Trichopsomyia litoralis Vockeroth and Young

Skevington, Jeffrey H., Young, Andrew D., Locke, Michelle M. & Moran, Kevin M., 2019, New Syrphidae (Diptera) of North-eastern North America, Biodiversity Data Journal 7, pp. 36673-36673 : 36673

Trichopsomyia litoralis Vockeroth and Young sp. n.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera246378 ; recordedBy: J. McDunnough; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Prince Edward Island; locality: Brackley Beach, Can. National Park [Prince Edward Island National Park] ; decimalLatitude: 46.431111; decimalLongitude: -63.216111; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1940-07-30; year: 1940; month: 7; day: 30; verbatimEventDate: 30.vii.1940; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera110356 ; recordedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; individualCount: 1; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Nova Scotia; locality: South Harbour Beach ; decimalLatitude: 46.878289; decimalLongitude: -60.429056; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1983-07-03; year: 1983; month: 7; day: 3; verbatimEventDate: 3.vii.1983; habitat: sand beach, Ammophila & Lathyrus; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera246379 ; recordedBy: D.M. Wood; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Prince Edward Island; locality: Green Gables, Cavendish Beach ; decimalLatitude: 46.5018; decimalLongitude: -63.4204; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1967-07-22; year: 1967; month: 7; day: 22; verbatimEventDate: 22.vii.1967; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera246380 ; recordedBy: D.M. Wood; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Prince Edward Island; locality: Green Gables, Cavendish Beach ; decimalLatitude: 46.5018; decimalLongitude: -63.4204; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1967-07-22; year: 1967; month: 7; day: 22; verbatimEventDate: 22.vii.1967; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera246381 ; recordedBy: D.M. Wood; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Prince Edward Island; locality: Green Gables, Cavendish Beach ; decimalLatitude: 46.5018; decimalLongitude: -63.4204; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1967-07-22; year: 1967; month: 7; day: 22; verbatimEventDate: 22.vii.1967; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera55044 ; recordedBy: C.W. Johnson; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: U.S.A.; stateProvince: New Jersey; locality: Cape May ; decimalLatitude: 38.935112; decimalLongitude: -74.906005; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 06-03; month: 6; day: 3; verbatimEventDate: 3.vi; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera55045 ; recordedBy: G.S. Walley; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Prince Edward Island; locality: Dalvay House, Can. Nat. Park ; decimalLatitude: 46.414905; decimalLongitude: -63.073145; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1940-07-21; year: 1940; month: 7; day: 21; verbatimEventDate: 21.vii.1940; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera55046 ; recordedBy: G.S. Walley; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Prince Edward Island; locality: Dalvay House, Can. Nat. Park ; decimalLatitude: 46.414905; decimalLongitude: -63.073145; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1940-07-21; year: 1940; month: 7; day: 21; verbatimEventDate: 21.vii.1940; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera55047 ; recordedBy: J. McDunnough; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Prince Edward Island; locality: Dalvay House, Can. Nat. Park ; decimalLatitude: 46.414905; decimalLongitude: -63.073145; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1940-07-21; year: 1940; month: 7; day: 21; verbatimEventDate: 21.vii.1940; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: CNC_Diptera9769 ; recordedBy: R. Dow; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: U.S.A.; stateProvince: Massachusetts; locality: Gloucester ; minimumElevationInMeters: 16; decimalLatitude: 42.6; decimalLongitude: -70.633333; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1933-06-11; year: 1933; month: 6; day: 11; verbatimEventDate: 11.vi.1933; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: USNMENT247710 ; recordedBy: N.E. Woodley; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: U.S.A.; stateProvince: Virginia; locality: Accomack County, South End of Assateague Island ; decimalLatitude: 38.087029; decimalLongitude: -75.217788; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1997-09-24; year: 1997; month: 9; day: 24; verbatimEventDate: 24.ix.1997; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: USNM; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: USNMENT247711 ; recordedBy: N.E. Woodley; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificName: Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Hexapoda; order: Diptera; family: Syrphidae; genus: Trichopsomyia; specificEpithet: litoralis; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: Vockeroth and Young 2019; vernacularName: Coastal Psyllid-killer; nomenclaturalStatus: new species; Location: country: U.S.A.; stateProvince: Virginia; locality: Accomack County, South End of Assateague Island ; decimalLatitude: 38.087029; decimalLongitude: -75.217788; Identification: identifiedBy: J.R. Vockeroth; Event: eventDate: 1997-09-24; year: 1997; month: 9; day: 24; verbatimEventDate: 24.ix.1997; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: USNM; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Description

