Kishenehnoasilus bhl Dikow, 2019

Dale E. Greenwalt, Daniel J. Bickel, Peter H. Kerr, Gregory R. Curler, Brian V. Brown, Herman de Jong, Scott J. Fitzgerald, Torsten Dikow, Michal Tkoč, Christian Kehlmaier & Dalton De Souza Amorim, 2019, Diptera of the middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation. I. Documenting of diversity at the family level, Paleontologia Electronica 22 (2), No. 50, pp. 1-56 : 28-31

Kishenehnoasilus bhl Dikow , sp. nov.

Figures 25 , 26 zoobank.org/ E2AEF6A9-90EB-4882-AC79-AA7E2257FA99

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Biodiversity Heritage Library (www.biodiversitylibrary.org), abbreviated BHL and pronounced "bee aitch el”, and is to be treated as a noun in apposition. Kishenehnoasilus bhl sp. nov. is providing us a window in to the past and so is the digitization effort of the BHL by making available digitally natural history literature with emphasis on publications published prior to 1923.

Description

Female (Figure 25.1), 12 mm in length, including genitalia; head, thorax and abdomen black.

Head. Head shape in anterior view not observable, black; vertex shape not observable; facial swelling not observable, pubescence not observable; mystax not observable, mystax extent not observable; ommatidia size not observable; postgena posterior margin simple, smooth; frons (at level of antennal insertion) not observable, pubescence not observable, setation not observable; ocellar tubercle not observable, setation not observable; vertex pubescence not observable, setation not observable; median occipital sclerite setation not observable; postocular (pocl) setae not observable; occiput setation not observable, pubescence not observable; compound eye posterior margin straight or slightly curved throughout (in lateral view). Proboscis and maxillary palpus: proboscis straight, black; postmentum plate-like, straight, setation not observable; prementum cross section not observable, dorso-median development not observable, setation not observable; labella rounded; maxillary palpus not observable; stipites not observable (Figure 26.2).

Antenna. Black, pubescence not observable; scape not observable; pedicel setation not observable; postpedicel tapering distally, asetose; stylus comprised of one element, asetose; apical setalike sensory element situated apically on stylus.

Thorax. Dark brown to black; prosternum not observable; proepisternum not observable; cervical sclerite not observable; antepronotum not observable; postpronotum not observable; postpronotal lope not observable; pleuron pubescence not observable; proepimeron not observable; anepisternum setation not observable; anterior basalare not observable, posterior basalare not observable; setation of anepimeron, katepisternum, katepimeron, katatergite, meron + metanepisternum, metakatepisternum, metepimeron, and anatergite not observable; scutum pubescence not observable, scutum setation only partially observable: one npl seta, spa and pal setae absent, two presutural and two postsutural dc macrosetae, acrostichal setae not observable, median posterior scutum setation not observable; scutellum pubescence not observable, ds sctl setae not observable, ap sctl setae present, two long macrosetae; postmetacoxal area not observable.

Leg. Light brown to brown, pubescence not observable, all setae circular in cross section (Figure 26.3); pro coxa black, pubescence not observable, asetose; pro femur black, no macrosetae, setation not observable; pro tibia light brown to brown, short black setose, black macrosetose: three long in one ventro-posterior row, four short in 1 posterior row, distal tip with four thick, black, medium length macrosetae; mes coxa black, pubescence not observable, asetose; mes femur black, distally brown, short black setose, black macrosetose: 2 long in one anterior row distally, two long in one ventral row; mes tibia light brown to brown, short black setose, black macrosetose: three long in one anterior row, two to three short in distal ½ anteriorly and dorsally; met coxa black, pubescence not observable, asetose, anteriorly without any protuberance; met trochanter setation and median shape not observable; met femur black, brown proximally and distally, short black setose, black macrosetose: two long in one anterior row distally, five long in one antero-ventral row; met tibia light brown to brown, straight, short black setose, long black macrosetose: four in one antero-dorsal row, one to two in one antero-ventral row distally, two to three antero-distally; proximal pro and mes tarsomeres slightly longer than tarsomere two, proximal met tarsomere as long as following two tarsomeres combined, pro tarsomeres short black setose dorsally, longer black macrosetose ventrally; mes tarsomeres short black setose dorsally, longer black macrosetose ventrally, met tarsomeres short black setose dorsally, longer black macrosetose ventrally; pulvilli well-developed (as long as claw); claw abruptly angled distally, pointed; empodium setiform, minute or entirely absent.

