Empis (Enoplempis) nodipoplitea Steykal

Sinclair, Bradley J., Brooks, Scott E. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2013, Revision of the Empis subgenus Enoplempis Bigot, east of the Rocky Mountains (Diptera: Empididae), Zootaxa 3736 (5), pp. 401-456 : 428-430

Empis (Enoplempis) nodipoplitea Steykal

(Figs 2E, 12C, 13B, 14A)

Empis nodipes Melander, 1902: 324 . Type locality: Magdalena, New Mexico, USA. [Junior primary homonym of Fallén, Empis nodipes 1816 ].

Empis nodipoplitea Steykal (in Melander, 1965: 460), n. name for nodipes , see “Taxonomic notes” below.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: “Magdalena,/ New Mexico.”; “W.M. Wheeler/ Collection.”; “ TYPE / No./ A.M.N.H. [red label]”; “Am. Mus. Nat. Hist./ Dept. Invert. Zool./ No. 966”; “ HOLOTYPE ♂/ nodipes Melander / (= nodipoplitea / Steyskal)/ teste WJ Turner ’82 [red label]” [missing abdomen] (AMNH).

Additional material examined. CANADA. Ontario: Fathom Five NP, North Cove Island, dry cedar p.m. sweeps, 25.vi.1995, S.A. Marshall, debu00073542 (1 ♂, DEBU). Quebec: Mt. St. Hilaire, 500–700 ft., 4.vi.1963, J.R. Vockeroth (1 ♂, CNC); Mt. St. Hilaire, 4.vi.1968, J.G. Chillcott (1 ♂, 1 ♀, CNC). Saskatchewan: Rockglen, 49°11'N 105°56'W, 21.vi.1955, J.R. Vockeroth (3 ♂, 2 ♀, CNC); Scout Lake, 49°20'N 106°0'W, 17.vi.1955, J.R. Vockeroth (1 ♂, 1 ♀, CNC). Also western specimens from Alberta, Colorado, and Montana (to be detailed in study of western species).

Taxonomic notes. Empis nodipes Melander, 1902 is a junior primary homonym of Empis nodipes Fallén, 1816 . Steyskal published a replacement name for E. nodipes Melander in the Nearctic Diptera catalogue (in Melander 1965). The senior primary homonym is now assigned as Rhamphomyia (Megacyttarus) nodipes (Fallén) .

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by hind femur with anteroventral preapical row of stout setae; base of hind tibia with pair of antero- and posteroventral rows separated by clear gap; hypandrium with setae longer than length of sclerite

Re-description. Wing length 5.7–6.4 mm. Male. Head dark in ground-colour, with dense greyish pruinescence on face, frons and occiput. Dichoptic, eye with ommatidia of equal size. Frons divergent towards antennae; below ocellar triangle slightly wider than anterior ocellus, bearing short, dark setulae along inner margin of eye. Face slightly divergent towards mouthparts; bare with oral margin pale and shining. Ocellar triangle dark, subshining, with pair of short, parallel ocellar setae and pair of shorter posterior setae. Occiput bearing row of short postocular setae, black on upper section; slightly shorter and paler on lower section; occipital setae black, longer and stouter than postocular setae. Postpedicel and stylus dark; scape, pedicel and extreme base of postpedicel usually slightly paler or orange-brown. Scape nearly 2.5× longer than pedicel; postpedicel more than 4× longer than basal width, 2.5× longer than stylus. Palpus yellow, with setulae dark. Proboscis largely reddish yellow; apex and base of labrum reddish brown; labellum with dark setae.

Thorax dark in ground-colour, largely densely grey pruinescent; apex of postpronotum, postalar ridge and ventroapical margin of scutellum yellowish. Scutum with pair of distinct dark, brownish vittae between acr and dc rows; distinct pair of vittae lateral to dc and above notopleural depression. Pleura grey, with yellowish margins of some sclerites. Proepisternum with several short, dark setae; prosternum bare. Antepronotum with row of short dark setae. Postpronotum with several short dark setae and 1 long seta. Scutum with inconspicuous, sparse biserial row of fine acr setulae; dc similar to acr, increasing in length posteriorly; 1–2 posterior npl, with several anterior npl setulae; 1 presut spal; 1 psut spal; 1 pal. Scutellum with pair of short sctl, shorter than pal, lacking marginal setulae. Laterotergite with 3–4 long dark setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles pale.

