Coproica mitchelli ( Malloch, 1913 )

Coproica mitchelli ( Malloch, 1913) View in CoL

Figs. 25 View FIGURES 21–28 , 189–200 View FIGURES 189–191 View FIGURES 192–195 View FIGURES 196–200

Leptocera mitchelli Malloch, 1913 c: 135 View in CoL [both sexes]. Type locality: USA, Texas, Victoria. HT male (USNM).

Description. Body length 1.3–2.2 mm. Body brown. Face light brown, frons brown. Interfrontal bristles in 4 subequal pairs, postocellar bristles erect, 1 pair of small postocellar setulae. Eye to gena ratio approximately 2.2:1. 4 genal setae in longitudinal row posterior to vibrissa, anterior seta approximately 2 times as long as posterior 3.

Scutellum with 20–25 discal setae arranged into 3–4 sparse rows between basal 1/5 and 3/5, with 2–3 lateral bristles between larger anterior and posterior marginal scutellar bristles. Katepisternum with 2 small subequal bristles, each approximately 1/3 as long as the distance between dorsal margin of katepisternum and wing base. Mid basitarsus with row of 4 stout anterior bristles extending from 1/2 to apex, 1 anteroventral sub-basal bristle, and pairs of stout ventral bristles at 2/5 and 2/3. Second costal sector 0.7–1.1 times length of third costal sector. Costal bypass short, terminating within 5 vein widths of R 4+5.

Male terminalia: Sternite 5 with small posteromedial notch and a posteromedial patch of dense microtrichia. Sternite 6 with slightly sinuate on the right. Epandrium densely bristled, denser ventrally, with enlarged pair of dorsolateral bristles (though sometimes difficult to distinguish from other bristles due to a heavy chaetotaxy); subanal plate present, continuous with perianal field dorsally; cercus with pointed ventral medial process, and rounded ventral lateral process, ventral lateral process heavily bristled and with distinct constriction at base. Surstylus deflected medially, with pointed anterior process, posteroventral process with thickened tooth-like bristle at apex, 2 ventral lobes, 4–5 bristles on lobes, and 2 long, additional ventral bristles between posterior lobe and posteroventral process. Postgonites straight, broad, with truncate apex and preapical anterior bristle. Basiphallus elongate, tubular, and open posterodorsally; epiphallus with short, blade-like process. Distiphallus: tubular sclerite with small lateral processes; lateral sclerites with membranous process at proximal dorsal angle, 2 broad, rounded dorsal processes, and medially deflected dorsal margin; central sclerite not fused with lateral sclerites; ventral sclerite extended; apical membranes reduced.

Female terminalia: Tergite 8 very wide, lateral margins almost meeting ventrally, long laterally, short dorsally. Tergite 10 pollinose, narrowly fused to cerci laterally; cerci conical, pollinose, apical bristles short and sinuate. Sternite 7 broad, trapezoidal. Sternite 8 elongate with posterior notch, 4 small posterior setae bordering notch. Sternite 10 with pair of large medial bristles, posterior margin bluntly pointed, not curved dorsally. Spermathecae spherical; duct length 2–3 times as long as spermathecal bulb.

Type material. Holotype male: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: TX: Victoria , 10.ix.1907, on Bumelia lanuginose (1♂, USNM, not examined) . Paratypes: same data as holotype (1♂, 3♀, USNM, examined) .

Other material examined. See Appendix A.

Distribution: Nearctic: Canada (AB, BC, ON, SK) , USA (AR, AZ, CA, FL, ID, KY, MD, MN, MT, NC, ND, NM, OK, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, VA, WA, WY); Neotropical: Costa Rica, Mexico (COA, JAL).

Comments. Coproica mitchelli is easily distinguished from other species of Coproica by the absence of proximal posterodorsal bristles on the mid tibia ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 13–20 ), and the unique shapes of the surstylus ( Fig. 192 View FIGURES 192–195 ), male cercus ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 189–191 ), and female sternite 8 ( Fig. 199 View FIGURES 196–200 ). Coproica mitchelli is the only New World member of the otherwise entirely Old World C. acutangula species group.

Coproica mitchelli is the only Nearctic species in the small, morphologically distinct clade including C. lugubris , C. mitchelli , and C. pusio .