Liancalus querulus Osten Sacken, 1877

Runyon, Justin B. & Hurley, Richard L., 2015, A revision of the Nearctic species of Liancalus Loew (Diptera, Dolichopodidae), ZooKeys 483, pp. 97-147 : 121

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Dolichopodidae

Liancalus querulus Osten Sacken, 1877 Figs 2F, 3F, 6A, 12A, 15A, 16G

Diagnosis.

This species is most similar to Liancalus similis : males of both have tarsus I with tarsomere 2 long (Fig. 3 F–G), wings with apical brown clouding (Fig. 6), and very short cerci (Fig. 2 E–F), but Liancalus querulus males have a smaller, semicircular brown cloud near wing apex and no black speck in cell m (Fig. 6A). Female wing with three distinct brown spots and with crossvein dm-cu meeting M1 at nearly 45° angle (Fig. 16G).

Redescription.

Male. Body length 6.5-8.0 mm, wing length 6.0-7.5 mm. Head: Face rather broad, uniformly covered with dense silver pollen. Ommatidia near face slightly larger than remaining ommatidia. Vertex covered with dense silver pollen, often with some metallic green or blue color near middle. Vertical setae on very small elevation; ocellar tubercle prominent with 2 large setae (subequal in size to vertical setae); with 2 postocellar setae which are three-quarters length ocellar setae; postocular setae slightly less than one-half length of vertical setae with dorsal one-third of postocular setae black (approximately 10 black setae), ventral two-thirds (approximately 15 setae) white and more slender and slightly longer than black postocular setae. Ventral postcranial hairs (beard) rather sparse, wholly white. Palpus black, covered with sparse to moderately dense silver pollen and sparse black hairs. Antenna black, first flagellomere about as long as wide, broadly pointed apically, arista inserted just beyond midpoint of dorsal edge.

Thorax: Scutum green to green-blue with sparse to moderately dense silver-gray pollen, with bronze stripes between acrostichal and dorsocentral setae, and along intra-alar setae; scutellum and posterior slope of scutum green-blue with sparse silver pollen; notopleuron covered with silver pollen and postpronotum covered with sparse brown-gray pollen, both with some blue-green reflections; corner of postpronotum above anterior spiracle narrowly orange; 6 dorsocentral setae; 4-11 small acrostichal setae (≤ 1/2 length of dorsocentral setae), in a single row; 2 notopleural setae; postpronotum with 1-2 strong, black setae and often a few smaller white hairs; 2 presutural intra-alar setae (one near suture); 1 presutural and 2 postsutural supra-alar setae; 1 postalar seta; scutellum with 6 large marginal setae (3 per side), no additional hairs; proepisternum with 1 dorsal and 1 ventral tuft of white hairs. Pleura metallic green-bronze, covered with dense silver-gray pollen, without setae or hairs.

Legs: Legs concolorous with pleura, but less silver-gray pollen, femoral ‘knees’ narrowly orange. Coxa I uniformly covered with white hairs on anterior surface (length of hairs subequal to width of coxa I), with a few black, slender setae at apex. Coxa II with a few white hairs anteriorly, a couple white setae near apex, and a black ad seta just beyond 1/2. Coxa III with a few white hairs and a black dorsal seta near 1/2. Femur I and II with short, white hairs posteriorly to pv on basal half (length <half width of femur). Femur III with some short white hairs (length ≤ width of femur) on dorsal and posterior surface at base. Tarsus I(1) short, approximately one-third length of tarsus I(2) (Fig. 3F); tarsus I(2) long, flattened ventrally and covered with dense setulae full-length; tarsus I(3) slightly thickened near or just beyond middle (Fig. 3F); tarsus I(3-4) with black, felt-like setulae on pv surface. Ratios of tibia:tarsomeres for leg I: 11-3-8-3-2-2; for leg II: 23-22-11-3-2-2; for leg III: 27-14-16-4-2-2.

Wing (Fig. 6A): Hyaline, with semicircular brown cloud near apex (clouding very faint in a few specimens). Wing relatively slender, rounded at apex, without outstanding hairs or setae. Veins R4+5 and M1 closely approximated and nearly parallel at apex of wing. Calypter yellow with a fan of long, pale yellow setae at apex. Halter pale yellow.

Abdomen: Cylindrical, elongate, slightly enlarged and rather blunt at apex (Fig. 2F); T1 metallic green-blue, with dense silver pollen laterally becoming less dense dorsally, with bronze along posterior edge and usually a narrow bronze stripe dorsally. T2-T4 bronze with large lateral blue-green spots covered with dense silver pollen. T5 dark bronze with metallic green reflections and sparse silver pollen. T6 bronze with blue-green reflections and with moderately dense silver pollen. T1-T3 with white hair laterally, longest on T1 and T2. Sternites bronze with silver-gray pollen. S1 bare except for lateral small tuft of white hairs at extreme base. S2 and S3 with sparse white hairs. S4 mostly bare. Hypopygium (Fig. 12A): cerci small, lacking long tubular filaments of other species, but with minute papilla where filaments originate in other species.

Female. Body length 5.0-7.5 mm, wing length 5.5-7.0 mm. Similar to male except for face slightly wider, dark blue-green covered with moderate golden-brown pollen that is most dense along eyes; palpus black with sparse silver pollen apically, dense golden-brown pollen in middle basally, and black setae. Femur II usually with posterior row of short (length less than half width of femur) white hairs on basal half, these hairs becoming black on apical half. Tarsus I(1) normal, about twice as long as tarsus I(2). Wing (Fig. 16G) hyaline, with three brown spots: one between R4+5 and M1 near midpoint of wing, one apically in cell bm+dm but not reaching crossvein dm-cu, and a spot on or just above M1 beyond crossvein dm-cu. Crossvein dm-cu meeting M1 at a nearly 45° angle.

