Argolepida jama, Irwin & Winterton, 2021

Irwin, Michael E. & Winterton, Shaun L., 2021, Revision of South American stiletto fly genus Argolepida Metz & Irwin (Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae), Zootaxa 5068 (2), pp. 151-185 : 160-162

Argolepida jama sp. n.

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:600E90AF-35E9-4233-8B4D-4D79628270E5

( Figs 10–13 ; 32E, F ; 33C ; 36C ; 37 )

Diagnosis. Male frons with an irregular, poorly defined glabrous area dorsomedially, female with lobed to sub– quadrangular bare area across frons; wing hyaline; abdominal tergites 1–5 with white, scale-like adpressed setae; femora dark.

Description. Body length: 4.0–5.0 mm. Head with frons flat with light brown pubescence dorsally, greyish silver ventrally, wholly pubescent or with glabrous area medially ( Fig. 32E ), much larger and slightly raised in female ( Fig. 32F ); female with few short pale setae below ocellar tubercle; postocular setae brown, occiput pubescence grey to brown, occiput with few scale-like setae medially; antennal scape brown, overlain with grey pubescence; flagellum brown with grey pubescence. Thorax with scutal pubescence dark brown, short erect filiform setae admixed with adpressed white scale-like setae, denser anteriorly, scutal macrosetae dark (chaetotaxy as per genus description); pleuron dark with grey pubescence, sparse white scale-like setae on anepisternum and katepisternum; katatergite with admixed strong filiform and scale-like setae, anepisternum brownish in dorsal half; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, pale macrosetae admixed with erect scale-like setae; femora dark brown, with dense covering of white scale-like adpressed setae; tibiae brown, or yellow with dark grey-brown apically; tarsi brown, or yellow basally; wing hyaline, infuscate along wing veins, basally in radial cells; venation yellow basally along major veins, darker distally; haltere stem orange-brown, knob yellow. Abdomen base colour mostly dark brown, adpressed white scale-like setae on segments 1–5, black on rest; terminalia black. Male and female genitalia as per genus description except ejaculatory apodeme slightly spatulate anteriorly, lateral ejaculatory apodeme relatively small.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality near the high elevation township of Jama, Argentina.

Comments. This species is known from a single locality in Northern Argentina next to the Chilean border. It is very similar to A. oasis sp. n. but can be differentiated based on the number of abdominal segments with white setae, leg colour and the pattern and colour of the frontal pubescence in both sexes.

Type material. Holotype male, ARGENTINA: Jujuy Province: 2 km E. Paso de Jama [-23.2241, -67.0552], 4233 m, hand netted in steep wash with dunes, 19–28.X.2003, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker (MEI161654; MNBR) . Paratypes: ARGENTINA: Jujuy Province: 4 males, 6 females, same data as holotype, hand netted and Malaise trap (MEI161653, 161655, 161657–62; CSCA, MNBR) .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Argolepida jama sp. n.: male, oblique view.

FIGURE 11. Argolepida jama sp. n.: male, lateral view.

FIGURE 12. Argolepida jama sp. n.: female, oblique view.

FIGURE 13. Argolepida jama sp. n.: female, lateral view.

FIGURE 32. Argolepida spp. heads, anterior view. A. Argolepida atacama sp. n., male; B. Argolepida atacama sp. n., female; C. A. camposi sp. n., male; D. A. camposi sp. n., female; E. A. jama sp. n., male; F. A. jama sp. n., female; G. A. oasis sp. n., male; H. A. oasis sp. n., female; I. A. patagonia sp. n., male; J. A. patagonia sp. n., female; K. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928), male; L. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928), female; M. A. schlingeri sp. n., male; N. A. schlingeri sp. n., female; O. A. telteca sp. n., male; P. A. telteca sp. n., female.

FIGURE 33. Argolepida spp. wings. A. Argolepida atacama sp. n.; B. A. camposi sp. n.; C. A. jama sp. n.; D. A. oasis sp. n.

FIGURE 36. Argolepida spp. male aedeagi, dorsal view (upper) and lateral view (lower). A. Argolepida atacama sp. n.; B. A. camposi sp. n.; C. A. jama sp. n.; D. A. oasis sp. n.; E. A. patagonia sp. n.; F. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928); G. A. schlingeri sp. n.; H. A. telteca sp. n.

FIGURE 37. Distribution of Argolepida species in Southern South America.