Efferia portoricensis (Hine)

Aubrey G. Scarbrough & Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, 2009, Review of the West Indian species of Efferia Coquillett (Diptera: Asilidae) with 13 new species and checklist: Part II. Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Lesser Antilles including Tobago and Trinidad, Zootaxa 1994, pp. 1-66 : 56-58

Efferia portoricensis (Hine)

Figs. 116–121 , Table 1

Erax portoricensis Hine, 1919: 128 . Bromley 1928: 290. Error in identification, Cuba; Curran 1931: 9.

Nerax portoricensis, Hull 1962: 479 . Comb. nov.

Efferia portoricensis, Martin & Papavero 1970: 68 . Catalogue; comb. nov.

Redescription, male. Black, pale tomentum grayish, mostly white vestiture. Measurements, body 15.9–17.5 mm; wing 11.0–12.0 mm. Head: Mostly white tomentose, face at antennae 2/3–3/4 as wide as 1 eye; frons yellowish-gray tomentose; vestiture mostly white; face with several black bristles dorsally, sometimes sparse medially and along oral margin. Palpi apically and frons with sparse black setae. Antennae and ocellar tubercle entirely black setose; flagellum slightly shorter than scape; 4–5 stout ocular bristles, most or all black.

Thorax: Prothorax yellowish-gray tomentose, vestiture pale. Scutum mostly yellowish or brownishyellow tomentose, yellowish-gray posteriorly; vestiture mostly black, sparse pale setae laterally and anteriorly, anterior scutal setae about 2/3 as long as scape; dorsocentral bristles thin, setae-like, lateral bristles stout. Scutellum yellowish-gray tomentose, setae pale laterally, black medially or sometimes entirely pale, about as long as scape; usually 2 black marginal bristles, rarely 4 with inner 2 yellowish. Pleura yellowishgray tomentose, paler posteriorly; vestiture mostly pale, anepisternum black setose dorsally. Halter dull brownish-yellow or yellow, knob darker dull red.

Wing: Slightly brownish, darkest apically; not dilated anteriorly. Crossvein r-m beyond middle of cell d; R4 recurrent vein about as long as or longer than cell base. Base of cell r4 beyond d.

Legs: Coxae, trochanters, and femora black, mostly white setose, femora black setose dorsoapically, bristles mostly black, sometimes pale, 1–2 anteriorly or ventrally on mesothoracic and metathoracic femora. Tibiae brownish-yellow or reddish, apices darker brown or black, long setae whitish, dense setae yellowish, scattered short setae black; bristles black. Tarsi yellowish-brown, basal tarsomeres usually paler, often reddish; bristles black; dense ventral setae yellowish.

Abdomen: Black, mostly white tomentose including sternites 1–7, wide sides of tergites 1–5, apical 1/4–1/ 2 of 5, and all of 6–7; setae white, long and erect on segments 1–4, shorter and less abundant beyond, tergites 2–4, base of tergite 5, and 8, black setose.

Terminalia ( Figs. 116–119 ): Black, mostly or entirely black setose. Epandrium as long as gonostylus, narrow, 3.6–3.7 times as long as wide; apical process rectangular. Gonostylus long and narrow with prominent notch and spine, spatulate beyond, apex truncate. Gonocoxa with thin setae, shorter and most dense basally often with sparse white setae bordering black on basal 1/4–1/3, setae longer, less abundant, and entirely black apically. Aedeagal tubes horizontal, flange angular, ejaculatory apodeme distinctive.

