Roederiodes moultoni, Sinclair, 2023

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2023, Revision of New World species of Roederiodes Coquillett (Diptera: Empididae: Clinocerinae), Zootaxa 5301 (3), pp. 336-364 : 346

Roederiodes moultoni sp. nov.

( Figs 12 , 23 , 35 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1805E1D4-01BA-4EB9-ACCC-B6BF3D87BED6

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♁, labelled: “ USA: GA: Towns Co., 862m / Chattahoochee NF; Seepage spring Crossing, Rt. 180W/ spur to Brasstown Bald/ 34°50′39.40″N / 83°47′55.20″W, 28.iii.2021 / J.K. Moulton, CNC1981672 ”; “HOLOTYPE/ Roederiodes / moultoni Sinclair [red label]” ( CNC) . PARATYPES: USA. Georgia: Same data as holotype (2 ♀, CNC) .

Recognition. This species is similar in colour to R. lawrencei , distinguished by its smaller size, arista-like stylus twice length of the postpedicel and triangular-shaped clasping cercus.

Description. Wing length 2.2 mm. Male. Face and gena without bluish pubescence. Ocellar setae divergent, subequal to pprn; vertical seta as long as ocellar seta. Antenna with long stylus, twice as long as postpedicel ( Fig. 12 ); postpedicel ovate, shortly prolonged apically. Length of proboscis slightly shorter than head height.

Pleura pale brown without bluish pruinescence; prescutellar depression without pruinescence, postalar ridge paler than scutum; several acr, very short, anterior to first pair of dc; 5 dc, long, prescutellar dc longest; 1 pprn; 1 presut spal; 2 npl; 0 psut spal; 1 pal; 2 sctl, longer than prescutellar dc and numerous setulae on disc and margin, outer marginal setulae one-third length of apical seta; laterotergite with several 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 distance, one-third length of crossvein dm-m.

Legs with coxae and femora pale brown; coxae without bluish pruinescence. Hind tibia with distinct ventral setae, longer than half width of tibia.

Abdominal tergites brown, darker than pleura, without bluish pruinescence; bearing short pale setae. Terminalia ( Fig. 23 ): Hypandrium slightly longer than epandrium, apex rounded; without setae. Phallus slightly curved at base; membranous distiphallus with pair of elongate, arched lateral extensions, bearing short, apical sclerotized plates. Cercal plate with several long setae; clasping cercus subtriangular, produced posteriorly, with stout, thickened setae along inner dorsal margin.

Female. Similar to male except: coalesced section of M 1 and M 2 two-thirds length of crossvein dm-m.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of J. Kevin Moulton, who collected the type series and many other interesting aquatic empidids.

Distribution. This new species is known only from the type locality in the southern Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Georgia ( Fig. 35 ).

Figures

FIGURES 12–13. Roederiodes spp. 12, R. moultoni sp. nov., male holotype head, frontal view, scale bar = 0.1 mm; 13, R. lawrencei sp. nov., male holotype habitus, lateral view, scale bar = 0.5 mm. Abbreviation: ar styl—arista-like stylus.

FIGURES 20–23. Male terminalia of Roederiodes, lateral view. 20, R. distinctus Chillcott; 21, R. junctus Coquillett; 22, R. lawrencei sp. nov.; 23, R. moultoni sp. nov. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.Abbreviations: cl cerc—clasping cercus; distph—distiphallus; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; sur—surstylus.

FIGURE 35–36. Distribution of New World Roederiodes species. 35, R. junctus Coquillett, R. lawrencei sp. nov., R. moultoni sp. nov.; 36, R. recurvatus Chillcott (Gros Morne population in yellow).