Iteaphila miranda Sinclair & Shamshev 2021, sp. nov.

Iteaphila miranda sp. nov.

(Figs 61, 71)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F3E3E5AE-D93B-4B40-BD6D-16FC364BE3DE

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: “ 8km E.Sicamous [50°53′N 118°54′W], B.C. [Canada]/ 1-VI-1992 / A. Borkent CD1418”; “ HOLOTYPE / Iteaphila / miranda/ Sinclair & Shamshev [red label]” (CNC). PARATYPES: CANADA. Alberta: Banff NP [51.5°N 116.0°W], 14 mi W Banff, 7.vii.1955, GES ex. flowers of Ledum groenlandicum (2 ♂, 2 ♀, CNC); Lake Louise [51°24′42″N 116°13′41″W], 29.vii.1935, ALM (1 ♂, USNM); Peter Lougheed PP, Sarrail Ck, 9.vii.2012, 50°36′25.7″N 115°7′48.61″W, ex. flowers, BJS (2 ♀, CNC), same data except, CNC197577, CNC197575 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, barcoded, CNC). British Columbia: Cathedral PP, Quiniscoe Lk. [49°02′59″N 120°13′50″W], 7.vii.1986, S.G. Cannings (1 ♂, UBCZ). USA. Colorado: Gunnison Co., Spring Ck Cpgd [38°44′56″N 106°46′00″W], 5 mi N Almont, 5.vi.1992, JFM (1 ♂, CNC); Gunnison Co., Spring Ck Cpgd, 10 mi N Almont, 5.vi.1992, JFM (1 ♀, CNC); San Juan Co., E Fork Sig Ck, 10200 ft, 37°39′10″N 107°51′57″W, 18.vi.2017, SEB (2 ♂, CNC).

Additional material examined. RUSSIA. Chukotka Autonomous Okrug: Anadyr River, 64.72°N 175.21°E, 25.vi.–19.vii.2014, A. Barkalov (1 ♂, ZIN). USA. Washington: Mt. Rainier NP, Westside Rd nr Fish Ck, 4.vii. 2013, 880 m, 46°46.743′N 121°53.069′W, BJS (1 ♀, CNC).

Recognition. This species is distinguished by the elongate and dorsally directed surstylus and sickle-shaped phallus (Fig. 61).

Description. Wing length 3.2–4.0 mm. Male. Head dark brown in ground-colour, with brown to black setation, occiput thinly to densely greyish pollinose. Eyes holoptic, with upper ommatidia enlarged. Frons represented by small triangular space just above antennae, bare, greyish pollinose. Ocellar triangle prominent, with 2 pairs of long hair-like setae. Postvertical setae subequal to postocular setae, thin; occiput covered with numerous similar setae in lower part, brown posterior to mouthparts. Antenna dark brown; scape subequal in length with globular pedicel, both with short setae; postpedicel rather narrow, nearly 4 times longer than basal width, gradually tapered, base not expanded; stylus ca subequal in length and width, sensillum-tipped; segment 9 no longer than wide, apical sensillum slightly longer than length of segment 9. Proboscis partially retracted in head, longer than head height, projected obliquely; palpus slender, projected parallel to labrum, somewhat shorter than labrum.

Thorax dark brown in ground-colour with posterior part of postpronotal lobe and postalar tubercle often slightly paler, with brown to black setation; scutum viewed dorsally entirely velvety brown, slightly matt, without vittae between acrostichal and dorsocentral setae; viewed anteriorly densely pruinose; mesopleuron uniformly greyish brown pollinose. Proepisternum with a few hair-like setae. Postpronotal lobe with 1–2 long thin and several shorter setae. Mesonotal setae distinct, thin; acr short, biserial, lacking on prescutellar depression, distance between rows narrower than length of acr; dc uniserial (with additional setulae in anterior part), offset from row anteriorly, slightly longer than acr, 2–3 distinct prescutellar dc; 1 ph, several presut spal, 5–6 npl (with a few additional shorter setae), several psut spal setulae, 1 pal, 6–9 pairs of sctl of various lengths.

Legs, including coxae, almost entirely brownish; knees of fore and mid legs brownish yellow, tarsi somewhat darker. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified hair-like setae. Fore femur with row of short anteroventral hairlike setae and somewhat longer setae on posteroventral, dorsal and posterior faces. Fore tibia with row of slightly prominent thin posterodorsal setae. Mid femur with moderately long posteroventral bristly setae along entire length, bearing some moderately long setae on dorsal and posterior faces. Hind femur with long anteroventral and dorsal setae along whole length. Mid and hind tibiae without prominent setae. Tarsomere 1 of mid and hindlegs with pair of rows of stiff ventral setae; tarsomere 5 not flattened on all legs; pulvilli broad, shorter than tarsal claw.

Wing distinctly uniformly brownish infuscate; basal costal seta absent; pterostigma distinct brownish, elliptical, overlapping apex of R 1; anal lobe very prominent, acute. Sc complete; R 2+3 often slightly bowed posterior to pterostigma; R 4+5 unbranched; cell dm broad, longer than basal cells, truncate apically; base of M 2 (crossvein) more than one-fourth length of dm-m, M branches widely separated; dm-m crossvein slightly concave. Apex of cell cua recurved, CuA+CuP long, pigmented, ending short of wing margin. Halter brown.

Abdomen brown, subshiny, finely brownish grey pollinose, covered with long pale setae. Terminalia (Fig. 61) concolorous with abdomen, aligned. Hypandrium with several long setae, rounded basally, shallowly arched posteriorly; apex bifid, deeply split along posterior face; gonocoxal apodeme short and rounded apically; inner apodeme expanded and flattened, subequal in length to ejaculatory apodeme; postgonite with broad base, bent at near right angle subapically into paired projections. Phallic guide much shorter than phallus, extended to apex of hypandrium and mostly membranous apically, with ragged margin. Epandrium not inflated laterally; dorsal bridge very narrow medially; dorsal margin with row of strong setae, nearly as long as width of epandrium; produced distally into long, dorsally directed surstylus, nearly as long as cercus, strongly sclerotized, arched apically. Phallus projecting upright well beyond epandrium, apex sickle-shaped and well sclerotized, with hooked apex; ejaculatory apodeme plate-like, rounded, very short, not extending beyond base of epandrium. Cercus long, three-quarters length of epandrium, gradually tapered to long nipple-like apex, extended free from epandrium; hypoproct divided apically into pair of long narrow processes.

Female. Similar to male, except as follows: Chaetotaxy shorter and darker than male; eyes dichoptic; ommatidia equally small. Frons very broad, somewhat widened toward ocellar tubercle, finely brownish grey pollinose, with marginal setulae. Scutellum usually with 5 pairs of setae. Legs yellowish brown, darker apically. Abdomen pale brown with shorter, less prominent brownish setae. Cercus brownish, long, slender, covered with dark setae.

Distribution. Holarctic: Eurasia: Russia (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug); North America: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia), USA (Colorado,? Washington). This species is known primarily from the Rocky and Columbia Mountains with western populations in the Cascade Range of North America (Fig. 71). In addition, it is found from Chukotka mainland of Russia (not plotted).

Etymology. The specific name is after the Latin, mirandus (wonderful, strange), in reference to the uniquely upright and elongate surstylus of this species.