Efferia woodleyi, Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2009

Aubrey G. Scarbrough & Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, 2009, Review of the West Indian species of Efferia Coquillett (Diptera: Asilidae) with 13 new species and checklist: Part II. Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Lesser Antilles including Tobago and Trinidad, Zootaxa 1994, pp. 1-66 : 42-45

Efferia woodleyi sp. nov.

Figs. 82–87 , Table 1

Male. Measurements, body 12.8–16.0 mm; wing 8.8–10.9 mm. Head: Yellowish-grey to yellowish tomentose. Face with numerous black bristles medially, mixed whitish setae; face at antennae 3/4–4/5 as wide as 1 eye. Palpi mostly white setose, abundant black setae on apical 1/3. Antennae entirely and frons mostly or entirely black setose. Ocellar tubercle setae black. Occiput mostly yellowish-gray tomentose with yellowish or white setae; 2–5 black postocular bristles.

Thorax: Pronotum brownish-yellow tomentose, pale setae, bristles thin, usually all or most black. Scutum brown tomentose, golden brownish-yellow at some angles, yellowish-gray posteriorly; vestiture black, sparse pale setae anteriorly; anterior scutal setae subequal or as long as scape. Scutellum yellowish-gray tomentose, setae mixed yellowish and black, as long as scape and pedicel combined and marginal bristles; 2–3 stout marginal bristles, usually black. Pleura brownish-yellow tomentose anteriorly, dorsal vestiture mostly black, scattered, white, sometimes mixed black and white, ventrally. Halter yellowish.

Wing: Brownish, except on basal 1/2 medially, costal cell dark; costal margin dilated. Cell r4 narrow basally, well beyond d cell; R4 recurrent vein absent or if present then extremely short. Crossvein r-m at apical 1/5 of cell d.

Legs: Coxae yellowish-gray tomentose, vestiture white, bristles yellowish. Femora black, setae mostly whitish or pale yellowish, apices black, especially apical 1/3 of prothoracic femur dorsally; bristles mostly black, 1–2 anteroventral and/or 1–2 anterior bristles yellowish basally. Metathoracic femora usually with 5–7 black anteroventral bristles. Tibiae brownish-yellow, apices black, bristles black, setae mostly yellow, dense setae sometimes reddish-yellow. Tarsi reddish, apices of tarsomeres 1–4 black, apical tarsomere mostly black; metathoracic tarsus usually blackish with only a slight tint of red. Abdomen: Tergites 2–5 mostly brown tomentose dorsally, sometimes yellowish along margin of brown, wide sides white or yellowish-gray; segments 1, 6–7, and sternites 1–5 white tomentose; rarely segments 5–7 white tomentose. Setae mostly white, yellowish on sides of basal tergites, long on basal 5 sternites, dense along apical margin of sternites 6–7; dark tomentose areas of tergites with short blackish setae, abundant and wide spread on tergites 4–5, sparse on 2–3 and 8 medially; sparse, short, yellowish setae present on sides of tergite 8.

Terminalia ( Figs. 82–85 ): Black setose, sparse yellowish dorsally, 1/4–1/3 wider apically than medially in anterior view. Epandrium 2.9–3.2 times as long as wide, small mound-like medioapical process, posterodorsal process longer than wide, margins somewhat angular and margined weakly sclerotized membrane. Gonostylus narrow apically, slightly pointed asymmetrically. Aedeagus with simple flanges, tubes oblique, weakly curved dorsoapically. Gonocoxa with prominent protuberance medially and setae on apical 1/2 anteriorly; ridges present laterally, setae dense, long posteriorly, much shorter ventrally.

Female. Measurements, body 14.5–16.3 mm; wing 11.8–13.0 mm. Face, frons, and thorax yellow or brownish-yellow tomentose. Head: Face at antennae 3/4–4/5 as wide as head. Frons black setose; 4–5 postocular bristles black. Thorax: Anterior scutal setae 2/3–3/4 as long as scape. Scutellum with mixed yellowish and black setae, 1/2–2/3 times as long as scape and 1/2 as long as marginal bristles. Pleura usually with anepisternum black setose; katatergite sometimes black bristles. Wing: Brownish, darkest bordering veins and in costal cell. Crossvein r-m at apical 1/3 of cell d. R4 recurrent vein usually as long as cell r4 basally. Legs: Prothoracic femur with row of bristles ventrally, most or all yellowish, often 1–3 black. Mid and metathoracic femora with 2 yellowish bristles basally, 3 and 5 black anteroventral bristles respectively. Abdomen: Tergites 2–6 brown tomentose dorsally with black setae at least on middle narrowly, more wide spread on tergites 5–6, tergite 7 black, black setose; segments 1–6 laterally and ventrally grayish tomentose, white setose; setae long, erect on 1–4, or 5; sternite 7 usually brownish-gray tomentose, sometimes tomentum sparse and limited medially or basally, mostly white setose with sparse black apically, sometimes entirely white. Terminalia ( Figs. 86–87 ): Narrow, 4.7–5.0 mm, 10–11.5 times longer than diameter at middle. Cercus 1/3–1/2 as long as tergite 9 dorsally. Spermathecae oval to ovate, broadly round or slightly tapered apically.

