Egle anderssoni, Michelsen, 2009

Michelsen, Verner, 2009, Revision of the willow catkin flies, genus Egle Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), in Europe and neighbouring areas, Zootaxa 2043 (1), pp. 1-76 : 27-30

6. Egle anderssoni sp. nov.

Figs. 30 , 69–74 , 80, 81 .

Etymology. Named after Hugo Andersson (Lund, Sweden), former dipterist at the Museum of Zoology, Lund University, who first collected the species at Klagshamn in Skåne.

Description. Closely resembling Egle ciliata in size and general habitus, but different in both sexes as follows: Fronto-parafacial angle more strongly developed, lying practically in line with projected lower facial margin, resulting in a “buccate” head ( Fig. 30 ). Parafacial very broad on upper part, ca. 1.4 times width of postpedicel. Interantennal facial ridge less developed, shallow. Haustellum and palp distinctly shorter. Proepisternals 3–5. Lower calypter shorter than upper calypter. Fore tibia with 0–1 pd-seta. Male. Frons on upper part broader than diameter of anterior ocellus and with broader, narrowly separated parafrontals. Gena even broader and setae more abundant. Terminalia ( Figs. 69–74 ): Very similar to those of E. brevicornis , but apical extension of cerci and in particular surstyli proportionately shorter. Female. Oviscapt ( Figs. 80, 81 ): Hind marginal setulae on tergite VIII uni-serial; pair of fine setae present on hind part of sternite VIII pieces; cerci in broadest aspect widening posteriorly, broadly rounded on apical part.

Material examined. Type material: SWEDEN [ MZUL, ZMUC]: Skåne: Klagshamnsudde , on Salix , 1 male 15.iv.1982, 3 males (including holotype in MZUL), 3 females 18.iv.1982 (H. Andersson) . MOROCCO [ ZMUC]: Tizi-n’-Talrhemt pass, 1900m, 1 female 15.iv.1989 (Zool. Mus. Copenh. Exp.) . SPAIN [ ZMUC]: Alicante : Nat. Park Font Roja, 1 female 16.iii.2007 ( V. Michelsen); Beniaia, stream bed, 2 males 18.iii.2007 ( V. Michelsen) .

Biology. An early-season species found on flowering Salix spp. Larval development certainly takes place in the female catkins.

Distribution. Hugo Andersson’s find in 1982 of this new, large-sized species of Egle near to the coast in southern Skåne ( Sweden) was rather unexpected. I visited the type locality several times in April–May 2008 but did not find more specimens. The other known localities for E. anderssoni are in Spain and Morocco, which suggests that its main distribution lies in the western Mediterranean basin. It has surely been overlooked because of its early flight period and mainly southern distribution in Europe.

Relationships. The shape of the male cerci and surstyli suggests a closest relationship with Egle brevicornis and the Nearctic counterpart E. washburni .

Figures

FIGURES 27–30. Egle spp., male head. 27. E. concomitans. 28. E. ciliata. 29. E. brevicornis. 30. E. anderssoni. Same scale.

FIGURES 69–74. Egle anderssoni, male terminalia [holotype: Sweden]. 69, 70. Sternite V, ventral and lateral views. 71, 72. Hypopygium, caudal and lateral views. 73. Pre- and postgonites, lateral view. 74. Phallus, lateral view. Same scale.

FIGURES 75–81. Egle spp., female terminalia. 75. E. ciliata, oviscapt, flat mounted. 76, 77. Same, distal oviscapt, lateral and laterodorsal views. 78, 79. E. brevicornis, distal oviscapt, lateral and laterodorsal views. 80, 81. E. anderssoni [paratype: Sweden], distal oviscapt, lateral and laterodorsal views. Same scale for 76–81.