Pseudheleodromia haenii ( Wagner, 1996 ), 2025

Wagner, Rüdiger, Andrade, Rui & Gonçalves, Ana, 2025, Report on Brachystomatidae and Empididae (Hemerodromiinae, Clinocerinae) from continental Portugal and neighbouring countries, Zootaxa 5722 (3), pp. 345-368 : 347-349

Pseudheleodromia haenii ( Wagner, 1996) comb. nov.

( Figs 5, 6, 7, 8 , 11, 15 )

Heleodromia haenii Wagner, 1996: 184 .

Material examined. Portugal: 5 ♂, 2 ♀, 08.X.2015, Coimbra, Pampilhosa da Serra , Fajão — Vidual, 40°05' 27.5"N, 7°51'33.6"W ; leg. RA & AG. 1 ♂, 29.III.2019, Viana do Castelo, Paredes de Coura, Bico e Cristelo ( Paisagem Protegida do Corno de Bico ), 41°52'03.3"N, 8°31'17.7"W ; 1 ♂, 15.X.2020; Vila Real, Mondim de Basto, Ermelo e Pardelhas ( Varzigueto, Parque Natural do Alvão ), 41°22'44.0"N, 7°51'14.4"W ; 1 ♀, 29.II.2012, Porto, Valongo, Valongo ( Parque das Serras do Porto), 41°09'33.4"N, 8°29'05.6"W ; ibidem: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 09.IV.2012; 6 ♂, 4 ♀, 29.II.2012; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, 09.III.2012; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 22.II.2012; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 26.III.2012; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, 25.IV.2013; Guarda, Gouveia, Gouveia ( Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela ), 40°29'10.9"N, 7°34'38.5"W ; all leg. RA. 1 ♂, 20.IV.2015, Guarda, Seia, Loriga ( Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela ), 40°19'40.8"N, 7°40'39.4"W ; 1 ♀, 25. V.2019, Lisboa, Cadaval, Lamas e Cercal ( Paisagem Protegida da Serra de Montejunto ), 39°11'37.7"N, 9°01'36.0"W ; 1 ♂, 2015 (no further date), Guarda, Seia, Vide e Cabeça ( Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela ), 40°19'16.6"N, 7°44'15.1"W ; 2 ♀, 20.IV.2015, Guarda, Seia, Alvoco da Serra ( Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela ), 40°17'39.2"N, 7°40'12.5"W ; 1 ♀, 2015 (no further date), Guarda, Manteigas ( Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela ), 40°25'N, 7°30'W ; 1 ♀, spring (no further date). Portalegre, Marvão, Santa Maria de Marvão ( Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede ), 39°23'50.2"N, 7°21'52.3"W ; all leg. AG. Spain: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 01.IV.2014, Granada, Víznar ( Parque Natural de la Sierra de Huétor ), 37°14'57.5"N, 3°31'16.4"W ; leg. AG.

Remarks. The species was described from a single dry male from southern France ( Wagner 1996). It is recorded here for the first time from Portugal and Spain. In Portugal it seems quite abundant. RA was able to take images of details of male and female behaviour in the parish of Valongo ( 41°09'33.4"N, 8°29'05.6"W) that can be retrieved from YouTube.

Habitat. We recorded this species mostly in dry heathlands composed typically of heather ( Ericaceae ), gorse and broom ( Fabaceae ) ( Fig. 5 ). Adults were found mainly on exposed rocks moving around while oscillating the abdomen up and down ( Figs 6–8 ).

Feeding habits. Although adults of Heleodromia Haliday and Pseudheleodromia have long been suspected of being predators, this had not yet been confirmed with field observations. In the present study, RA recorded on several occasions P. haenii feeding on collembolans captured on rock surfaces. We found a large range of sizes in captured and consumed prey, from very small arthropods that are suspected to be juvenile collembolans (https:// youtu.be/NOWDy 4m 0JsY) to much larger collembolans several times the length of the fly’s head ( Fig. 6 ; https:// youtu.be/nbTqo84QOgw).

Observations suggest that, after initial prey detection through visual inspection, the predator leans forward, brings its head closer to the prey, expands its labella, and delivers a blow to the prey, snatching it from the ground to start feeding on it. When finished, the predator removes the remains of the prey from its mouthparts with the help of the fore legs and discards the prey (https://youtu.be/1nKVASl-Znc and https://youtu.be/BdSJADUZ1tk).

On one occasion, a male was recorded visually inspecting a passing mite and ignoring it (https://youtu.be/ JZSbaRapvDs). On another, a female detected and ran towards an extremely small invertebrate and attacked it with its mouthparts, but apparently rejected it immediately by discarding it with the help of the fore legs (https://youtu. be/oiOB_r4UpRw).

Intraspecific interactions. On one occasion, a male was observed slowly approaching a female from behind and suddenly jumping onto the female’s back and attempting copulation, which was rejected, as the female pulled its abdomen under the body and directed it anteriorly (https://youtu.be/8l-4HRYbmjI). On another occasion, a female was recorded meeting a male and reacting to the male’s presence by stopping and beginning to swing its abdomen from side to side, brushing it against the wings, and waving the middle legs up and down before flying away (https:// youtu.be/7pluMel-Arw).

We recorded a male-male interaction: after two males came face to face, one of them tried unsuccessfully to jump on top of the other. The males then faced each other again for approximately 1 minute and 16 seconds, until one of them retreated and oscillated its abdomen from side to side, rubbing it against the wings, and oscillated its middle legs up and down while trying to move away. The other male started to follow him and then jumped onto the first male’s back, apparently trying to copulate. About 1 minute and 30 seconds later, the second male moved away (https://youtu.be/UMB1D8NiRvQ).

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Pseudheleodromia haenii. 5. Dry heathland in Valongo with large rocks scattered across landscape, typical habitat for this species; 6. Female feeding on relatively large collembolan; 7. Adult male; 8. Mating pair.

FIGURES 11–18. Wings and male genitalia, lateral view. Pseudheleodromia haenii (11, 15), Hemerodromia auremensis sp. nov. (12, 16), Dolichocephala fumosa sp. nov. (13, 18), Dolichocephala grandistylus sp. nov. (14, 17). Scale bars: 0.1 mm (15–18); 0.2 mm (12); 0.5 mm (11, 13, 14).