Argolepida oasis, Irwin & Winterton, 2021

Irwin, Michael E. & Winterton, Shaun L., 2021, Revision of South American stiletto fly genus Argolepida Metz & Irwin (Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae), Zootaxa 5068 (2), pp. 151-185 : 163-165

Argolepida oasis sp. n.

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E04013BD-28A3-4279-8443-6A85E5294055

( Figs 14–16 ; 32G, H ; 33D ; 36D ; 37 )

Diagnosis. Male frons entirely greyish-silver pubescent, female with irregular and poorly margined bare area on frons; wing hyaline; abdominal tergites 1–7 with white, scale-like adpressed setae; femora yellow.

Description. Body length: 5.0– 5.5 mm. Head male frons flat with greyish-silver pubescence ( Fig. 32G ), female slightly raised, light brown dorsally, silver around antennal base with irregular glossy black glabrous area medially ( Fig. 32F ); frons with few short pale setae below ocellar tubercle; postocular setae pale; occiput with postocular ridge grey, medial occiput brown, few scale-like setae medially; antennal scape brown, overlain with grey pubescence; flagellum brown with brown pubescence. Thorax with scutal pubescence dark brown with short erect filiform setae admixed with adpressed white scale-like setae, denser anteriorly; scutal macrosetae brown (chaetotaxy as per genus description); pleuron with dense silver-grey pubescence with few white scale-like setae on anepisternum and katepisternum, setae on katatergite uniform pale, anepisternum brownish in dorsal half; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae white, mid coxa with setae on posterior surface (sometimes absent); femora uniform yellow with dense covering of white scale-like adpressed setae; tibiae yellow, dark grey-brown apically; tarsi brown, yellow basally; wing hyaline, slightly infuscate along wing veins, venation dark; haltere orange. Abdomen base colour mostly dark brown, adpressed white scale-like setae on segments 1–7, black on rest; terminalia brown. Male and female genitalia as per genus description except ejaculatory apodeme slightly spatulate anteriorly, lateral ejaculatory apodeme relatively large.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the oasis located in the Chilean township of Pica in the Atacama Desert.

Comments. This species is known from a single locality in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. It is very similar to A. jama sp. n. but can be differentiated based on the number of abdominal segments with white setae, leg colour, and the pattern and colour of the frontal pubescence in both sexes.

Type material. Holotype male, CHILE: Tarapacá Province: Pica [-20.4923, -69.3425], 1370 m, cement tank above upper water, 21.VIII.1966, E.I. Schlinger (MEI00049; UCCS) . Paratypes. CHILE: Tarapacá Province: 1 male, 2 females, Pica [-20.4838, -69.3175], 1370 m, at water pond, near grass on dunes, near oasis, 26.V.1966, 21.VIII.1966, 24.IX.1966, M.E. Irwin, hand netted (MEI00047, 00049, 00058; CSCA, UCCS) ; 1 female, Pica [- 20.4838, -69.3175], Malaise trap, 23.IX–20.XI.1966, M.E. Irwin, E. Medina (MEI00048; CSCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Argolepida oasis sp. n.: male, oblique view.

FIGURE 15. Argolepida oasis sp. n.: male, lateral view.

FIGURE 16. Argolepida oasis sp. n.: female, lateral view.

FIGURE 32. Argolepida spp. heads, anterior view. A. Argolepida atacama sp. n., male; B. Argolepida atacama sp. n., female; C. A. camposi sp. n., male; D. A. camposi sp. n., female; E. A. jama sp. n., male; F. A. jama sp. n., female; G. A. oasis sp. n., male; H. A. oasis sp. n., female; I. A. patagonia sp. n., male; J. A. patagonia sp. n., female; K. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928), male; L. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928), female; M. A. schlingeri sp. n., male; N. A. schlingeri sp. n., female; O. A. telteca sp. n., male; P. A. telteca sp. n., female.

FIGURE 33. Argolepida spp. wings. A. Argolepida atacama sp. n.; B. A. camposi sp. n.; C. A. jama sp. n.; D. A. oasis sp. n.

FIGURE 36. Argolepida spp. male aedeagi, dorsal view (upper) and lateral view (lower). A. Argolepida atacama sp. n.; B. A. camposi sp. n.; C. A. jama sp. n.; D. A. oasis sp. n.; E. A. patagonia sp. n.; F. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928); G. A. schlingeri sp. n.; H. A. telteca sp. n.

FIGURE 37. Distribution of Argolepida species in Southern South America.