Microphorella acuminata, Brooks & Cumming, 2025

Brooks, Scott E. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2025, Revision of the Microphorella acroptera species group and establishment of the Microphorella arcana species group (Diptera: Dolichopodidae sensu lato: Parathalassiinae), Zootaxa 5661 (4), pp. 451-503 : 478-482

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5661.4.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F9498ECE-DED3-46F1-A7D3-1E726D1D11A0
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16605974
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A87AB-FFCC-FFCC-FF42-FA2025BFF729
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Microphorella acuminata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Microphorella acuminata sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7BA1250A-3A11-4E38-8C71-C90BB7130F92

( Figs 71 View FIGURES 71–77 , 78 View FIGURES 78–80 , 103 View FIGURES 102–103 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–77 ) labelled: “USA: CALIFORNIA: Mon-| terey County, Carmel | Valley , HastingsNatural | History Reservation | ca 1750’ 20-Jun-1998 ”; “ Paul H. Arnaud, Jr &| Madeline M. Arnaud | Arnaud Flight Trap | over Big Creek | Collection No.01959-A”; “ HOLOTYPE | Microphorella | acuminata | Brooks & Cumming” [red label] ( USNM) . PARATYPES: USA: California: Monterey County : same data as holotype [36°22'N 121°33'W] (2♂, 10♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except, 19.vi.1998, Collection No. 01958-A (11♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except, 21.vi.1998, Collection No. 01961-A; Paraiso Hot Springs , 13 km SW Soledad [36°19'N 121°22'W], 400 m, 25.v.1975, P.H. Arnaud, Jr (1♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except, 28.v.1977 (2♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except, 29.v.1977, CNC1155844 View Materials (1♂, USNM) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. In addition to the characters listed above for the M. acuminata lineage, males of this species can be distinguished from the other members of the M. acroptera species group by several features of the hypopygium ( Fig. 78 View FIGURES 78–80 ), including the acuminate ventral epandrial process, the long, thick apical projection of the left postgonite and the deeply bifurcate phallus.

