Iteaphila bifida, 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 : 16-17

Iteaphila bifida sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 22 , 26 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:663D1748-6AFA-412D-885F-5266CD2EE8C3

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: “ Mt. Seymour [49°23′46″N 122°56′40″W]/ B.C. [Canada] 930 m / 17.v.1973,J. R.Vockeroth”; “ HOLOTYPE / Iteaphila / bifida/ Sinclair& Shamshev[red label]”( CNC) . PARATYPES: CANADA. British Columbia: same data as holotype (4 ♀, CNC); 4 km E Kingfisher , 50°36.920′N 118°40.801′W, 11.v.2010, Shepherdia flowers, AB (10 ♂, 2 ♀, CNC) ; same data except CNC197582 (1 ♂, barcoded, CNC) ; 6 mi E Glacier NP [51°18′0″N 117°31′7″W], 11.v.–15.vi.1984, FIT, R . S. Anderson (1 ♂, DEBG) . USA. California: El Dorado Co., Echo Lk, Eldorado NF, 2285 m, 31.v.2009, 38°50′1.34″N 120°2′34.79″W, willows, BJS (7 ♀, CNC) ; same data except, CNC161429 , CNC161431 , CNC161430 (1 ♂, 2 ♀, barcoded, CNC) . Oregon: Linn Co., Tombstone Pass, Hackleman Ck , fir woods with snow patches, 44.395738 -122.140275, 2.v.2014, S. Fitzgerald (2 ♂, CNC) .

Additional material examined. USA. California: Alpine Co., W Fk Carson R , Snowshoe Springs Cpgd [38°46′31″N 119°53′50″W], 6600 ft, 20.vi.1971, PHA (1 ♀, CAS) ; Mono Co., Tioga Pass [37°54′44″N 119°15′28″W], Hall Area site, 9.viii.1969, A. R. Moldenke, ex. Ribes montigenum (1 ♀, CAS); Nevada Co., Norden [39°19′05″N 120°21′22″W], Cal Lodge , 2130 m, 21.vi.1987, PHA (1 ♀, USNM) ; Plumas Co., Lassen NF, N Fk Feather R. [40°02′24″N 121°13′12″W], 28.v.1977, DDW (3 ♀, CAS); Tuolumne Co., Deadman Ck [38°19′44″N 119°42′21″W], 8000 ft, 12.vii.1977, DDW (1 ♀, CAS) .

Recognition. This species is distinguished from similar species (with distinctly expanded base of the postpedicel) by a bifid apex of the phallus that arises just beyond the epandrium between the cerci ( Fig. 22 ).

Description. Wing length 3.3–3.5 mm. Male. Head dark brown in ground-colour, with 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 hairlike setae, anterior pair longer than posterior pair. Postvertical setae subequal with 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, parallel-sided, nearly 3 times longer than basal width, base distinctly expanded; stylus ca 2.5 times longer than wide, sensillum-tipped; segment 9 tubular, 2 times longer than wide, apical sensillum about two-thirds length of segment 9. Proboscis medium-length, projected obliquely; labium distinctly shorter than head height; palpus projected parallel to labrum, robust with expanded apex, 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 subshiny, with 2 indistinct pale pruinescent vittae between acrostichal and dorsocentral setae; viewed anteriorly densely brown pruinose, with 2 indistinct paler vittae; mesopleuron uniformly greyish brown pollinose. Proepisternum with few hair-like setae. Postpronotal lobe with 1 long thin and several shorter setae. Mesonotal setae distinct, thin; acr long, biserial, lacking on prescutellar depression, distance between 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 (with additional setulae), 4–5 npl (with a few additional shorter setae), several psut spal setulae, 1 pal and several short setulae, 5–6 pairs of sctl.

Legs, including coxae, almost entirely brownish; knees of fore and mid 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 without prominent setae. Tarsomere 1 of all legs with pair of rows of stiff ventral setae; tarsomere 5 not flattened on all legs; pulvilli broad, shorter than tarsal claw.

Wing distinctly 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-third length of dm-m, M branches widely separated; dm-m crossvein slightly concave. Apex of cell cua recurved, CuA+CuP long, ending short of wing margin as faint line. Halter brown.

Abdomen brown, subshiny, finely brownish grey pollinose, covered with long brownish setae. Terminalia ( Fig. 22 ) slightly darker than abdomen, small. Hypandrium with several long, strong setae, rounded, upcurved strongly at mid-length, with broad, truncate arrowhead-shaped apex (viewed posteriorly), bearing teeth-like projections; gonocoxal apodeme long and slender; inner apodeme expanded and flattened, shorter than ejaculatory apodeme; postgonite short, straight, divided deeply into pair of pointed, tapered lobes. Phallic guide not extended beyond epandrium, parallel and shorter than phallus, without bent apical section. Epandrium not inflated laterally; dorsal bridge broad, one quarter length of epandrium; produced distally into short, slender dorsally projecting surstylus; apex of surstylus without projection medially. Phallus slender, arched slightly beyond epandrium, directed between cerci, without subapical bend; apex bifid, with fork parallel; ejaculatory apodeme plate-like, rounded, subequal in length with gonocoxal apodeme. Cercus short, digitiform, one-third length of epandrium; apex rounded, extended free from epandrium; hypoproct produced into pair of very short processes, slightly 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. Abdomen somewhat paler, with shorter, less prominent setae. Cercus brownish, long, slender, covered with dark setae.

Distribution. Nearctic: Canada (British Columbia), USA (California, Oregon). This species occurs primarily in the Pacific Northwest and California of North America ( Fig. 26 ).

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin bifidus (forked), in reference to the forked apex of the phallus.

Remarks. The females listed in the Additional material examined section require males to confirm the species identification. Consequently, these specimens were not included on the distribution map.

This species is most closely related to I. beringiensis as described under that species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Photographs of living species of Paraiteaphila and Iteaphila with unbranched R 4+5. 1, Iteaphila sp., female, lateral view, Hoh River, Washington, USA (photograph @ S. Marshall); 2, I. bifida sp. nov., lateral view, male on Shepherdia flowers, British Columbia, Canada (photograph @ A. Borkent); 3, Iteaphila sp., oblique dorsal view, Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, USA (photograph @ T. Murray); 4, Paraiteaphila italica (Loew), near Pizzo Camarda (AQ), Italy, 42°27′22.2″N 13°27′07.7″E (photograph @ E. Santarelli).

FIGURES 21–25. Male terminalia of Iteaphila with unbranched R 4+5. 21, I. beringiensis sp. nov., lateral view; 22, I. bifida sp. nov., lateral view, with arrow indicating apex of phallus in posterior view; 23, I. recta sp. nov., lateral view; 24, I. tribulosa sp. nov., lateral view; 25, same, apex of hypandrium, posterior view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; epand— epandrium; epand brg—epandrial bridge; hypd—hypandrium; ph—phallus; sur—surstylus.

FIGURES 26–28. Distribution of Iteaphila with unbranched R 4+5. 26, I. bifida sp. nov., I. recta sp. nov., I. tribulosa sp. nov.; 27, I. beringiensis sp. nov., Nearctic; 28, I. beringiensis sp. nov., Palaearctic.