Entesia rubida (Wulp)

Winterton, Shaun L. & Irwin, Michael E., 2023, Revision of the South American stiletto fly genera Entesia Oldroyd and Melanothereva Malloch, with the description of a new genus (Therevidae: Agapophytinae), Zootaxa 5269 (1), pp. 1-82 : 44-45

Entesia rubida (Wulp)

( Figs 13B ; 27–30 ; 33B ; 52 )

Psilocephala rubida Wulp, 1888: 369 — Bréthes (1907: 289 [catalogue]); Kertész (1909: 164 [catalogue]); Kröber (1911: 498, 500, 509 [keys, redescription]; 1913: 33, 35, 38 [checklist, keys]; 1928b: 7, 8, 12, 23 [distribution, keys, redescription]).

Entesia rubida ( Wulp, 1888) — Metz et al. (2003: 254–255 [neotype designation, translation of original description]); Webb et al. (2013: 14 [catalogue]).

Entesia tarsata Oldroyd, 1968: 378 — Webb et al. (2013: 14 [catalogue]). syn.n.

Diagnosis. Slender, grey and brown or dark yellow species; dark spot on frons above antennae; male with single row of postocular macrosetae, macrosetae absent on upper occiput; male frons contiguous below ocellar tubercle; cervical sclerite macrosetae absent; wing smoky infuscate; posterior surface of midcoxa and medial furrow of prosternum with setae absent; scutellum with one pair macrosetae; hind legs relatively elongate with tibia and basitarsus thickened (male); hind femoral subapical anteroventral seta absent; distiphallus short and broad.

Redescription. Body length. 8.0–9.0 mm (male), 10.0–12.0 mm (female). Head. Frons flat, pubescence yellow with dark brown medial spot above antennae, short dark setae sparse in female (absent in male), male frons width at narrowest point with eyes contiguous; male postocular setae as single row, postocular setae admixed black or yellow, especially in female; male occiput relatively concave, convex in female, occiput pubescence yellowish brown, grey medially on occiput, occiput with setae absent; genal setae yellow; antenna slightly shorter than head ( Fig. 33B ); scape subequal in length to flagellum, dark yellow, sparsely covered with short, dark setae; flagellum conical shaped, orange-yellow, style dark. Thorax. Scutum grey (male) or tan-orange (female) with brown markings as a single narrow medial vitta and interrupted, dorsocentral vittae, scattered dark setae, denser and longer anteriorly in male, macrosetae yellow, chaetotaxy: np, 4; sa, 1; pa, 1; dc, 2–4; sc, 1; scutellum concolourous with scutum; prosternum without setae in medial furrow; cervical sclerite lacking macrosetae; pleuron yellow to tan, overlain with sparse greyish pubescence, white setae on anepisternum, katepisternum and katatergite; coxae yellow, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae mostly pale, macrosetae few in number, yellow or black, mid- and hind coxae without setae on posterior surfaces; femora uniform yellow, short dark setae, admixed with longer pale setae ventrally; hind leg length noticeably longer than mid- and forelegs, hind tibia distally and all of basitarsus thickened; hind femur lacking subapical macroseta; tibiae and tarsi dark yellow with apices brown; wing smoky hyaline, infuscate anteriorly, venation dark, yellowish anteriorly, costal margin setae arranged in two rows, costal cell yellow infuscate; haltere stem pale with knob mostly brown. Abdomen. Sternite 1 lacking medial tuft of setae; male abdomen base colour dark brown dorsally, yellow laterally, elongate white setae, darker on posterior segments and terminalia, male abdomen without silver velutum on tergites; female abdomen dark yellow; short black setae uniformly distributed on all segments; abdominal tergite 2 with patch of short modified setae posteromedially, male terminalia brown. Male terminalia. Epandrium short, oblong with rounded lateral margins; cerci relatively narrow and short; macrosetae dark on epandrium and gonocoxites; outer gonocoxite process well developed, narrow; phallus with dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath widely forked with arms parallel; ventral apodeme broad, extending anteriorly beyond dorsal apodeme; distiphallus straight and short; ejaculatory apodeme narrow. Female terminalia. As per genus description.

Comments. Metz et al. (2003) designated a neotype for Psilocephala rubida Wulp , as the syntypes are presumed destroyed (see Rotheray et al., 2000). They also transferred the species from Psilocephala to Entesia . After examination of types of both species we conclude that E. tarsata is a newly recognised synonym of P. rubida . Entesia rubida exhibits distinctive sexually dimorphic colouration as well as enlarged hind legs in male. The dark brown spot on the frons of both males and females is distinctive and is also in the closely related Entesia rubidaster sp. n., which largely differs notably in the length of the antenna. Entesia rubida is a relatively commonly collected species found on both sides of the Andes Mountain range, in central Chile and far western Argentina ( Fig. 52 ).

Type material— Psilocephala rubida Wulp, 1888 , ARGENTINA: Neotype female, Catamarca Province: Tucumán [-26.7872, -65.2678] (MEI134210; MLUH) [examined].

Entesia tarsata Oldroyd, 1968 , ARGENTINA: Holotype male, Río Negro Province: Chacabuco area, San Carlos de Bariloche, San Ramon , Hillside [-41.1373, -71.2482], coll. 18.iv.1966, [reared] pupated 25.ix.1966, emerged 17.xii.1966 ( NHM) [examined]. Paratypes. Río Negro Province: 3 males, 1 female, various dates, same data as holotype [reared] ( NHM) [examined].

