Physoconops (Pachyconops) weemsi, Camras, 2007

Camras, Sidney, 2007, A new conopid fly from Florida and Georgia (Diptera: Conopidae)., Insecta Mundi 2007 (7), pp. 1-4 : 1-3

Physoconops (Pachyconops) weemsi , n. sp.

(Fig. 2)

Holotype female: Florida: Alachua Co., 8-V-1955, H. V. Weems, Jr., Florida State Collection of Arthropods ( FSCA).

Head. The head is mainly yellow. Frons with a wide black midline. Facial grooves and parafacials gold pollinose. A mark in the lower grooves at each side of the oral prominence black. Vertex partly rufous. Occiput black except for yellow at the lower third. Antenna yellow on scape, more rufous on pedicel and base of first flagellomere, remainder of first flagellomere and stylus black. Antennal proportions 1:2:1.5. Proboscis 1.5 times head height, mainly rufous.

Thorax. The thorax is mainly black. Yellow at post pronotum (humerus), scutellum, and upper thoracic pleuron. There is a white to yellow pollinose pleural stripe from anepisternum to katepisternum, and a pollinose mark medial to post pronotum. Legs yellow and rufous. Tarsi mainly black. Wing pattern black from first ( R 1) to third vein ( R 4+5) and spurious vein, and along fifth vein (CuA 1). Costal cells yellow. Remainder of wing slightly brownish with hyaline areas. Halter yellow, black at base, a small rufous area at the club.

Abdomen. The abdomen is mainly yellow on segments 1 to 4, then mainly black. Second segment with a bilateral brown stripe. Third segment with bilateral black marks. Gold pollinose at posterior margin of segments 3 and 4. Segments 4 and 5 with yellow posterior margins. Reddish on genital segments. Theca dark reddish, as long as average height of its segment, posterior black area about as long as wide.

Length. 12 mm.

Allotype male?: Same data as holotype but 27.iv.55. (at Melloitus alba ) ( FSCA).

1

Similar to the holotype but more richly colored with

rufous on many areas instead of yellow. Post

pronotum, scutellum, parts of thoracic pleuron, and

most pale areas on abdomen rufous. Black stripe

on frons narrower and not reaching the vertex.

Length. 12 mm.

Paratypes: 103 ( FSCA); 23 author’s collection

at Field Museum ( FMNH); 5 United States National

Museum ( USNM).

FL: Alachua Co. Gainesville, Austin Cary

Forest, vic. Hatchet Creek (no date or collector) (1

male FMNH); FL: Alachua Co. Gainesville, Austin

Cary Forest, vic. Hatchet Creek, 3.vi.1976, G. B.

Fairchild, insect flight trap (1 male FSCA); FL :

Alachua Co. Gainesville, Austin Cary Forest, 31.v-

3.vi.1976, G. B. Fairchild, insect flight trap #2, CO

2

baited (1 male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co., 13.v.1955 ,

H. V. Weems, Jr. (2 male FSCA) ; FL: Alachua Co.,

13.v.1955, R. A. Morse (1 male FMNH); FL: Alachua

Co., 14.vii.1954, H. V . Weems, Jr. (1 male FSCA) ;

FL: Alachua Co., 24.v.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (on

Melilotus alba ) (1 male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co.,

24.v.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (on Melilotus alba )

(Fig. 2) (1 male FMNH); FL: Alachua Co.,

24.vii.1976, Lynn Dubose, CO

2

baited - North -

insect flight trap (2 male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co .,

27.iv.1955, R. A. Morse (on Melilotus alba ) (1 male,

FSCA); FL: Alachua Co., 28.vii.1973, E. E. Grissell ,

sweeping Cassia (1 male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co .,

31.vii.1976, Lynn Dubose, CO

2

baited - South -

insect flight trap (1 male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co .,

a b 6.v.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (on Melilotus alba ) (2

male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co., 8.v.1955, H. V. Figure 1-3. Physoconops spp.; a) Apical segments of Weems, Jr. (1 female FMNH); FL: Alachua Co., abdomen, b) Posterior view of theca. 1) Physoconops Gainesville , 10.viii.1977, L. R. Davis, Jr. (1 male brachyrhynchus (Michigan: Livingston Co. FMNH). 2) FSCA); FL: Alachua Co., 5 mi. S. Michanopy, 27- Physoconops weemsi (Florida: Levy Co. FMNH. Paratype).

3) Physoconops floridanus (Florida: Gainesville. FMNH). 30.v.1978, G. B. Fairchild, insect flight trap (1 male

Scale line = 0.5 mm.

FSCA); FL: Alachua Co., Monteocha , 3.viii.1977 ,

Jerry F. Butler, insect flight trap (1 male FSCA) ;

