Lasiopogon karli McKnight, 2020

Mcknight, Tristan A. & Cannings, Robert A., 2020, Molecular phylogeny of the genus Lasiopogon (Diptera: Asilidae) and a taxonomic revision of the bivittatus section, Zootaxa 4835 (1), pp. 1-115 : 61-62

Lasiopogon karli McKnight sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:35078A4D-7129-4F32-8260-7D33AC213C43

Diagnosis. ( Fig. 36 ) A medium-sized pale species from the mountains of New Mexico; mystax and most macrosetae of head and thorax black, fine setae of scutum white, anterior dorsocentral macrosetae hairlike, black, posterior dorsocentrals and lateral macrosetae of scutum strong, black; scutum tomentum grey with faint brown dorsocentral stripes, tergite tomentum uniform grey. Epandrial halves strongly concave medially, with long sparse black setae; phallus with broad apex pointed dorsally and ventrally, ventrolateral carina near apex, dorsal carina narrow and pointed apically below ventrolateral carina. Ovipositor dark brown/black; acanthophorite spines black.

Description. Body length ♂ 8.4–8.8mm; ♀ 8.8–11.0mm. Head. HW ♂ 2.02–2.08mm; ♀ 1.92–2.28mm. FW ♂ 0.42–0.47mm; ♀ 0.41–0.50mm. VW ♂ 0.78–0.81mm; ♀ 0.79–0.95mm. VW/HW = ♂ 0.39; ♀ 0.41–0.42. FW/VW = ♂ 0.52–0.58; ♀ 0.52–0.53. VD/VW = ♂ 0.14–0.17; ♀ 0.15. GH/GL = ♂ 0.42–0.43; ♀ 0.34–0.40. Face and vertex covered in silvery grey tomentum. Ventral setae (on beard, labium, palps) white; mystax, ocellar setae, and most occipital setae black; frontal and orbital setae vary from white to black. Occipital macrosetae to 0.6mm, moderately fine and curved anteriorly; no lateral macrosetae beyond top quarter of the eye, ending well before the beard. Frontal and orbital setae reach apex of pedicel; ocellar setae reach midpoint of postpedicel. Antennae. Black. Setae on scape white, on pedicel mostly black; no setae on postpedicel. Postpedicel long and narrow; stylus slender, moderately long. WPP/LPP = ♂ 0.24–0.28; ♀ 0.29. LAS/LPP ♂ 0.58–0.66; ♀ 0.63. Thorax. Prothorax grey, with white setae; postpronotal lobes grey, the lateral angle chestnut, setae white. Scutum tomentum silver to yellowish-grey; dorsocentral stripes mostly absent, sometimes faintly brown; acrostichal stripes slightly darker but not prominent. Scutal macrosetae black, fine setae white or black. Dorsocentral macrosetae fine, anteriors 4–6 (to 0.7mm), posteriors 3–5; postalars 2–3; supra-alars 2; presuturals 2–3; posthumerals 0–1, very fine. Scutellar tomentum thin, grey; apical macrosetae black, fine, 4–5 on each side with a few white setae; short white vertical setae half as long as apical macrosetae along upper rim. Pleural tomentum yellowish grey. Katatergite setae 6–9, color variable, ranging from mostly white to all black, with several shorter white setae; katepisternal setae fairly short, white; anepisternal setae 3–4, black (to 0.7mm), a few very short white setae along dorsal margin and 2–3 black and white setae in posteroventral corner; anepimeron with 0–1 short white setae. Legs. Cuticle black with very thin grey tomentum, bare and reddish at joints, sometimes reddish on hind tibia. No coxal peg. Coxae with white setae. Fine setae of legs all white; main macrosetae mostly black, except a few white macrosetae basally on femur and tibia. Ventral setae on femur as long as femur width; dorsolateral macrosetae fine, variable from white to black, on profemur 5–7; mesofemur 2–4; metafemur 8–11. Protibia with ventral macrosetae 2–3 times longer than tibial width; patch of dense short setae on inside of protibia yellow-brown; on metatibia brown. Claws chestnut over basal 60%, apically black. Wings. Veins dark brown; membrane hyaline. DCI = 0.35–0.41. Halter knob cream, without spot, stem brown. Abdomen. Male. Cuticle dark brown/black, covered in predominantly grey tomentum, basally brown-grey from some angles, apically bright silvery-grey. Tergite 1 with 4–7 white and 0–4 black lateral macrosetae; lateral setae white, on tergites 1–3 as long as halter stem, on tergites 4–7 as long as scape; dorsal setulae white. Sternite tomentum brownish grey, setae white. Female. As in male, except lateral setae on tergites 4–7 black; ventral setae on sternites 5–7 black. Male genitalia. Epandrium and hypandrium/gonocoxite complex cuticle brown/black, covered in grey tomentum except medially on hypandrium and basally on epandrium; most setae black except white setae laterally on hypandrium and a few setae on epandrium; setal brush dark brown. Epandrium elongate, in lateral view the width about 47% the length, longest apically; apex rounded. In dorsal view, medial margins of epandrium strongly concave, curvature starts about 36% from base; basal sclerite prominent. Phallus paramere sheath dorsally 44% the length of phallus; paramere sheath with broad apex, pointed dorsally and ventrally, ventrolateral carina present near apex, but without ventral flange; dorsal carina relatively narrow, pointed apically below level of ventrolateral carina. Ejaculatory apodeme in lateral view slightly bent dorsally in basal quarter, dorsal carina moderately to very broad. Subepandrial sclerite with triangular central unsclerotized area in basal 39% narrowing to a parallel-sided gap in central portion; spines parallel-sided, blunt, densely and evenly distributed.