Size: Body length 5.5 to 6.0 mm; wing length 4.2 to 4.4 mm

Male: Head: Black; face and frontal triangle white pilose, white microtrichose only on lateral area touching compound eye; gena shining and white pilose; frontal lunule brown; vertical triangle shiny, white pilose; occiput silvery white pollinose, white pilose; scape brown, pedicel brown with orange at apex, black pilose; postpedicel brown, with a ventral orange stripe, arista bare, orange at base and brown on apical ⅓, approximately as long as postpedicel. Eye densely covered in short brown pilosity, very narrowly dichoptic dorsally, separated by about half the width of an ocellus posteriorly and nearly touching for the length of one ocelli anteriorly.

Thorax: Black, shining, white pilose; proepimeron and anterior anepisternum thinly white pollinose; scutum shiny, long white pilose; scutellum shiny, long white pilose; subscutellar fringe short, sparse, white, absent in middle ⅓ of scutellum; calypter white; halter whitish-yellow; metathoracic spiracular fringe white. Wing: hyaline, microtrichose except bare as follows: cell h, basal ½ cell c, cell br except for scattered microtrichia, basal ¼ cell r1, basoventral ⅔ cell bm, base of cell r4+5 and anterobasal edge of cell cua; alula microtrichose. Legs: coxae black, procoxa silvery white pollinose, meso- and metacoxa shiny, all coxa white pilose; femora black except apical ⅛ of pro- and mesofemora yellow and extreme apex of metafemur yellow, white pilose; protibia yellow, with antero- and ventrolateral ¾ brown, mesotibia yellow with anterior ½ brown excluding apex, metatibia brown with basal ⅙ yellow, all tibiae white pilose except apicoventrally on metatibia, which has appressed brownish-orange pile; protarsus with basitarsomere orange and apical 4 tarsomeres brown, apical 3 tarsomeres black pilose dorsally, tarsus otherwise white pilose; mesotarsomere with basal 2 tarsomeres orange and apical 3 tarsomeres brown, tarsomere 2 with a few black pili dorsally, apical 3 tarsomeres black pilose dorsally, tarsus otherwise white pilose; metatarsus mostly brown, with only apex of basitarsomere, tarsomere 2 and tarsomere 3 orange, basitarsomere and tarsomere 2 with long white anterodorsal pile, tarsus otherwise with short white pile, with a few long dorsal black pili on tarsomere 2 and with tarsomeres 3-5 with dorsal pile black.

Abdomen: Black, white pilose; all tergites shining green and white pilose; sternite 1 brown anteriorly and white posteriorly, shiny, white pilose; sternites 2 and 3 brown, shiny, white pilose, sternite 4 brown, with ventral edge raised smoothly, forming a cup where the male genitalia sits partially inside, medially thinly white pilose, white pollinose; 8th segment black, shiny, white pilose.

Genitalia: Epandrium elongate, about as twice as long as tall at the broadest point; cercus low, triangular, approximately half as tall as broad; surstylus curved, double-lobed, with large lateral lobe narrowing towards apex, with two broad, dorsal teeth on inner surface near base and a very small, branching, comb-like ventral lobe near base; subepandrial sclerite projecting anteriorly between surstyli and broadened at apex; distiphallus simple, rounded and microtrichose; postgonite broad, approximately twice as high as long, with a series of small teeth at apex.

Female: Similar to male except for normal sexual dimorphism and: front shiny except for two lateral pollinose markings on medial ⅓, white pilose; cell r4+5 more extensively bare, approximately basal ⅕ bare; probasitarsomere brown.

See Fig. 14 & Fig. 15.

Diagnosis

Males with eyes separated by about half the width of the anterior ocellus, nearly in contact for only a short distance; metatarsus with white anterodorsal pile. Female with cell dm microtrichose at base, sometimes with small bare area along anterior and posterior margins; scutellar pile long. Both sexes with cell r4+5 bare at base.

Etymology

The word litoralis is Latin, meaning of the seashore.

Distribution

This species is known from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia.

Ecology

This rare fly has been collected from early June to late September along the east coast on beaches; one was described as a sand beach with Ammophila and Lathyrus plants present.

Taxon discussion

A partial COI barcode was obtained from one specimen (Table 2 ).

Common Name

The common name given to the species by Skevington et al. (2019) is Coastal Psyllid-killer.