrowly rounded ventral apex, in lateral view (Fig. 43) with posterior margin curved with slight prominence at ventral fourth that bears a more dense tuft of setulae, anterior margin irregularly straight; cerci moderately sized, relatively narrowly fused with epandrium; aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 47) elongate, narrow, folded back on itself, basiphallus shallowly curved, parallel sided, distiphallus twisted, deeply recurved subapically; phallapodeme in lateral view rod-like, oriented almost perpendicular to general plane of terminalia, keel barely evident at hypandrial end, almost parallel sided, very shallowly angular, in ventral view (Fig. 46) as a small rounded structure with short dorsal and ventral knobs; gonite in lateral view (Fig. 47) narrow, elongate, nearly straight, rod-like, in ventral view (Fig. 46) slightly asymmetrical, elongate, more curved toward hypandrial end; hypandrium in lateral view (Fig. 47) nearly flat, very narrow and elongate, margins irregularly sinuous, in ventral view (Fig. 47) slightly asymmetrically H-shaped with bar situated much closer to posterior portion, anterior arms slightly longer than bar, pointed apically, posterior short, about half length of bar and slightly flared laterally.

Type material.

The holotype male is labeled "CUBA. Sanc[ti].Spiritus[,] Topes de Collantes[,] 21°54.4'N, 80°01.4'W, 670m, 9-11Dec1994[,] Wayne N. Mathis/HOLOTYPE ♂ Polytrichophora barba Mathis & Zatwarnicki, USNM [red]/USNM ENT 00133322 [plastic bar code label]." The holotype is double mounted (minuten pin in a block of plastic), is in excellent condition, and is deposited in the USNM. Twenty-six paratypes (14♂, 12♀; USNM) bear the same label data as the holotype. Other paratypes are as follows: CUBA. Cienfuegos: Topes de Collantes (5 km WNW; 21°56.5'N, 80°2.3'W; 600 m), 11 Dec 1994, W. N. Mathis (2♀; USNM).Havana: Ojo de Agua (22°54.6'N, 82°29.1'W), 8 Dec 1994, W. N. Mathis (3♀; USNM). Pinar del Rio: Soroa (22°47.7'N, 83°W), 4-6 Dec 1994, W. N. Mathis (4♂, 3♀; USNM).Sancti Spiritus: Playa Ancón (21°44.1'N, 79°59.9'W), 12 Dec 1994, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM).

Type locality.

Cuba. Sancti Spiritus: Topes de Collantes (21°54.4'N, 80°01.4'W, 670 m).

Other specimens examined.

Nearctic. BERMUDA. Devonshire: Devonshire Marsh (32°18'N, 64°45'W), 30 May 1991, W. N. Mathis (2♂, 2♀; USNM).

Neotropical. ARGENTINA. Tucumán: Padre Monti, Burruyacu (26°29'S, 64°58'W), 17 Jan 1948, R. Golbach (1♀; USNM).

BARBADOS. St. Andrew: Belleplaine (13°14.8'N, 59°33.6'W), 21 May-1 Sep 1996, 1997, D. and W. N. Mathis, H. B. Williams (7♂, 3♀; USNM); Walkers Bridge (13°15'N, 59°34.5'W), 11 Sep 1996, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM). St. Joseph: Joes River (13°12.8'N, 59°32.3'W), 10 Sep 1996, W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM).

BOLIVIA. Beni: Mission Cavinas (12°31.8'S, 66°55'W), Jan, W. M Mann (1♂; USNM).

COLOMBIA. Valle de Cauca: Río Raposo (3°43'N, 77°08'W; light trap), Apr–Jul 1964, V. H. Lee (2♂, 2♀; USNM).

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Barahona: Cortico, La Mina (18°06.7'N, 71°13.4'W; 1300 m), 21 Mar 1999, W. N. Mathis (4♂; USNM). Distrito Nacional: Santo Domingo ( Jardín Botanico; 18°32.5'N, 69°57'W), 26 Mar 1999, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♂, 1♀; USNM). El Seibo: El Seibo (5 km E; 18°44.73'N, 68°59.2'W; 120 m), 12 May 1995, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Rincón (near; 18°45.3'N, 68°55.7'W), 12 May 1995, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 2♀; USNM). La Altagracía: Bayahibe (18°22.3'N, 68°50.4'W), 13 May 1994, W. N. Mathis (2♂, 1♀; USNM). La Romana: Isla Saona, Catuano (18°11.7'N, 68°46.8'W), 13 May 1995, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM). La Vega: Constanza (ca. 16 km SE; 18°50.6'N, 70°40.7'W; 1580 m), 15 May 1998, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM). Pedernales: Rio Mulito (21 km N Pedernales; 18°09.3'N, 71°45.6'W; 270 m), 18-20 Mar 1999, W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM).

