Microphorella ovata, 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 : 498-500

Microphorella ovata sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6EDD3819-744E-40E5-8AEA-89E10943506E

( Figs 1 , 109 , 112–114 , 115 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ from the Upper Santa Ana River , California, labelled: “UpStaAnaRiv| 31/v/47 Cal| ALMelander”; “ALMelander| Collection| 1961”; “ HOLOTYPE | Microphorella | ovata | Brooks & Cumming” [red label] ( USNM) . PARATYPES: USA: California: San Bernardino County : same data as holotype [34°10'N 116°49'W] (1♂, USNM) ; same data as holotype except, CNC1155848 (1♂, USNM) .

Diagnosis. Males of this species can be distinguished from other members of the M. arcana species group by the following features: mid femur with cluster of 6 long basiventral setae ( Fig. 109 ), hind femur with dense, brush-like posterior patch of setae ( Fig. 109 ), abdominal sternite 5 without transverse row of long curved setae, abdominal sternite 6 without bulbous projection, hypopygium with claw-like process of dorsal surstylus adjacent to cercus and hypandrium strongly produced posteriorly ( Figs 112, 113 ).

Description. Male ( Figs 109 , 112–114 ): Wing length 1.7–1.8 mm. Head: Mainly blackish-brown pruinose, ventral part of frons, face and clypeus blackish-brown in anterior view; about as wide as 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 brownish-grey pruinosity, concolourous with ventral part of frons (in anterior view). Clypeus separated from face, small, as broad as high, very 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 inserted above middle of head in profile; scape short, funnel-shaped, dark brown; pedicel about 2× longer than scape, spheroidal with subapical circlet of setulae, dark brown; postpedicel about 2× longer than pedicel, about 2× longer than wide, bulb-shaped, blackish-brown, clothed in fine setulae; arista-like stylus apical, about 1.5× length of postpedicel, blackish-brown, with minute hairs. Palpus blackish-brown, relatively small, narrowly ovate, about 2.5× longer than wide, with 2 long preapical setae. Proboscis brown, short, projecting ventrally. Gena narrow. Thorax: Blackish to blackish brown in lateral view, dorsum blackish bronze, weakly pruinose and somewhat shiny, with metallic blueish-green tinge, setae black. Mesoscutum moderately arched, prescutellar depression present. Proepisternum with a few tiny setae. Postpronotal lobe with 2 small setae. Mesonotum longer than wide. Acrostichal setae weak and sparsely biserial to mostly absent; setae on each side of mesonotum: 6 dorsocentrals, posterior seta longer, 1 presutural supra-alar (posthumeral), 3 postsutural supra-alars, 3 notopleurals (posteroventral seta weaker), 1 postalar, area laterad dorsocentrals with a few small setae. Scutellum broadly crescent-shaped with 1 long seta and 1 small outer seta per side. Mesopleuron bare. Halter dark brown. Legs: Slender, dark brown with prominent setae dark brown to blackish; femora, tibiae and tarsi largely covered with tiny, dark brown setae (paler on medial surfaces); tarsomeres 1–4 of all legs progressively shorter apically with tarsomere 5 slightly longer than 4; 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, tibia subequal in length to tarsus; femur slightly swollen basally with cluster of 6 long basiventral setae ( Fig. 109 ); apex of tibia with 1 strong ventral seta; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–5. Hindleg: Coxa with 2 prominent setae on lateral surface; trochanter setose ventrally; femur and tibia subequal in length, tarsus slightly shorter; femur with prominent anteroventral row of setae, setae at most slightly longer than femur width, posterior surface with mound-like swelling near mid-length bearing dense brush-like cluster of setae ( Fig. 109 ), basiventral surface below and proximal to cluster with long fine setae; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–4. Wing: As in description of M. acroptera . Abdomen ( Fig. 109 ): Dark brown with short dark setae (very weak on sternites); segment 7 bare. Segments 5–7 narrowed and laterally compressed to form cavity on right side for hypopygium. Sternite 5 with broad subtriangular ventral process with membranous tip, with a few relatively short setae near posterolateral margin. Sternite 6 without bulbous lateral projection. Sternite 8 subquadrate, setose, slightly wider than segment 7; tergite 8 vestigial. Hypopygium ( Figs 109 , 112–114 ): 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 not connected dorsally behind cerci. Left epandrial lamella ( Fig. 112 ) shorter than hypandrium and partially overlapping its left side, posterior margin with projecting surstylar lobes and ventral epandrial process, ventral edge broadly rounded and separate from hypandrium; ventral epandrial process articulated at base, relatively short, basal 2/3 of uniform width with a few short dorsal setae, apex bifurcate. Left surstylus divided into dorsal and ventral lobes separated by U-shaped cleft through which left postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of left surstylus with dorsally projected claw-like process adjacent to cercus, subtended by short irregular ridge bearing 1 long seta and adjacent long blade-like prensiseta with bent tip. Ventral lobe of left surstylus broad, margin rounded with 2 long apical setae and 2 highly modified prensisetae projecting from medial surface ( Fig. 114 ), upper prensiseta with flared, bifurcate apex, lower prensiseta narrow with pointed spiny apex. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 113 ) shorter than hypandrium and partially overlapping its right side, longer than high, ventral edge separate from hypandrium; ventral epandrial process present, not articulated at base, projecting dorsally, uniformly wide in lateral view (tip laterally flattened), about 4× longer than wide. Right surstylus divided into dorsal and ventral lobes separated by U-shaped cleft through which right postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of right surstylus with dorsally projected claw-like process adjacent to cercus, subtended by short, rounded lobe bearing 2 long apical setae. Ventral lobe of right surstylus projecting dorsomedially behind postgonite lobe, slightly longer than wide, rounded apically, bearing 2 long apical setae and a few shorter setae. Hypandrium ( Figs 112, 113 ) large and ovoid, strongly produced posteroventrally, with short trough-like extension posterodorsally, longer than epandrium in lateral view, bare. Left postgonite lobe long and curved medially, with thumb-like preapical medial process subtended by flat-tipped modified seta. Right postgonite lobe similar in size and form to left lobe. Phallus ( Fig. 112 ) J-shaped, bifurcate with straight acuminate process,

