Asymphyloptera mexicana, Sinclair, Bradley J., 2015

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2015, New World species of Asymphyloptera Collin (Diptera: Empididae: Clinocerinae), Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 553-564 : 562-563

Asymphyloptera mexicana sp. nov.

( Fig. 16 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “Above Oaxaca/ Oaxaca, Mex/ May 20, 1963 ”; “H.E. Robinson/ Collector”; “ HOLOTYPE / Asymphyloptera / mexicana / Sinclair [red label] [dissected]” ( USNM).

Recognition. This is a dark brown species with long ventral setae on the fore femur and hind tibia; narrow, tapered surstylus with pointed apex; apex of phallus expanded, membranous and strongly bent anteriorly.

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

Pleura dark brown with thin bluish pruinescence. Chaetotaxy very stout; 1 pprn short, very slender; 2 npl, lower slender and shorter; 4 dc, anterior dc offset; 2 apical sctl, 1.25X longer than prescutellar dc, lacking lateral sctl. Legs dark brown; fore femur with long antero- and posteroventral rows of pale, slender setae, longer than width of femur; fore tibia with biserial row of erect setae; hind tibia with long ventral setae, longer than width of tibia. Wing length 1.8 mm; crossvein h distinct; base of wing with slender setulae along posterior margin. Halter brown.

Male terminalia ( Fig. 16 ): Cercus with anterior lobe not produced; posterior lobe long, slender. Hypandrium prolonged as broad, paired postgonites; apical margin of postgonite extended anteriorly, with beak-like apex. Epandrium narrow, with elongate setae on apical half. Surstylus shorter than cercus, slender, arched, tapered to pointed apex; not extending beyond phallus. Phallus straight; apex expanded, membranous, strongly bent anteriorly; apical margin rounded; ejaculatory apodeme narrow, not expanded.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the holotype, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico ( Fig. 17 ).

Remarks. The apex of the phallus is very similar to that of A. havasu sp. nov., but the apex is not hooked and the postgonites have a beak-like, anteriorly-directed apex.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Distribution of Asymphyloptera in the New World.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Male terminalia of Asymphyloptera, lateral views. 13, A. dominica sp. nov.; 14, A. havasu sp. nov.; 15, A. lutea sp. nov.; 16, A. mexicana sp. nov. Scale bars 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: pgt—postgonite; ph—phallus; sur—surstylus.