Sphecomyia interrupta Moran

M. Moran, Kevin & H. Skevington, Jeffrey, 2019, Revision of world Sphecomyia Latreille (Diptera, Syrphidae), ZooKeys 836, pp. 15-79 : 33-36

Sphecomyia interrupta Moran sp. n. Figs 2G, 4A, 5A, 16C, 17C, 18C, 21F, 22B, 23

Type locality.

U.S.A. California: San Bernardino Co., Summit of Heap's Peak west of Running Springs, 34.2347, −117.1397, 1957 m.

Types. Holotype male, pinned. Original label: "USA: CA: San Bernardino Co. // Summit of Heap’s Peak W. // Of Running Springs; 1957 m // 34°14 ’05” N, 117°08 ’23” W // 25.v.2003; J. Skevington", " CNC DIPTERA // #110220", "Sphecomyia // brevicornis // [Handwritten] Det. J. Skevington, 2003", "Leg removed // for DNA // analysis". [1♂, CNC_DIPTERA110220, CNC]

Paratypes: U.S.A., CALIFORNIA: Camp Angelus, 34.1461, −116.9825, white Ceanothus , A.L. Melander, 20.v.1947, KMM0900 (1♂, RMNH); San Bernardino Co., Mill Creek, 34.0972, −117.0289, 1828-1920 m, on Ceanothus , Timberlake, 30.v.1934, UCRC442807 (1♂, UCRC); San Bernardino Co., San Antonio Canyon, 34.160256, −117.678477, 1889-1950 m, J.N. Hogue, 20.vi.1968, LACM329893 (1♀, LACM).

Diagnosis.

Species similar to S. brevicornis and S. sexfasciata sp. n. but can be distinguished by the following characters: scutum with two pairs of pruinose vittae; cell c completely microtrichose; antenna possessing a 3:3:2 ratio of segments; frons bare; anepimeron not pruinose; scutellum entirely pruinose; medial facial vitta interrupted by a macula of pruinosity on tubercle.

Description.

Male. Body length: 12.5-14.0 mm. Wing length: 8.9-10.7 mm. Head. Face yellow pruinose with shiny, black, medial vitta extending from oral margin to base of antenna, except interrupted on facial tubercle by yellow pruinosity; frons broad, about as long as broad at antenna, two-thirds as broad at vertex as at antenna, bare, with yellow pruinosity along posterior half; vertex triangular, longer than broad, shiny, with ocellar triangle black pilose; postocular border yellow pruinose; postocular pile black; occipital pile yellow; male narrowly dichoptic; antenna black, black pilose, with length of segments roughly in a 3:3:2 ratio.

Thorax. Matte black; postpronotum yellow pilose; scutum yellow pilose, except with black pile posteromedially; scutellum, postalar callus, proepimeron, posterior anepisternum yellow pilose; posterior katepisternum yellow pilose with broadly separated patches; anterior anepimeron yellow pilose; metasternum yellow pilose; postpronotum, anterior three-fourths of scutellum, broad posterior margin of anepisternum and dorso-posterior corner of katepisternum yellow pruinose; anepimeron shiny; scutum with two pairs of pruinose vittae: anterior pair long, running from anterior edge of scutum to transverse suture; posterior pair shorter and terminating before posterior edge; ventral calypter with long yellow pile.

Legs. Foreleg reddish-yellow, except basal four-fifths of femur and last two tarsomeres black; midleg reddish-yellow, except basal four-fifths of femur and last two tarsomeres black; hind leg reddish-yellow, except last two tarsomeres black; legs yellow pilose, except black pilose on last three tarsomeres; hind coxa yellow pruinose.

Wing. Hyaline; microtrichia absent from following areas: cell bc; narrow anteromedial region of cell bm; broad anterior margin of cell cua.

Abdomen. Tergites and sternites shiny to sub-shiny, black with yellow pruinose markings as follows: tergite 1 pruinose along posterior margin; tergite 2 with broad, interrupted, truncate medial band which meets a broad, uninterrupted posterior band in the posterolateral corners of tergite; tergite 3 with broad medial band, sometimes very narrowly interrupted, that joins with broad posterior band in two places creating a medial diamond-shaped spot of no pruinosity; pattern on tergite 4 same as tergite 3; sternite 1 pruinose on posterior half; sternites 2 to 4 completely pruinose; sternites 6 to 8 pruinose; pile of abdomen yellow.

Male genitalia. Surstylus elongated, about two and a half times as long as broad, apex acute, with rounded curve, directed ventrally; pile on dorsal surface of surstylus, increasing in length posteriorly; minute spines on ventral surface and apical three-fourth of lateral inner and outer surface; basal fourth of the ventral surface of the surstylus produced into a conspicuous lobe which extends ventrally, with minute pu bescence on ventral and lateral inner surface; cerci rounded, with invagination on posterior border; aedeagus as in Fig. 2G.

Female.

Medial, facial vittae not interrupted.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: California (Fig. 23). Known only from the San Bernardino Mountains.

Biology.

Collected visiting flowers of Ceanothus L. Recorded flying late May to late June.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin interruptus ( Brown 1956: 441) which means broken apart, between, off, or asunder. It references that the medial facial vitta is interrupted on the tubercle by a macula of pruinosity.