Remarks.

Harmston and Knowlton (1945) found Liancalus querulus "in large numbers during late summer about masonry dams in the canyons near Logan and Ogden, Utah".

Distribution.

This species is rather uncommon, but widely distributed in the western U.S. (Fig. 15).

Type material examined.

LECTOTYPE (designated here to fix identity of the species) ♂, labelled: "Type/ 870" [red label]; "The Geysers, Cal./ May 5-7./ R. Osten Sacken."; "O. Sacken./ West. Dipt."; " Liancalus querulus O.S." [hand-written]; "MCZ-ENT/ 00302771" [with barcode]; "LECTOTYPE ♂/ Liancalus querulus / Osten Sacken/ des. Runyon & Hurley" [red label] (MCZ). PARALECTOTYPE: Same data as lectotype, MCZ-ENT/ 00000870 (1 ♀, MCZ).

Additional material examined.

USA. Arizona: Cochise Co., Portal, S.W. Res. Sta. AMNH, 23.vi.1968, V.D. Roth & FCH (2 ♂, 2 ♀, MTEC); Coconino Co., Oak Crk Cyn, 25.vi.1986, J. Jenkins (3 ♂, MTEC). California: Contra Costa Co., Jewel L, 11.v.1948, W.W. Wirth (1 ♀, EMEC), Danville, 23.vi.1951, by small waterfall, F.X. Williams (2 ♂, CAS), same as previous, 3.vii.1952, by rapids at creek (1 ♂, CAS), same as previous, 24.vi.1952, by rapids (1 ♂, CAS); Humboldt Co., Orick, 3.vii.1950, L.W. Quate (1 ♀, EMEC); Los Angeles Co., Monrovia Cyn, 18.v.1966, J.C. Hall (1 ♂, UCR), Topanga Cyn, 10.v.1953 (1 ♀, LACM), Big Dalton Cyn, 19-23.vii.1952, S. Miyagawa (22 ♂, 8 ♀, CUIC, UCDC), same as previous, 23.vii.1952, H.L. Mathis (2 ♂, 2 ♀, UCDC), same as previous, 14-23.vii.1952, A.T. McClay (2 ♂, 3 ♀, UCDC), same as previous, 19.vii.1952, A.A. Grigarick (3 ♂, 1 ♀, UCDC), Tanbark Flat, 15.vi.1956, R.C. Bechtel (1 ♂, UCDC); Marin Co., Phoenix Lake Pk., 22.v.1949, C.H. Spitzer (1 ♂, 1 ♀, EMEC), same as previous, 30.v.1949 (1 ♂, EMEC); Monterey Co., Big Creek, 4.vi.1982, J. Powell (1 ♂, EMEC); Sierra Co., Hwy 49, creek at Rosassco Ravine, 2.4 km W Downieville, 890 m, 4.vii.1975, PHA (1 ♂, CAS); Stanislaus Co., Del Puerto Cyn, Frank Raines Park, 335m, 17.v.1970, PHA (1 ♂, CAS); Sutter Co., Sutter Buttes, 5.v.1940, G.E. Bohart (3 ♂, 2 ♀, UCDC). Idaho: Gooding Co., Hagerman, Thousand Springs, JMA (1 ♂, USNM). Oregon: Hood River Co., Hood River, 1.x.1917, F.R. Cole (1 ♂, CAS); Jackson Co. Beaver Sulfur Campground, 10 mi. S Ruch, resting on rock in stream, 28.vii.1967, KJG (1 ♂, 1 ♀, MTEC); Malheur Co., 9 mi. E Juntura, runoff from hot spring, 16.vi.1964, KJG (1 ♂, ODAC). Utah: Cache Co., Logan Meadows, 15.x.1939, G.F. Knowlton & FCH (3 ♂, CAS), Logan Cyn, 15.viii.1940, FCH (1 ♂, 2 ♀, MTEC); Kane Co., Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Sheep Crk jct., Skutumpah Rd., 5531 ft, 37°29'43 N 112°03' 59W, 29.ix.1999, R.W. Baumann, K.T. Huntzinger, C.R. Nelson (1 ♂, BYU); Rich Co., Lakota, 5.vii.1957, FCH (3 ♂, 2 ♀, MTEC); Washington Co., Leeds, 27.iv.1940, G.F. Knowlton & FCH (2 ♂, CMNH, EMUS), same as previous, 9.vi.1940 (1 ♂, MTEC), Leeds Cyn, 13-16.ix.1984, Hansen & Youssef (1 ♂, 2 ♀, EMUS), same as previous, 15-18.vii.1980, malaise trap (1 ♂, EMUS), same as previous, 21.viii-4.ix.1985, W.J. Hansen (1 ♀, EMUS), same as previous, 29.vii.1965 (1 ♂, EMUS); Weber Co., Ogden Cyn, 10.x.1939, G.F. Knowlton & FCH (7 ♂, 4 ♀, CNC, CUIC, EMUS, MTEC, OSU), same as previous, 9.x.1937 (1 ♂, EMUS). Washington: Grant Co., O’Sullivan Dam, 25.x.1953, H.G. Davis (1 ♂, WSU); Whitman Co., Lyle Grove, near Pullman, malaise trap, 1.vii.1968, H.S. Telford (1 ♀, WSU), Steptoe Cyn, 10 mi. SW Colton, 3.viii.1974, WJT (1 ♀, WSU).