Brachylinga cinerea (Cole)

Webb, Donald W. & Metz, Mark A., 2006, A Revision of the New World Genera Brachylinga Irwin and Lyneborg and Lysilinga Irwin and Lyneborg (Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae) with the Description of a New Genus, Elcaribe Webb, Zootaxa 1288 (1288), pp. 1-241 : 63-66

Brachylinga cinerea (Cole)

( Figs. 8, 31, 54, 77, 100, 123, 146, 169, 190, 217)

cinerea Cole (1923a: 35 male key, 37 fem. key, 65 orig. desc., plate 6 Fig. 60 fem. head, plate 7 Fig. 72 wing, pl. 8 Fig. 95 male genit.; 1965:351 cat.) ( Psilocephala ); Irwin and Lyneborg (1981a:234 listing, comb. change) ( Brachylinga ). Type locality New Mexico, Alamogordo. Holotype male in ANSP.

Diagnosis

Brachylinga cinerea is taxonomically associated with B. pavida in lacking setae on the katepisternum; in having the postocular, mesonotal, and coxal macrosetae dark reddish brown; in having the male parafacial silver or gray over the entire surface; in having the male frons with setae; in lacking an anterodorsal patch of short dark reddish brown setae on the gena; and in having the halter knob dark reddish brown. Brachylinga cinerea differs from B. pavida in having the tibiae dark yellow, apex dark reddish brown; the setae on hindcoxa white; the median length of male tergite 8 ( Fig. 8) narrow (0.02 mm); and the distiphallus in dorsal view ( Fig. 123) with a dorsal carina.

Redescription of male

Variation (n=10).

Body length 5.5–6.5, 6.1 mm.

Head. Ommatidia smaller ventrally and laterally. Frons pruinescence white, dark brown dorsally; setae dark reddish brown (occasionally pale yellow or a mixture). Antenna with scape dark reddish brown, pruinescence gray, pedicel and flagellum brown; setae on scape pale yellow intermixed with dark reddish brown setae, grading into macrosetae. Parafacial pruinescence white. Maxillary palpus reddish brown, pruinescence gray; setae pale yellow. Genal setae white. Occipital setae white, sparse dorsally. Postocular macrosetae dark reddish brown.

Thorax. Macrosetae dark reddish brown, 3–4 np, 2 sa, 1 pa, 2 dc, 2 sc. Mesonotum dull brownish gray; setae black intermixed with white setae. Pleuron and scutellum black, pruinescence dull gray; setae white on propleuron, anepisternum, laterotergite, metanepisternum, and scutellum, absent on katepisternum. Wing. Membrane pale gray, veins pale brown; pterostigma pale brown narrow; cell m 3 closed, petiolate (occasionally closed at wing margin or slightly open). Halter dark brown. Legs. Coxa setae white, present on posterior surface of midcoxa; macrosetae dark reddish brown. Femora dark reddish brown, pruinescence white; ventral setae reddish brown on forefemur, white on mid­ and hindfemora; av 0:0:3–4, pv 0:0:3–8. Tibiae dark yellowish brown, apex dark reddish brown. Tarsomere 1 dark yellowish brown, apex dark reddish brown; 2–5 dark reddish brown.

Abdomen. Dark reddish brown, pruinescence white; dorsal setae white, appressed; lateral setae white, erect. Terminalia (MEI 037083). Tergite 8 ( Fig. 8), narrow medially (0.02 mm); setae pale yellow, absent medially on posterior margin. Sternite 8 ( Fig. 31) rectangular, sides rounded, posterior margin truncate to slightly emarginate. Epandrium ( Fig. 8), sides tapered apically, setae pale yellow. Cercus ( Fig. 8), ending basal to apex of hypoproct. Hypoproct ( Fig. 8), posterior margin emarginate, ending distal to apex of cercus. Gonocoxite ventral view ( Fig. 31) broad basally, rounded laterally, medial margin straight with rounded posteromedial angle then becoming attenuate apically; setae dark yellow, grading into dark yellow macrosetae apically; dorsal view ( Fig. 54) posteromedial lobe short, gonocoxal bridge absent; lateral view ( Fig. 77) broad basally, curved apically to thick projection; ventral lobe ( Fig. 31) with ventral spines. Gonostylus ( Fig. 100), basodorsal lobe large, rounded; ventral margin straight, setae dark yellow, not directed apically in distinct tuft; fine, short spines absent laterally. Aedeagus with dorsal apodeme ( Fig. 123) quadrate, posterolateral margin rounded; ventral apodeme ( Fig. 146) tapered anteriorly, not extending to anterior margin of dorsal apodeme; distiphallus ( Fig. 123) tapered apically with narrow dorsomedial carina; lateral view ( Fig. 169) elongate, tapered ventrally in broad curve, apicolateral spines small; ejaculatory apodeme ( Fig. 123), anterior margin truncate.

Female

Similar to male except as follows.

Variation (n=10).

Body length 5.6–7.7, 6.4 mm.

Head. Frons pruinescence brownish gray, silver ventrally with large, diffuse dark brown band extending between eyes dorsal to silver area (breadth varies as specimen is rotated); setae dark reddish brown dorsally (occasionally extending into silver area). Antenna with scape dark reddish brown, pruinescence gray, pedicel and flagellum brown.

Thorax. Macrosetae 3 np, 2 sa, 1 pa, 2 dc, 2 sc. Wing. In several specimens cell m 3 widely open. Legs. Anteroventral macrosetae 0:0:3–4, pv 0:0:2–6.

