Empis (Enoplempis) appalachicola 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 : 410-412

Empis (Enoplempis) appalachicola Sinclair sp. nov.

( Figs 1 F, 3D, E, 4B, 5B)

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “Clingmans Dome, N.C./ 6647' 3.VI.1962 / Great Smoky M.N.P./ J.G. Chillcott”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / appalachicola / Sinclair [red label]” (CNC). PARATYPES: USA. North Carolina: Blue Ridge Pkwy, Mt. Richland-Balsam, 6000–6400 ft., 30.v.1965, J.G. Chillcott (1 ♂, CNC); same data as holotype (1 ♂, CNC); same locality, 18.vi.1957, J.R. Vockeroth (1 ♂, CNC); GSMNP, Andrews Bald nr Forney Ridge Tr., 1762 m, 35°32.409'N 83°29.649'W, 12.vi.2008, B.J. Sinclair (1 ♂, CNC); GSMNP, Noland Divide Tr., 1700 m, 35°33'58''N 83°28'37''W, 4.vi.2001, J.M. Cumming (1 ♂, CNC); Highlands, 10.v.1957, W.R.M. Mason (2 ♂, 2 ♀, CNC); Mt. Mitchell, 6500–6684 ft., 5.vi.1962, J.R. Vockeroth (1 ♂, 3 ♀, CNC). Tennessee: Gatlinburg, GSMNP, 5900 ft., spruce-fir for., 18.vi.1947, R.H. Whittaker (2 ♂, 4 ♀, USNM).

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished in the male by the spine-like setae of hind trochanter in a broad patch, not confined to tubular process; fore tarsomere 1 enlarged, wider than tibia and tarsomere 1 on mid and hindlegs; hind tibia with rows of long slender dorsal setae, longer than width of tibia; hypandrium very long, subequal to length of epandrium, apex tapered and rounded; short setae present on base of hypandrium.

Description. Wing length 6.0– 7.6 mm. Male. Head dark in ground-colour, with dense greyish pruinescence on face, frons, postgena and occiput. Dichoptic, eye with ommatidia of similar size. Frons parallel-sided, subequal to width of ocellar triangle, bearing short setulae along inner margin of eye. Face parallel-sided towards mouthparts; bare with oral margin shining. Ocellar triangle dark, subshining, with pair of parallel ocellar setae and pair of posterior setulae 0.5× length of ocellar 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; white silky hairs on ventral margin. Antenna dark brown, lacking inner paler colouration. Scape about 2.5× longer than pedicel; postpedicel more than 4× longer than basal width, 4× longer than stylus. Palpus yellow, with setulae dark. Proboscis largely yellowish; apex of labrum reddish brown; labellum with dark setae.

Thorax dark in ground-colour, largely densely grey pruinescent: postpronotum, supra-alar ridge and lower margin of scutellum usually yellowish orange. Scutum with pair of distinct dark vittae between acr and dc rows; indistinct pair of vittae lateral to dc and above notopleural depression. Pleura entirely grey, lacking paler highlights. Proepisternum greyish, with several short, dark setae; prosternum bare. Antepronotum with row of short, stout dark setae. Postpronotum with 1–2 long dark setae and 3–6 shorter setae. Scutum with sparse row of fine acr setulae; dc longer than acr, increasing in length posteriorly; 1–2 posterior npl, 1 anterior npl and several shorter dark setae; several short presut spal; 1 psut spal; 1 pal. Scutellum with 2 pairs of sctl, apical pair subequal in length to pal, outer pair shorter than apical pair. Laterotergite with 3–4 long dark setae and several shorter, paler 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 setae, longer and stouter along apical anterior margins. Hind trochanter with curved spine-like setae confined to ventral medial patch, lacking tubular process. Femora lacking posteroventral row of fine setae; hind femur with anteroventral row of short, slender setae with dark, stout seta on apical 0.25; hind femur long and cylindrical, somewhat swollen subapically, with several preapical anterior setae ( Fig. 3 E). Fore tibia clothed in long dark setae, shorter than width of tibia; with 4–5 dorsal, 3–4 posterodorsal, 4–5 posterior, 3–4 posteroventral and several preapical setae longer than width of tibia. Mid tibia clothed in long dark setae, shorter than width of tibia; 2 anteroventral, 4 anterodorsal, 3 anterior, 3–4 posterodorsal, 4 posterior, 1–2 posteroventral and several preapical setae. Hind tibia with 5–6 antero- and posterodorsal setae, several posterior, several posteroventral setae and several preapical setae; setae mostly distinctly longer than width of tibia. Tarsomeres 1–5 of all legs with rows of antero- and posteroventral spine-like setae; hind tarsomere 1 with outer setae longer than width of tarsomere; fore tarsomere 1 enlarged, wider than tibia and longer than tarsomere 1 on mid and hindlegs ( Fig. 3 D), outer faces with setae longer than width of tarsomere.