Female. Body 16.0– 16.9 mm; wing 10.4–11.3 mm. Head: Yellowish–gray tomentose, mystax with black bristles medially or dorsally only; face 2/3–3/4 as wide as eye; palpi with sparse to several black setae apically; antennae mostly or entirely pale setose; postocular bristles mostly or entirely pale, 1–2 per side black. Thorax: Scutum pale brownish-yellow tomentose; anterior setae about 1/3 as long as scape, only slightly longer than pedicel; dorsocentral bristles sometimes stout. Scutellum yellow setose, setae about 2/3 as long as scape; 2 pale marginal bristles present. Legs: Femora with mostly pale bristles, apical bristles black; metathoracic femora with 1–2 anteroventral bristles black. Tibiae and tarsi brownish-yellow to reddish, apices darkest, apical tarsomeres brown or blackish. Abdomen: Basal 6 segments mostly or entirely grayish tomentose, wide sides of tergites and apical margins at least in part pale tomentose; segment 7 mostly black, black setose; sternite 7 with narrow brownish tomentose triangle medially. Setae mostly pale, tergites 4–6 medially black setose. Terminalia: Black, as long as apical 3.5 segments, 4.7–7.3 mm; 10.7–11.3 times longer than diameter at middle. Cercus about 1/2 as long as tergite 9. Spermathecae ovate, longer than wide, mostly brownish ( Figs. 120–121 ).

Specimens examined. PUERTO RICO: Ensenada, P.R. / 14–19.vi.1915 ~ Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. / No. ~ Erax / portoricensis / Hine ~ (♂, OSUC 0186794; ♀, OSUC 0186794) ~ holotype ♂, allotype ♀, Efferia

portoricensis (Hine) Det. A. Scarbrough 2007 ; San Juan P.R. / July –12, ’14 / Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. / Dept. Invert. Zool. / no. (♂, 0 186796 OSUC); Guanica / Bosque Estatal de / Guanica 3.6 km E. Guanica, 17-58-11 N, / 66-52-28W, thornscrub ~ 100 m 12.vi.1996 / J. Rawlins, R. Davidson / C. Young, R. Klingler / W. Zanol, S. Thompson ~ (1 ♂ 65, 418 CHMN; 1 ♀, 64, 928 CMNH; 1 ♀, 65,416 CMNH); Ponce / Holiday Inn, Malaise trap / 17o58.826’N 66o40.383/W / 14.vi–7.vii.2003 / M.A. Ivie and K.A. Marske (5 ♂, 1 ♀, MAIC); Verracos, Guayanilla, P. Rico, / 26.iv.03 / Luz Negra ~ HPPR-433 ‘Assilidae (1 ♂, NMNH); Verracos, Guayanilla, P. / Rico, 26.iv.03 / Luz Negra, A.P. Asso y Silva ~ HPPR-849 ‘Assilidae (1 ♀, NMNH); Ventana, Verracos, / Guayanilla, P. Rico, [no date] / A.Silva y A.P. Asso / Luz Negra ~ HPPR-369 ‘Assilidae (1 ♀, NMNH); Cabo Rojo / xi.1982 / V. Ruiz (1 ♀, CMNH); Cabo Rojo / 28.xi.1980 / L. Rivera (1 ♀, NMNH); P.R., Maricao / 14.xi.76 / L.A. Rivera (1 ♀, NMNH); Isla / Maguey, Parguera / xii.1962 Paul & / Phyllis Spangler (♀, NMNH).

Distribution. Puerto Rico. Active at sea level to 100 meters in elevation during April, June, July, November, and December.

Remarks. Efferia portoricensis is distinguished from congeners by the grayish tomentum of the body, mostly pale setae of the palpi, anterior scutal setae only slightly longer than scape, the hyaline wing, and the combined characters of the terminalia ( Figs. 116–121 ). Males are further distinguished by an absence of a dilated costal margin of the wing, and tergites 6–7 entirely and narrow apex of tergite 5 are white tomentose.

The holotype and allotype of E. portoricensis are in the OSUC collection, not AMNH ( Curran 1931). They are in good condition except the allotype lacks the apical portion of the ovipositor, and both specimens were without type labels. Labels indicating the type status were placed on the specimens and returned to OSUC.

Figures

FIGURES 116–121. Efferia portoricensis (Hine). Male terminalia, lateral view: 116. Intact, left side; 117. Gonostylus; 118.Phallus; and 119. Aedeagus with tubes and phallic flange. Female terminalia, lateral view: 120. Ovipositor; 121. Lateral spermatheca.