Plesiomma simile, Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2006

Scarbrough, Aubrey G. & Perez-Gelabert, Daniel E., 2006, A review of the asilid (Diptera) fauna from Hispaniola with six genera new to the island, fifteen new species, and checklist, Zootaxa 1381, pp. 1-91 : 81-84

Plesiomma simile sp. nov.

( Table 1, Figs. 105–111, 122)

Male. Reddish. Measurements 21.3 mm; wing 14.5 mm. Head: Face yellow, yellowishgray tomentum, oral margin with single row of stout reddish-yellow or yellow bristles. Palpus yellow, yellow setose. Proboscis reddish, yellow setose. Antenna reddish-yellow, flagellum and microsegments darkest, yellow setose; pedicel slightly longer than scape, basal flagellomere slightly longer than scape and pedicel combined, apical flagellomeres 1/2 as long as basal flagellomere. Frons reddish, tomentum yellow. Ocellar tubercle with sparse, short, reddish setae. Vertex narrow, 1/5 as wide face at antennae. Occiput yellowish, yellowish setose with reddish-yellow postocular bristles and yellow setae.

Thorax: Dull brownish-yellow or dull reddish, brownish tomentose, with thin yellow bristles dorsally and yellow setae laterally. Scutum reddish, 3 black stripes dorsally with reddish-brown tomentum, median stripe extends anteriorly to pronotum; tomentum yellow anteriorly, laterally, and between longitudinal black stripes, dull reddish in some light; vestiture reddish, setae most abundant anteriorly, row of thin dorsocentral bristles extend anteriorly to level of postpronotum, lateral bristles longer and thicker. Scutellum and mediotergite reddish, anatergite and katatergite yellow, yellow tomentose; 2 marginal scutellar bristles present. Pleura mostly dull brownish-yellow, anepisternum, katepisternum, epimeron, and katepimeron partly blackish, metapleuron yellowish; tomentum mostly bright yellow and yellowish-grayish, anepisternum anteriorly reddishbrown or brown; katatergal bristles thin, reddish. Halter yellow.

Wing: Venations reddish-brown or reddish-yellow, microtrichia reddish-yellow.

Legs: Coxae yellowish-gray or grayish tomentose, vestiture yellowish or reddishyellow. Fore coxa yellow; middle coxa entirely and hind coxa brownish or reddish-yellow. Trochanters yellowish, apical margins partly black. Fore and middle legs yellow, fore and mid femora anteriorly except apices and apical tarsomere dark red; hind leg dark red entirely; bristles and setae yellow or red. Tarsal claws black, reddish-yellow basally; pulvilli yellow to reddish-yellow.

Abdomen: Slightly spatulate, mostly brownish-red or reddish, base yellowish, apical tergites slightly sooty. Vestiture reddish or yellow; tergite 1 laterally with sparse stout bristles.

Terminalia ( Figs. 105–109): Red with reddish vestiture.

Female. Measurements, body 16.3–28.1 mm; wing 10.9–18.0 mm. Frons yellow or brownish-yellow tomentose. Apical flagellomeres red or black. Vertex 1/6–1/4 as wide as face at antenna. Hind legs pale or dark red. Abdomen slightly spatulate; mostly dark brownish-red. Terminalia ( Figs. 110–111).

Types. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: prov. / Barahona, nr. Filipinas / Larimar Mine : 20–26.vi.1992: R.E. Woodruff / P.E. Skelley, at light (holotype ♂, FSCA) . Paratypes, prov. / Barahona, nr. Filipinas / Larimar Mine : 26.vi–7.vii.1992: R.E. Woodruff / P.E. Skelley (1 ♀, FSCA) ; DOMINICAN REP.: prov. / Barahona, nr. Filipinas / Larimar Mine : 6–11.vii.1993: R.E. Woodruff / mercury vap. light (1 ♀, FSCA) ; La Toma, N. of /

San Cristóbal [province] / 9–10 June 1969 / Flint & Gomez (1 ♀, USNM) .

Distribution. Captured at low elevations during June and July in Barahona and San Cristóbal provinces.

Etymology. Latin simile for 'likeness or resemblance' referring to the appearance of the species in this genus.

Remarks. Plesiomma simile is distinguished from congeners by the characters in the key, the reddish ground color and yellowish tomentum of the head, reddish wings, and terminalia ( Figs. 105–111). It is further recognized by the absence of black vestiture.