Chelipoda aritarita, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, The Hemerodromiinae (Diptera: Empididae) of New Zealand II. Chelipoda Macquart, Zootaxa 1537 (1), pp. 1-88 : 43-44

26. Chelipoda aritarita sp. n.

[ Figs. 5 , 76, 125]

Type material. Holotype ♂: New Zealand, South Is. , 1♂, MC, Craigieburn Forest Pk. Malaise trap in Nothofagus , 4–5/iii/1989, JWE [ NZAC] . Paratypes: South Is .: 3♀, same data as holotype [ NZAC, NMWC] ; 3♂, 11♀, Hermitage area , Hooker valley, 3–4/iv/1977 & 30–31/3/1977, JSD [ NZAC] ; 1♂, SL , Catlins SF, Hunters Hills, in Nothofagus menziesii , 8/ii/1982, CAM & RME [ LUNZ] ; 1♂, Shenandoah saddle, 12/ii/1981, JWE LUNZ . North Is .: 1♂, 1♀, WN, Tararua Ra., Dundas Hut ridge, 4/ii/1985, BAH ; 1♂, Makarora, 350–400m 22/ i/1978, JP & SP ; 1♀, TO, Kaimanawa range, 34 km S. of Taupo , 858m, JP & SP ; 1♀, TK, Egmont NP, 1067m, sweeping Senacio , 20/ii/1977, RLH [ NZAC] .

Additional material: 14♂, 48♀ from BR, WD, OL and MC in the South Is. [ NZAC, NMWC, LUNZ] .

Etymology: from the Maori aritarita meaning fierce.

Description. Male: length 3.0mm (wet specimen).

Head: (Fig. 76) black, face yellowish; rather dorsoventrally flattened, trapezoid in lateral view; face long, almost parallel sided, eyes separated by width of distal part of antennal flagellum; ocelli close to antennal sockets; vertex long, almost flat, posterior margin angled strongly with occiput; postocular region wide; vt1 strong, vt2 weaker and virtually indistinguishable from and contiguous with rather strong black upo; lpo almost as strong as upo, yellowish, becoming minute below; lower occiput with a few setae behind mouth but no minute pile. Antennae (Fig. 76) yellow, becoming brownish on postpedicel apically; scape almost 2X as long as wide, broad with strong yellow setae above and below; pedicel small, globular, a short L-shaped yellow seta on inner face; postpedicel long, swollen and laterally flattened basally, evenly narrowed beyond, long pubescent; arista apparently absent. Mouthparts yellow, palpi tapered basally with only fine pale hairs.

Thorax: ground colour yellow, scutum with narrow dark median and lateral stripes widening and merging in prescutellar area; scutellum and metathorax similarly dark; pleura with 3 narrow dark stripes at top, middle and bottom. Setae black, dc2 and dc3 equally strong, dc1 small; pprn, unp, sa and sct strong, ph and lnp weaker but still well developed.

Legs: yellow, tarsi apically darker. C 1 as long as thorax, slightly narrowed distally with fine bristly hairs in front and behind. F 1 ( Fig. 125 ) as long as C 1, narrowly triangular, broadest at base; a strong bent av bristle near base and another at 0.4 followed by about 11 short black spines on distal 0.5; a narrow almost triangular (as viewed from below) patch of pv bristly hairs ending 0.7 from base and 2 long straight subapical bristles. T 1 0.6X as long as F 1, a sharply pointed black apical spur behind and minute adpressed denticles below which become slightly longer distally and conspicuously larger (almost spur-like) apically; a ventral series of distinct bristles becoming longer distally, terminating abruptly 0.6 from base; at2 as long as at3.

Wing: membrane slightly darkened, veins brown; vein C rather closely apposed to R 1 beyond end of Sc resulting in a distinct kink in the leading edge of the wing; R 2+3 and R 4+5 slightly sinuous; submarginal cell (r 3) narrowed between R 2+3 and R 4+5 bearing conspicuous patch of macrotrichiae dorsally; cell cup closed, Cell cup closed but A 1 faint basally becoming strong distally and continued strongly for a short distance beyond junction with CuA 2; costal bristle strong, a line of strong costal bristles about junction of C and R 1 and 4 larger erect curving bristles dorsally before junction with R 2+3.

Abdomen: yellowish brown, bristly hairs strong dorsally, weaker ventrally; Terminalia ( Fig. 5 ) reflexed upwards. Hypandrium and epandrium separate but two lobes of epandrium joined posteroapically by a narrow ‘bridge of rather weakly sclerotized tissue (forming a rather keel-like structure). Subepandrial process rather short, apically spathulate and flattened. Postgonite apically pointed. Cerci apically free but apparently fused basally with epandrium. Phallus curved anteriorly beyond base, almost linear before tip.

Description. Female: Differing from male as follows.

Head: rather less trapezoid, face less linear in profile, eyes more narrowly separated, ocelli midway between verticals and antennal insertions and bearing stronger setae; antenna with scape not broadened, bearing a circlet of subapical setae; postpedicel pointed lanceolate, shortly pubescent 2.5X as long as wide, arista rather longer.

Thorax: with scutum tending to be darker with median stripes broader.

Legs: F 1 evenly inflated, widest 0.25 from base narrowing distally, pv series of spines longest basally intermingled with shorter denticle-like spines; 3 large av spines in basal 0.25, series continued by about 18–20 shorter denticle-like spines on distal 0.75; at2 slightly shorter than at3; T 1 longer, 0.75X as long as F 1, with short erect hairs ventrally, minute adpressed denticles not becoming longer distally, no apical spur.

Wing: simple without modified venation or unusually strong setae on vein C but still a distinct kink in leading margin before junction of C with R 1; membrane lacking macrotrichia.

Abdomen: shorter haired, terminal papillae brown with brownish hairs.

Comments. C. aritarita is tentatively placed in the C. consignata -group but with reduced ventral chaetotaxy on F 1. The scutum is yellow with dark median and lateral stripes, antennae yellowish and C 1 strongly narrowed apically in male. The thorax is sometimes considerably darkened and the darker stripes may be partially obscured. It is widespread in South Island and the southern part of North Island, usually at higher elevations. Capture dates are from November to April.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Male genitalia of Chelipoda spp. 1–4. Chelipoda abdita Collin. 1. anterior view. 2. lateral view. 3. phallus. 4. apex of postgonite. 5. C. aritarita sp. n. posterior view. Abbreviations: see text.

FIGURES 124–129. Front femora of Chelipoda spp. 124. C. abjecta Collin ♀, pv view. 125. C. aritarita sp. n. ♂, av view. 126. C. consignata Collin ♂, pv view. 127–129. schematic ventral views (anterior face to right). 127. C. consignata Collin, ♀. 128. C. otiraensis (Miller), ♂. 129. C. venatrix sp. n. ♂.