Legs long, entirely yellow, except for dark ring at trochanter-femur junction and apices of femora; tarsi becoming darker apically. Coxae with numerous dark lateral and apical setae, longer and stouter along apical anterior margins. Hind trochanter lacking spine-like or modified setae. Fore femur with anteroventral row of short setae; mid femur with posteroventral row of short setae; hind femur with antero- and posteroventral rows of short setae. Hind femur very slender on proximal half, subapex of hind femur thickened into short, broad protuberance; anteroventral margin of protuberance with tight row of dark setae ( Fig. 12 C), shorter than width of femur. Fore tibia with short, dense setae along anterior face; several stout erect setae on dorsal and posteroventral faces, and apex. Mid tibia clothed in long dark setae, shorter than width of tibia; 2–3 anteroventral, 4 posterior, 2–3 anterodorsal, 3 posterodorsal, 2–3 posteroventral and several preapical setae. Hind tibia with flattened and bare area opposite protuberance on hind femur; short rows of dense dark setae on either side of bare zone, shorter than width of tibia ( Fig. 12 C); 4–5 antero- and posterodorsal setae and several preapical setae. Tarsomeres 1–5 of all legs with rows of antero- and posteroventral spine-like setae; fore tarsomere 1 slender, not swollen.

Wing clear with yellowish veins; all veins complete (except Sc), well sclerotized. Basal costal seta short, inconspicuous, slightly stouter and longer than surrounding costal setae. R5 and M1 somewhat divergent near wing margin; R5 ending beyond wing tip; radial fork acute. Halter yellow.

Abdomen dark, concolorous with thorax, posterior margin with paler band, sternites yellowish; marginal setae distinct and dark on all tergites. Marginal setae on segment 8 longer than preceding segment. Pregenital segments unmodified; sclerites of segment 8 weakly separated, not weakly sclerotized dorsally. Terminalia ( Fig. 13 B) largely yellow. Cercus narrow, appressed to dorsal margin of epandrium, linear, broader at anterior end; dorsal margin jagged, lacking tooth-like projection at inner apex; posterior end produced ventrally into narrow cylindrical projection, directed medially; clothed in setae, anterior setae longer than width of cercus. Hypoproct with 2–3 long setae. Epandrial lamella subquadrate, posterior margin truncate, bearing short subapical setae. Hypandrium shorter than base of phallus, with rounded apical margin; base with several dark setae, longer than hypandrium. Phallus with broad base, with cluster of microtrichia beyond expanded base; apical portion straight, slightly tapered; apex not emerging beyond cercus; ejaculatory apodeme nearly 0.67× length of epandrium; inverted Y-shaped, with short median keel.

Female. Similar to male, except as follows: frons slightly broader; modified setae of hind femur and tibia lacking; cercus long and slender, slightly shorter than tergite 8.

Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence ( Fig. 14 A). Empis (En.) nodipoplitea is primarily distributed in western North America (Alberta, Montana, Colorado and New Mexico), with a few eastern records in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. In the eastern part of its range, adults have been collected in June. Nuptial gift presentation. Form unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Male legs of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. montywoodi, apex of hind femur and base of hind tibia, anterior view; B, E. montywoodi, apex of hind femur and base of hind tibia, posterior view; C, E. nodipoplitea, apex of hind femur and base of hind tibia, anterior view; D, E. nuda, hind trochanters; E, E. nuda, hindleg, anterior view.

FIGURE 13. Male terminalia, lateral view of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. montywoodi; B, E. nodipoplitea.

FIGURE 14. Distribution of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. loripedis and E. nodipoplitea; B, E. vockerothi and E. volsella.