ECUADOR. El Oro: Pasaje (6 km E; 3°18.1'S, 79°47.1'W), 13 Jan 1978, W. N. Mathis (6♂, 4♀; USNM). Guayas: Boliche (14.5 km S; 2°10.5'S, 79°36.5'W), 14 Jan 1978, W. N. Mathis (2♂, 3♀; USNM). Manabi: Bahia de Caraquez (35.6 km E; 0°35.8'S, 80°13.5'W), 8-9 Jan 1978, W. N. Mathis (4♂, 5♀; USNM); Chone (0°41.7'S, 80°05.3'W), 9 Jan 1978, W. N. Mathis (2♂, 2♀; USNM); Chone (12 km W; Arabia; 0°42.8'S, 80°10.3'W), 8 Jan 1978, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM).

GUYANA. Dubulay Ranch, Aramatani Creek (5°40.9'N, 57°51.5'W), 9-11 Apr 1994, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM); Dubulay Ranch, Berbice River (5°40.9'N, 57°51.5'W), 9-11 Apr 1994, W. N. Mathis (7♂, 11♀; USNM); Karanambo (3°45.1'N, 59°18.6'W), 31 Mar 1994, W. N. Mathis (4♂, 8♀; USNM); Karanambo, Rupununi River (3°45'N, 59°17.5'W; 85 m; sand bank), 2 Dec 2010, W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM); Karanambo, Rupununi River (ox bow; 3°45.1'N, 59°18.6'W), 2 Apr-13 Dec 1994, 2010, W. N. Mathis (10♂, 8♀; USNM); Kumu River and Falls (25 km SE Lethem in Kanuku Mountains; 3°15.9'N, 59°43.6'W), 28-30 Apr 1995, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Paramakatoi (04°42'N, 59°42.8'W), 24-25 Aug 1995, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Pirara Ranch and River (03°32.1'N, 59°40.5'W), 24-25 Apr 1995, W. N. Mathis (8♂, 4♀; USNM); Pirara Ranch, Cashew Lake (3°36.7'N, 59°40.5'W), 23-27 Apr 1995, W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM); Wiruni River (5°46.6'N, 58°01'W), 11 Apr 1994, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 7♀; USNM).

JAMAICA. St. Elizabeth: Black River (18°01.4'N, 77°51.1'W), 11 May 1996, D. and W. N. Mathis, H. B. Williams (1♀; USNM).

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). Loreto: Rio Itaya (25 km S Iquitos; 04°11.3'S, 73°15'W), 22 Feb 1984, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Granja UNAP, near Iquitos (03°42'S, 73°13.7'W), 23 Feb 1984, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM). Madre de Dios: Diamante ( Río Alto Madre de Dios; 12°19.9'S, 70°57.5'W; 400 m), 7 Sep 1988, W. N. Mathis (2♀; USNM); Quebrada Romero (near; Rio Manu; 12°07'S, 70°58'W), 8 Sep 1988, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM); Rio Manu, Pakitza (11°56.6'S, 71°16.9'W; 250 m), 9-23 Sep 1988, W. N. Mathis (19♂, 14♀; USNM).

PUERTO RICO. Laguna Cartagena (18°0.7'N, 67°06.4'W), 20 Jan 1954, J. Maldonado Capriles (1♂; USNM).

TRINIDAD and TOBAGO. Trinidad. Caroni: Talparo (2 km N, 10°31'N, 61°17'W), 22 Jun 1993, W. N. Mathis (1♂, 1♀; USNM). St. Patrick: Pitch Lake (10°14'N, 61°38'W), 24 Jun 1993, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM). Victoria: Basse Terre (7 km E; 10°07'N, 61°14'W), 27 Jun 1993, W. N. Mathis (3♂; USNM).

Distribution

(Fig. 47). Nearctic: Bermuda. Neotropical: Argentina ( Tucumán), Bolivia (Beni), Colombia (Valle de Cauca), Ecuador (El Oro, Guayas, Manabi), Guyana, Peru (Cuzco, Loreto, Madre de Dios), Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies (Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico).

Etymology.

The species epithet, barba, is Latin word for beard and refers to the distinctive tuft of setulae, the beard, on the ventral portion of the epandrium of this species.

Remarks.

This species is similar to and has been confused with Polytrichophora orbitalis (see synonymy). Structures of the male terminalia are very distinctive, however, especially the tuft of short, setulae, which is apparently an autapomorphy, on the ventral portion of the epandrium (Figs 43-44). This tuft can often be seen in preserved specimens without dissection.