Argolepida atacama, Irwin & Winterton, 2021

Irwin, Michael E. & Winterton, Shaun L., 2021, Revision of South American stiletto fly genus Argolepida Metz & Irwin (Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae), Zootaxa 5068 (2), pp. 151-185 : 154-155

Argolepida atacama sp. n.

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2B3B2C9B-7258-4859-B631-0A10E5C060D9

( Figs 2–5 ; 32A, B ; 33A ; 36A ; 37 )

Diagnosis. Male frons with a small rounded medial glabrous area, female with sub–quadrangular glabrous area across frons; wing hyaline; abdominal tergites 1–5 with white, scale-like, adpressed setae; femora dark.

Description. Body length: 4.5–6.0 mm. Head with male frons flat, uniform greyish silver pubescence with small glabrous area centrally ( Fig. 32A ), female frons slightly raised, light brown dorsally, greyish silver ventrally, sub-quadrangular domed glabrous area medially ( Fig. 32B ); frontal vestiture with few short pale setae below ocellar tubercle; postocular setae pale, occiput pubescence grey with few scale-like setae medially; antennal scape brown, overlain with grey pubescence, flagellum brownish orange, darker distally. Thorax with scutal pubescence uniform dark brown, short erect filiform setae admixed with adpressed white scale-like setae, denser anteriorly; scutal macrosetae yellowish (chaetotaxy as per genus description); pleuron dark with sparse grey pubescence, few white scale-like setae on anepisternum and katepisternum, katatergite setae uniform white, anepisternum brownish in dorsal half; coxae dark, overlain with silver-grey pubescence admixed with white scale-like setae; femora dark grey-brown, sometimes with apices yellow, sparse covering of white scale-like adpressed setae; tibiae yellow, dark grey-brown apically; tarsi brown, yellow basally; wing hyaline, venation yellow basally along major veins, darker distally; haltere stem dark with knob pale. Abdomen base colour dark brown, dark yellow laterally on segments 1–3, adpressed white scale-like setae on segments 1–5, black on rest; terminalia black. Male and female genitalia as per genus description except ejaculatory apodeme slightly spatulate anteriorly, lateral ejaculatory apodeme relatively small.

Etymology. The species epithet is named for the Atacama Desert, where this species is found.

Comments. This species is known from a single region in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. It is very similar to A. telteca sp. n. but can be differentiated based on wing infuscation and the pattern and colour of the frontal pubescence.

Type material. Holotype male, CHILE: Antofagasta Province: Solor , 5 km S. San Pedro de Atacama [- 22.9413, -68.1777], 2414 m, Malaise near dunes, 15.XI–21.XII.2003, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker ( UCCS) . Paratypes. CHILE: Antofagasta Province: 14 males, 5 females, same data as holotype ( CSCA, UCCS) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Argolepida atacama sp. n.: male, oblique view.

FIGURE 3. Argolepida atacama sp. n.: male, lateral view.

FIGURE 4. Argolepida atacama sp. n.: female, oblique view.

FIGURE 5. Argolepida atacama sp. n.: female, lateral view.

FIGURE 32. Argolepida spp. heads, anterior view. A. Argolepida atacama sp. n., male; B. Argolepida atacama sp. n., female; C. A. camposi sp. n., male; D. A. camposi sp. n., female; E. A. jama sp. n., male; F. A. jama sp. n., female; G. A. oasis sp. n., male; H. A. oasis sp. n., female; I. A. patagonia sp. n., male; J. A. patagonia sp. n., female; K. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928), male; L. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928), female; M. A. schlingeri sp. n., male; N. A. schlingeri sp. n., female; O. A. telteca sp. n., male; P. A. telteca sp. n., female.

FIGURE 33. Argolepida spp. wings. A. Argolepida atacama sp. n.; B. A. camposi sp. n.; C. A. jama sp. n.; D. A. oasis sp. n.

FIGURE 36. Argolepida spp. male aedeagi, dorsal view (upper) and lateral view (lower). A. Argolepida atacama sp. n.; B. A. camposi sp. n.; C. A. jama sp. n.; D. A. oasis sp. n.; E. A. patagonia sp. n.; F. A. rivulosa (Kröber, 1928); G. A. schlingeri sp. n.; H. A. telteca sp. n.

FIGURE 37. Distribution of Argolepida species in Southern South America.