process half as long as ridged, tubular, distal portion of phallus. Ejaculatory apodeme relatively small, narrow and keel-like. Hypoproct simple, left and right lobes symmetrical, short and subquadrate. Cercus small, digitiform with several apical setae, left and right lobes symmetrical.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution and seasonal occurrence. This new species is known from the Upper Santa Ana River ( Fig. 1 ) in the San Bernadino Mountains in California ( Fig. 115 ), where the type series was collected in late May of 1947.

Etymology. This species is named in reference to the oval, egg-shaped hypandrium.

Figures

FIGURE 115. Known geographical distribution of the Microphorella arcana species group: M. arcana sp. nov., M. gilaensis sp. nov., M. ovata sp. nov. and Microphorella sp. B.

FIGURES 1–3. Collection localities and habitats of the Microphorella acroptera and M. arcana species groups. 1. Santa Ana River, California. 2. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California. 3. Carson Slough, Ash Meadow National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada (photo by Justin Runyon).

FIGURES 106–109. Male habitus, legs and abdomen of Microphorella arcana sp. nov. and M. ovata sp. nov. 106. Habitus of M. arcana sp. nov. holotype. 107. Body and legs of M. arcana sp. nov. holotype, dorsolateral view, arrows indicate setae on hind femur and bulbous projection on sternite 6. 108. Legs and abdomen of M. arcana sp. nov. holotype, left lateral view, arrow indicates setae on sternite 5. 109. Body and legs of M. ovata sp. nov. paratype, posterolateral view, arrow indicates setae on hind femur.

FIGURES 112–114. Hypopygium of Microphorella ovata sp. nov. paratype (CNC1155848). 112. Left lateral view. 113. Right lateral view. 114. Left ventral lobe of surstylus, posterior 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.