Efferia

Aubrey G. Scarbrough & Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, 2009, Review of the West Indian species of Efferia Coquillett (Diptera: Asilidae) with 13 new species and checklist: Part II. Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Lesser Antilles including Tobago and Trinidad, Zootaxa 1994, pp. 1-66 : 15-18

Efferia clava sp. nov.

Figs. 15–20 , Table 1

Male. Measurements, body 13.5–14.8 mm; wing 9.8–10.3 mm. Head: Yellowish-grey to yellowish tomentose; mostly pale vestiture. Face with sparse black bristles medially, 1–5, stout bristles yellowish-white; face at antennae 3/4–4/5 as wide as 1 eye. Palpi mostly or entirely white setose, 1–3 black setae sometimes apically. Antennae mostly black setose, scape white ventrally. Frons mixed white and black setose. Ocellar tubercle setae black. Occiput mostly gray tomentose with yellowish or white setae; 1–4 black postocular bristles.

Thorax: Pronotum yellowish-gray tomentose, whitish setae, thin black bristles. Scutum brown tomentose, golden brownish-yellow at some angles, yellowish-gray posteriorly; vestiture black, sparse pale setae anteriorly; anterior scutal setae 2/3 as long as scape. Scutellum yellowish-gray tomentose, setae yellowish, as long as scape and pedicel combined, or marginal bristles; 2–3 stout marginal bristles, usually black. Pleura grayish tomentose with white vestitures, anepisternum sometimes brownish-gray with sparse black setae dorsally. Halter yellow.

Wing: Slightly brownish, costal cell dark; costal margin straight, not dilated. Cell r4 narrow basally, just beyond d cell; R4 recurrent vein short, length less than diameter of cell base. Crossvein r-m at apical 1/3 of cell d.

Legs: Coxae yellowish-gray tomentose, whitish setose, stout bristles yellowish. Femora black, setae mostly whitish or pale yellowish, apices black, especially apical 1/3 of fore femur dorsally; bristles mostly black, 1–2 anterior and 3–4 anteroventral bristles yellowish basally. Metathoracic femora usually with 3–4, rarely 5–6, black anteroventral bristles. Tibiae brownish-yellow, apices black, bristles black, setae mostly yellow, dense setae sometimes reddish-yellow. Tarsi black, sometimes with slightly reddish.

Abdomen: Tergites 2–4 mostly brown tomentose dorsally, sometimes yellowish along margin of brown, wide sides white or yellowish-gray; segments 1, 5–7, and sternites 1–4 white tomentose. Setae mostly white, yellowish on sides of basal tergites, long on sternites 1–2, dense along apical margin of sternites 6–7; dark tomentose areas of tergites with short blackish setae, abundant and wide spread on tergites 3–4 and 8, sparse or absent on 2–3, usually white; sparse, short, yellowish setae present on sides of tergite 8.

Terminalia ( Figs. 15–18 ): Black setose, sparse yellowish dorsally, 1/4–1/3 wider apically than medially in anterior view. Epandrium 2.9–3.2 times as long as wide, small mound-like, pointed, medioapical process; posterodorsal process longer than wide, margin only slightly sclerotized. Gonostylus mostly sclerotized, generally narrow and flat basally, slightly thicker and wider apically, with clublike apex and narrow constriction. Aedeagus with simple flanges, tubes oblique, slightly curved dorsoapically. Gonocoxa anteriorly narrow and short setae apically, and prominent protuberance medially; ridges laterally; setae dense, long ventrally and posteriorly, mane-like.

Female. Measurements, body 11.5–17.8 mm; wing 8.8–11.9 mm. Head: Face with 1–7 brown bristles; face at antennae 3/4–4/5 as wide as 1 eye. Palpi usually entirely white setose, 1 black setae sometimes apically. Antennae sometimes entirely black setose. Occiput 2–4 black postocular bristles. Thorax: Anterior scutal setae about 1/2 as long as scape. Scutellum entirely yellowish or mixed yellow and black setose; setae as long or slightly longer than scape; 2–3 marginal bristles, usually black. Pleura gray tomentose, vestiture whitish, anepisternum sometimes sparsely black setose dorsally. Wing: Slightly brownish, darker bordering veins and in costal cell. R4 recurrent vein shorter than diameter of cell r4 basally. Legs: Femora with most anterior bristles pale; metathoracic femora with 3–5, rarely 2, black anteroventral bristles. Abdomen: Tergites mostly brown tomentose dorsally, gray or yellowish setae laterally, black setae dorsally, at least medially; tergite 7 usually with narrow lateral margins brown tomentose. Sternites 1–7 white tomentose, sometimes brownish apically; white setose, setae long on basal 3–4 sternites; sternite 7 black setose apically. Terminalia ( Figs. 19–20 ): Length 3.8–4.4 mm, 10–11.7 times longer than diameter at middle. Cercus 1/2 as long as tergite 9 dorsally. Spermathecae oval, with minute point apically.

