Iteaphila vetula Melander

Sinclair, Bradley J. & Shamshev, Igor V., 2012, 3561, Zootaxa 3561, pp. 1-61 : 52-54

Iteaphila vetula Melander

( Figs. 13C, 15)

Iteaphila vetula Melander, 1946: 37 . Type locality: Loon Lake , Washington, USA.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “LoonLakeWA/ 16 May [19]24/ ALMelander”; “ HOLOTYPE / Iteaphila / vetula Mel. [red label]”; “ALMelander/ Collection/ 1961” ( USNM) . PARATYPES: USA. Idaho: Craig Mts. , 8.vi.1918, ALM (2 ♂, USNM) . Washington: same data as holotype (1 ♂, USNM - damaged); Kettle Falls , 3.v.1912, ALM (1 ♀, USNM) .

Additional material examined. CANADA. British Columbia: Trinity Valley , 21.v.1959, L.A. Kelton (1 ♂, CNC) . USA. California: El Dorado Co., Eldorado NF, Echo Lk , 2300 m, 38º50'N 120º2'W, 31.v.2009, BJS (22 ♂, 19 ♀, CNC) ; Pumas Co., Lassen NF, N Fk Feather R, 28.v.1977, DDW (73 ♂, 15 ♀, CAS) ; Tuolumne Co., Dardanelles Cpgd , 30.v.1963, PHA (1 ♂, AMNH) . Oregon: Klamath Co., 12 mi NE Bly, Deming Ck, slopes of Gearhart Mt. , 5800', 21.vi.1978, N. Herman (2 ♂, 3 ♀, AMNH) ; Lake Co., Cox Ck Wildlife Area , 14.vi.1984, R. Danielsson (1 ♂, 1 ♀, MZLU) .

Recognition. The species is distinguished by the pale golden setae of the thorax, especially scutellar setae and greyish setae of the abdomen.

Re-description. Wing length 2.7–3.3 mm. Male. Head subcircular, black, with greyish setation; occiput greyish pollinose. Holoptic, with upper ommatidia enlarged. Frons represented by small triangular space just above antennae, bare, greyish pollinose. Ocellar triangle very prominent, with long, thin, proclinate setae. Postvertical and postocular setae rather long, thin, hair-like; additionally, occiput covered with numerous similar setae longer on lower part and greyish. Antenna brown; scape short, subequal to globular pedicel, both with short setae; postpedicel nearly 4 times longer than basal width, smoothly tapered; stylus long, longer than basal width of postpedicel, bristle-tipped, length of segment 9 twice width, apical bristle shorter than segment 9. Proboscis usually longer than head height, projected obliquely; labium shorter than head height; palpus projected parallel to labrum, slightly shorter than length of labrum.

Thorax black (postpronotal lobe often yellowish posteriorly and postalar ridge brownish yellow), with greyish to golden setation; smoothly arched, prescutellar depression very slightly prominent; scutum viewed dorsally largely greyish, slightly matt, with dark vittae following acr and dc rows. Proepisternum with several pale hairs in lower and upper parts. Postpronotal lobe with numerous long, fine pale setae. Katepisternum with bare shiny dorsal patch. Mesonotal setae mostly not prominent, usually 2–3 npl, 2–3 prescutellar darker dc, 1 pal and sctl somewhat stronger but their number and position varying (except pal); acr short, irregular biserial, separated by less than length of setulae ending at prescutellar depression; dc short, subequal to length of acr, biserial; 5–6 pairs of sctl in single row.

Legs yellowish brown, setae whitish. Coxae and trochanters with several short, fine setae. Fore and mid femora with row of long posteroventral setae. Hind femur with row of long anteroventral and dorsal and short posteroventral hair-like setae. Tibiae lacking prominent setae. Tarsomere 5 on all legs slightly flattened; pulvilli broad, shorter than tarsal claw.

Wing slightly infuscate, with brown veins; no bristle at wing base; stigma distinct brownish, elliptical, overlapping apex of vein R 1; anal lobe very prominent, acute. R 2+3 straight beneath stigma; radial fork with base distal to apex of R 2+3; R 5 and M 1 divergent before wing-apex; cell d broad, longer than basal cells, truncate to slighty produced apically; m-m crossvein long, M branches widely separated; dm-cu crossvein slightly curved; M 4 longer than length of dm-cu crossvein. Apex of cell cua slightly rounded, CuP+CuA short and faint, ending well short of wing margin. Halter mostly dark except base of stem.

Abdomen narrowed proximad, covered with numerous, whitish, long hair-like setae, posteromarginal setae not prominent; tergites viewed dorsally subshining finely greyish pollinose, viewed posteriorly densely greyish pollinose; sternites finely pollinose. Terminalia concolorous with abdomen, small. Hypandrium slightly rounded, upcurved apically with broadly rounded apex; gonocoxal apodeme short and slender. Postgonite posterior to phallus, extended slightly beyond epandrium, parallel with phallus and strongly arched subapically; bent apical section subequal to apex of phallus, paired with apex membranous, bearing several pairs of spine-like projections; apex rounded. Epandrium not greatly inflated laterally; dorsal bridge very narrow; posterior half gradually tapered; apex of surstylus slender, hook-like ( Fig. 13C). Phallus long and slender, arched beyond epandrium, strongly bent subapically; apical section short and slightly arched; apex rounded and membranous; ejaculatory apodeme platelike, rounded, slightly longer than gonocoxal apodeme; base of phallus produced posteriorly into recurved lobe with pair of slender apical dorsal prolongations. Cercus tapered, distinctly shorter than epandrium, finger-like and broad basally, apex broadly rounded, extended free from epandrium; hypoproct produced into pair of long, divergent lobes, projecting free from cercus.

Female. Head dark brown with short setation. Occiput shiny and thin greyish pollinose. Dichoptic, with equally small ommatidia. Gena very narrow. Frons very broad, almost parallel-sided, with marginal setulae, shiny, lacking pollinosity. Anterior ocellars lateroclinate, short; posterior ocellars shorter. Scutum when viewed dorsally with 3 faint, narrow dark brown vittae down acr and dc setae. Chaetotaxy as in male. Legs mostly yellow with apical tarsi brownish; setation of fore and mid femora inconspicuous. Wing almost hyaline; radial fork position variable: slightly proximal or distal to apex of R 2+3. Abdomen dark brown, shiny; sparsely covered with short, greyish setae. Cercus brownish, elongate, slender.

Distribution. This species is confined to western North America, ranging from southern British Columbia to California ( Fig. 15).

Remarks. This species was collected in California (Echo Lake) from service berry blossoms ( Amelanchier utahensis Koehne ).