Sigalopella ammophila, Irwin & Winterton, 2020

Irwin, Michael E. & Winterton, Shaun L., 2020, A new stiletto fly genus from South America (Diptera: Therevidae: Agapophytinae), Zootaxa 4751 (2), pp. 276-290 : 278-280

Sigalopella ammophila sp. n.

(Figs 1–2, 14)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E0330000-D674-484B-A696-9FCE64794C42

Type material— Holotype female, CHILE: Coquimbo Region: Choapa Province , 7 km N. Los Vilos, 13–20.xi. 1997, 215 m [-31.851, -70.495], Malaise in coastal dunes, M.E. Irwin, E.I. Schlinger ( MEI106826 , MEUC).

Paratypes. CHILE: Coquimbo Region: 2 females, same data except Fundo Agua Amarilla, Malaise in stable dunes, M.E. Irwin, 11–28.xii.2003, 28.xii.2003 – 8.i.2004 [-31.849, -71.493] ( MEI147503–4 , CSCA) .

Common name. Sand-loving sigalopella.

Diagnosis. Face broadly rounded but not as protruding or bulbous anteriorly as in other species in the genus; scape noticeably thicker than base of flagellum; abdomen uniformly black; femora dark yellow, apex of hind femur with dark band; basal part of wing with yellowish suffusion of primary veins.

Description. Body length ca. 7.0 mm. Head: Polished black, frons smooth and flat, polished with sparse dark setae laterally above antennae, extending ventrally onto parafacial; parafacial rounded, narrow silver pubescent stripe laterally along eye margin, extending along gena and more expansive on occiput; gena polished black with sparse black setae, overlain with silver pubescence; occiput black overlain with silver pubescence, occipital setae black, sparse dorsolaterally; maxillary palpus brown with extensive black setal pile; antennal scape slightly longer than head, thicker than pedicel and flagellum, numerous strong, erect black setae along entire scape, many with a length equal to width of pedicel (female), scape dark yellow basally and along ventral surface to approximately mid point; flagellum no more than four times length of pedicel. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum glossy black with short dark setal pile admixed with sparse glaucous pubescence, no vittae evident; pleuron black with silver pubescence, denser on lower half, relatively few fine, pale setae largely confined to anepisternum and katatergite; chaetotaxy: notopleural: 3, supra-alar: 1, post-alar 1, dorsocentral: 1, scutellar: 1; coxae polished black with sparse glaucous pubescence, macrosetae black, numerous on forecoxa; femora dark yellow, hind femur with dark brown band apically; tibia and tarsi dark yellow with blackish suffusion, darker distally on each segment and tarsomere; haltere cream-white coloured; wing dark infuscate, basal part of wing with yellowish suffusion on veins. Abdomen: glossy black with sparse, scattered, black setae, shorter dorsally, more elongate anteroventrally; segments 2–4 with posterior margin dark yellow and inter-segmental membrane white. Female terminalia: as per genus description.

Etymology. Derived from the Greek: ammo —sand, and phil —loving. A feminine adjective.

Comments. Only females are known for this species. Sigalopella ammophila sp. n. can be distinguished from all other species of the genus by the thickness of the scape and the face only being broadly rounded in the female rather than having any distinctive bulbous calli laterally below the antennal insertion. Although few in number, collection records indicate that it is essentially a coastal species (Fig. 15).