Wing. Length, 6.3 mm, hyaline, evenly microtrichose (Figure 25.2-3); C circumambient, R 2+3 distally relatively straight, r 1 closed, R 1 and R 2+3 meet apically and form a stalk vein (petiolate); R 4 terminating anterior to wing apex, relatively straight, stump vein (R 3) absent; r 4 open, R 4 and R 5 more or less parallel; R 5 terminating posterior to wing apex; r 5 open; M 1 terminating posterior to wing apex; cell d closed by base of M 2 and m-m, M 2 and m-m not aligned, r-m situated in distal half; m 3 closed and petiolate; cua closed and petiolate; alula not observable; microtrichia on posterior wing margin arranged in a single plane.

Abdomen. Black, tergites smooth, setae with small sockets only; T1 setation and pubescence not observable, dorsal surface smooth, without protuberances; T2–8 entirely sclerotized, predominantly black, pubescence not observable, setation in general not observable (some distal setae on T6–7 discernible), marginal macrosetae absent from T2–8, medial macrosetae absent from T2–8; S1–8 color, setation and pubescence not observable, asetose.

Female abdomen. T7 and S7 without modifications, ovipositor comprised of 8th and following segments, T6–8 pubescence and setation not observable; T8 internal apodeme not observable, S8 keel-like throughout; T9 and T10 not fused, T10 undivided (single sclerite), acanthophorite spines absent (Figure 26.1).

Allotype. Male unknown.

Syncompressions. None.

Remarks

Kishenehnoasilus gen. nov. clearly belongs to the Asilinae. Although it is in general well-preserved, few characters can be observed that would help to provide more information on it’s placement within this diverse taxon. Features that support the placement within the Asilinae are (1) antenna (postpedicel tapering distally, stylus comprised of one element, apical seta-like sensory element situated apically on stylus), (2) wing venation (r 1 closed, R 4 and R 5 more or less parallel, cell d closed by base of M 2 and m-m, m 3 closed and petiolate, cua closed and petiolate, Figure 25 ), (3) prothoracic and mesothoracic coxae orientation (directed ventrally and not posteriorly), (4) femora development (all femora expanded), (5) development of dorsocentral (dc) macrosetae (prominent pre- and postsutural dc setae present), (6) abdomen shape (somewhat tapered abdomen), and (7) ovipositor development (elongated, simple for placing eggs on vegetation or dropping them to the ground; Figures 25.2, 26.1 and 26.3).

Dikow (2009) published a comprehensive morphological phylogeny of Asilidae in which some 32 species from 29 Asilinae genera (of 183 currently known genera) were included. The relationships among these genera could not be resolved in much detail based on the characters employed. Despite the general good preservation of Kishenehnoasilus bhl sp. nov., it cannot be placed within this phylogeny because of the many features that cannot be observed. A more in-depth phylogeny of Asilinae is in preparation by Rodrigo Vieira (personal commun.), and it is hoped that the findings in that study will shed some light on the relationships within Asilinae and of Kishenehnoasilus bhl sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Kishenehnoasilus bhl gen. et sp. nov., USNM 624491, female. 1, Habitus; 2, Wings; 3, Drawing of wing (composite). Scale bars equal 5.0 mm (1) and 2.0 mm (2).

FIGURE 26. Kishenehnoasilus bhl gen. et sp. nov., USNM 624491, female. 1, Terminalia; 2, Proboscis, arrows point to the distiproboscis; 3, Legs. Scale bars equal 0.5 mm (1) 1.0 mm (2) and 2.0 mm (3).