Roederiodes chillcotti, Sinclair, 2023

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2023, Revision of New World species of Roederiodes Coquillett (Diptera: Empididae: Clinocerinae), Zootaxa 5301 (3), pp. 336-364 : 340-341

Roederiodes chillcotti sp. nov.

( Figs 17 , 32 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:97CE9C69-F1B8-4B43-B579-F8715A544F7B

Roederiodes wirthi Chillcott, 1961: 426 , partim ( Chillcott 1961, fig. 19).

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♁ labelled: “ USA:NM: Catron Co. / 1.5miE Glenwood/ Whitewater Ck. [33°18′N 108°53′W], 1st/ crossing, 30.v.1991 / B.J. Sinclair ”; “CNC/ 1866676 ”; “HOLOTYPE/ Roederiodes / chillcotti Sinclair [red label] ( CNC). PARATYPES: New Mexico: Catron Co., Gila NF, Whitewater Ck Canyon [33°22′N 108°50′W], 30.v.1991, BJS (2 ♁, CNC); same data as holotype (2 ♁, CNC); Grant Co., Railroad Canyon Cpgd , 32°54.5′N 107°49′W, 7710 ft, 14.viii.2007, S.E. Brooks, CNC103473 , CNC103474 , CNC103475 , CNC103476 (3 ♁, 1 ♀, barcoded, CNC); same data (1 ♁, CNC); same data except, JMC (5 ♁, CNC); Grant Co., Lower Gallinas Cpgd , 32°53.3′N 107°50.6′W, 6000 ft, 14.viii.2007, JMC (15 ♁, CNC); same data except, CNC103477 (1 ♀, barcoded, CNC); same data except, S.E. Brooks (3 ♁, CNC).

Additional material examined. USA. Arizona: Coconino Co., Oak Ck N Sedona , 34.907° -111.728°, 4.vi.2011, BioBus 2011, BIOUG01833 -F08 (1 ♀, barcode associated, CBG) . New Mexico: Catron Co., 5 mi E Glenwood [33°18′N 108°53′W], 24.vi.1953, W.W. Wirth (2 ♁, CNC, 1 ♁, USNM [ R. wirthi paratypes]) .

Recognition. This species is very similar in colour to R. wirthi and females appear to be indistinguishable from the latter. Males are distinguished by base of M 1 and M 2 ranging from short to long coalescence, eight short, slender dorsocentral setae, prescutellar depression without pruinescence and clasping cercus broad and rounded apically.

Description. Wing length 3.6–4.2 mm. Male. Face and gena with bluish pubescence. Ocellar setae divergent, weak, shorter than pprn; vertical seta weak and short as ocellar seta. Antenna with short stylus, longer than length of postpedicel; postpedicel ovate, shortly prolonged apically. Length of proboscis four-fifths head height.

Pleura with blue pruinescence; prescutellar depression without pruinescence; several acr, very short, confined to anterior to first pair of dc; 8–10 dc, slender and weak, prescutellar seta stronger; 1 pprn; 1 presut spal with several setulae; 2 npl with several anterior setulae; 0 psut spal; 1 pal; 2 sctl and numerous short to long setulae on disc and margin, outer and inner marginal setulae often nearly half length of apical seta; laterotergite with patch of pale setae; antepronotum with several setulae; lower proepisternum with pale setae.

Wing infuscate; cell dm pointed apically, with base of M 1 and M 2 coalesced basally for short to long distance, subequal in length to crossvein dm-m.

Legs dark brown; coxae with bluish pruinescence. Hind tibia with distinct ventral setae, longer than half width of tibia.

Abdominal tergites dark brown, with bluish pruinescence; bearing short black setae. Terminalia ( Fig. 17 ): Hypandrium slightly shorter than epandrium, apex rounded; without setae. Phallus slightly curved; membranous distiphallus with pair of elongate, narrow lateral extensions, bearing short, apical sclerotized plates. Cercal plate with several long setae; clasping cercus broad, apical margin rounded; stout, thickened setae on dorsal margin, with setae along upper inner face and long dense setae on inner base margin.

Female. Similar to male.

Etymology. This species is a patronym, honouring the late Canadian empidid specialist, J.G. Chillcott.

Distribution. This species is known from Arizona and New Mexico ( Fig. 32 ).

Remarks. The type specimens of R. wirthi was a mixed series, with the holotype discovered to be conspecific with R. retroversus . The naming of a new species was required for several male paratypes of R. wirthi ( Chillcott 1961, fig. 19), not conspecific with the holotype. See “Notes on types” under R. wirthi for further details.

Figures

FIGURES 16–19. Male terminalia of Roederiodes, lateral view. 16, R. browni sp. nov.; 17, R. chillcotti sp. nov.; 18, R. costaricensis sp. nov.; 19, R. dedota sp. nov. Scale bars = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cl cerc—clasping cercus; distph—distiphallus; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; sur—surstylus.

FIGURE 31–34. Distribution of New World Roederiodes species. 31, R. browni sp. nov., R. costaricensis sp. nov., R. dedota sp. nov., R. notialis sp. nov., R. wigginsi Wilder, R. woodi sp. nov.; 32, R. chillcotti sp. nov.; 33, R. distinctus Chillcott; 34, R. wirthi Chillcott.