Abdomen. Black, glossy, pruinescence light gray along posterior margin of tergites 1–4, over all of tergites 5–7; dorsal setae dark reddish brown, appressed on black areas of tergites with elongate, appressed, white setae along posterior margin of tergites 1–2; lateral setae dark brown, erect. Terminalia (MEI 039966). Furca ( Fig. 190) oval; length 0.54 mm, width 0.28 mm; anterolateral projection short. Common duct ( Fig. 190) shorter than furca. Spermathecal duct ( Fig. 190) directed anteriorly.

Distribution

Brachylinga cinerea ranges from Texas to Utah, west to southern California ( Fig. 217).

Habitats and phenology

Brachylinga cinerea has been handnetted and swept from desert vegetation or grass along the edge of a forest. Adults have been collected in April and May.

Specimens examined

Type specimen. The holotype male of Psilocephala cinerea Cole is labeled "Alamogordo, IV.20 02, NM" and is in the ANSP ( Type No. 6278). Other Specimens: UNITED STATES. ARIZONA. Cochise County: Huachuca Mountains , Miller Canyon [34.55, ­111.239], 2.V.1928, Melander, A. L., 1♂ MEI 037084 ( USNM) ; 30.IV.1948, 35♂ MEI 039859, 039864–5, 039869–70, 039872–5, 039899–900, 039923–4, 039934, 039938, 039942–61, 4♀ 039856, 039880–1, 039908 ( USNM) ; 1.V.1948, 14♂ MEI 039866, 039892–3, 039914–5, 039919–20, 039931–2, 039940–1, 039948–9, 039966, 3♀ 039858, 039901–2 ( USNM) ; 2.V.1948, 27♂ MEI 011296, 011298, 037083, 039860–1, 039874–5, 039888–91, 039896–8, 039911–2, 039916–7, 039925, 039928, 039946–7, 039950–5, 4♀ 039882–3, 039906–7 ( USNM) ; 3.V.1948, 9♂ MEI 039862–3, 039867–8, 039926–7, 039930, 039935, 0399625, 4♀ 039876–7, 039903–4 ( USNM) ; 4.V.1948, 4♂ MEI 011318, 037082, 039936–7, 7♀ 039857, 039878–9, 039884–7 ( USNM) . Coconino County: Flagstaff [35.198, ­111.651], 3.V.1967, Camenzinio, F. J., 1♀ MEI 037629 ( BYU) , sweeping desert vegetation. Santa Cruz County: Santa Rita Mountains, Madera Canyon [31.725, ­110.879], 1341 m, 1.IV.1961, Painter, E. M.; Painter, R. H., 1♂ MEI 042437 ( KSUC) . CALIFORNIA. Riverside County: Riverside [33.94, ­117.397], 25.V.1969, Andrews, F. G., 1♂ MEI 049341 ( UCR) ; Upper Deep Canyon at Horsethief Creek [33.579, ­116.423]. 1036 m, 11.VI.1965, MEI, 2♂ MEI 040197–8 ( MEIC) . San Bernardino County: SW end of Providence Mountains, Arrowhead Spring [34.848, ­ 115.6], 19.VI.1999, Ballmer, G. R., 1♂ UCR ENT 62929 ( UCR) , at seep. NEW MEXICO. Catron County: Whitewater Canyon [33.317, ­108.883], 1.VI.1972, Wirth, W. W., 1♂ MEI 037117 ( USNM) , Malaise trap. Dona Ana County: Organ Mountains, Aguirre Springs [32.367, ­106.55], 16–18.V.1999, MEI, 2♀ MEI 118851, 118883 ( MEIC) ; 2 km S Fort Wingate [35.532, ­108.747], 2210 m, 27.VI–2.VII.1997, Metz, M. A., 1♀ MEI 135903 ( INHS) ; Alamogordo [32.899, ­105.96], 30.IV.1902, collector?, 4♂ MEI 028335, 042405, 042407, 042409, 4♀ 042419–20, 042422, 042435 ( ANSP) ; 1.V.1902, 4♂ MEI 042408, 042411, 042415, 042417, 4♀ 028337, 042427, 042429, 042434 ( ANSP) ; 2.V.1902, 1♂ MEI 042412, 1♀ 042425 ( ANSP) ; 5.V.1902, 3♂ MEI 042406, 042414, 042416, 3♀ 042421, 042431, 042433 ( ANSP) ; 6.V.1902, 2♂ MEI 028334, 042410, 1♀ 042428 ( ANSP) ; 8.V.1902, 1♂ MEI 028336, 6♀ 040827, 042418, 042423–4, 042430, 042432 ( ANSP) ; 12.V.1902, 2♀ MEI 042426, 042436 ( ANSP) . TEXAS. Hidalgo County: Bentsen­Rio Grande State Park , [26.173, ­98.382], 14.V.1980, Konecny, A., 1♂ MEI 073571 ( DEBU) , grass edge of forest. UTAH. San Juan County: 0.48 km SE Newspaper Rock [37.987, ­109.511], 1850 m, 16.VI.1998, Metz, M. A., 3♂ MEI 135894–5 ( INHS) , 135908 (CNC), 14♀ 135896 ( CNC) , 135897–902, 135904–7, 135909–11 (INHS); Hwy 211, 0.48 km SE Newspaper Rock [37.987, ­109.511], 1850 m, 16.VI.1998, Metz, M. A., 1♂ MEI 135912 ( INHS) .