Wing clear with yellowish brown veins; all veins complete (except Sc), well sclerotized. Basal costal seta not distinguished. R5 and M1 parallel near wing margin; R5 ending beyond wing tip; radial fork acute. Halter yellow.

Abdomen concolorous with pleura, tergites paler along apical margins; tergal marginal setae long (at least half length of tergite) and pale brown on tergites 1–7. Marginal setae on tergite 8 shorter than length of sclerite. Pregenital segments unmodified; sclerites of segment 8 weakly fused laterally, forming complete ring, not weakly sclerotized dorsally. Terminalia ( Fig. 4 B) yellowish brown, except dorsal margin of cerci dark. Cercus narrow, appressed to dorsal margin of epandrium, linear, broader at anterior end; dorsal margin preapically with broad, darkened tooth-like projection. Hypoproct with 3–4 setae on inner medial margin. Epandrial lamella subtriangular, posterior margin evenly rounded, bearing apical setae. Hypandrium prolonged posteriorly with rounded margin, subequal in length to epandrium; base with several short, dark setae, about 0.25× length of hypandrium. Phallus with broad base; apical half distinctly narrower, gently arched; apex not emerging beyond cercus; apex of phallus narrow, scoop-like in dorsal view, arched posteriorly; ejaculatory apodeme 0.75× length of epandrium; inverted Yshaped, with median keel reduced.

Female. Similar to male, except as follows: frons slightly broader; spine-like setae of hind trochanter absent; foreleg tarsomere 1 not inflated, lacking long outer setae; cercus long and slender, slightly shorter than tergite 8. Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence ( Fig. 5 B). Empis (En.) appalachicola is known from the Great Smoky Mountains and Mount Mitchell area in North Carolina and Tennessee. Adults have been collected from mid-May to mid-June.

Etymology. The species name is in reference to the restriction of this species to the Appalachian Mountains. Nuptial gift presentation. Form unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Empis (Enoplempis) species. A, B, E. vockerothi (Hocking Co., OH) male with balloon (photographs by Allen Coovert); C, swarming males of E. vockerothi with balloons shown by arrows (photograph by Allen Coovert); D, E. snoddyi (Sevier, TN) apparently in the process of forming a balloon (photograph by Thomas Bentley, copyright Thomasbentley. com); E, E. vockerothi, male; F, E. appalachicola, male; G, E. tridentata, male. Scale bars = 2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Male legs of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. amytis, hindlegs, anterior view; B, E. amytis, hind femur, anterior view; C, E. amytis, hind coxae and trochanters, anterior view; D, E. appalachicola, foreleg; E, E. appalachicola, hindleg, anterior view.

FIGURE 4. Male terminalia, lateral view of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. amytis; B, E. appalachicola. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; ej apod—ejaculatory apodeme; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; ph—phallus.

FIGURE 5. Distribution of E. (Enoplempis). A, E. amytis; B, E. appalachicola and E. ctenocnema.