Empis (Polyblepharis) fedtschenkoi Shamshev, 2023

Shamshev, I. V., 2023, Dance flies (Diptera: Empididae) in A. P. Fedtschenko’s Collection from Turkestan: Empis subgenus Polyblepharis, Russian Entomological Journal 32 (2), pp. 221-233 : 224-226

Empis (Polyblepharis) fedtschenkoi Shamshev , sp.n.

Figs 6–9 .

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype, ♂, labels as in Fig. 9 , [ Tajikistan] small bluish green label only with number 19. [= 19.vi.1869] [A. Fedtschenko] // [printed in Cyrillic, Russian, pre-1918 orthography] Fan [= Fan Darya River ] ( ZMMU).

Paratypes. Tajikistan: same data as holotype [A. Fedtschenko] (1 ♂, 1 ♀; 1 ♂, dissected, ZISP) ; Yagnob , 21.vi.1869 [A. Fedtschenko] (1 ♂, ZMMU) ; Turkestanskiy kray, 2.vi.1869 [A. Fedtschenko] (1 ♂, ZMMU) ; Novabad , Komarou Gorge, 7–8.vi.1986, M. Dolgovskaya (2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; Tavildara District , village Dekhi- Kolon, 38,65°N 70,52°E, 1800–2000m, 24.v.2016, coll. A. Barkalov (3 ♂♂, SZMN; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; same locality, 26.v.2016 (1 ♂, SZMN) ; 15.v.2016 (1 ♂, SZMN) ; 17.v.2016 (2 ♂, SZMN) ; Tavildara District ,village Sary-Dzhangal, 38,66°N 70,49°E, 1826–1945m, 25.v.2016, coll. A. Barkalov (1 ♂, SZMN) ; Varzab Gorge , 3 km NE of village Kalon, 2440m, 39,06°N 68,87°E, 30.vi.2017, coll. A. Barkalov (1 ♀, SZMN) . Uzbekistan: Salbar , valley of Ak-su, E of Bukhara, 31.v.1897, Kaznakov (1 ♂, ZISP) .

DIAGNOSIS. Mid-sized species (body length 6–6.5 mm); male eyes holoptic; labrum nearly 1.5X longer than eye height, palpus yellow to brownish yellow on apical half; prosternum setose; mesoscutum with 4 distinct vittae, acrostichal and dorsocentral setae multiserial, laterotergite with pale setae; legs entirely brown, fore and mid basitarsi long setose; abdomen mostly pale setose, tergites 2–5 shiny dorsally; female hind femur flattened, somewhat convex dorsally and straight ventrally, with slightly flattened setae.

DESCRIPTION. Body length about 5.8–6.4 mm, wing 5.9–6.5 mm. Male ( Fig. 6 ). Head capsule regions mostly densely greyish pruinose; face on lower margin and entire clypeus shiny; head setation mostly black. Holoptic, upper ommatidia enlarged. Frons represented by very small subtriangular space just below ocellar triangle and somewhat larger space above antennae; bare. Face broad, bare. Ocellar setae undifferentiated; ocellar triangle with several subequally short, hair-like setae. Occiput covered with long, dense, fine setae (including postoculars); postgena with pale hair-like setae. Antenna with scape and pedicel light brown, postpedicel and stylus black; scape nearly 1.5X longer than subglobular pedicel, both with moderately long setulae; postpedicel 3X as long as basal width, with straight margins; stylus slightly longer than postpedicel basal width. Proboscis with labrum brownish yellow; nearly 1.5X longer than eye height; palpus short, yellowish to brownish yellow on about apical half, brownish towards base; bearing numerous long, black, fine setae.

Thorax almost entirely black in ground-colour, postalar tubercle somewhat yellowish brown translucent;mostly densely greyish pruinose; mesoscutum with some bluish green tinge, 4 distinct brown vittae (lateral vittae slightly broader). Prosternum with 3–4 long pale setae near apex on each side.Proepisternum with tuft of numerous, pale, fine setae on lower part and several similar setae on upper part. Antepronotum with several short to moderately long, strong, black setae dorsally and long, fine, pale setae laterally. Postpronotal lobe covered with pale, dense, long, fine setae; postpronotal seta undifferentiated, at most 1–4 black setae of the same robustness and length as surrounding pale setae. Mesonotal setae: acrostichals arranged in 4–5 irregular rows, long, fine, dense, usually intermixed black and pale anteriorly, absent on prescutellar depression, separated from dorsocentrals by narrow space; presutural dorsocentral setae multiserial and not separated from setae of presutural supra-alar space, similar to acrostichals, pale anteriorly at least near postpronotal lobe, postsutural dorsocentrals arranged in 2–3 irregular rows, sparser, becoming longer and stronger towards scutellum, 1–2 very long strong prescutellars; presutural supra-alar seta undifferentiated, at most 1–2 black setae of the same robustness and length as surrounding pale setae; 4 notopleurals, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 long and 1 minute postalars, 4 scutellars (setae of lateral pair slightly shorter); in addition, supra-alar space entirely covered with dense fine setae (similar to dorsocentrals and mostly pale before suture), numerous long, fine, pale setae on anterior half of notopleuron. Laterotergite with numerous paler setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles yellow.

