Polytrichophora pulchra (Cresson)

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 : 50-53

Polytrichophora pulchra (Cresson) Figs 8488

Discocerina pulchra Cresson 1918: 56.

Polytrichophora pulchra . Cresson 1946: 143 [generic combination, review of Neotropical fauna]. Wirth 1968: 8 [Neotropical catalog]. Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995: 186 [world catalog]. Mathis 1997b: 39 [review, Belize].

Diagnosis.

This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Small shore flies, body length 1.45-1.90 mm.

Head: Frons mostly black with moderate dusting of gray to whitish gray microtomentum; ocellar triangle slightly lighter in color; fronto-orbits creamy white, narrow. Antenna mostly yellow; basal flagellomere darkened apicodorsally; arista bearing 5 dorsal rays. Face, especially ventrad of antennal grooves, narrow, width less than combined length of antennal scape and pedicel. Midfacies with broad vitta extended from oral margin to antennal bases, gray to yellowish gray, sharply contrasted with blackish brown, vertical laterofacies; parafacial yellowish white to entirely silvery white, contrasted with the much darker laterofacies; parafacials with little or no dilation ventrally; gena very short, height much less than height of basal flagellomere; gena-to-eye ratio 0.05-0.07.

Thorax: Mesonotum mostly microtomentose, dull, grayish brown to grayish tan, not subshiny to shiny; postpronotum bluish gray; pleural areas blackish brown with sparse to moderate dusting of bluish gray to brownish gray microtomentum. Lacking stout setae along anterior margin of wing; costal vein ratio 0.81-0.95; M vein ratio 0.57-0.61. Forefemur with distinct row of 5-7 moderately long, slightly larger setae along posteroventral surface, lacking stout setae along apical half of anteroventral surface; femora blackish brown; tibiae darkened dorsally, becoming yellowish ventrally and at apices; basal tarsomeres yellow, apical 1-2 brown.

Abdomen: Tergites subshiny to entirely shiny, very thinly microtomentose, brownish black; tergite 5 of male distinctly more sparsely microtomentose and shinier than tergites 1-4, black. Male terminalia (Figs 84-87): Epandrium in posterior view (Fig. 84) generally ovate, more or less uniformly setulose, dorsal margin broadly rounded, lateral margins widest a midheight, thereafter ventrally tapered medially, both ventral extensions pointed with a moderately narrow but deep gap, in lateral view (Fig. 85) narrow dorsally, becoming gradually wider ventrally, ventral apex acutely pointed and with a subapical, anterior, blunt, short projection; cercus comparatively narrow and elongate, conspicuous; aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 87) narrowly tubular, sinuous, apex tapered to point and with a short, folded back, flap-like, apical, membranous distiphallus, in ventral view (Fig. 86) moderately narrowly elongate with lateral margins shallowly sinuous; phallapodeme in lateral view (Fig. 87) roughly triangular with distinct extended keel broadly rounded apically, in ventral view (Fig. 86) clavate with basal margin rounded truncate, with 2 bluntly clavate margins apically; gonite in lateral view (Fig. 87) comparatively robustly developed, elongate, shallowly angulate, more robustly developed toward ae deagal base, in ventral view (Fig. 86) conspicuously arched, slightly broader medially, narrowed at each apices; hypandrium large, in lateral view (Fig. 87) moderately elongate, with lateral, irregular extension, in ventral view (Fig. 86) more or less H-shaped, with arms of anterior portion oriented medially and posterior arms slightly flared laterally.

Type material.

The holotype female is labeled "Turrucares 22XII09 [22 Dec 1909][,] C[osta]R[ica][,]PPCalvert/Sweeping over mud/TYPE No. 6129 [pink; number handwritten]/310/Holo-TYPE Discocerina PULCHRA E. T. Cresson Jr [magenta; species and generic names handwritten]." The holotype is double mounted (minuten pin in rectangular card block), is in poor condition, and is deposited in the ANSP (6129).

Type locality.

Costa Rica. Alajuela: Turrucares (9°57.6'N, 84°19.2'W).

Other specimens examined.

