Empodiodes pusillipes, Londt, 2019

Londt, Jason G. H., 2019, A revision of Empodiodes Oldroyd, 1972 with the descriptions of two new species from South Africa (Diptera, Asilidae, Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 60 (1), pp. 67-82 : 67

Empodiodes pusillipes sp. nov. Figs 3 , 4 , 6-8 , 12 , 13 , 16

Etymology.

L. pusillus (small) + pes (foot). Refers to the relatively poorly developed male metathoracic empodia. Noun in apposition.

Description.

Based on all material studied. Entire holotype as illustrated (Fig. 3 ).

Head: Dark red-brown to black, colour masked by strong gold-silver pruinescence, black and white setose. Antenna dark red-brown to black, scape and pedicel white setose, postpedicel laterally compressed and markedly curved outwards. Relative lengths of segments (scape as 1) Scape 1, pedicel 0.3, postpedicel 3.1, style 0.5 (including terminal seta-like sensory element). Face black, slightly protuberant, strongly silver pruinose. Mystax white, covering ventral ¾ of face. Frons and vertex smoothly rounded (not indented between eye margins) gold-silver pruinose, black setose. Ocellar tubercle only weakly protuberant, weakly setose and lacking strong ocellar macrosetae. Occiput gold-silver pruinose, black (dorsally and along eye margins) and white (ventrally) setose. Palps small, 2-segmented, orange, white setose. Proboscis dark red-brown, straight, white setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, entirely silver and silver-gold pruinose, black and white setose. Cervical sclerite white setose. Anterior antepronotum with a row of black marcosetae. Mesonotum patterned with silver and gold pruinescence, predominantly black setose, but some white setae present. Lateral macrosetae black (2 notopleurals, 2 supra-alars, 2 postalars). Scutellum dark red-brown to black, with c. 12 white (♀ has a few black ones) apical macrosetae, disc fine silver pruinose, asetose. Pleura silver and gold pruinose, fine white setose. Anepimeron with 1 white anterodorsal macroseta. Katatergal setae well developed, mixed black and white macrosetose. Anatergites silver pruinose, asetose. Postmetacoxal area membranous. Legs: Mainly dark red-brown to black but femora and tibiae brown-orange dorsally. Coxae silver pruinose, mostly white setose (a few black setae may be present). Trochanters white setose, femora, tibiae and tarsi fine white setose with black macrosetae. Claws and pulvilli well developed. Empodia yellow, bristle-like except for metathoracic legs where empodia are moderately well developed, dark red-brown and laterally compressed. Wings (Fig. 4 ): Length (humeral crossvein to tip) x breadth (maximum): Holotype ♂ 3.8 × 1.4 mm, paratype ♀ 4.2 × 1.6 mm, paratype ♂ 3.0 × 1.1 mm. Veins dark red-brown to black, membrane transparent, entirely microtrichose, cells m3 and cua closed and stalked.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, entirely fine silver and silver-gold pruinose, black and white setose. Terga > twice as wide as long. Terga and sterna black (medially) and white (laterally) setose, T1 with c. 4 black discal macrosetae.

Male terminalia (Figs 6-8 ): Rotated through c. 90° anticlockwise. Epandrium c. 3 × wider than long in dorsal view; posterior margin clearly indented medially. Proctiger slightly longer than epandrium in lateral view. Hypandrium subtriangular, twice as broad as long, distinctly pointed posteromedially. Gonocoxites relatively large, higher than long in lateral view, with broad dorsal and finger-like median lobes best seen in ventral view. Gonostyli well developed, jutting out laterally between proctiger and gonocoxite. Distal region of aedeagus conical with terminal opening.

Female terminalia (not dissected): Ovipositor tubular (i.e. not laterally or dorsally compressed), subgenital plate with shallow longitudinal midventral keel. T10 bilobed (= acanthophorites), each lobe appearing to bear only 4 stout macrotrichia.

Type Material.

Holotype. South Africa (Western Cape Province): 1♂ holotype 'Sth Africa: W Cape / Vrolijkheid Nature Res / 33°55'01"S, 19°52'43"E / J&A Londt 9-10.x.2013 / 185m Acacia rocky / vynbos with succulents’ NMSA-DIP 81678 ( NMSA).

Paratypes: 1♀ paratype - data identical to holotype NMSA-DIP 81679 ( NMSA); 1♂ paratype 'Sth Africa: W Cape / 2 km S of Papendorp / 31°43'01"S, 18°12'22"E / J&A Londt 10.ix.2012 / 15m Vegetated dunes’ NMSA-DIP 81680 ( NMSA).

Distribution, phenology and biology.

Known from two localities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa (Fig. 16 ) and collected in September and October (Table 1). Localities clearly fall within a winter rainfall region. Apart from being collected in sandy localities dominated by vynbos, nothing is known of the biology. Figs 12 , 13 give an impression of the environments where the species has been collected.

Figures

Figure 3. Empodiodes pusillipes sp. nov. entire holotype ♂ (Photo Pillay).

Figure 12. Empodiodes pusillipes sp. nov. habitats at Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve (photographed 11 October 2013).

Figure 13. Empodiodes pusillipes sp. nov. habitats at 2 km S of Papendorp (photographed 10 September 2012), where the species was collected.

Figure 16. The distribution of Empodiodes species: E. greatheadi Oldroyd, 1972 (●), E. melanoscopaeus Londt, 1992 (○), E. namibiensis Londt, 2012 (■), E. pusillipes sp. nov. (□), E. torridus sp. nov. (▲), E. whittingtoni Londt, 1992 (♦) (Map Zamisa).

Figures 4, 5. Empodiodes wings: 4 E. pusillipes sp. nov. 5 E. torridus sp. nov.

Figures 6 - 11. Empodiodes ♂ terminalia: 6 - 8 E. pusillipes sp. nov. 6 lateral 7 dorsal 8 ventral, 9 - 11 E. torridus sp. nov. 9 lateral 10 dorsal 11 ventral. Scale bar: 1 mm.