Defilippia elbayensis, El-Hawagry, Magdi S., 2016

El-Hawagry, Magdi S., 2016, Review of the genus Defilippia Lioy (Bombyliidae, Diptera) from Egypt, with description of a new species, new combinations, and a neotype designation for D. pharaonis (Paramonov, 1928), Zootaxa 4170 (1), pp. 149-158 : 153-155

Defilippia elbayensis sp. nov.

( Figs 8–14 )

Description. Male (Holotype) ( Fig. 8 ). Large species, body length: 14–16 mm, wing length: 12–14 mm. Head. Black in ground colour except the oral margin brownish yellow. Frons with erect black hairs, glossy yellowish scales very sparse on upper part in front of ocellar tubercle and increasing in number downwardly. Face conically produced but blunt or obtuse, with shining yellowish hairs especially at sides and at oral margin, mixed with sparse few black ones especially at middle, densely covered with glossy yellowish scales. Occiput with glossy whitish yellow scales and minute pubescence. Antennae ( Fig. 9 ) with scape and pedicel black with short erect black hairs; pedicel sometimes slightly reddish brown apically; flagellum black to dark reddish brown, almost twice the length of scape and pedicel together; 2nd flagellomere stumpy, reddish brown, its length less than 1/2 width of broad base of 1st flagellomere. Thorax. Scutum black in ground colour. Scutellum predominantly brownish yellow to reddish brown, blackish at base. Long erect macrochaetae on collar, anepisternum and laterotergite distinctly pectinate, buff or ochreous orange; katepisternum covered with dense white scales. Vestiture on scutum and scutellum consists of sparse yellowish scaly hairs and very short hairs, which on scutum are paler, forming three ill-defined longitudinal stripes, more numerous and longer at sides of scutum and margins of scutellum. Bristles well developed, black. Wing ( Fig. 8 ). Hyaline with dark brown basal infuscation, extending along anterior border to tip of R1; R5 open at wing margin, slightly narrowed apically; alula and squama well developed, fringed with yellowish brown scales, plumula and tympanal ridge hairs ochreous-buff or antimony yellow. Haltere covered with dark reddish brown scales, with light buff knob. Legs entirely black with sparse grayish scales on dorsal side of posterior tibia, all spines and bristles black, claws black, reddish brown at base, with blackish minute pointed basal tooth. Abdomen. Broad, black in ground colour, with more or less broad reddish yellow to yellowish brown colourations on posterior and lateral margins of tergites and sternites, latter colouration often more extensive on apical segments. Covered with conspicuous white band of scales covering basal half of second tergite contrasting with black one on apical half, latter with some reddish brown scales at sides; other tergites clothed with yellowish white, black and ochreous-buff scales usually forming characteristic transverse bands; yellowish white scales paler on sides of tergites 2–4; seventh tergite covered with reddish yellow pubescence. Male genitalia ( Figs 10–14 ). Epandrium brownish yellow, with reddish yellow pubescence apically. Gonocoxa ( Figs 10–12 ) slightly broad at middle, gradually narrowed at apical half, separated apically for only 1/5 their length, haired apically, gonocoxal apodeme and gonocoxal apical plate highly sclerotized; epiphallus ( Figs 13–14 ) about twice as long as the aedeagus or slightly longer, tapered or angled apically in dorsal view; basiphallus large, highly sclerotized, rounded in dorsal view; apodeme developed. Female (Paratype). Very much like male. Genitalia reddish brown; tergite 10 with six pairs of thick glossy ochreous orange acanthophorite spines. Spermatheca could not be dissected according to the rules at ESEC.

Material examined. Holotype. Ƌ, Gebel Elba (S. E. Desert), January 1930 (H. C. E. & M. T.), deposited in EFC. Paratypes. 1 Ƌ, same data as holotype; 1 Ƌ, Gebel Elba (W. Aideb), 30.i.1933 (H. C. E.); deposited in EFC . 1 ♀, Gebel Elba (S. E. Desert), January 1930 (H. C. E. & M. T.); 1 ♀, Gebel Elba (W. Aideb), 2.ii.1933 (H. C. E.); deposited in ESEC.

Remarks. In 1945, the famed Egyptian taxonomist Efflatoun Bey, published a monumental study ( Efflatoun, 1945) representing only the first half (Homeophthalmae) of his planned two-part monograph on the bee flies of Egypt. The second half (Tomophthalmae) lies written but unpublished because of his untimely death in 1957. Many new species were proposed and described in the unpublished manuscript, some of them are still valid (El- Hawagry & Greathead, 2006) including the species newly described herein. The name proposed by Efflatoun Bey for this species ( elbayensis ) is maintained here, but the description is shortened and revised. The late David Greathead examined two specimens of this species in 2003 and confirmed its validity and commented that this species is similar in general appearance and size to Exoprosopa eritreae Greathead, 1967 . However, the vestiture on the 2nd abdominal tergite, wing infuscation, integument colour, and genitalia show significant differences ( Greathead, 1967).

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 14. Defilippia elbayensis sp. nov. 8. holotype habitus, dorsal view; 9. holotype antenna; 10. gonocoxae, ventral; 11. gonocoxae, dorsal; 12. gonocoxa, lateral, with gonostylus; 13. aedeagal complex, dorsal; 14. aedeagal complex, lateral.