Efferia bromleyi, Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2008

Scarbrough, Aubrey G. & Perez-Gelabert, Daniel E., 2008, Review of the West Indian species of Efferia Coquillett (Diptera: Asilidae): Part 1. Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Jamaica, Insecta Mundi 2008 (49), pp. 1-29 : 10-12

Efferia bromleyi n. sp.

Fig. 1 , 2, 4b-c, 8-10

Description. Male. Body 18.0- 19.8 mm; wing 14.3-15.8 mm. Head: Black with yellowish-gray tomentum, mostly yellowish or whitish setose. Face gray tomentose laterally; usually 9-30 black bristles medially mixed with pale setae, sparse black bristles often present along oral margin laterally. Palpi mostly yellowish setose, usually 1-4 black setae at apex. Antennae mostly black, usually pedicel and style sometimes blackish-red or reddish. Frons yellowish and black setose or entirely black. Ocellar tubercle black setose. Postocular bristles usually black and stout, setae often black dorsally.

Thorax: Prothorax yellowish-gray or gray tomentose, white setose, bristles black or yellowish. Scutum brownish-yellow or yellowish-gray tomentose laterally, always paler posteriorly; postpronotal spot brownish-yellow tomentose; setae mostly black and short, anterior and lateral margins narrowly with white setae; anterior setae about as long as scape, setae longer posteriorly; bristles black, lateral bristles stout, dorsocentrals much thinner, seta-like. Scutellum yellowish-gray tomentose with long yellowish setae, sometimes mixed with sparse black setae, rarely entirely black setose; setae longer than scape and pedicel combined, as long as 2-3 seta-like marginal bristles, latter only slightly thicker than setae, usually yellowish, 1-2 black bristles present. Pleura brownish or brownish-yellow tomentose anteriorly, yellowish-gray posteriorly; setae mostly yellow, often blackish anteriorly and dorsally.

Wing (Fig. 2): Brownish, especially along veins; costal margin usually strongly dilated. Costal vein yellow setose basally; cell R 4 narrow, oblique basally, well beyond cell d; recurrent vein absent, if present then minute. Crossvein r-m just before apical 1/5 of cell d, 1/3 longer than CuA 1 +M 3.

Legs: Femora ventrally with reddish spot apically, sometimes yellowish-brown basally with color extending posteriorly or dorsally; setae mostly yellowish except black on dorsal 2/3 of prothoracic femora and apical 1/4-1/3 of mesothoracic and metathoracic femora; bristles mostly black, 3-4 yellowish bristles anteriorly. Tibiae yellowish, apex reddish-brown; bristles and scattered black, dense or long ventral setae yellowish. Prothoracic and mesothoracic tarsi yellow or brownish-yellow, apical tarsomeres darker brownish; metathoracic tarsi darker yellowish-brown or reddish-brown; bristles and dorsal setae black, dense ventral setae yellowish.

Abdomen: Black, wide side of tergites 1-5, sternites 1-5, and segments 6-7, sometimes apical 1/3 of tergite 5, white tomentose, 4 specimens with segments 4-7 entirely white tomentose; setae mostly white or pale yellow, setae long on segments 1-3, and apical margin of sternites 6-7; tergites 1-5 mostly brown tomentose dorsally, setae short, brown on tergites 2 or 3-5, and 8. Apical margin of sternite 7 slightly produced.

Terminalia (Fig. 8-10): Black, mostly black setose. Epandrium 3.0 times longer than wide, gradually narrowed dorsally above cercus, with large ear-like dorsal process, dorsal margin with flat, spur-like apex before shallow notch, often touching (V-shaped) or crossing (X-shaped) adjacent epandrial spur; anterior margin somewhat produce before spur. Gonostylus very narrow, only slightly wider apically, apex pointed. Phallus very slender, flanges only weakly produced, aedeagus hooked about 140 degrees, tubes long, thin, somewhat angular. Gonocoxite thin, membranous on apical 1/2-2/3, wide apically, usually slightly notched along apical margin anteriorly, setae black and dense.

