Taxonavigation
Ordo: Diptera
Familia: Sciaridae
Genus: Scythropochroa
Name
Scythropochroa multispinosa Mohrig & Mamaev, 1985 – Wikispecies link – ZooBank link
- Scythropochroa multispinosa Mohrig & Mamaev, 1985[1]: 429-430, fig. 1
- Corynoptera multispinosa (Mohrig & Mamaev, 1985)[2]: 257
- Leptosciarella multispinosa (Mohrig & Mamaev, 1985)[3]: 192
Type material
Holotype ♂, in PWMP, leg. Olschwang, 06.07.1981
Type locality
Russia, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, South Yamal, at river Khadyta
Material studied
Austria: 1 ♂, Styria, Gesäuse National Park, fountains at “Haindlwald”, 29.07.2009, PKHH 7557; Russia: 1 ♂, paratype, same data as holotype, 21.07.1981, PWMP 1555; 1 ♂, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Samylov station in Delta of river Lena, yellow pan trap, Zöllner, 01.-02.08.1998 PKHH 3061.
Description (male)
Head. Eye bridge 3–4 rows of facets. LW-index of 4th antennal flagellar segment 2.2–2.8; neck 0.3–0.5 of segment width; Transition of basal part to neck pronounced. Colour of neck unicolour. Antennal hairs shorter than segment width; sparse; adjacent. Palps darkened; short; palpomeres 2. First palpomere thickened; with 1–2 bristles; with only some sparse sensillae, or with deepened, darkened sensillary patch. Second palpomere shortly oval. Thorax. Colour brown. Notum unicolorous. Thoracic setae normal; dark. Mesonotum with some weaker central bristles. Posterior pronotum bare. Laterotergite bare. Legs. Colour yellow, or yellow-brown. Hind coxae darkened. Hairs on fore coxae black. Frontal tibia without special structure, or with a patch of setae. Front tibial organ not bordered. Tibial setae on hind legs weak, inconspicuous. Tibial spurs of equal length. Claws untoothed. Wings. Wings slightly darkened; of normal shape. Wing membrane without macrotrichia. Wing venation weak, with faint m-base. M-fork of normal shape. R1 inserting clearly after base of m-fork, or inserting at or slightly before base of m-fork, or inserting clearly before base of m-fork; posterior veins bare; bM bare; r-m mostly setose; bM:r-M 0.5–0.7; st-Cu:bM 0.9–1.15; r1:r 1.3–1.7; C:w 0.35–0.55. Halteres dark; of normal length. Abdomen. Abdominal setae strong and dense; dorsally dark; ventrally dark. Hypopygium concolour with abdomen; 0.48–0.62 × longer than wide. Base of gonocoxites with normal, weak hairs; gonocoxites broadly separated; inner margin of gonocoxites narrowly U-shaped, or normally U-shaped; inner part of hypopygium scarcely setose; elongated setae on valves of hypopygium absent. Gonostylus elongate; 2.05–2.4 × longer than wide; Inner margin concave; apex tapered. Apical tooth present; 2–2.3 × longer than broad; strong. Awl-like setae long; below apex numerous, reaching far beyond the tooth. Megasetae on inner part of gonostylus absent. Whiplash-hair absent. Tegmen 0.8–1.2 × longer than broad; trapezoid; normal; Central process absent. Length of aedeagus/hypopygium 25–33 %; Aeadeagal apical structure absent. Measurements. Body size 3.2–3.7 mm. Hind tibia 1.65–2.0 mm. Wing length 2.9–3.5 mm.
Diagnosis and discussion
Scythropochroa multispinosa is a large and quite aberrant species, which was originally described as Scythropochroa because of the reduced palp segments and the long r1, reaching beyond the base of the m-fork. But even in the original paper the status was declared as uncertain and affinities to the genus Leptosciarella were considered[1]. Menzel & Mohrig (2000[2]: 257) excluded this species from Scythropochroa and combined it to Corynoptera into the flavicauda group, but only for formal reasons because the first palp segment bears a single bristle and the presence of a strong apical tooth. Heller (2012[3]: 192) combined this species into Trichosiopsis (formerly Leptosciarella) because of it similarity to Gabyella opaca, with which it shares the reduced palpomeres, the lacking megasetae on the posterior wing veins and the numerous long, awl-like bristles on the inner side of the gonostyli. Further investigation on the genera Gabyella and Trichosiopsis revealed, that the combination to Trichosiopsis is not justified. For that reason, the species is combined back to Scythropochroa, but probably belongs to an own genus.
The recently discovered material shows some deviance from the type specimens. Contrary to the original description the r1 vein is not reaching beyond the m-fork and the first palp segment does not have a sensory pit. Furthermore the individual from the Lena delta is smaller than the Austrian and the type specimens. Nevertheless all listed specimens are identified as Sc. multispinosa with some doubt, because the male genitalia do not show any significant difference.
Etymology
multi lat. = many; spinosus lat. = spiny. The species name refers to the numerous bristles on the inner side of the gonostylus.
Ecology
Until now the species has been found only in subarctic and alpine regions and seems to have a boreo-montane distribution pattern. Although it is a large and conspicuous species, it has been only rarely found. But the distribution from Eastern Siberia to Central Europe, indicates that it must be widespread and the collection with mainly pifall and Barber traps indicates, that is is not very flight active and therefore normally not not captured by sweep netting.
Distribution
Austria[3], Russia[1].
Images
| Figure 1. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, habitus (Russia, Lena delta), scale 1 mm |
| Figure 2. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, hypopygium (Russia, Lena delta), scale 0.1 mm |
| Figure 3. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, hypopygium (Austria), scale 0.1 mm |
| Figure 4. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, gonostylus, scale 0.1 mm |
| Figure 5. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, aedeagal complex, scale 0.1 mm |
| Figure 6. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, 4th antennal flagellar segment, scale 0.1 mm |
| Figure 7. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, palpus, scale 0.1 mm |
| Figure 8. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, apex of front tibia, scale 0.1 mm |
| Figure 9. Scythropochroa multispinosa male, wing, scale 1 mm |
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mohrig, W.; Mamaev, B.; Krivosheina, N. 1985: Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Trauermücken der Sowjetunion (Diptera, Sciaridae). Teil IX. Neue Arten aus der Tundra nördlich des Polarkreises. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere, 112(4), 429–434.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Menzel, F.; Mohrig, W. 2000: Revision der paläarktischen Trauermücken (Diptera: Sciaridae). Studia dipterologica Supplement 6, 1-761. AMPYX-Verlag, Halle.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Heller, K. 2012: IV 6.3 Familie Sciaridae (Trauermücken). In: R. Gerecke, H. Haseke, J. Klauber, & A. Maringer (Hrsg.), Quellen, Schriften des Nationalparks Gesäuse 7. Weng im Gesäuse. 189–199, 373–381
