Paraclius aberrans Robinson, 1964

Soares, Matheus M. M., Capellari, Renato S. & Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2023, New or little-known Neotropical Dolichopodidae (Diptera) (II): genus Hercostomus Loew excluded from the Neotropics, Zootaxa 5254 (2), pp. 181-208 : 191

Paraclius aberrans Robinson, 1964

( Figs 6 , 16 )

Paraclius aberrans Robinson, 1964: 180 , fig. 112. Type locality: USA: Plano, Collin County, Texas, USA .

Diagnosis (male). Face narrow (as wide as ocellar tubercle at narrowest point) ( Fig. 6B ); antenna yellow, with apical 2/3 of postpedicel brownish ( Figs 6A, B ); postpedicel slightly longer than wide, rounded at apex. Legs: yellow, except lateral surface of coxa II and all tarsi from apex of basitarsus brownish ( Figs 6A, B ). All tarsi unmodified. Wing hyaline, M 1 gradually angled towards R 4+5. Hypopygium as long as abdomen ( Fig. 6A ); cercus brownish, branched, dorsal branch short, about 1/4 of length of ventral branch, ventral branch fusiform.

Examined type material. HOLOTYPE ♁ (based on photographs) ( Fig. 6 ) labelled as: “ Plano , Texas [ca 33°02′27.4″N 96°44′33.5″W] | Sep, at night | E.S. Tucker ”; “Taken at | trap light” ; Holotype ♁ | Paraclius | aberrans | H. Robinson ” [handwritten, green label] ( NMNH) .

Remarks. Robinson (1975) noted the similarity between Paraclius aberrans and P. latipes , and both seem to be closely related by sharing the robust and elongate hypopygium, as long as abdomen, and the fusiform ventral branch of the cercus ( Robinson 1964, fig. 112). Paraclius aberrans can be distinguished from P. latipes by the face being as wide as ocellar tubercle at middle ( Fig. 6B ) (face narrower than ocellar tubercle in P. latipes ( Figs 7B , 8C )) and the cylindrical tarsus I (tarsus I dorsoventrally flattened in P. latipes ( Fig. 8E–G )). Robinson (1964) indicated that species without the conspicuous anterior bend in wing vein M 1 had been described as Hercostomus . Nevertheless, he correctly placed this species in Paraclius by the presence of only five strong dorsocentral setae, two ventral setae on tibia II, and anteroventral preapical seta on femur III, a set of characters found in other species of Paraclius .

The holotype of this species was collected at a light trap, an unusual method for Paraclius species.

Distribution. USA (Texas), Mexico (San Luis Potosí) ( Fig. 16 ).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Paraclius aberrans Robinson, male holotype (NMNH). A–C. Habitus in lateral, anterior and dorsal views, respectively; D. Labels. Images B and C originally lacked scale bars. Photographs by Alyssa Seemann, NMNH.

FIGURE 7. Paraclius latipes (Aldrich), male syntype (NMNH). A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Head, anterior view; C. Labels; D. Tarsus I, posterior view; E. Left wing. Images B, D and E originally lacked scale bars. Photographs by Alyssa Seemann, NMNH.

FIGURE 8. Paraclius latipes (Aldrich), identified male specimen from Costa Rica. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Abdomen and hypopygium, lateral view; C. Head, anterior view; D. Left antenna, inner view; E–G. Tarsus I in dorsal, anterior and ventral views, respectively (arrow pointing to ventral whitish pile on tarsus I); H. Left wing.

FIGURE 16. Geographic distribution of species of the Paraclius latipes-group treated here.