Legs with coxae densely greyish pruinose, remaining podomeres subshiny; mostly black setose. Legs colour: entirely dark brown to black. Coxae and trochanters mostly with pale hair-like setae, a few black stronger setae (fore coxa sometimes only with pale setae). Fore femur bare along ventral face; with moderately long, fine setae anteroventrally (pale on about basal half); row of 5–7 strong antero-anteroventral setae; numerous fine, long (longer than femur width), mostly pale setae posteroventrally and posteriorly. Fore tibia with row of short, rather strong, anterodorsal setae; covered with long, dense, mostly fine setae posterodorsally and posteriorly (longest setae nearly 1.5X longer than tibia width, somewhat stronger near apex). Fore basitarsus slightly thickened towards base but not broader than fore tibia at apex, with 3–4 short strong anterodorsal setae; dense, intermixed fine and strong, long setae posterodorsally and posteriorly (as on fore tibia apically); anteroventral and posteroventral spine-like setae; long, strong setae of subapical circlet; tarsomere 2 with spinule-like anteroventral and posteroventral setulae. Mid femur with fine, moderately long setae ventrally (pale on about basal half), similar slightly longer setae near apex posteriorly; whitish pubescent ventrally. Mid tibia with rows of long anterodorsal and posterodorsal strong setae (about 7 setae per row, longest setae nearly 1.5X longer than tibia width); 2–3 rather short anteroventral and row of similar posteroventral setae. Mid basitarsus slender; with several long, strong setae dorsally; anteroventral and posteroventral spine-like setae; tarsomere 2 with spinule-like anteroventral and posteroventral setulae. Hind femur slender; with 4–5 moderately long, anterodorsal setae near apex; fine setulae along ventral face; anteroventral and posteroventral setae short, mostly fine, partly pale on basal part, slightly longer, strong anteroventral setae on about apical half (number and robustness variable); no whitish ventral pubescence. Hind tibia simple, slightly narrower near base; with rows of moderately long anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae; simple setulae ventrally; very short seta in posteroapical comb. Hind basitarsus slightly thickened towards base but not broader than hind tibia at apex; several long setae dorsally; tarsomeres 1–3 with short spine-like anteroventral and posteroventral setae ventrally (longer on basitarsus).

Wing membrane faintly brownish infuscate; entirely covered with microtrichia; veins mostly brownish, brownish yellow near base, well-sclerotized. Veins R 5 and M 1 divergent towards wing margin; radial fork acute; R 5 meeting costa before wing apex; CuA+CuP (anal vein) complete (slightly weakened beyond middle). Cell dm moderately large, with strongly elongate apex; apical portion of M 4 nearly 2.5X longer than its middle portion. Pterostigma pale brownish, very narrow. Basal costal seta absent. Anal lobe well-developed; axillary incision very acute.Squama yellow, pale fringed. Halter pale yellow.

Abdomen dark brown in ground colour; tergite 1 entirely densely greyish pruinose, tergites 2–5 shiny dorsally and greyish pruinose laterally (in addition, tergite 2 narrowly pruinose anteriorly); tergites 6 and 7 with spots of brown iridescent pruinosity dorsally, greyish pruinose laterally; sternites entirely greyish pruinose, slightly finer on sternite 8. Abdomen pale setose, only tergites 2–5 with strong yellow and sternite 8 with black posteromarginal setae; tergites 1–5 laterally and sternites (including sternite 1) covered with dense, long, fine setae. Pregenital segments: segment 6 unmodified; tergite 7 broadly concave posteriorly; sternite 7 with somewhat produced posterior corners; pleuron 7 with strongly sclerotised posterior margin covered with minute setulae; segment 8 with separated tergite and sternite; tergite 8 somewhat flattened, represented by two subtriangular sclerites separated mid-dorsally, with several short setae posteriorly; sternite 8 scoop-shaped, somewhat constricted anteriorly, with 2 subequal lateral projections on each side anteriorly (anterior projection close to upper margin).

