Microphorella tenuis, 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 : 485-486

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.16605990
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A87AB-FFF5-FFF0-FF42-FA05225DF705
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Microphorella tenuis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Microphorella tenuis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3837FEBC-B458-4D70-A842-C0821A649DC9

( Figs 85 View FIGURES 81–85 , 104 View FIGURES 104–105 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “1.5 mi. south| Asti Cal | Sonoma Co. | iv-8 1954 ”; “ E.I. Schlinger | Collector”; “ HOLOTYPE | Microphorella | tenuis | Brooks & Cumming” [red label] ( UCDC) . PARATYPES: USA: California: Sonoma County : same data as holotype [38°45'47"N 122°58'23"W] (1♂, 9♀, UCDC) GoogleMaps ; same data as holotype except, CNC1155838 View Materials , CNC1155846 View Materials (2♂, UCDC) .

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 a combination of hypopygial features ( Fig. 85 View FIGURES 81–85 ), including the short apical projection of the left postgonite, the narrow, preapical phallic process, the emarginate apex of the ventral epandrial process with dorsally pointed tip and the straight, narrow left dorsal surstylar lobe.

Description. Male ( Fig. 85 View FIGURES 81–85 ): Wing length 1.7–1.8 mm. Similar to M. acuminata sp. nov. except as follows: Head: Face wider, slightly tapered ventrally to about 4× width of anterior ocellus; antenna with arista-like stylus shorter, about 1.5× length of postpedicel. Thorax: Scutellum without small outer seta. Legs: Dark brown with dark brown setae. Wing: As in description of M. acroptera . Abdomen: Blackish with weak blue tinge. Sternite 6 without ventral projection. Hypopygium ( Fig. 85 View FIGURES 81–85 ): Dark brown; relatively small, slightly less than half as long as abdomen. Left epandrial lamella with ventral epandrial process uniformly wide in basal 4/5, broadening apically, apex emarginate with pointed dorsal process. Dorsal lobe of right surstylus with apical seta borne on narrow tubercle. Ventral lobe of right surstylus bifurcate, with short outer lobe and longer medial lobe, both bearing a few setae. Left postgonite lobe with short thin apical projection. Right postgonite with posterior margin below ventral surstylus rounded and protruding beyond epandrium. Phallus with short, narrow, pointed process arising preapically and extending nearly to tip of phallus.

Female. Similar to male except as follows: Head: Face narrower, slightly tapered ventrally to about 3× width of anterior ocellus; antenna with arista-like stylus shorter, about 1.3× length of postpedicel. Thorax: Scutellum sometimes with small outer seta present. 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 only known from the type series collected in April from Sonoma County in central California ( Fig. 104 View FIGURES 104–105 ).

Etymology. This species is named for the small, thin (tenuous) process on the left postgonite compared with other species of the M. acuminata lineage.