Description. Male ( Figs 71 View FIGURES 71–77 , 78 View FIGURES 78–80 ): Wing length 1.5–1.6 mm. Head ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–77 ): Mainly blackish-brown pruinose, with metallic blue tinge dorsally (concolourous with thorax), ventral part of frons, face and clypeus blackish-brown in anterior view; slightly narrower than thorax in dorsal view; ovoid in lateral view (higher than broad); slightly broader than high in anterior view; larger setae black, smaller setae brown. Ocellar triangle conspicuous. Occiput weakly concave on upper median part. Eyes covered with short ommatrichia; medial edge of eye with small emargination adjacent to antenna; ommatidia subequal in size. Frons about 2× broader than high, widening above. Face slightly tapered ventrally to about 2× width of anterior ocellus. Face and clypeus blackish-brown with light grey pruinosity, concolourous with ventral part of frons (in anterior view). Clypeus separated from face, small, barely broader than high, slightly widened ventrally, with truncate ventral margin. Setae of head well differentiated (larger dorsal setae similar in size to anterior dorsocentrals): 1 pair of inclinate fronto-orbitals arising slightly ventral to median ocellus; 1 pair of lateroclinate anterior ocellars; 1 pair of small posterior ocellars; 1 pair of inner verticals (sometimes referred to as postocellars); 2 pairs of outer verticals; postocular setae short and uniserial. Antenna ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–77 ) inserted above middle of head in profile; scape short, funnel-shaped, blackish-brown; pedicel about 2× longer than scape, spheroidal with subapical circlet of setulae, blackish-brown; postpedicel about 3× longer than pedicel, about 2× longer than wide, bulb-shaped, blackish-brown, clothed in fine setulae; arista-like stylus apical, about 1.75–1.8× length of postpedicel, blackish-brown, with minute hairs. Palpus blackish-brown, relatively small, narrowly ovate, about 2.5× longer than wide, with 1 long preapical seta. Proboscis brown, short, projecting ventrally. Gena narrow. Thorax ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–77 ): Black to blackish brown, weakly pruinose, with distinct metallic blue tinge, setae black. Mesoscutum moderately arched, prescutellar depression present. Proepisternum with 1–2 tiny setae. Postpronotal lobe with a few small setae. Mesonotum longer than wide. Acrostichal setae biserial, with well-developed rows extending to prescutellar depression; setae on each side of mesonotum: 7–8 dorsocentrals, middle setae weaker, posterior seta longest, 1 presutural supra-alar (posthumeral), 1–2 postsutural supra-alars, 2 notopleurals, 1 postalar, area laterad dorsocentrals with numerous small setae. Scutellum broadly crescent-shaped with 1 long seta and 1 small outer seta per side. Mesopleuron bare. Halter blackish brown. Legs: Slender; black with prominent setae black; femora, tibiae and tarsi largely covered with tiny, black setae; tarsomeres 1–4 of all legs progressively shorter apically with tarsomere 5 slightly longer than 4 and often dorsoventrally flattened; tarsal claws, pulvilli and empodium normally developed on all legs. Foreleg: Coxa with setae on anterior surface, stronger and longer apically; femur, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–4. Midleg: Coxa with a few prominent setae on anterior surface; femur slightly shorter than tibia, subequal in length to tarsus; apex of tibia with 1 strong ventral seta; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–4. Hindleg: Coxa with 2 prominent setae on lateral surface; trochanter ventrally with short cylindrical tubercle bearing thick, anteriorly directed, apical spine-like seta and some small adjacent setae, spine-like seta stubby and short (as in Figs 73, 77 View FIGURES 71–77 ); femur, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; femur weakly bowed outwardly (in dorsal view), with anteroventral row of setae, setae shorter than femur width; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–4. Wing: As in description of M. acroptera . Abdomen ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–77 ): Blackish with short dark setae (very weak on sternites); segment 6 nearly bare, segment 7 bare. Segments 5–7 narrowed and laterally compressed to form cavity on right side for hypopygium (as in Fig. 75 View FIGURES 71–77 ). Sternite 5 with rounded, setulose, flap-like posteromedial projection. Sternite 6 with short, close-set, bilobate ventral projection. Sternite 8 subrectangular to rounded, setose, slightly wider than segment 7; tergite 8 vestigial. Hypopygium ( Fig. 78 View FIGURES 78–80 ): Concolourous with abdomen; lateroflexed to right; inverted with posterior end directed anteriorly; large, about half as long as abdomen; asymmetrical. Right and left epandrial lamellae narrowly connected dorsally behind cerci. Left epandrial lamella nearly as long as hypandrium and partially overlapping its left side, posterior margin with projecting surstylar lobes and ventral epandrial process, ventral edge broadly rounded and fused with hypandrium but margin distinct; ventral epandrial process articulated at base, long, narrow and weakly sinuous, acuminate. Left surstylus divided into dorsal and ventral lobes separated by cleft through which left postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of left surstylus elongate, straight and narrow with rounded apex, with a few setae in basal half. Ventral lobe of left surstylus projecting medially behind postgonite lobe, half as long as dorsal surstylar lobe, narrowly digitiform with 5 setae on broader apex. Right epandrial lamella subtriangular, shorter than hypandrium and partially overlapping its right side, slightly longer than high, ventral edge broadly rounded and fused with hypandrium but margin mostly distinct, fading into hypandrium anteriorly; ventral epandrial process absent. Right surstylus divided into dorsal and ventral lobes separated by U-shaped cleft through which right postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of right surstylus projected dorsally as a short, broad subtriangular mound bearing 4 setae (similar to Fig. 80 View FIGURES 78–80 ). Ventral lobe of right surstylus projecting dorsomedially behind postgonite lobe, digitiform, longer than dorsal surstylar lobe, with several setae on apical third. Hypandrium narrowly ovoid and slightly longer than epandrium in lateral view, uniformly narrow in ventral view, bare except for pair of short posterior setae. Left postgonite lobe with long, thick apical projection. Right postgonite with broad subrectangular basal process protruding posteriorly below ventral lobe of surstylus with convex posterior margin, apical portion long and broad with evenly bifurcate apex. Phallus broadly curved and J-shaped, well-sclerotized, deeply bifurcate with long acuminate ventral process arising near base and extending to full length of tubular phallus. Ejaculatory apodeme of moderate size, keel-like. Hypoproct simple, left and right lobes symmetrical and tongue-like with a few tiny setae, larger than cerci. Cercus small, simple and flap-like, with several setae apically, left and right cercus symmetrical (similar to Fig. 82 View FIGURES 81–85 ).

Female. Similar to male except as follows: Head: Face apparently slightly broader, tapered ventrally to slightly more than 2× width of anterior ocellus. Legs: Hindleg: Trochanter without tubercle bearing apical spine-like seta; femur without distinct anteroventral row of setae. Abdomen: As in description of M. acroptera .

Distribution and seasonal occurrence. This new species is known from Monterey County, California ( Fig. 103 View FIGURES 102–103 ). Specimens were collected in May and June.

Etymology. This species is named after the pointed (acuminate) tip of the ventral epandrial process ( Fig. 78 View FIGURES 78–80 ).