Asymphyloptera dominica, Sinclair, Bradley J., 2015

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2015, New World species of Asymphyloptera Collin (Diptera: Empididae: Clinocerinae), Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 553-564 : 557-558

Asymphyloptera dominica sp. nov.

( Fig. 13 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “ DOMINICA , W.I./ FondFiguesR./ 9 Feb. 1965 / W. W. Wirth/ rain forest”; “Bredin-Archibald/ SmithsonianBio./ Surv. Dominica ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Asymphyloptera / dominica / Sinclair [red label]” ( USNM). PARATYPES: Dominica . Same data as holotype (1 ♂, 1 ♀, USNM); Pont Casse, 2.5 mi E, 16.i.1965, stream margin, W.W. Wirth (1 ♂, USNM).

Recognition. This species is distinguished by its small size; yellowish coxae; pleura brown; narrow, tapered surstylus with pointed apex; phallus arched posteriorly, apex expanded and membranous with jagged lateral margin.

Description. Male. Postpedicel globular with long, slender apical extension, arising subapically. Ocellar setae stout, shorter than length of postpedicel extension. Labrum slightly shorter than clypeus; palpus brown, subequal to labrum, tapered to slender apex.

Pleura brown. Chaetotaxy stout; 1 pprn short, very slender; 2 npl, lower slender and shorter; 4 dc, anterior dc offset; 2 apical sctl, slightly shorter than prescutellar dc, lacking lateral sctl. Coxae and base of femora yellowish, remaining segments brown; fore femur with antero- and posteroventral rows of pale, slender setae, subequal in length to width of femur; fore tibia with erect ventral setae. Wing length 1.1–1.2 mm; crossvein h distinct; base of wing with 2–3 long, stouter setulae along posterior margin, separated from finer distal setulae by wide gap. Halter brown.

Male terminalia ( Fig. 13 ): Cercus with anterior lobe slightly produced; posterior lobe long, slender. Hypandrium prolonged as broad, paired postgonites; apical margin of postgonite rounded, with short, subapical pointed projections. Epandrium narrow, with elongate setae on apical half. Surstylus shorter than cercus, slender, arched, tapered to pointed apex; not extending beyond phallus. Phallus strongly arched posteriorly; apex expanded, membranous with jagged lateral margin; ejaculatory apodeme narrow, not expanded.

Female. Similar to male except as follows: lacking long ventral setae on fore femur. Terminalia not dissected.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, the Caribbean island of Dominica .

Distribution. This species is restricted to the island of Dominica , Lesser Antilles ( Fig. 17 ).

Remarks. This species was collected during the Bredin-Archbold-Smithsonian biological survey of the Caribbean island of Dominica (May 1964 - October 1966) (see Robinson 1975, for brief introduction to expedition).

Although Dominica is relatively small (754 km 2), the island is primarily moist due to two mountain peaks reaching nearly 1500 m in elevation ( Robinson 1975). There are numerous streams and rivers and consequently ideal habitat for aquatic empidids. The Lesser Antilles are of recent volcanic origin, separated by deep ocean depths and the island biota is assumed to be the result of dispersal from northern and southern source regions ( Donnelly 1988; Ricklefs & Bermingham 2008).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Distribution of Asymphyloptera in the New World.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Male terminalia of Asymphyloptera, lateral views. 13, A. dominica sp. nov.; 14, A. havasu sp. nov.; 15, A. lutea sp. nov.; 16, A. mexicana sp. nov. Scale bars 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: pgt—postgonite; ph—phallus; sur—surstylus.