Female. Body 17.5-19.9 mm, wing 13.1-15.6 mm. Head: Mystax with short, scattered setae; frons usually black setose; dorsal postocular bristles black or yellowish. Thorax: Pronotal bristles black. Scutum anterior setae short, about 1/2-2/3 as long as scape, median longitudinal stripe divided entirely with yellowish tomentum; 4 black dorsocentrals. Scutellum with 2 stout marginal bristles, usually yellow; setae usually yellowish, occasionally sparse black setae apically; setae usually about 1/2 as long as scape, those basally slightly longer. Wing: Vein R 4 not strongly oblique, recurrent vein as long as base of cell r 4. Crossvein r-m at apical 1/3 of cell d. Legs: Femora usually black with reddish apical spot ventrally, and narrow base sometimes reddish-yellow or brownish-yellow, pale color often extends to apical 1/3 dorsally on metathoracic femora. Femora with all ventral bristles stout, most yellow, anteroventral row of metathoracic femora with mostly blackish bristles, those basally yellow. Prothoracic femora with row of stout yellow bristles ventrally; base of mesothoracic femora with unusually stout, long, yellow bristles. Apices of tibiae and mesothoracic and metathoracic tarsi reddish-brown, prothoracic tarsi brownish-yellow, basal tarsomeres palest, sometimes appearing yellow, apical tarsomeres darkest. Abdomen: Mostly yellowishgray or gray tomentose, gray or brownish-gray in apical corners of tergites 2-4 extending slightly dorsally along apical margin; tergite 7 glossy black laterally, brown tomentose dorsally, sometimes tomentum extends along apical margin narrowly; setae short, mostly pale yellow or whitish; tergites 1-6 dark brown tomentose dorsally, usually with mostly brown setae on tergites 5-7 or 6-7, basal tergites sometimes with sparse brown setae. Terminalia: As long as apical 3 1/2 segments, 6.0- 6.3 mm at middle 1/10 as wide as long; cercus 1/4 as long as segment 9 (Fig. 4a); spermatheca oval, pale brownish apically, transparent basally (Fig. 4b).

Types. CUBA: Santiago (Las Vegas) [Havana province] / 10.iv.1926 Cuba ~ S.W. Bromley collection (holotype m, USNM). Paratypes, Camaguey, [Camaguey province] Cuba / Col. J. Acuna / 20. vii.1923 / Cubitas (1m, USNM); Central Jaronú / Cuba 20.v.1930 ~ TPRF / Ent. No. 3870 ~ taken on screen ~ L.C. Scaramuzza (1 f, MCZC); Jaronú Cuba / iii.13.31 ~ C.S.C. Ent. / no. 3990 ~ collected in soil [pupal case] ~ L.C. Scaramuzza (1 f, MCZC); Soledad [Cienfuegos province] Cuba / 8-vi-1925 / Geo. Salt ~ S.W. Bromley collection (1 f, USNM); Pasa Caballo, / L. V. Cuba / 22.vii.1956 / C. and P. Vaurie ~ Efferia stylata (Fab.) det. J. Wilcox ‘65 (3 f, AMNH); Pasa Caballo, / L. V. Cuba / 22.vii.1956 / C. and P. Vaurie ~ Efferia stylatus (Fab.) det. J. Wilcox ‘65 (? AMNH); Soledad Cuba / 8.vi.1925 / Geo. Salt ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (2 m, MCZC); same data except 20.vi.1925 Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 m, MCZC); same data except 4.v.1925 Det. S.W. Bromley (1 m, MCZC); same data except 21.v.1925 (1 m, MCZC); Cuba [without specific location] [cicadellid prey], 2.v.1916 SCB ~ S.W. Bromley Collection ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley - 1927 (1 m, USNM); 6.xii.1905 ~ Est. Cent. / Agr. de Cuba / 7333 ~ Erax / fulvibarbis / Macq. (1 m, USNM); 1 ~ Cuba (1 m, MCZC); 44 ~ Cu ~ 103 ~ Loew Coll (1 m, MCZC); Cuba ~ Osten Sacken coll. ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 m, MCZC); Cu ~ 10 ~ Loew Coll. ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 m, MCZC); Cuba / Gundl [Gundlach]~ 15/44 ~ Erax stylata Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 f, MCZC); Cuba / Bohrn. ~ Loew Coll. ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 m, MCZC); square tag, top metallic colored ~ Loew coll. ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 f, MCZC); square tag, top metallic colored ~ Loew Coll. ~ stylatus (1 m, MCZC). [antennae absent], Los Gloria [Havana province] / Cuba / Acc. 381 ~ Carnegie Museum / specimen number / CMNH-307, 310 ~ Efferia / stylata / (Fabr.) (1 m, CMNH); 21.vi.1905 / Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook ~ Efferia stylatus (Fab.) det. G.S. Forbes ‘88 (1 m, AMNH); 1 m, 5.i.1905 Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook ~ n. sp. ~ Efferia stylatus (Fab.) det. G.S. Forbes ‘88 (AMNH); [antennae missing], 16.v.1905 ~ Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook ~ Efferia stylatus (Fab.) det. G. S. Forbes ‘88 (1 f, AMNH); 6.v.1905 / Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook (1 m, AMNH); Cuba / vic. of / Havana / T. Barbour ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (3 m, MCZC); Havana / Cuba vi ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (3 m, 1 f, MCZC); Columbia Is. / de Pinos [Isla de la Juventud], Cuba / 9.ix.1928 /~ S.C. Bruner, / L Bouclé ~ Preying / on Cicada ~ S.W. Bromley collection (1 f, USNM); Banõs, S.[Santa] Clara [Villa Clara province] / Cuba, v.1918 / F-4300 ~ Erax stylatus Fab. Det. S.W. Bromley 1927 (1 m, MCZC); San Blas / Prov. Sta. Clara / Cuba 21.vii.1932 / Bates and Fairchild (1 f, MCZC); Soledad, Sta. Clara / Cuba 18.vi.1932 / Bates and Fairchild (1 f, MCZC); same data except 23.v.1932 (1 m, MCZC); same data except 2.vii.1932 (1 m, MCZC).

