Microphorella bifida, 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 : 455

Microphorella acroptera lineage

This lineage includes the following nine species: M. acroptera Melander , M. bifida sp. nov., M. convoluta sp. nov., M. paracroptera sp. nov., M. serpentina sp. nov., M. sinuosa sp. nov., M. subacroptera sp. nov., M. triangulata sp. nov. and M. tubifera Melander. Males of these species possess a cylindrical, clavate or rounded tubercle on the hind trochanter, which bears a spine-like seta ( Figs 8, 9 , 18, 21, 23, 24 , 48 , 66 ), and also share a uniquely structured phallus, which is convoluted and tubular in the basal (internal) portion, inflated in the middle portion, and narrowed and tubular in the apical portion ( Figs 13–15 , 26, 27 , 29, 30 , 36, 37, 39, 40 , 42, 44, 45 , 53 , 68 ). The distinct phallic structure is considered to be a synapomorphy of the lineage.

Figures

FIGURES 6–10. Male habitus, hindleg and abdomen of Microphorella acroptera Melander. 6. Habitus (Floras Creek, Oregon, CNC DIPTERA # 105201). 7. Abdomen of same specimen, right lateral view. 8. Hindleg of paratype, posterior view, arrow indicating trochanter tubercle. 9. Hindleg, anterior view (male from Angelo Coast Range Reserve, California), arrow indicating trochanter tubercle. 10. Macerated abdomen (CNC1155821), ventral view, arrow indicating process of sternite 5. Abbreviation: hypd—hypandrium.

FIGURES 17–24. Habitus, abdomen and hindleg of Microphorella bifida sp. nov., M. convoluta sp. nov., M. paracroptera sp. nov. and M. serpentina sp. nov. 17. Habitus of M. bifida sp. nov. male holotype 18. Male hindleg and abdomen of M. bifida sp. nov. paratype, right lateral view, arrow indicates trochanter tubercle. 19. Process of male abdominal sternite 5 (macerated) of M. bifida sp. nov. (CNC1155824), posterior view. 20. Female abdomen of M. bifida sp. nov. paratype, left lateral view of posterior segments. 21. Male hindleg of M. convoluta sp. nov. holotype, anteroventral view of basal segments, arrow indicates trochanter tubercle. 22. Same except, hind tibia and tarsus, lateral view, arrow indicates spur-like seta on basitarsus. 23. Male hindleg, thorax and abdomen of M. paracroptera sp. nov. holotype, left lateral view, arrow indicates trochanter tubercle. 24. Male hindleg of M. serpentina sp. nov. paratype, posterior view, arrow indicates trochanter tubercle.

FIGURES 47–51. Male habitus, hindleg and abdomen of Microphorella sinuosa sp. nov. 47. Habitus of holotype. 48. Legs of holotype, left lateral view, arrow indicates trochanter tubercle. 49. Abdomen of holotype, dorsal view, arrow indicates process of sternite 5. 50. Process of sternite 5 (CNC1155835), posterior view. 51. Abdomen and right hindleg of paratype (Elk Grove, California), lateral view, arrows indicate trochanter tubercle and process of sternite 5.

FIGURES 64–66. Habitus, thorax, abdomen and hindleg of Microphorella tubifera Melander male from Redwood City, California. 64. Habitus, left lateral view. 65. Habitus, right lateral view. 66. Thorax, abdomen and hindleg, right lateral view, arrows indicate trochanter tubercle and process of sternite 5.

FIGURES 11–16. Hypopygium of Microphorella acroptera Melander and M. subacroptera sp. nov. 11. Hypopygium of M. acroptera (CNC1155812), left lateral. 12. Same, right lateral. 13. Phallus and ejaculatory apodeme of M. acroptera (CNC1155834), left lateral. 14. Same, right lateral. 15. Same except, isolated posterior view of phallus. 16. Right dorsal surstylus of M. subacroptera sp. nov. paratype (CNC1155816), lateral view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; ej apod—ejaculatory apodeme; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 25–28. Hypopygium of Microphorella bifida sp. nov. 25. Hypopygium (CNC1155831), left lateral view. 26. Same (CNC1155824), right lateral view. 27. Phallus (CNC1155824), ventral view. 28. Cerci (CNC1155831), dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; hypd—hypandrium; ph—phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 29–31. Hypopygium of Microphorella convoluta sp. nov. holotype. 29. Hypopygium, right lateral view. 30. Same, left lateral view. 31. Cerci, dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 36–40. Hypopygium of Microphorella paracroptera sp. nov. 36. Hypopygium (CNC1155811), left lateral view. 37. Same, right lateral view. 38. Same, dorsal view. 39. Phallus (CNC1155809), left lateral view. 40. Same, right lateral view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; hypd—hypandrium; hyprct—hypoproct; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 41–46. Male terminalia of Microphorella serpentina sp. nov. 41. Hypopygium (CNC1155814), left lateral view. 42. Same, right lateral view. 43. Cerci and hypoproct (CNC1155828), dorsal view. 44. Phallus (CNC1155828), left lateral view. 45. Same, right lateral view. 46. Sternite 5 (CNC1155813), ventral view.Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; epand—epandrium; hypd— hypandrium; hyprct—hypoproct; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 52–55. Hypopygium of Microphorella sinuosa sp. nov. 52. Hypopygium (CNC1155830), left lateral view. 53. Same, right lateral view. 54. Tip of ventral epandrial process (CNC1155835, CNC1155836), left lateral view. 55. Cerci (CNC1155836), dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; hypd—hypandrium; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph— phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURES 67–70. Male terminalia of Microphorella tubifera Melander (CNC1155805). 67. Hypopygium, left lateral view. 68. Same, right lateral view. 69. Cerci, dorsal view. 70. Sternite 5, posteroventral view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; hypd—hypandrium; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur— ventral lobe of surstylus.