FL: Alachua Co., Monteocha , 30.viii.1976, J. Butler, malaise trap & CO 2 (2 male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co. , Paynes Prairie, 2.vi.1977, H. V . Weems, Jr. (1 male FMNH); FL: Alachua Co., Paynes Prairie , 30.v.1977, G. B. Fairchild & H. V . Weems, Jr., insect flight trap (2 male FSCA); FL: Alachua Co., San Felasco Hammock , 16.v.1977, G. B. Fairchild & H. V . Weems, Jr., insect flight trap (1 male, 1 female FSCA); FL: Arcadia , 3.vii.1962, K. V . Krombein (1 female USNM); FL: Bradenton , 22.xi.1970, H. R . Dodge (on flowers of Solidago stricta ) (1 male, 1 female FSCA); FL: Charlotte Co., 10.x.1981, G. F. & J. F. Hevel (2 female USNM); FL: Collier Co. , 1.v.1973, D. Pearson (1 female FMNH); FL: Collier Co. , Ochopee, 10.iv.1972, H. V . Weems, Jr. (3 male, 1 female FSCA); FL: Coral Gables , (no date or collector) (1 male FSCA); FL: Dade Co., Perrine, 27.v.1962, R . E. Woodruff (1 male, 1 female FSCA); FL: Dade Co., v.1952 (no collector) (1 male FSCA); FL: Gainesville , 10.vi.1955, R . A. Morse (on Ptilimnium capillaceum ) (1 male FMNH); FL: Gainesville , 13.v.1919, P. W. Fattig (1 male FMNH); FL: Gainesville, 19.vi.1955, C. N. Patton (1 male FSCA); FL: Gainesville, 22.viii.1959, H. V . Weems, Jr. (on Cassia bracheata ) (1 male FSCA); FL: Gainesville , 28.v.1928, G. B. Merrill (1 male FMNH); FL: Gainesville, 3.v.1956, H. V . Weems, Jr. (at Rhus copallinum ) (1 male FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta. , 10-11.vi.1978, H. V . Weems, Jr. & Lisa K. Klein, insect flight trap (1 female FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta .,

11.v.1978, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Lisa K. Klein, insect flight trap (1 male, 1 female FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 15.vii.1976, H. V. Weems, Jr., fossil sand dunes, on Polygonella myriophylla (1 male FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 17-18.v.1980, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Fred E. Lohrer, insect flight trap (1 female FMNH); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 19.v.1978, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Lisa K. Klein, insect flight trap (1 male FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 23.v.1978, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Lisa K. Klein, insect flight trap (2 male FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 26.v.1978, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Lisa K. Klein, insect flight trap (1 male FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 27.iv.1979, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Sylvia Halkin, insect flight trap (1 female FMNH, 1 female FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 28.v.1979, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Sylvia Halkin, insect flight trap (1 male FMNH); FL: Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Sta., 30.v.1978, H. V. Weems, Jr. & Lisa K. Klein, insect flight trap (1 female FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., nr. Sebring Hendrichs Field, 15.vii.1976, E. E. Grissell (on Polygonella myriophylla ) (1 male, 1 female FSCA); FL: Highlands Co., nr. Sebring Hendrichs Field, 15.vii.1976, H. V. Weems Jr. (on Polygonella myriophylla ) (1 female FSCA, 1 male, 1 female FMNH); FL: Highlands Co., nr. Sebring Hendrichs Field, 5.vii.1976, H. V. Weems Jr., fossil sand dunes (1 female FMNH); FL: Homestead, 5.v.1951, H. V. Weems, Jr. (on Sabal palmetto ) (1 male FSCA); FL: Jackson Co., Grand Ridge, 14.viii.1968, Gary F. Hevel (1 female USNM); FL: Lake Placid, 23.v.1962, D.G. Kissinger (1 female FSCA); FL: Lake Placid., 22.vi.1962, K. V. Krombein (1 female USNM); FL: Levy Co., 10.ix.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (on Polygonum hydropiperoides ) (1 female FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 10.ix.1955, R. A. Morse (on Polygonum hydropiperoides ) (1 female FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 13.ix.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (on Polygonum hydropiperoides and Solidago petiolata ) (1 female FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 13.ix.1955, R. A. Morse (on Polygonum hydropiperoides ) (1 male FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 13.vii.1954, H. V. Weems, Jr. (at Erigonum tomentosum ) (2 female FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 13.vii.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (at Erigonum tomentosum ) (1 female FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 19.vii.1958, H. V. Weems, Jr. (1 male, 1 female FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 29.ix.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (at Polygonum hydropiperoides ) (1 male FMNH, 2 male FSCA); FL: Levy Co., 30.ix.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (Fig. 2) (at Polygonum hydropiperoides ) (1 female FMNH); FL: Liberty Co., 17.viii.1960, H. V. Weems, Jr. (1 male FSCA); FL: Nassau Co., 28.v.1955, H. V. Weems, Jr. (at Cyrilla racemiflora ) (1 male FMNH, 2 male, 2 female FSCA); FL: Polk Co., 8.iv.1955, H. A. Denmark (1 male FSCA); FL: Santa Rosa Co., Blackwater River Res. Sta., Carr Lake, 17.vi.1974, H. V. Weems, Jr. (on Chrysosalanus sp.) (1 female FSCA, 1 male FMNH); FL: W. Carls., 16.vii.1938 (no collector) (1 male FSCA); FL: Wakulla Co., 10.vii.1953, H. V. Weems, Jr. (at Cyrilla parvifolia ) (1 female FSCA); GA: Hinesville, 16.v.1953, S. Camras (1 female FMNH); GA: Hinesville, 25.vii.1953, S. Camras (1 female FMNH); GA: St. Marys, 7.vi.1949, P. W. Fattig (1 male FMNH).

Variations. Size 9-14mm. First flagellomere slightly longer than pedicel. Many white pollinose areas are golden. Considerable variation in patterns on the abdomen. Many yellow areas may represent the fading of rufous areas.

Distribution. Florida: Santa Rosa Co. to Homestead. Georgia: St. Marys, Hinesville.

Comments. Physoconops brachyrhynchus and P. floridanus are keyed correctly in the key of Camras (1955). Physoconops weemsi keys to P. brachyrhynchus differing as in the key below. All three species have a black mark in the lower part of the facial grooves adjacent to the oral prominence. Physoconops floridanus is now known from New Jersey (3 specimens) and Florida: Santa Rosa Co. to Homestead (32 specimens).

Etymology. Named in honor of Howard V. Weems, Jr. in recognition of his efforts in building entomology in Florida. Many of the specimens in this study were collected by Dr. Weems.