Other specimens examined. [ abdomen glued to card, terminalia mostly absent], vicinity of Havana , / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook (1 f, AMNH) ; [left mesothoracic and right metathoracic leg, terminalia missing], 16.vi.1905 ~ Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook ~ Efferia stylatus (Fab.) det. G.S. Forbes ‘88 (1 f, AMNH) ; [insect damage to thorax and abdomen, terminalia tip missing], 22.v.1905 ~ Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook ~ Efferia stylata (Fab.) det. Gs Forbes ‘88 (1 f, AMNH) ; [mesothoracic tibia, mesothoracic tarsus, prothoracicand metathoracic legs missing], 16.vi.1905 ~ Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook ~ Efferia stylata (Fab.) det. Gs Forbes ‘88 (1 f, AMNH) ; [antennae and terminalia tip missing], 25.v.1905 ~ Vicinity of Havana, / Cuba / Mel. T. Cook ~ Efferia stylatus (Fab.) det. Gs Forbes ‘88 (1 f, AMNH) ; 1 f [abdomen absent, scarabaeid prey] 12.vi.1926 / SCB (1 f, USNM) ; [style, flagellum, tip of terminalia absent], Habana / 6.vi.? Cuba ~ Palmer / and Riley (1 f, USNM) ; [apical 1/2 of abdomen missing], Havana / Cuba June ~ S.W. Bromley collection (1 m, USNM); (head glued, most of terminalia absent) , Est. Cent. / Agr. de Cuba / 7334 (1 f, USNM) ; [head missing]15/44 f, ~ Loew coll. (1 f, MCZC); [terminalia apex absent] Cuba / vic. of / Havana / T. Barbour ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (3 f, MCZC) ; [apical segments+genitalia missing] Cuba ~ Osten Sacken coll. ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 m, MCZC) ; m, 15/44 ~ Erax stylatus Fabr. Det. S.W. Bromley (1 m, MCZC) .

Etymology. The species name, bromleyi , genitive case, recognizes the American dipterist S.W. Bromley for his extensive contributions on the New World asilid fauna.

Distribution. Cuba, Camaguey, Cienfuegos, Havana, Villa Clara, and Isla de la Juventud provinces; February-July.

Remark. In addition to the characters in the key, the male of Ef. bromleyi is distinguished by the brown wing, costal margin strongly dilated, absence of a recurrent r 4 vein, the thin seta-like dorsocentral bristles, the yellowish prothoracic tarsi, and the combined characters of the terminalia (Fig. 4a-4b, 8-10), especially the large dorsal process with an apical spur and small notch, and the membranous gonocoxite. In addition, the scutellar setae are longer than the scape and pedicel combined, and are as long as the 2- 3 marginal bristles. The latter are only slightly thicker than the scutellar setae. The female is recognized by the stout yellow bristles below the femora and the 2 stout yellow marginal scutellar bristles. Efferia bromleyi will key to Ef. stylata in Bromley’s key (1929).

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution of Efferia in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Jamaica.