Leptocera kanata Buck & Marshall 2009, new species

Leptocera kanata Buck, new species

(Figs. 27, 163–169, 201)

Leptocera fontinalis auctt., nec (Fallén, 1826): Spuler, 1924 (in part).

Leptocera finalis auctt., nec (Collin, 1956): Marshall, 1997 (in part).

Description. Outstanding paramedian acrostichals strongly enlarged, longest one usually about 0.75x as long (rarely as long) as lower orbital bristle; prescutellar acrostichals also slightly to moderately enlarged. Mid tibia with bristle above distal dorsal usually shorter than, or as long as (rarely longer than) anteroapical bristles; posteroapical bristles subequal and short, not reaching socket of ventrobasal metatarsal bristle or barely reaching it (Fig. 27).

Male terminalia (Figs. 163–166): Sternite 5 with posteromedial desclerotized area of moderate size. Anterior section of surstylus with anterior process moderately long and slender in lateral view; ventral lobe rounded and prominent, with long bristles; all bristles unusually stout (bristles slightly shorter and less stout in western specimens). Apex of anterior process without prominent, bare, darker, lateral ridge (ventral view). Posterior section of surstylus with bristles relatively numerous and usually more crowded in basal half (sometimes absent from distal half as in L. fontinalis); the two strong apical bristles equal to subequal. Postgonite as in Fig. 201.

Female terminalia (Figs. 167–169): Hind margin of sternite 7 triangularly produced at middle (apex often forming a short overhang), medial process microtrichose, sometimes distinctly darkened. Sternite 8 with lateral margins angulate, posterolateral lobes long and pointed, median process wide. Spermathecae subcylindrical, with scattered spicules, narrow but fairly deep apical invagination; surface weakly striate.

Type material. Holotype ♂ and 1 ♂ paratype (DEBU): CANADA, Ontario, Guelph, South Arboretum, 11–15.vi.1985, forest edge, malaise, B.V. Brown. Other paratypes: CANADA. New Brunswick: 2 ♂♂, Kouchibouguac N.P., 18.v.1977, J.D. Lafontaine and 9.vii.1977, J.F. McAlpine (CNCI); St. Andrews, 1 ♂, 7.vi.1978, 1 ♀, 17.vi.1978, Marshall & Konecny (DEBU). Quebec: Abbotsford, 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 15.v.1936, 1 ♀, 23.v.1936, G. Shewell (CNCI); 1 ♀, Baie Comeau, Camp 50, 16.vi.1954, M. Giglioli (CNCI); 1 ♀, Hull, 12.v.1947, G.E. Shewell (CNCI); 2 ♀♀, Lac Roddick, 23.iv.1984, L. Masner (DEBU); 1 ♂, Old Chelsea, 15.v.1947, G.E. Shewell (CNCI); 1 ♀, Parc de la Gatineau, Parkway, 8.iv.1981, car net, L. Masner (DEBU). Ontario: 1 ♂, Algonquin, 0.5 km S Billy Lake, 10–18.v.1984, bog, moose dung, K. Pendreigh (DEBU); 1 ♂, Algonquin, Swan Lake Stn., Scott Lake Survey, 27–30.v.1994, shore, malaise trap, S.A. Marshall (DEBU); 1 ♀, Bell's Corners, 10.iv.1952, J.F. McAlpine (CNCI); 1 ♀, Belwood, 19.iv.2004, S.A. Marshall (DEBU); 1 ♂, Chatham, 14.vii.1928, A.B. Baird (CNCI); 1 ♀, Effingham, 22.iii.1986, nr. stream, on deer cracass, D.B. Hill (DEBU); Fergus, 4 ♀♀, various dates (6.v–4.vii.1990), pan traps, 1 ♀, 18.vii.1990, malaise trap, 1 ♀, 20.ix.1995, S.A. Marshall (DEBU); Guelph, 1 ♀, 13–24.v.1983, intercept trap, 1 ♀, 11.iv.1984, groundhog hole, B.V. Brown (DEBU); 1 ♂, Guelph, 3.viii.1990, swamp maple, sweep, P. Cermak (DEBU); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Icewater Creek watershed, 12.7 km NNE Searchmont, mi 10.5 Whitman Dam Rd., 29.ix–23.x.1986, riparian meadow/ alder thicket, malaise (DEBU); 1 ♂, 1 km SE Jct. Hwys 144 & 560, 5–15.vi.1988, open black spruce / Sphagnum, carrion pitfalls, K.N. Barber (DEBU); 3 ♂♂, 17 ♀♀, Lowbush, Lake Abitibi, 2–4.vi.1925, N.K. Bigelow (CNCI); 1 ♀, Manotick, 27.v.1952, malaise (DEBU); 2 ♀♀, Manotick, vi.1952, malaise, J.F. McAlpine (CNCI); 1 ♂, Maynooth, 24.v.1951, J.F. McAlpine (CNCI); 1 ♀, Mer Bleue, 5 mi E Ottawa, 2.ix.1963, malaise, D.D. Munroe (CNCI); 2 ♀♀, Merivale, 22.v.1947 (CNCI); 1 ♂, Norval, 16.v.1980, carrion, S.A. Marshall (DEBU); 6 ♀♀, Ottawa, various dates (iv, vi, x, 1947–63), J.E.H. Martin, G.E. Shewell, J.F. McAlpine, J.R. Vockeroth (CNCI); 1 ♀, Ottawa, 6.iv.1991, flying over snow, J.R. Vockeroth (DEBU); 1 ♂, Stouffville, 5–13.v.1983, malaise pan, B.V. Brown (DEBU); 1 ♀, Hilton Twp., Tenby Bay, 24.vii.1992, lakeshore and poplar forest, malaise, J.E. Swann (DEBU); 1 ♂, Wyevale, 17.v.1959, J.G. Chillcott (CNCI). Saskatchewan: 1 ♂, Pike Lake, 18.iv/ix[?].1940, A.R. Brooks (CNCI). Alberta: 1 ♂, Edmonton, 31.iii.1918, J.S. Carr (CNCI); 1 ♀, Edmonton, University of Alberta Ecol. Res., 22–26.v.1986, spruce /poplar/ alder, malaise, B.V. Brown (DEBU); 1 ♂, Hwy 40 S Grande Prairie, 17.vi.1987, poplar litter, S.A. Marshall (DEBU). Yukon Territory: 1 ♂, Dawson City, Klondike Hwy km 45, 9–12.vii.1985, FIT in hydro cut, willow / Equisetum, S.A. Marshall (DEBU). U.S.A. Massachusetts: 1 ♀, Lexington, 19.iv.1874, C.V. Riley (identified as L. fontinalis by Spuler, 1924; USNM). Michigan: 1 ♂, Midland Co., 24.vi.1952, R.R. Dreisbach (MSUC). Alaska: 1 ♂, Healy, 23.vi.1921, J.M. Aldrich (USNM); 5 ♂♂, 34 ♀♀, Matanuska, various dates (v, vi, viii, 1944–5), rotary trap, J.C. Chamberlin (USNM); 3 ♂♂, Palmer, 21.v.1956, R.H. Washburn (USNM).