Hypopygium ( Fig. 7 ) moderately large; epandrium brown, subshiny; cerci brownish yellow (darker anteriorly); phallus yellowish brown. Epandrium entirely broadly divided (epandrial bridge absent); epandrial lamella subtriangular (lateral view); with long, fine, pale setae more numerous closer to lower margin. Hypandrium separated from epandrium; mostly membranous, undivided, narrowly sclerotized along margin, with rounded apex; bare; gonocoxal apodeme small. Cerci ( Fig. 8 ) separated with each other and from hypandrium; cercus elongate ovate (lateral view), shorter than epandrial lamella, without additional lobe dorsally, serrate on inner margin; with dark and pale setulae. Phallus almost entirely hidden; zigzag bent, strongly constricted beyond middle; basal portion thick, gently curved and becoming narrower distad; apical bend portion semicircular, nearly of uniform thickness, with its tip pointing to rear. Ejaculatory apodeme moderately large, extended far beyond basal curvature of phallus, with lateral wings.

Female. Similar to male except as follows. Eyes dichoptic, ommatidia equally small. Frons broad, parallel-sided. Ocellar triangle with 2 long, stronger and several short, fine setae. Occiput with somewhat sparser and stronger setae. Palpus mostly yellow, brownish near base. Postpronotal lobe and mesonotum with slightly shorter fine setae; postpronotal and presutural supra-alar setae usually more or less differentiated but only slightly stronger than surrounding fine setae. Legs generally shorter setose. Fore tibia with short fine setae posterodorsally and posteriorly. Fore basitarsus slender; only with simple setulae dorsally and posteriorly. Mid tibia with slightly shorter anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae; almost complete rows of similar anteroventral and posteroventral setae. Mid basitarsus without long setae dorsally. Hind femur flattened, somewhat convex dorsally and straight ventrally; with fringe of short, slightly flattened, short, dense setae almost over entire length dorsally and ventrally (setae finer near base), row of anteroanteroventral moderately long setae. Hind tibia slightly flattened; with denser setulae dorsally and ventrally; rows of short anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae, 2–3 similar anteroventral setae on apical half. Hind basitarsus slender; without long setae dorsally. Abdomen with tergites 2–8 extensively shiny; tergite 1 entirely and tergites 2–6 narrowly laterally densely greyish pruinose; tergites covered with mostly short fine setae (longer on tergites 1–3 laterally), no stronger posteromarginal setae. Cercus brown, short, covered with dense, pale, erect setulae.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. Within the key to the Palearctic species of Polyblepharis the new species would run to Empis freidbergi Chvála, 1999 known from Israel [ Chvála, 1999]. Both species share a combination of holoptic eyes of the male, entirely black to brown legs, setose prosternum, pale setose laterotergite and undifferentiated postpronotal and presutural supra-alar setae. Empis fedtschenkoi sp.n. can be readily distinguished from E. freidbergi primarily by four mesoscutal vittae (versus three). In addition, the male of E. fedtschenkoi sp.n. has mostly yellowish to brownish yellow palpus (entirely black in the male of E. freidbergi ).

Amongst species of Polyblepharis of the Middle Asia, setose prosternum was described only in Empis alatauensis Chvála, 1999 . However, E. alatauensis differs from E. fedtschenkoi sp.n. primarily by distinct postpronotal and presutural supra-alar setae.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the Russian naturalist and explorer Aleksey Pavlovich Fedtschenko (1844–1873).

DISTRIBUTION. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.

Figures

Figs 6–9. Empis (Polyblepharis) fedtschenkoi Shamshev, sp.n., male: 6 — holotype, habitus; 7 — hypopygium, setation of epandrium and cerci omitted; 8 — cerci; 9 — holotype labels; 6–7 — lateral view; 8 — dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc — cercus; ej apod — ejaculatory apodeme; epand — epandrium; hypd — hypandrium; ph — phallus. Scale bar is 1 mm. Рис. 6–9. Empis (Polyblepharis) fedtschenkoi Shamshev, sp.n., самец: 6 — голотип, габитус; 7 — гипопигий, Щетинки ЭпандриЯ и церок не укаЗаны; 8 — церки; 9 — Этикетки голотипа; 6–7 — сбоку; 8 — сверху. СокраЩениЯ: cerc — церк; ej apod — ЭЯкулЯторнаЯ аподема; epand — Эпандрий; hypd — гипандрий; ph — фаллус. Шкала = 1 мм.