Female genitalia. Undissected: Cuticle dark brown/black, polished; with short white setae; lateral lobe with short black macrosetae; cerci brown with pale setae; acanthophorite spines black.

Type Material. HOLOTYPE ♂ labelled: “[rectangular white label] USA: New Mexico: Grant Co.,/ Gila River below Forks campsite,/ N 33.1842° W 108.2044°,/elev: 1691 m, 6.v.2015, coll./KB McKnight, TA McKnight #753”. Our type label “[red and black bordered label] HOLOTYPE / Lasiopogon karli / des. T.A. McKnight 2017” has been added. Deposited at USNM.

PARATYPES (13 specimens designated): U.S.A.: NEW MEXICO: Catron Co., Taylor Creek , 0.5 mi SW of Wall Lake, 33.3501 -108.0831, 5.v.2015, K.B. & T.A. McKnight (1♂ RBCM, 1♀ TAM, 1♂ [1 EtOH] UMMZ) ; Taylor Creek, below Wall Lake , Gila NF [33.345 -108.089], 28.iv.1994, R. Durfee (3♂ 1♀ CSUC) ; Grant Co., Gila River below Forks campsite, 33.1842 -108.2044, 6.v.2015, K.B. & T.A. McKnight (1♂ 1♀ RBCM, 1♂ 1♀ [1 pr in cop] TAM, 1♂ 1♀ [1 EtOH] UMMZ) .

Etymology. Named for the first author’s father Dr. Karl B McKnight, who provided invaluable mentoring, counsel, and assistance throughout this work and was the ideal field assistant for collecting expeditions. This species bears his name because several geographic features with the McKnight surname (e.g., a mountain, creek, road, and Forest Service cabin) are within a few miles of the original collection localities, and Karl helped us catch specimens on our expedition there.

Distribution ( Fig. 42 ) Nearctic; USA, New Mexico. Type locality: U.S.A., New Mexico, Grant Co., Gila River below Forks campsite, N 33.1842° W 108.2044°.

Phylogenetic Relationships. Member of the opaculus section, putatively in the cinereus species group.

Natural History. Habitat: sandy river banks, found perching on bare sand patches 1–20 m from the water ( Fig. 20 ). Dates collected: 28 April to 6 May. The asilid Stichopogon arenicola Wilcox was also flying concurrently in the same microhabitat.

Figures

FIGURE 36. Matrix key of Lasiopogon morphology for species revised in this publication, indicating details of tergite tomentum, major setation, and dissected male genitalia. Taxa are grouped on pages with closely related and visually similar species. (36) L. karli sp. nov., L. martinensis.

FIGURES 41–42. Distribution maps of georeferenced records for Lasiopogon species revised in this publication, part 2 of 2. Each map corresponds to one page of the morphology tabular key.

FIGURES 14–21. Representative habitats of inland sand-perching Lasiopogon species collected for this revision. (14) Washington: Asotin Co., Snake River, sandy bank 4 mi S of Asotin jct Hwy 129, 21.iv.2014 (L. ripicola). (15) Washington: Thurston Co., Tumwater, Deschutes River @ Pioneer Park, 15.v.2015 (L. puyallupi stat. nov.). (16) Oregon: Linn Co., Crabtree Creek @ Hwy 226 bridge 8 mi N of Lebanon, 19.v.2012 (L. willametti). (17) Washington: Franklin Co., Juniper Dunes Wilderness, N entrance, 18 mi NE of Pasco, 20.iv.2014 (L. albidus). (18) California: Marin Co., San Antonio Creek, San Antonio Rd 4.5 mi S of Petaluma, 15.iii.2014 (L. zonatus, L. esau sp. nov.). (19) California: Riverside Co., Little San Gorgonio Creek @ Potrero blvd bridge, 2 mi NW of Beaumont, 9.iii.2014 (L. wilcoxi sp. nov.). (20) New Mexico: Grant Co., Gila River below Forks campsite, 6.v.2015 (L. karli sp. nov.). (21) California: Riverside Co., Santa Ana River at Mt. Rubidoux, 4.iii.2013 (L. drabicolum).