Empis (Enoplempis) pectinata Sinclair

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 : 433-435

Empis (Enoplempis) pectinata Sinclair sp. nov.

( Figs 15 B, 16A, 18B)

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “Great Smoky Mt./N.P.,N.C. Tenn./ 18-VI-1957 / W.R.M. Mason”; “Indian Gap/ 5200' ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / pectinata / Sinclair [red label]” (CNC). PARATYPES: USA. N. C. /TN: Same data as holotype (1 ♀, CNC). North Carolina: Swain Co., GSMNP ATBI, MT 12, Plot: Andrews Bald, 35°32'30''N 83°29'39''W, 10–24.v.2001, I. Stocks, M. McCord., G. Middleton (5 ♂, 4 ♀, CNC).

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by dense antero- and posteroventral rows of stout setae on basal 0.25 of the hind femur and tibia; epandrium truncate with rounded posterior margin.

Description. Wing length 7.0– 7.8 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 postocular setae, stout and black on upper section; shorter and more slender on lower section; occipital setae black, long and stout; postgena with long, white silky setae. Postpedicel, scape and stylus dark brown; scape and extreme base of postpedicel slightly paler or orange-brown. Scape nearly 3× longer than pedicel; postpedicel nearly 4× longer than basal width, 3× longer than stylus. Palpus yellowish, with setulae dark. Proboscis largely reddish brown; apex and base of labrum darker; labellum with dark setae.

Thorax dark in ground-colour, largely densely grey pruinescent; apex of postpronotum shining. 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 entirely grey. Proepisternum with several short, pale setae; prosternum bare. Antepronotum with row of short, stout dark setae. Postpronotum with 5 or more short, dark setae and 1 long seta. Scutum with inconspicuous, sparse biserial row of fine acr setulae; dc similar to acr, uniserial, increasing in length posteriorly; 2 posterior npl, with several anterior npl setae; 1 presut spal; 1 psut spal; 1 pal. Scutellum with pair of sctl, subequal in length to pal, with 1–2 pairs of additional marginal setae. Laterotergite with 3 long dark setae and 3–4 pale setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles pale.

Legs long, entirely reddish brown, except for dark ring at trochanter-femur junction and apices of femora; tarsi becoming darker apically. Coxae with numerous dark lateral and preapical setae, longer and stouter along preapical anterior margins. Hind trochanter lacking spine-like or modified setae. Fore femur lacking posteroventral row of setae; mid femur with sparse posteroventral row of short setae and stout anterior preapical seta; hind femur thickened apically with shallow, subapical, flattened ventral curvature; 1 distinct preapical anterior seta; apical 0.25 with antero- and posteroventral rows of spine-like setae ( Fig. 16 A), longer on posterior face. Fore tibia clothed in long dark setae, shorter than width of tibia; 5 antero- and posterodorsal setae; 3 posteroventral setae and several preapical setae. Mid tibia clothed in long dark setae, shorter than width of tibia; 3 anterior, 4 antero- and posterodorsal, 3 posteroventral and several preapical setae. Hind tibia with distinct projecting elbow-like swelling at base; about 8 antero- and posterodorsal setae; ventral setae dense, erect and longer at basal 0.25, not forming distinct rows ( Fig. 16 A). Tarsomeres 1–5 of all legs with rows of antero- and posteroventral spine-like setae; fore tarsomere 1 slender, not swollen and lacking long outer setae.

Wing clear with brownish veins; all veins complete (except Sc), M1 narrower than other veins. Basal costal seta short, inconspicuous. R5 and M1 divergent near wing margin; R5 ending beyond wing tip; radial fork acute. Halter yellowish.

Abdomen concolorous with thorax; marginal setae long and pale on segments 1–2 on tergites, marginal setae short, fine and pale on apical segments. Marginal setae on segment 8 longer and darker than preceding segment. Pregenital segments unmodified; sclerites of segment 8 fused laterally to form complete ring, not weakly sclerotized dorsally. Terminalia ( Fig. 15 B) largely yellow. Cercus narrow, appressed to dorsal margin of epandrium, linear, broader at anterior end; dorsal inner margin with tooth-like projection beyond mid-length; posterior end truncate, with ventral corner sharply pointed and arched medially; clothed in setae, longer than width of cercus. Hypoproct with 3 widely spaced, long setae. Epandrial lamella subquadrate, with rounded apex, bearing long subapical setae. Hypandrium shorter than base of phallus, with rounded apical margin; base with several dark setae, shorter than hypandrium. Phallus with broad base, apical portion slightly sinuous, tapered; apex arched posteriorly, not emerging beyond cercus; ejaculatory apodeme longer than 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. 18 B). Empis (En.) pectinata is known from the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. Adults have been collected from mid-May to mid-June.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin pectinatus (comb-like), in reference with the comblike rows of setae on the hind femur.

Nuptial gift presentation. Form unknown.

Remarks. This species is most closely related to E. ctenocnema on the basis of hindleg chaetotaxy.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Male terminalia, lateral view of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. nuda; B, E. pectinata.

FIGURE 16. Male legs of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. pectinata, hindleg, anterior view; B, E. penicillata, hindleg, anterior view; C, E. prodigiosa, hindleg, anterior view; D, E. prodigiosa, apex of hind femur and base of hind tibia, anterior view; E, E. prodigiosa, apex of hind femur and base of hind tibia, posterior view.

FIGURE 18. Distribution of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. nuda and E. prodigiosa; B, E. enodis, E. montywoodi, E. pectinata, and E. penicillata.