Neotropical. BELIZE. Stann Creek: Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (16°47'N, 88°30'W), 5-6 Apr 1993, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 3♀; USNM); Man of War Cay, 8-15 Nov 1987, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♂, 1♀; USNM); Maya Center, Cabbage Haul Creek (16°48'N, 88°23'W), 3 Apr 1993, W. N. Mathis (9♂, 5♀; USNM); Placencia Lagoon, Rum Point (16°32.8'N, 88°22.1'W), 4-5 Nov 1987, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Salt Creek (12 km N Dangriga; 17°13.4'N, 88°18.6'W), 28 Mar 1988, W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM); Twin Cays (south end of West Island), Jan 1987, W. N. Mathis, C. Feller (1♂; USNM); Wee Wee Cay (16°45.9'N, 88°08.6'W), 24 Jan 1987, W. N. Mathis, C. Feller (1♀; USNM).

BOLIVIA. La Paz: Guanay (3 km E; 15°30.2'S, 67°52.3'W; 500 m), 14 Mar 2001, W. N. Mathis (10♂, 1♀; USNM); Mapiri (Rio Mapiri; 15°18.6'S, 68°13'W; 720 m), 17 Mar 2001, W. N. Mathis (4♂, 1♀; USNM); Mapiri (5 km west; 15°17.8'S, 68°15.6'W; 750 m), 16 Mar 2001, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 1♀; USNM); San Pedro (3 km NE; 16°S, 67°35.3'W; 780 m), 12 Mar 2001, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 1♀; USNM).

BRAZIL. Amazonas. Manaus, INPA (03°05.9'S, 59°59.1'W; 60 m), 4 May 2010, D. and W. N. Mathis (3♂, 2♀; INPA, USNM); Reserva Ducke (02°55.8'S, 59°58.5'W; 40 m), 12-28 Sep 1986, L. S. Aquino, U. Barbosa (1♂; INPA). Pará. Santana, Furo dos Macacos, Marajó (2°02.6'S, 47°44.6'W), Oct 1970 (1♂; MZUSP); Tucuruí, Morro do Senador (03°59.1'S, 49°44.8'W), Dec 2001, J. A. Rafael, J. Vidal (4♂, 3♀; INPA). Paraná. Curitiba, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Reserva Biológica (25°26.9'S, 49°14'W; 915 m), 18 Jan 2010, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♂; DZUP, USNM). São Paulo. Itú (23°15.9'S, 47°17.9'W), Sep 1960, M. A. V. D’Andretta (1♂; MZUSP); Ubatuba, Praia do Estaleiro (23°20.5'S, 44°53'W; beach), 30 Mar 2010, D. and W. N. Mathis (2♂; USNM); Ubatuba, Praia Puruba (23°21'S, 44°55.6'W; beach), 29 Mar 2010, D. and W. N. Mathis (1♂, 1♀; USNM).

COSTA RICA. Cartago: Cartago (9°51.4'N, 83°55.2'W), 25 May 1909, P. P. Calvert (1♂; ANSP); La Suiza (9°51.5'N, 83°37.5'W), 6 May 1926, P. Schild (2♂; ANSP); Pejibaye, Reserva Biológica El Copal, Ron Ron (09°47'N, 83°45'W; 1090 m), 4 Apr 2005, J. Azofeifa, D. Briceño (2♂, 3♀; INBIO). Guanacaste: La Fortuna, Quebrada Santa Fé (10°40.5'N, 85°12.1'W; 100-200 m), 8 Dec 2002, J. D. Gutiérez (2♂, 3♀; INBIO); Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, Bosque San Emilio (10°50.6'N, 85°36.8'W; 300 m), 6-7 Jul 2002, D. Briceño (4♂, 2♀; INBIO); Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, Camino Borrachos (10°50.6'N, 85°37'W; 300 m), 3-5 Oct 2002, D. Briceño (7♂, 7♀; INBIO). Heredia: Santo Domingo (INBIO Parque; 9°58.4'N, 84°5.6'W), 14 Jun 2003, D. and W. N. Mathis (4♂, 4♀; USNM). Puntarenas: Cabuya (9°37.8'N, 85°4.6'W), 20 Jun 2001, D. and W. N. Mathis (3♂; USNM); Dominical (9°14.8'N, 83°51.4'W; 0-2 m), 11 Jun 2003, D. and W. N. Mathis (3♂, 1♀; USNM). San José: Río Paraíso (9°33.8'N, 84°7.4'W; 350-400 m), 15-17 Feb 2003, D. and W. N. Mathis (9♂, 2♀; USNM).

