Notiocoenia Mathis, 1980

Mathis, Wayne N. & Sepúlveda, Luciane Marinoni and Tatiana A., 2025, Phylogeny and taxonomy of the shore-fly tribe Ephydrini with comments on related tribes in Ephydrinae (Diptera: Ephydridae), Zoologia (e 24044) 42, pp. 1-42 : 24-26

Notiocoenia Mathis, 1980

Figs 52–66

Notiocoenia Mathis 1980: 12 (feminine; type species: Notiocoenia paniculata Mathis 1980 , original designation). – Lizarralde de Grosso 1989: 59 [fauna of Argentina]. – Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995: 249–250 [world catalog]. – Mathis and Marinoni 2016: 14–23 [revision of Neotropical species].

Diagnosis. Specimens of Notiocoenia are similar to those of Coenia but are distinguished from the latter and other genera of Ephydrini by the following combination of characters: Small to moderately large shore flies, body length 1.90–4.20 mm; mostly grayish brown to brown, generally appearing dull but subshiny to shiny over much of dorsum.

Head: Wider than high from anterior view; frons mostly flat, wider than long, vestiture more or less uniform, dull, microtomentose, mostly unicolorous brown, margins of mesofrons indicated by shallowly impressed furrow, otherwise undifferentiated from parafrons, lacking large setae, cruciate or otherwise; well-developed, lateroclinate, fronto-orbital setae 2, plus 1 much smaller proclinate seta anterior of larger setae; paravertical seta small, inconspicuous, none 1/2 length of vertical seta; well-developed, ocellar setae 1, slightly divergent; small postocellar setae 2–3 setulae; medial vertical setae well developed, lateral vertical seta either well developed or lacking. Antenna normally developed, dark colored, basal flagellomere considerably longer than high, rounded apically; pedicel bearing several setae, especially on medial and ventral surfaces, bearing one large, dorsally erect seta on dorsum; arista longer than combined length of other antennal segments, macropubescent or bearing short hairs dorsally. Face protuberant, broadly transversely arched, setulose to setose; interfoveal hump evident but variously developed; vestiture densely microtomentose. Eye subspherical, slightly higher than wide. Gena short, gena-to-eye ratio 0.20 or less; well-developed, genal seta 1. Mouthparts generally retracted into oral opening, clypeus not exposed; maxillary palpus dark; prementum longer than wide; microtomentose to microtomentose, setose.

Thorax: Vestiture variable, dull to shiny, generally becoming shinier posteriorly; coloration grayish brown to blackish brown. Pleural areas generally becoming paler colored ventrally; humeral callus, part of anepisternum, and katepisternum grayish tan to whitish tan, otherwise pleural areas darker brown; forecoxa gray to silvery gray, contrasting with remainder of pleural areas. Chaetotaxy as follows: Acrostichal setae when present arranged in two rows, larger setae mostly anterior of transverse suture; lacking well-developed, prescutellar seta; well-developed, dorsocentral setae 4 (1+3), rarely 5 (2+3), anterior 1–2 setae smaller, several smaller setae anterior of larger setae; interalar setae 2, anterior seta inserted just posterior of transverse suture, posterior seta posterior of level of posteriormost dorsocentral seta; postpronotum either bare or bearing 2–3 setulae, none more than 1/4 length of posterior, notopleural seta; presutural interalar seta 1; interalar setae 2, rarely 3, anterior seta inserted just posterior of transverse suture, posterior seta smaller, inserted just posterior of posteriormost dorsocentral seta; postsutural, supra-alar seta variable; postalar seta well developed; disc of scutellum mostly bare, bearing 2-3 setulae, or bare; lateral scutellar setae 2; notopleural setae 2, inserted near each ventral angle; anepisternal seta 1, inserted near middle of posterior edge, numerous smaller setae, particularly toward dorsal and posterior margins; prosternum bare; katepisternal seta 1, with 1–2 smaller setae around larger seta; midcoxa with 1 larger seta. Wing hyaline to palely infuscate; R stem vein bare dorsally; halter yellowish to pale brown; costal vein ratio 0.13–0.16; M 1 vein ratio 0.55–0.68. Legs variable, femora swollen to slender; coloration rufous to black; pulvilli well developed; tarsal claws short and distinctly curved; pulvilli well developed; tarsal claws short and distinctly curved; hindfemur of male not differing markedly from fore- or midfemur, lacking stout setae as above; hindtibia of male lacking tuft of setulae; hindtarsi of male cylindrical, normal.

Abdomen: Dorsum either darker brown, with some bluish coloration or blackish, subshiny to shiny; tergite 5 of variable length compared to tergite 4. Male terminalia: Surstylus either fused indistinguishably with ventral margin of epandrium ( paniculata Group) or fused but distinct and setose ( pollinosa Group); aedeagus either a long, slender, tapered process, apex slightly coniform or produced ventrally as two symmetrical narrow processes. Female terminalia: Female ventral receptacle with tiny, flat operculum and a very large, roughly C-shaped extended process in lateral view; females sternites square to rectangular, relatively wide ( Costa et al. 2024).

Distribution. The composite distribution for species of this genus is Neotropical and extends from 24°– 53°S along the east and west slopes of the Andes Mountains.

Remarks. Although the monophyly of Notiocoenia appears to be well established, its relationship to other taxa within Ephydrini is not as evident. Although we suggest a sister group relationship with Coenia , as indicated in the cladogram, the evidence to support this alliance is not wholly convincing.

See also remarks under Austrocoenia .

Following the precedent of Mathis and Marinoni (2016), we recognize two species groups, which are identified in the following key.

Figures

Figures 52–66. Notiocoenia. Notiocoenia paniculata, (52) head anterior; (53) head lateral; (54) thorax dorsal; (55) abdomen dorsal; (56) epandrium and cerci posterior; (57) male terminalia lateral; (58) internal male terminalia lateral; (59) female ventral receptacle anterior; (60) female ventral receptacle lateral.Notiocoenia pollinosa, (61) head anterior; (62) head lateral; (63) thorax dorsal; (64) epandrium and cerci posterior; (65) internal structures of male terminalia lateral; (66) internal structures of male terminalia.