Empis barkalovi, Shamshev, 2019

Shamshev, I. V., 2019, Six new species of the genus Empis (Diptera: Empididae) from the Altai Mountains of Russia, Zoosystematica Rossica (Zoosyst. Rossica) 28 (1), pp. 24-41 : 36-38

Empis barkalovi sp. nov.

( Figs 13–15 )

Holotype. Male, Russia, Republic of Altai: “[in Cyrillic, Russian] khr. [= khrebet, ridge] Chikhacheva [49°49'N 89°46'E] / pass / yugo-vost. [= yugo-vostochnyy, south-eastern] Altai / Nartshuk 24.VII.1964 ”, “ Empis barkalovi Shamshev , sp. n. [red label]” ( ZIN, INS_DIP_0000787 ).

Paratypes. Russia, Republic of Altai: 2 males, Kosh-Agach Distr., plateau Ukok , environs of Muzdy-Bulak Lake , S slope of Cholok-Chad Mountain , 2900– 3100 m, 1 & 9.VII.2008, V. Zinchenko leg. ( SZMN); 1 male, plateau Ukok , 8 km NE of Maytobe Mountain , 49°34'N 87°43'E, 2400–2800 m, 6–10.VII.2006, T. Novgorodova leg. (dissected; ZIN); 2 males, Ulagan Distr., Kuray Ridge , 2450 m, 50°33'N 87°75'E, meadow, 2.VII.2008, A. Barkalov leg. ( SZMN); 2 males, same locality, tundra, 3.VII.2008, A. Barkalov leg. ( SZMN); 1 male, same locality, 2500–2800 m, 29–30. VI.2008, A. Barkalov leg. ( ZIN).

Diagnosis. Large species, with body length about 7 mm; eyes separated by broad frons; occiput laterally with numerous long somewhat flattened setae; palpus black, clothed in numerous long hair-like setae; mesonotum and legs covered with long hair-like setae; scutum with four vittae.

Description. Male ( Fig. 13 ). Body length 7.0– 7.3 mm (holotype, 7.1 mm); wing length 6.5– 6.7 mm (holotype, 6.6 mm).

Head black. Eyes dichoptic, ommatidia of equal size. Frons broad, in upper part broader than distance between outer margins of posterior ocelli, densely dark brown pruinose, with numerous long marginal setae. Face broad, parallel-sided, largely greyish brown pruinose, narrowly shiny along lower margin, bare; clypeus shiny. Occiput somewhat convex laterally, densely brownish grey pruinose, clothed in dense, long, hair-like, black setae, usually with numerous flattened setae laterally (sometimes less distinct). Ocellar tubercle concolorous with occiput, with several subequally long hair-like setae. Antenna black; scape rather short, about 1.5 times as long as pedicel, with long setulae; postpedicel moderately long, 2.0–2.3 times as long as wide, with ventral margin slightly concave in subapical part; stylus about two-thirds as long as postpedicel. Proboscis moderately long; labrum brownish, nearly 1.5 times as long as head height; palpus long, black, with numerous long, hair-like, black setae.

Thorax black, densely brownish grey pruinose (except as noted), with black setation; scutum with four distinct brown vittae (in dorsal view). Prosternum bare. Proepisternum with numerous long hair-like setae on lower part, bare on upper part. Antepronotum with numerous hair-like setae dorsally. Postpronotal lobe with numerous hair-like setae of different lengths. Mesonotal setation represented only by numerous long thin setae of subequal robustness; rows of acrostichal and dorsocentral setae separated by broad bare space; acrostichals arranged in 2–3 irregular rows, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals multiserial, more numerous before suture. Laterotergite with numerous hair-like setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles black.

Legs rather robust, entirely black to dark brown, with black hair-like setation; coxae faintly greyish pruinose, other parts of legs subshiny. Fore and mid femora of subequal thickness, hind femur somewhat broader; all femora whitish pubescent ventrally and clothed in long hair-like setae being denser and somewhat stronger on mid and hind femora ventrally. All tibiae with long hair-like setae dorsally and posteriorly (shorter on hind tibia); posteroapical comb with one short seta; all tarsomeres slender; fore tarsomeres 1–3 with longer setae dorsally and posteriorly.

Wing membrane hyaline (in some specimens slightly whitish in some view). Pterostigma pale yellow, narrow. Basal costal seta absent. Veins R 5 and M 1 somewhat divergent just before wing margin; anal vein usually mostly weakened and normally sclerotised only just before wing margin (sometimes normally sclerotised along entire length); radial fork acute. Cell dm short. Anal angle acute, subsequently anal lobe well-developed. Calypter yellowish, brownish fringed. Halter yellow.

Abdomen entirely black, covered only with dense hair-like setae being longer on tergites laterally and on sternites; tergites subshiny, faintly greyish pruinose; sternites slightly denser pruinose. Segments 6 and 7 unmodified; sclerites of segment 8 separated; tergite 8 entire, narrow (in dorsal view), with several long setae; sternite 8 subrectangular (in lateral view), narrow, simple, with numerous long setae. Terminalia ( Figs 14, 15 ) small; cercus broadly brownish yellow, brownish near base; epandrial lamella and hypandrium brown. Cerci separated, appressed to epandrium; cercus unilobate, elongate oval (in lateral view) with pointed apex extending beyond apex of epandrial lamella, near base only slightly narrower than epandrial lamella; cercus with scattered dark setulae. Epandrial lamella rather subrectangular, with lower margin broadly ovate posteriorly, covered with thin black setae being denser and longer closer to lower margin. Hypandrium entire, narrow, rim-like, bare. Phallus mostly hidden, zigzag bent, rather thick, with beaker-shaped apex, sulcate in subapical part.

Female. Unknown.

Comparison. The new species belongs to the species group known only from the eastern Palaearctic that has not been assigned yet to any subgenus of Empis ( Shamshev, 2001) .

One species of this group ( E. otchontengriensis Shamshev, 2001 ) has been known from Altai (including the Mongolian part). Both species inhabit similar biotopes occurring in the higher mountainous tundra and tundra-steppe ( Shamshev & Barkalov, 2009). The new species can be readily distinguished from E. otchontengriensis by the larger size (body 7–7.3 mm versus about 5 mm), black palpus (vs. yellow), entirely black to dark brown legs (vs. legs with yellowish hind basitarsus) and some other characters. Actually, the new species is most similar to Empis keberlei Shamshev, 2001 described from Uzbekistan ( Shamshev, 2001). However, E. barkalovi sp. nov. differs from E. keberlei primarily in the presence of flattened setae on the occiput, black laterotergal setae (vs. pale in E. keberlei ), black thoracic spiracles (vs. pale) and subshiny abdominal tergites (vs. densely whitish grey pruinose).

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Russian entomologist Anatoly V. Barkalov (Novosibirsk) in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of insects of Altai.

Distribution. Palaearctic: Russia (Republic of Altai).

Habitat and seasonal occurrence. According to the label data, the species occurs on meadows and in tundra of higher mountain areas (2400– 3100 m). It was collected from late June until late July. One male is pinned together with a subequal in length specimen of Therevidae ( Symphoromyia sp. ) as a prey.

Figures

Figs 13–15. Empis barkalovi sp. nov., male. 13, habitus, lateral view (holotype); 14, postabdomen, lateral view; 15, terminalia, lateral view. Abbreviations: cerc, cercus; ej apod, ejaculatory apodeme; epand, epandrium; hypd, hypandrium; ph, phallus. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.