ECUADOR. Guayas: Machala (NNE; 2°40'S, 79°13.4'W; 40 m), 13 Jan 1978, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM). Puerto Orellana: Rio Tiputini Biodiversity Station (0°38.2'S, 76°8.9'W), 12-26 Aug 1999, A. Baptista, M. Kotrba, W. N. Mathis (32♂, 10♀; USNM).

GUYANA. Conservation of Ecological Interactions and Biotic Associations (CEIBA; ca. 40 km S Georgetown; 6°29.9'N, 58°13.1'W), 13-21 Apr 1994, 1995, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 2♀; USNM); Kaieteur Falls (5°10.7'N, 59°29.2'W; 570 m), 7 Apr 1994, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM); Kaieteur Falls (5°10.5'N, 59°28.9'W), 21-24 Aug 1997, W. N. Mathis (7♂, 2♀; USNM); Karanambo, Rupununi River (ox bow; 3°45.1'N, 59°18.6'W), 2 Apr 1994, W. N. Mathis (3♂, 1♀; USNM); Karanambo, Rupununi River (ox bow; 3°45'N, 59°17.5'W; 85m), 2 Dec 2010, W. N. Mathis (7♂, 4♀; USNM); Karanambo (Rupununi River; 3°45'N, 59°18.6'W; 85m), 1-3 Dec 2010, W. N. Mathis (21♂, 2♀; 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♂, 3 ♀; USNM); Moco-Moco (30 km E Lethem in Kanuku Mountains; 3°18.2'N, 59°39.0'W), 3-29 Apr 1994, 1995, W. N. Mathis (5♂, 2♀; USNM); Paramakatoi (04°42'N, 59°42.8'W), 24-25 Aug 1997, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM).

MEXICO. Chiapas: Cacahoatán (7 km N; 15°03.8'N, 92°09.1'W), 22 Apr 1983, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Tejería (15°03.8'N, 92°09.1'W), 23 Feb 1998, A. Freidberg (1♂; USNM).

PANAMA. Canal Zone: Juan Mina (09°10'N, 79°39'W), 28 Sep 1923, R. C. Shannon (1♂; ANSP); Pedro Miguel (9°01.1'N, 79°36.7'W), 10 Apr 1933, R. C. Shannon (1♂; ANSP). Chiriqui: Monte Lirio (08°47.5'N, 82°49.5'W), 6 Apr 1923, R. C. Shannon (4♀; ANSP).

PERU. Loreto: Iquitos (14 km W; 03°52.1'S, 73°28.2'W), 21 Feb 1984, W. N. Mathis (1♂; USNM).

Distribution

(Fig. 88). Neotropical: Belize, Bolivia (La Paz), Brazil (Amazonas, Pará, Paraná, São Paulo), Costa Rica (Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Puntarenas, San José), Ecuador (Guyana, Mexico (Chiapas), Panama, Peru (Loreto).

Remarks.

This species is similar to Polytrichophora desmata , the only other New World species in this group, and is distinguished from that species by the dull, grayish brown to brown mesonotum and by the vittate midfacies with the vitta extended from the oral margin to the antennal bases. The vitta is gray to yellowish gray and is sharply contrasted with the darker lateral portions of the midfacies.

The orbitalis Group

Species included: Polytrichophora mimbres sp. n., Polytrichophora orbitalis (Loew), Polytrichophora salix sp. n., Polytrichophora setigera Cresson, Polytrichophora sturtevantorum sp. n.

Discussion. The species in this group are quite similar externally and examination of structures of the male terminalia is often necessary to distinguish between them. This species group is distinguished from other groups by the following combination of characters: Parafacial 2-3 times wider ventrally; gena less high, less than 1/4 eye height; male tergite 5 lacking row of distinctive setae along posterior margin; row of stout setae along posteroventral surface of forefemur longer, subequal or longer than width of foretibia ( Polytrichophora salix is an exception in having shorter setae); abdominal tergite 5 of male in dorsal view pointed apically.