Asymphyloptera cajanuma, Sinclair, Bradley J., 2015

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2015, New World species of Asymphyloptera Collin (Diptera: Empididae: Clinocerinae), Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 553-564 : 554-556

Asymphyloptera cajanuma sp. nov.

( Fig. 8 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “(EC) Loja: Cajanuma , Podocarpus/ NP, trail Bosque Nublado, 3000m [S04º05'34.42'' W79º09'54.18'']/ 16.ii.2009 – 5.iii.2009 (MT)/ leg. M. Pollet & A. De Braekeleer/ EC/ 2009–37 / MP&ADB–013”; “ HOLOTYPE / Asymphyloptera / cajanuma / Sinclair [red label] [dissected]” ( UTPL).

Recognition. This is a light-brown species distinguished by the long proboscis (nearly subequal in length to clypeus); slender thoracic chaetotaxy; long, slender, tapered surstylus with narrow apex; apex of phallus expanded laterally, membranous with sclerotized anterior margin.

Description. Male. Postpedicel globular with long, slender apical extension, arising subapically. Ocellar setae stout, similar in length to postpedicel extension. Labrum long, nearly subequal in length to clypeus; palpus brown, subequal to labrum, tapered to slender apex.

Pleura dark brown with thin bluish pruinescence. Chaetotaxy not distinctly thickened; 1 pprn short, very slender; 2 npl, lower slender and shorter; 4 dc, anterior dc offset; 2 apical sctl, 1.5X longer than prescutellar dc, lacking lateral sctl. Legs brown; fore and mid femora with antero- and posteroventral rows of pale, slender setae, subequal to or shorter in length to width of femur; fore tibia without erect ventral setae. Wing length 1.8 mm; crossvein h distinct; base of wing with slender setulae along posterior margin. Halter light brown.

Male terminalia ( Fig. 8 ): Cercus with anterior lobe slightly produced; posterior lobe long, slender. Hypandrium prolonged as broad, paired postgonites; apical margin of postgonite produced and rounded, not extended anteriorly. Epandrium narrow, with elongate setae on apical half. Surstylus longer than cercus, slender, arched, tapered to pointed apex; not extending beyond phallus. Phallus arched; apex expanded laterally, membranous; anterior margin sclerotized; ejaculatory apodeme narrow, not expanded.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. Named after the locality where the holotype was collected.

Distribution. This species, known only from the holotype, was collected in upper montane rainforest or cloud forest at Cajanuma (3000 m), Ecuador ( Fig. 4 ). Pollet (2009) provided a full description of the collecting site and additional digital images.

Remarks. Asymphyloptera sp. 2 (based on single female, see below) is not considered conspecific due to its larger size (wing length 2.4 mm), darker colouration and very stout chaetotaxy.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 12. Antenna and terminalia of Asymphyloptera, lateral views. 8, A. cajanuma sp. nov., male; 9, A. chilensis sp. nov., male; 10, A. chiricahua sp. nov., antenna; 11, A. chiricahua sp. nov., male; 12, A. chiricahua sp. nov., female. Scale bars = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; ej apod—ejaculatory apodeme; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; ph—phallus; sur—surstylus.

FIGURES 4 – 7. Examples of Asymphyloptera habitats. 4, type locality of A. cajanuma sp. nov.: upper montane rainforest or cloud forest at Cajanuma, Ecuador (~ 3000 m) (specimen collected in Malaise trap set over small stream) (photograph M. Pollet); 5, type locality of A. chiricahua sp. nov.: East Turkey Creek, Arizona, USA (specimens collected on wet over hanging rocks); 6, Saddle Canyon, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA (specimens aspirated off seepage on right) (photograph J. F. MacDonald); 7, type locality of A. havasu sp. nov.: Elves Chasm, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA (specimens aspirated off seepage on left) (photograph Flickr).