Other material examined. The following unassociated females from western localities are tentatively identified as L. kanata sp.n. Some might belong to L. tenuispina sp.n. (see below), whose females are indistinguishable. The occurrence of L. kanata sp.n. in the western United States needs to be confirmed through males. CANADA. Saskatchewan: 2 ♀♀, Cypress Hills, 15–17.vii.1980, wet spruce, intercept trap, fungi (1 ♀) (DEBU). Alberta: 1 ♀, Elkwater, 49°42’N 110°16’W, 29.v.1955, J.R. Vockeroth (CNCI); 1 ♀, Hailstone Butte, 21.vii.1987, alpine meadow, creekside mammal runs, S.A. Marshall (DEBU). British Columbia: 1 ♀, Alaska Hwy 37 km W Ft. Nelson, 12.vi–5.ix.1984, aspen / spruce, S. & J. Peck (DEBU). U.S.A. Alaska: 1 ♀, College, 4.vi.1948, Berlese, S. Lienk (USNM); 1 ♀, Alaska Hwy mi 1404, Sawmill Creek, 18 mi S Delta Junction, 15.vii.1985, white spruce bog, carrion FIT, S.A. Marshall (DEBU); 1 ♀, Dalton Hwy at Yukon River, 17–19.vii.1985, upper bank, mushroom trap, S.A. Marshall (DEBU); 6 ♀♀, Elliott Hwy mi 57, Tolovana River, 17–19.vii.1985, bank litter, mushroom trap, S.A. Marshall (DEBU); 3 ♀♀, Richardson Hwy mi 313, 16–19.vii.1985, roadside alder, FIT, S.A. Marshall (DEBU). Wyoming: 1 ♀, Sheridan Co., 20.3 km W of Burgess Jct., Antelope Recr. Area, 5–20.viii.1990, pans along stream, cow manure, J.E. Swann (DEBU). Utah: 1 ♀, Summit Co., Bear R. Cp., Wasatch For., 8,400 ft, 30.vii–11.viii.1979, streamside, malaise, S. & J. Peck (DEBU). New Mexico: 1 ♀, Santa Fe Co., 14 mi NE Santa Fe, 9,600 ft, 18.vi–3.viii.1975, aspen w/stream, S. & J. Peck (DEBU).

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition and refers to the country of its main distribution, Canada (kanata is the Iroquoian word from which the name “ Canada ” is believed to have originated).

Distribution (Map 7). Transcontinental in the northern Nearctic (Canada: NB, QC, ON, SK, AB, YT; U.S.A.: MA, MI, AK) but apparently absent from mountain ranges of British Columbia, where the closely related L. tenuispina sp.n. occurs. The species is appears to be much rarer in the west than in the east. The records from mountain ranges of the western United States (WY, UT, NM, based on females only) require further study. They could involve L. kanata sp.n., L. tenuispina sp.n. or another, currently unrecognised species.

Discussion. Leptocera kanata sp.n. is most similar to the eastern Palaearctic L. boruvkai. It can be separated from the latter by the following characters: anterior process of anterior section of surstylus shorter and less curved; long posterior bristle of anterior section of surstylus removed from posterodorsal corner (in L. boruvkai inserted exactly at corner); bristles of ventral lobe of anterior section of surstylus stouter; bristles of posterior (dorsal) surface of posterior section of surstylus usually not restricted to its basal half; female sternite 7 with posteromedial projection (nearly straight in L. boruvkai); spermathecae with smaller apical invagination. For characters distinguishing L. kanata sp.n. from L. tenuispina sp.n. see Discussion under the latter.