Iteaphila nupta (Melander) Sinclair & Shamshev, 2021

Sinclair, Bradley J. & Shamshev, Igor V., 2021, World revision of Iteaphila with unbranched radial vein (Diptera: Empidoidea: Iteaphilidae), Zootaxa 4968 (1), pp. 1-89 : 54-55

Iteaphila nupta (Melander) comb. nov.

( Figs 54 , 65 )

Anthepiscopus nuptus Melander, 1928: 106 . Type locality: Tacoma , Washington, USA.

Anthepiscopus nuptus: Melander, 1965: 455 .

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE (here designated in order to fix identity of the species), ♂ labelled: “Tacoma [47°14′29″N 122°27′34″W]/ Wash.”; “12.IV.[19]13”; “ TYPE ♂ / Anthepiscopus / nuptus/ Mel. [red label]”; “ALMelander/ Collection/ 1961”; “ LECTOTYPE / Anthepiscopus / nuptus Mel. / Steyskal—1984”; LECTOTYPE / Anthepiscopus / nuptus Melander / des. B.J. Sinclair 2020” . PARALECTOTYPES: USA. Washington: same data as lectotype (14 ♂, 7 ♀, USNM; 1 ♂, CNC; 1 ♂, WSU); Olga [48°37′10″N 122°50′08″W], 18.v.1910 (2 ♀, USNM) .

Taxonomic notes. Melander (1928) stated that this species was based on numerous specimens from Tacoma and that both sexes were found on flowers of Ribes .

Two additional paralectotypes of unknown sex are listed from the Deutsches Entomologisches Institut ( Rohlfien & Ewald 1979), but were not examined. In addition, one male and one female paralectotype are present in the Verrall-Collin Collection, OUMNH (A. Pont pers. comm. 2019), but also not examined .

Additional material examined. USA. Washington: Asotin Co., Fields Spring SP [46°04′53″N 117°10′14″W], 4 mi S Anatone, 3500–4000 ft, 12–13.vi.1974, MT, WJT (2 ♂, 2 ♀, OUMNH) .

Recognition. This species is distinguished from the similar I. bayarea sp. nov. by the surstylus extending distinctly dorsally from the epandrium and apex of the hypandrium not expanded laterally ( Fig. 54 ).

Redescription. Wing length 3.4–3.6 mm. Male. Head dark brown in ground-colour, with pale brown to black setation, occiput thinly to densely greyish pollinose. Eyes holoptic, with upper ommatidia enlarged. Frons represented by small triangular space just above antennae, bare, greyish pollinose. Ocellar triangle prominent, with 2 pairs of long hair-like setae. Postvertical setae subequal to postocular setae, thin; occiput covered with numerous similar setae in lower part. Antenna dark brown; scape short, slightly shorter than globular pedicel, both with short setae; postpedicel rather narrow, ca 3 times longer than basal width, base somewhat expanded and smoothly tapered; stylus ca 2 times longer than wide, sensillum-tipped, basal segment not visible; apical sensillum slightly shorter than stylus. Proboscis long, projected obliquely; labium longer than head height; palpus projected parallel to labrum, somewhat shorter than labrum.

Thorax dark brown in ground-colour with posterior part of postpronotal lobe and postalar tubercle paler, with brown to black setation; scutum viewed dorsally velvety brown, slightly matt, without vittae, psut spal region shiny without pruinescence; viewed anteriorly densely brown pruinose, without vittae; mesopleuron uniformly greyish brown pollinose. Proepisternum with a few hair-like setae. Postpronotal lobe with 1 long thin and several shorter setae. Mesonotal setae distinct, thin; acr short, 4-serial, arranged in 2 pairs of closely spaced irregular rows, lacking on prescutellar depression, distance between paired rows shorter than length of acr; dc uniserial (with some additional setulae in anterior part), offset from row anteriorly, slightly longer than acr, 2–3 distinct prescutellar dc; 1 ph, 1 presut spal (sometimes with additional setulae), 3–4 npl (with a few additional shorter setae), several psut spal setulae, 1 pal and several short setulae, 6–7 pairs of sctl.

