Chelipoda australpina, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, The Hemerodromiinae (Diptera: Empididae) of New Zealand II. Chelipoda Macquart, Zootaxa 1537 (1), pp. 1-88 : 48-49

30. Chelipoda australpina sp. n.

[ Fig. 15 ]

Type material. Holotype ♂: New Zealand, South Is. , NC, Arthurs Pass, Kellys Ck., Nothofagus fusca forest, 28/xi/1977, ES [ NZAC] . Paratypes: 1♂, 4♀, same data as holotype. The male paratype is greatly damaged, lacking its head .

Etymology: the specific epithet refers to the type locality in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

Description. Male: length 3.0mm (dry specimens). Similar to C. oblata , differing as follows.

Head: with a few strong setae behind patch of fine pile on lower occiput; mouthparts blackish brown; Scape fully 2X as long as wide, postpedicel with longish hairs rather than fine pile, arista minutely pilose (as in C. oblata ).

Thorax: ground colour of mesonotum uniformly dirty orange brown; pleura uniformly yellow, unstriped; rather thinly dusted grey, no dust stripes; mesonotal bristles black, dc2, dc3, unp, pprn, sa and sct strongly developed; dc1 absent; ph well developed but weaker than pprn.

Legs: similar yellow colour as pleura, becoming darker distally; C 1 0.7–0.8X as long as thorax, rather wide basally, narrowing slightly distally with 3 short distinct yellow bristles basally in front which are longest basally and merge with line of fine hairs beyond base. F 1 about as long as C 1, 1 very strong and 1 rather weaker yellowish bristle at base and series of distinct black pv bristles becoming shorter distally; an av series of about 17 small black bristles becoming somewhat denticle-like distally and in front of this a further series of erect anteriorly directed fine yellowish hairs becoming longer distally and ending abruptly 0.7 from base. T 1 as long as F 1, constricted to 0.5 maximum width on distal 0.2 where there are 2–3 short, black ventral spines; a linear series of minute and very inconspicuous adpressed denticles ventrally. Tarsi with at1 bearing short spines ventrally; at2 similar length as at3. Legs otherwise simple lacking remarkable chaetotaxy.

Wing: with simple venation, veins brown, membrane clear, Sc faint ( R 2 +3 ending abruptly before tip in paratype ♂); vein A 1 very weakly present about end of CuA 2 and continued basally as a very faint darkening of membrane; costal bristle strong, three rather weaker but distinct setae on C between costal bristle and junction of C with R 1 .

Abdomen: pale ventrally, black dorsally becoming yellowish apically; tergites with strong but sparse yellowish hairs especially on posterior margins; sternites more weakly haired. Terminalia ( Fig. 15 ) yellow; hypandrium separate from and not overlapped by epandrium; epandrial lobes separate, quadrate, very small with long brownish setae above and behind; hypandrium produced posteriorly, bearing very long yellowish setae apically; cerci free, very long with whole of tip exposed above epandrium and covered with long bristly hairs; subepandrial process strongly sclerotized, large, broad, apically pointed; phallus rather broad, reflexed anteriorly near base and posteriorly near tip.

Description. Female: similar to male, differing as follows. F 1 with av and pv hairs and bristles more even sized, less denticle-like apically. T 1 shorter, 0.9X as long as F 1, not constricted distally, lacking subterminal black spines, ventral denticles rather larger and more conspicuous; at1 and at2 with shorter bristles. Wings simple, no supernumerary bristles on C between costal bristle and junction of C with R 1. Abdomen with terminal papillae narrow bearing shortish hairs.

Comment s. C. australpina is allied to C. oblinita and C. oblata but with the thorax unstriped and dc3 strong. Males have T 1 constricted distally. It is known only from Nothofagus fusca forest at the type locality, Arthurs Pass, South Island.

Figures

FIGURES 12–15. Male genitalia of Chelipoda spp. 12–14. C. abjecta Collin. 12. anterior view. 13. lateral view. 14. posterior view. 15. C. australpina sp. n., lateral view.