Hilarempis elegans Bezzi, 1909

Rafael, J. A., 2012, Revision of Neotropical species of Empididae (Diptera) described by Mario Bezzi. VIII. The species described in Hilarempis Bezzi, Zootaxa 3189 (1), pp. 56-68 : 62-64

Hilarempis elegans Bezzi

( Figs. 35–46 , 73 )

Hilarempis elegans Bezzi, 1909: 368 ; Melander 1928: 129 (checklist); Collin 1933: 110 (citation); Smith 1967: 34 (catalogue); Yang et al. 2007: 240 (catalogue).

Diagnosis. Black, distinctly grey pruinose; frons and face setose; ocellar tubercle with 2 – 3 pairs of more robust setae; scutum and scutellum with paramedian longitudinal band of grey pruinosity; fore tarsomere 1 swollen, around 1.5X wider than tibia; pterostigma at apex of costal cell; abdomen entirely grey pruinose in posterior view.

Re-description. Holotype male. Body 5.5 mm; wing 6.0 mm long. Head ( Fig. 35 ). Dichoptic; ommatidia subequal. Frons as wide as ocellar tubercle, 2X higher than greatest width, slightly divergent near antenna, matte black, brown pruinose in certain angles, and grey pruinose next to insertion of antenna. Frons with 7–8 slender lateroclinate setae. Face wider than frons, divergent at ventral margin, slightly higher than greatest width, grey pruinose with 8 pairs of slender proclinate setae. Ocellar tubercle distinct, matte black, brown pruinose in certain angles, with 2–3 pairs of divergent, more robust setae and short posterior pair. Postcranium ( Fig. 36 ) matte black, grey pruinose, except just behind ocellar tubercle brown pruinose, distinct in posterior view; postocular setae distinctly subequal, upper occipital black, robust, lower occipital clear, slender. Inner and outer vertical setae slightly longer than postocular ones. Gena and postgena with clear slender setae. Proboscis ( Fig. 35 ) length less than head height, with labrum black, shiny. Palpus ( Fig. 37 ) dark brown, with long, slender distinct setae. Antenna ( Fig. 35 ) matte black, velvety, except apex of pedicel brown; postpedicel 2X length of scape and pedicel combined, and almost 3X length of apparently two-segmented stylus. Segment 1 of stylus apparently masked by segment 2, segment 2 short, around 0.5 postpedicel length and 3X longer than the rather wide segment 3.

Thorax ( Fig. 38 ). Matte black, velvety; scutum with paramedian longitudinal grey pruinosity band along acrostichal rows of setae, reaching scutellum medially; grey pruinosity also present on postpronotal lobe and notopleuron, mesopleuron and postnotum, latter two with more distinct pruinosity in certain angles. Chaetotaxy: 2 antepronotals, lateral robust; about 15 slender, subequal postpronotals; 8–10 slender clear proepisternals; several slender, clear proepimerals; about 10 slender uniserial acrostichals, anteriorly more spaced, extending slightly beyond transverse suture level; about 18 slender biserial dorsocentrals, latter 2 more robust and more separated; 2 short intra-alar presuturals; 1–2 intra-alar postsuturals nearly aligned with supra-alar postsuturals; 2–3 short supraalar presuturals; 4–5 supra-alar postsuturals, last robust; 1 robust postalar; 4 robust scutellars with short intercalary setae.

Legs ( Fig. 39 – 41 ). Black, becoming dark brown from tibiae, grey pruinose in certain angles, notably coxae, trochanter and femora. Leg setae relatively short. Fore tibia ( Fig. 39 ) with 1 anterodorsal, 1 posterodorsal and 2 posterior setae at apex; first fore tarsomere swollen, around 1.5X wider than tibia and about.6 length of fore tibia. Mid femur ( Fig. 40 ) with 4 inconspicuous anteroventral setae on distal half. Hind femur ( Fig. 41 ) with row of small anteroventral setae at distal.75 and hind tibia with small dorsal row extending throughout length.

Wing ( Fig. 73 ). Hyaline, slightly yellow; pterostigma on apex of costal cell; A 1 long, evanescent distally. A 1 almost entirely evanescent. Halter dark brown with stem partially yellow.

Abdomen matte black, velvety, entirely grey pruinose in anterior view, with clear setae longer laterally on tergites 1–3. Sternites concolorous with tergites. In natural position, apex rather vertical ( Fig. 42 ). Tergite 8 ( Fig. 43 ) with small posterolateral setae.

Terminalia ( Figs. 43–46 ). Cercus and lobe formed by cercal plate + bacilliform sclerite somewhat fused. Epandrium ( Figs. 44, 45 ) with distinct dorsal cleft. Hypandrium ( Figs. 44–45 ) with two median lateral projections. Postgonite sinuous. Phallus longer than postgonite apex, with short subapical setae and small apical membranous expansion. Ejaculatory apodeme tetralamellar with short lateral lamellae ( Fig. 46 ).

Female. Unknown.

Geographic distribution. Peru, Junin.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂, “ PERU [Junin], Tarma , 19.i.1904 ”.

Holotype condition. Left antenna and right mid leg missing; right wing partially damaged and left wing on microslide. Terminalia in vial with glycerin.

Discussion. Hilarempis elegans apparently belongs to a group together with H. spinosa Bezzi, 1905 , H. otiosa Collin, 1933 , H. genualis Collin, 1933 , H. notabilis Collin, 1933 and H. ordinata Collin, 1933 , all sharing femora with distinct stout bristles or spines beneath. Using Collin’s (1933) key, the male specimen of H. elegans runs to couplet 32 of H. notabilis by anal vein faint soon after base, prosternum bare, face shorter than frons and greyish species. The genitalia of H. elegans and H. notabilis are different, mainly based on the phallus with short subapical setae and small apical membranous expansion in H. elegans absent in H. notabilis .

Figures

FIGURES 35–46. Hilarempis elegans Bezzi, holotype ♂. 35, head, lateral view; 36, postcranium, posterolateral view; 37, detail of palpus, lateral view; 38, thorax, dorsal view; 39, left fore leg, posterior view; 40, left mid leg, posterior view; 41, left hind leg, anterior view; 42, terminalia before maceration, lateral view; 43, tergite 8, dorsal view; 44, terminalia, lateral view; 45, terminalia, posterior view; 46, scheme of the ejaculatory apodeme, posterior view. Abbreviations: ce = cercus, ce + b scl = cercus + bacilliform sclerite, ep = epandrium, hypd = hypandrium, ptg = postgonite; ph = phallus, ST = sternite, T = tergite. Scale bars: 35, 38, 39–41 = 1.0 mm; 36, 37, 42 = 0.5 mm; 43–45 = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 70–75. Wings. 70, Hilarempis argentifera Bezzi, holotype ♀; 71, H. barbatula Bezzi, lectotype ♂ (pres. desig.); 72, H. carinata Bezzi, lectotype ♂ (pres. desig.); 73, H. elegans Bezzi, holotype ♂; 74, H. gymnaspis Bezzi, lectotype ♂ (pres. desig.); 75, H. xanthocera Bezzi, ♀ specimen from Peru.