Types. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: RD-065 Monte Rio, ~ 4.5 km / w. of Beach, Azua Prov., 18o23.728’N 70 o42.726’W, 22.xi.2002, D. Perez, B. Hierro, / H. Andújar (night) (holotype ♂, NMNH). Paratypes: same data as holotype (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-040 Dry forest of Monte / Río, Azua Prov., 18o23.305’N / 70 o42.726’W, 40 ft, 6–7.vii. / 2002, B. Hierro, R. Bastardo, / D. Perez (1 ♂, NMNH). Azua Prov., Monte Río 18o / 24.119’N 70 o42.671’W, 18 m, / 16.viii.2006, D. Perez, R. Bastardo (night) (1 ♂, 3 ♀, NMNH); RD-152 Barreras, Azua Prov., / 18o19.527’N, 70o54.411’W, / 174 m, 14.vii.2003, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, B. Hierro (1 ♂, MHND); RD-060 Monte Río – 4km / W of beach – 70 m dry scrub / 18o22.972’N, 70o43.036’W, / 17.xi.2002, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, / B. Hierro (night) (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-229 ~ 2 km road to San / Juan, near bridge on Viajama / river, Azua Prov., 294 m, 18o / 35.245’N 70o58.085’W, 20.iv. / 2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro, R. Bastardo. (d) (1 ♀, NMNH); Barahona Prov., around / Basurero de Cabral, 13.viii. / 2006, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, / B. Hierro (1 ♀, NMNH); Prov. Independencia / Los Ríos / Lago Enriquillo, 25.v.1986 / R. Miller & L. Stange (1 ♂, FSCA); RD-212- 150 m N bridge on / road to Cabo Rojo – Aceitillar, / Pedernales Prov., 16 m, 17o / 58.530’N 71o39.034’W, 7. / iv.2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro, D. Perez. (d/n) (2 ♂, 6 ♀, MHND); RD- 170 km 8 Rojo Cabo Acei- / tillar Rd. Pedernales Prov., 17o / 59.378’N / 71o39.00’W, 27 m / 30.vii.2003, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, / B. Hierro. (night) (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-038 km 9 Rd Cabo Rojo / - Aceitillar, Pedernales Prov., - 400 ft, 17o59.814’N / 71o38.852’W, 6.vii.2002 / B. Hierro, R. Bastardo, D. Perez (1 ♂, MHND); Prov. Pedernales / Cabo Rojo, 8–9.ix.1988 / at light, 0-10 m / M.A. Ivie, T.E. Philips / E.A. Johnson (1 ♂, CMNH); Prov. Pedernales / Cueva Jinagosa, 6 km SE Pedernales, 6 km NW / Cabo / Rojo Rd., 24.viii. 1988, M.A. Ivie, K. Phillips, & K.A. Johnson (1 ♀, CMNH); Perdernales, 14.5 km / Cabo Rojo, 165 m, / 18-03N, 71-39W [18o03'N, 71o39'W] ~ 26-27 Sept 1991 / C. Young, S. Thompson, / R. Davidson, J. Rawlins / Arid thornscrub ~ Carnegie Museum / Specimen number / CMNH-305,082 (1 ♀, CMNH); Prov. Pedernales / 13.5 km N. Cabo Rojo 140 m / 18o02.224’N 71o38.563’W, / 22.vii–9.viii.1999 / G. Dominici. F.I.T. (3 ♂, MIAC); Prov. Pedernales / 13.5 km N. Cabo Rojo 140 m / 18o02.224’N 71o38.563’W, / 22.vii–9.viii.1999 / G. Dominici. (1 ♂, MIAC); Prov. Pedernales / 8.5 km N. Cabo Rojo 64’ / 17o59.64’[N] 71o38.91’W, / 22.vii–9.viii.1999 malaise / M.A. Ivie & K.A. Guerrero (1 ♀, MIAC); RD-238 1 km SE Bastida, / foothills near canal of Yaque / del Sur river, San Juan Prov., / 23.iv.2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro (1 ♀, MHND).

Distribution. Dominican Republic: Azua, Barahona, Independencia, Pedernales and San Juan provinces. Active at sea level to about 140 meters in elevation during April through September and into November.

Remarks. Efferia clava is distinguished from E. woodleyi and other congeners by its mostly pale tomentum and vestiture of the body and the combined characters of the terminalia ( Figs. 15–20 ), especially the absence of a dilated costal margin of the wing, capitate gonostylus, and apically narrow gonocoxa with long mane-like setae.

Figures

FIGURES 15–20. Efferia clava sp. nov. Male terminalia, lateral view:15. Intact, left side; 16. Gonostylus with thick sclerotization; 17. Phallus; and 18. Aedeagus with tubes and phallic flange. Female terminalia, lateral view: 19. Ovipositor; 20. Lateral spermatheca.