Legs, including coxae, mostly brownish; knees and tibiae of all legs brownish yellow, tarsi somewhat darker. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified hair-like setae. Fore femur with row of short anteroventral hair-like setae and somewhat longer setae on posteroventral, dorsal and posterior faces. Mid femur with moderately long posteroventral bristly setae along entire length, bearing some moderately long setae on dorsal and posterior faces. Hind femur with long anteroventral and dorsal setae along whole length. Tibiae with prominent posterodorsal setae. Tarsomere 1 of mid and hindlegs with pair of rows of stiff ventral setae; tarsomere 5 not flattened on all legs; pulvilli broad, shorter than tarsal claw.

Wing uniformly brownish infuscate; basal costal seta absent; pterostigma distinct brownish, elliptical, overlapping apex of R 1; anal lobe very prominent, acute. Sc complete; R 2+3 often slightly bowed posterior to pterostigma; R 4+5 unbranched; cell dm broad, longer than basal cells, truncate apically; base of M 2 (crossvein) more than one-fourth length of dm-m, M branches widely separated; dm-m crossvein slightly concave. Apex of cell cua recurved, CuA+CuP long, faint, ending just short of wing margin. Halter brown, base somewhat paler.

Abdomen brown, subshiny, finely brownish grey pollinose, covered with long brownish setae. Terminalia ( Fig. 54 ) concolorous with abdomen, small. Hypandrium with several long setae, rounded, upcurved apically with narrowly rounded and truncate apex (viewed posteriorly), apical posterior face clothed in thickened setae; gonocoxal apodeme short and slender; inner apodeme expanded and flattened, subequal in length with gonocoxal apodeme; postgonite long, arched posteriorly, produced into broad, flattened plate. Phallic guide extended slightly beyond epandrium, parallel with phallus and bent nearly at right angles subapically; bent apical section paired with jagged or toothed surface apically; apex tapered. Epandrium not inflated laterally; dorsal bridge narrow; produced distally into broad, somewhat tapered, dorsally projecting surstylus; apex of surstylus with finger-like projection medially. Phallus slender, arched slightly beyond epandrium, bent nearly at right angles subapically; apical section with sclerotized dorsal margin, otherwise membranous, tapered; ejaculatory apodeme plate-like, rounded, longer than gonocoxal apodeme. Cercus short, triangular, one-quarter length of epandrium; apex rounded, extended free from epandrium; hypoproct produced into pair of short, slender processes, projecting beyond epandrium.

Female. Similar to male, except as follows:Eyes dichoptic; ommatidia equally small.Frons very broad, somewhat widened toward ocellar tubercle, subshiny, finely brownish grey pollinose, with marginal setulae. Scutellum usually with 5–6 pairs of setae. Legs, including coxae, somewhat paler than male with reduced chaetotaxy. Base of halter distinctly yellowish. Abdomen somewhat paler, with shorter, less prominent setae. Cercus brownish, long, slender, covered with dark setae.

Distribution. Nearctic: USA (Washington). This species is currently known only from the state of Washington ( Fig. 65 ).

Remarks. Iteaphila nupta appears very similar to I. bayarea sp. nov. and only confidently distinguished by features of the male terminalia outlined in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 53–57. Male terminalia of Iteaphila with unbranched R 4+5. 53, I. luteitibia sp. nov., lateral view; 54, I. nupta (Melander), lateral view; 55, I. sierrensis sp. nov., lateral view; 56, I. spinosa sp. nov., lateral view; 57, same, left cercus, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; hypd—hypandrium; hyprct proc—hypoproct process; ph—phallus; ph gd—phallic guide; sur—surstylus.

FIGURES 62–65. Distribution of Iteaphila with unbranched R. 62, I. dichoptica sp. nov.; 63, luteitibia sp. nov., I. incus sp. 4+5 nov.; 64, I. longipalpis (Melander); 65, I. nupta (Melander), I. subnupta sp. nov.