Geron johnsoni Painter

Hall, Jack C. & Evenhuis, Neal L., 2003, Review of the subgenus Geron (Geron) Meigen in the Nearctic Region (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Toxophorinae), Zootaxa 181, pp. 1-72 : 37

Geron johnsoni Painter

Geron johnsoni Painter, 1932: 155 . Painter & Painter 1965: 423. Hull 1973: 206. Evenhuis 1982: 11. Evenhuis 1983: 476. Poole & Gentili 1996: 71. Evenhuis & Greathead 1999: 43.

Description. Male. Head. Front silvery tomentose, a few white hairs present; antenna black; scape and pedicel with white hair, shorter dark hair near apex of pedicel; first flagellomere narrow, evenly tapering from base to acuminate apex; antennal ratio: 7:4:21; face white pilose and tomentose, bare medially, tomentum next to eye margin; oral margin dusky (appears pale in some lights); proboscis projects beyond oral margin for a distance approximately twice head height; gena white pilose and tomentose; occiput white pilose, tomentum white, restricted to lower half of occiput; vertex and ocellar tubercle with darker, not black, hair.

Thorax. Mesonotum black, side and anterior margin cinereous pollinose; median longitudinal stripe cinereous, broad, not reaching transverse suture; notum white pilose, tomentum yellow, scattered; pleura white pilose and tomentose; legs black, white pilose and tomentose; hind tibia brownish; halter with stem and knob yellowish; scutellum white pilose, tomentum yellow, scattered.

Wing. Very faintly infumate (at least not entirely hyaline); venation normal; crossvein r­m slightly beyond middle of cell dm; crossvein m­cu sinuous; basicosta with white hair.

Abdomen. White pilose and tomentose, the latter pale yellow on dorsum; tergites with lateral margins narrowly pale; sternites with posterior margins narrowly pale.

Genitalia ( Fig. 42 ) with gonocoxa in ventral view flat, without depressions or ridges, in lateral view rectangular, lower margin with a small protuberance near apex; gonostylus long, narrow, about four times longer than high, rounded apically; lateral ramus narrow slightly curved, acuminate apically, shorter than gonostylus; dorsolateral ramus large, broad, nearly equal in length to gonostylus.

Female. Unknown.

Types. Holotype male (Horseneck Beach, Massachusetts, 30.vii.1913, C.W. Johnson) deposited in MCZ (No. 27266). The type is in fair condition, with the dorsum partially abraded and the middle legs missing. The genitalia have been dissected and placed in a microvial attached to the pin.

Biology. Immature stages and adult flower preferences unknown.

Discussion. Known only from two males. The original description states that the hair on the pedicel is black. In actuality, the hair in the type is more brownish than black.

Distribution. United States (Massachusetts).

Figures

FIGURES 42 – 45. Geron male genitalia. 42, G. johnsoni Painter; a, lateral view; b, tip of gonocoxa, ventral view. 43, G. monticola Hall & Evenhuis, sp. nov.; a, lateral view; b, gonocoxa, dorsal view. 44, G. nevadensis Hall & Evenhuis, sp. nov.; a, lateral view; b, tip of gonocoxa, dorsal view. 45, G. nigripes Painter; a, lateral view; b, gonocoxa, ventral view.