Rhamphomyia (Holoclera) stepankubiki, Shamshev & Barták, 2024

Shamshev, Igor V. & Barták, Miroslav, 2024, New species and records of the Rhamphomyia subgenus Holoclera (Diptera, Empididae) from the Palaearctic Region, Zootaxa 5512 (4), pp. 512-530 : 520-522

Rhamphomyia (Holoclera) stepankubiki sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Rhamphomyia (Holoclera) sp. 1: Barták & Kubík, 2012: 404 (in key), 401.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: ARMENIA, Sevan Lake , Adiaman-chay [now Argichi, ~ 40°10′N 45°16′E], 30.vi.1939, Tshernovskij ( ZISP, INS _DIP_0000818, dissected) . PARATYPES. TURKEY. Antalya Province: Kursunlu Selalesi [37°0՛N 30°49՛E], 15 km NNE Antalya, 150 m, 29.iv.2000, leg. B. Merz & Senay (1 ♀, CULSP) ; Cavusköy (Adrasan) [36°20՛N 30°26՛E], 50 m; 26.iv.2000; B. Merz & Senay (1 ♀, CULSP) .

Diagnosis. A species of the R. (Holoclera) nigripennis group with dark palpus, uniserial dorsocentrals, yellow fore coxae, mesoscutum largely devoid of microtrichiae, and supra-alar seta absent; female frons subshiny.

Description. Male ( Fig. 2A ). Body 2.7 mm, wing 3.1 mm (holotype). Head with greyish, faint pruinescence on frons, face, clypeus, ocellar triangle, occiput and postgena; black setose. Eyes holoptic, with upper ommatidia enlarged. Frons represented by very small, subtriangular space just below ocellar triangle and slightly larger space just above antennae. Face moderately broad, almost parallel-sided, bare. Ocellar triangle with 2 moderately long, thin anterior setae and several short setulae posteriorly. Occiput with fine, moderately long postoculars and several similar setae laterally; postgena with some pale brownish, hair-like setae. Antenna with scape and pedicel brownish, slightly paler than dark brown postpedicel and stylus; scape short, slightly longer than pedicel, both with short setulae; postpedicel elongate-conical, with narrow base, 2.8X as long as basal width; stylus short, 2.2X shorter than postpedicel. Proboscis short, labellum narrow, covered with fine setae; labrum nearly as long as head height; palpus black, with scattered black setulae.

Thorax almost uniformly brown, only postpronotal lobe and postalar callus rather yellowish brown; black setose; mesoscutum extensively shiny, faintly pruinose on extreme anterior margin as well as just behind postpronotal lobe and on anterior part of notopleuron, with very narrow vittae of pruinosity below dorsocentral setae and slightly broader vitta below acrostichal setae; prothoracic sclerites and mesopleuron almost entirely densely greyish pruinose; postpronotal lobe faintly pruinose, anepimeron shiny on about anterior half. Proepisternum with 2 very short setae on lower part, bare on upper part. Prosternum bare. Antepronotum with 3 moderately long setae on each side. Postpronotal lobe with 1 strong, long and 3 very short, fine setae. Mesonotal setae well-differentiated; acrostichals absent; dorsocentrals uniserial, about 10 setae per row, long, 3 inclinate prescutellars somewhat longer; 1 long presutural supra-alar, 3 notopleurals (middle seta much longer; additionally, with some setulae anteriorly), 0 postsutural supra-alar, 1 long and 1 minute postalar, 4 scutellars (apical setae somewhat longer). Laterotergite with 5–6 setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles dark brown.

Legs colour: fore coxa and trochanter yellow, mid and hind coxae and trochanters rather brownish yellow; femora rather brownish yellow; tibiae extensively brownish, somewhat paler closer to base; tarsi brownish. Legs structure: unmodified. Legs vestiture: faintly greyish pruinose, black setose, setation very reduced. Coxae and trochanters with simple fine setae of different lengths. Fore femur with row of spinule-like setae anteriorly. Fore tibia without prominent setae (except circlet of subapicals). Fore basitarsus with 2 moderately long, closely set, anterodorsal setae closer to base. Mid femur with rows of minute anteroventral and short, stronger posteroventral setae. Mid tibia with 1 moderately long posterodorsal seta closer to middle, 1 short anteroventral and 1 similar posteroventral seta closer to base; subapical circlet with strong anteroventral and posteroventral setae. Hind femur with row of minute anteroventral setae. Hind tibia with row of fine posterodorsal setae becoming longer toward apex; no seta in posteroapical comb.

Wing membrane faintly brownish, somewhat iridescent; veins brownish; M1 and M2 beyond cell dm as well as CuA+CuP (anal vein) thin; CuA+CuP incomplete; cell dm short, with elongate apex. Pterostigma brownish. Two long, fine, black, basal costal setae present. Anal lobe well-developed; axillary incision somewhat obtuse. Squama yellow, brown fringed. Halter with brown knob and reddish-brown stem.

Abdomen brown, extensively shiny, only segment 1 and sternites of pregenital segments with some faint pruinosity; black setose; mostly with moderately long, thin setae; tergites with long posteromarginal setae. Pregenital segments modified; segment 8 with fused tergite and sternite; tergite 8 entire, weaker sclerotised mid-dorsally (except posterior margin).

Hypopygium ( Fig. 2B, C ) concolourous with abdomen, small, black setose. Epandrium divided into two lamellae (dorsal bridge absent); epandrial lamella rather subtriangular (lateral view) but with somewhat elongate, narrow, apical portion; mostly covered with moderately long setae. Hypandrium subtriangular in ventral view, with pointed apex, well-sclerotised, with tuft of numerous, strong, long setae; gonocoxal apodeme inconspicuous. Hypoproct weakly sclerotised, bare. Phallus rather short, mostly hidden; slightly broader on basal part, becoming gradually slender towards apex, gently curved, somewhat hook-like on apex. Ejaculatory apodeme small, without lateral wings. Cerci narrowly fused with epandrium, separated from each other; cercus unilobate, subtriangular in lateral view, with almost straight upper margin, posterior corner slightly shorter than level of epandrial lamella apex; covered with mostly short fine setae.

Female. Similar to male, except as follows: Dichoptic, ommatidia equally small. Frons broad, subshiny. Cercus long, slender.

Etymology. The species epithet, stepankubiki , is a Latin genitive patronym to honour of Czech dipterist Štěpán Kubík (Praha) in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of Diptera .

Remarks. Rhamphomyia (H.) stepankubiki sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from other species of Holoclera (especially R. (H.) nigripennis group) in an extensively shiny mesoscutum. This species was first recognised by Barták & Kubík (2012), but it was left unnamed due to the absence of males at their disposal.

Distribution. Armenia, Turkey.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Rhamphomyia (Holoclera) stepankubiki sp. nov., male, holotype. A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Hypopygium, lateral view. C. Outline of hypopygium, lateral view (setae omitted). Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; ej apod—ejaculatory apodeme; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; ph—phallus. Scale bar 1 mm.