Other material examined— ARGENTINA: Chubut Province: 30 males, 22 females, Alerces National Park, Lago Futalaufquen, near Quime Quipan [-42.8611, -71.6026], 23–31.XII.2005, M.E. Irwin, Malaise in Nothofagus forest, 530 m (MEI164665–84; CASC) ; 12 males, 10 females, 2 km SE Alerces National Park entrance [-42.8611, -71.6026], 23–31.XII.2005, M.E. Irwin, Malaise along stream in Nothofagus forest ( CSCA) ; 10 males, 14 females, Cholila, Chacra of Stephen Bussey [-42.4496, -71.4503], 23–31.XII.2005, M.E. Irwin, Malaise in steep gorge, 560 m ( CSCA) . Neuquén Province: 1 female, Pucará [-40.1556, -71.6318], I.1955, (MEI135335; MSU) ; 1 female, Auquinco, N shore, Lago Lolog [-40.0217, -71.4615], 3.I.1994, O. Flint, M. Wood (MEI123796; CNC) ; 6 males, Lanin National Park , 1.5 km N Puerto Canoa [-39.7337, -71.5143], 25.XII.2005 – 2.I.2006, M.E. Irwin, Malaise in steppe bunchgrass, 1010 m ( CSCA) ; 2 males, Estancia Mamuil Malal, 6 km W highway 23 on Highway 60 [-39.7551, -71.0943], 26.XII.2005, M.E. Irwin, Malaise in damp wash, 850 m ( CSCA) ; 2 females, 2 km S Rincon Chico, Nahuel Huapi National Park [-41.0025, -71.1268], 24–31.XII.2005, M.E. Irwin, Malaise in Patagonian steppe, 820 m ( CSCA) ; 1 male, 5 females, 6 km N San Martin de los Andes [-40.1082, -71.3403], 1–4.I.1994, G.&M. Wood, 1000 m (MEI123790–5; CNC) . Río Negro Province: 1 male, de Bariloche, Colonia Suiza [-41.0956, -71.5123], 24.XII.1981, Nielsen, Karscholt, 800 m (MEI152196; UZM) . CHILE: Araucania Region: 1 female, Lago Icalma [- 38.8095, -71.2836], 12.I.1989, L. S. Kimsey, 1000m (MEI030506; MCZ) ; 1 female, Termas de Rio Blanco [-39.1105, -71.6124], 22.I.1967, M.E. Irwin, L.A. Stange (MEI153985; CSCA) ; 1 male, Marimenuco [-38.7128, -71.1097], 10–13.I.1964, L. Peña, 1100 m (MEI153973; CNC) ; 1 female, Nahuelbuta National Park , science information centre [-37.8479, -72.9492], 11.XI.1997, M.E. Irwin, Araucaria leaf litter (MEI106825; CSCA) ; Villarrica National Park, Quillelhue Sector [-39.5701, -71.5633], 14.III.2005, M.E. Irwin, S. Ocares F., sieved from dry soil under fallen Nothofagus tree trunk, 1250 m ( CSCA) . Los Rios Region: 1 female, Valdivia [-39.8251, -73.2021], 16.XII.1990, I. Krahner ( CSCA) ; 1 female, Terao , 30 km SE Castro [-42.7022, -73.6476], 23–26.XII.1993, G.&M. Wood (MEI123795; CNC) ; 1 female, Dalcahue [-42.3731, -73.6519], 8.II.1971, G. Barria, (MEI154191; MEUC) . Maule Region: 1 male, 20 km E Potrero Grande, El Relvo [-33.1833, -70.9491], 14.I.2004, J.E. Barriga, Nothofagus dombeyi fogging ( CSCA) . Ñuble Region: 1 male, 7 females, 7.5 km E Recinto [-36.8773, -71.5785], 4–6.I.2000, M.E. Irwin, E.I. Schlinger, Malaise in dry riverbed, 760 m (MEI121509, 121512–9; CASC) ; 3 females, 2 km N Las Trancas [-36.9041, -71.4828], 6–9.I.2000, M.E. Irwin, E.I. Schlinger, Malaise in Nothofagus forest, 3700 ft. (MEI121514; CSCA) . Santiago Metropolitan Region: 1 male, Quebrada de la Plata, Rinconada, Maipú [-33.4984, -70.9042], 24.XI–7XII.1997, M.E. Irwin, G. Barria, Malaise in canyon ( CSCA) . Valparaiso Region: 1 male, Palma de Ocoa Campanas National Park [-32.9324, -71.0781], 6–20.XII.1997, M.E. Irwin, G. Barria, Malaise in hillside draw ( CSCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 13. Entesia and Melanothereva wings: A. E. dolichochele sp. n.; B. E. rubida (Wulp); C. M. lugubris (Macquart) (Scale line: 0.75 mm).

FIGURE 27. Entesia rubida (Wulp): A. Male, oblique view; B. same, lateral view.

FIGURE 28. Entesia rubida (Wulp): A. Female, oblique view; B. same, lateral view.

FIGURE 29. Entesia rubida (Wulp), male terminalia: A. epandrium; B. gonocoxites, ventral view; C. sternite 8, ventral view; D. gonocoxites, lateral view; E. phallus, dorsal view; F. same lateral view. Scale line: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 30. Entesia rubida (Wulp), female internal genitalia.Abbreviations: ss, spermathecal sac; ssd, spermathecal sac duct; s, spermatheca; f, furca; ag, accessory gland. Scale line: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 33. Entesia spp., heads, anterolateral view: A. E. pallidiventroides sp. n., male; B. E. rubida (Wulp), male; C. E. rubidaster sp. n., male; D, E. rubidaster sp. n., female (Scale line: 0.75 mm).

FIGURE 52. Distribution map of Entesia pallidiventris, E. rubida and E. rubidaster.