Types. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Independencia Prov., PN / Sierra de Bahoruco, Caseta 1 / S. of Puerto Escondido, 1215 m / 18o16.035’N, 71o32.684’W / 12 July 2004 N.E. Woodley (holotype ♂, NMNH); RD-172 Las Yayitas, Azua / Prov., 21.xi. 2003, 350 m, / 18o30.528’N 70o44.516’W, / D. Perez, R. Bastardo, A. / Francisco (d) (1 ♀, NMNH); La Altagracia Prov., 1 km S / Cruce Higuey – Bayahibe, / 18o25.421’N 65o50.787’W, / 78 m, 25.viii.2006, D. Perez, / B. Hierro (1 ♂, NMNH); RD-278 Near Hoyo Claro, / forest S Verón, La Altagracia / Prov., 18o33.605’N 68o26.875’W, / 28 m, 22.vii.2004, D. Perez (d) (1 ♀, NMNH); Prov. La Altagracia, / Nisibon 4–7.v.78 / beach under coconuts ~ G.B. Fairchild / R.E. Woodruff / flight insect trap ~ Efferia / nigrimystaceus / Macq. - 80 / det. J. Wilcox (2 ♂, FSCA); Prov. La Altagracia, Nisibon / Finca Papagallo, beach / R.E. Woodruff & R.M. Bara- / nowski 16.vi.1999 (1 ♂, FSCA); Prov. / La Romana, Represa de / Río Chavon 23.vi.1998 / R.E. Woodruff, sweeping (1 ♂, FSCA); Independencia Prov., RD-140 ~ 1 km SE caseta no. 1, / Parque Nacional Sierra de Baho- / ruco, Independencia Prov., / 18o15.771’N 71o32.233’W, / 1,153 m, 4.vii.2003, D. Perez, / R. Bastardo, B. Hierro (day/night) (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-271 4–5 km S of Puerto / Escondido, on trail to Caseta 1, / PN Sierra / de Bahoruco, / Independencia Prov., ~ 950 m, 14.vii.2004, D. Perez (1 ♂, NMNH); Independencia Prov., Puerto / Escondido, canal on western / end of town, 18o19.442’N / 71o34.485’W, 415 m, 13.viii. / 2006, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, B. Hierro (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-133 La placa, Puerto / Escondido, Independencia / Prov., / 18o21.305’N 71o39.278’W, 2.vii.2003, D. / Perez, R. Bastardo, B. / Hierro (day/night) (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-272 Caseta 1, PN Sierra / de Bahoruco, Independencia / Prov., 18o16.038’N 71 o32.691’W / 1,239 m, 14.vii.2004, D. Perez (3 ♂, 2 ♀, MHND); RD-136 Caseta no. 1, Parque / National Sierra / de Bahoruco, / Independencia Prov., 18o16.080’N 71 o32. 704’W / 777 m, / 3.vii.2003, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, B. Hierro (day) (1 ♂, NMNH); RD-146 ~ 2 km S Pinos del Edén, / Sierra de Neiba, Independencia / Prov., / 18o34.758’N 71o45.804’W, / 8.vii.2003, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, / B. Hierro (night) (1 ♀, NMNH); Constanza [La Vega Prov.,] / 2–6 June 1969 / Flint & Gomez (1 ♂, NMNH); La Vega Prov., / Hotel Montana, ca. 520 / 10 km NE. Jarabacoa / 20 May 1973 / Don and Mignon Davis (1 ♀, MNNH); RD-233 Few kms E. Valle- / juelo, San Juan Prov., 704 m / 18o40.122’N 71o18.446’W, / 21.vi.2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro R. Bastardo (d) (1 ♂, 2 ♀, NMNH); RD-238 1 km SE Bastida, / foothills near canal of Yaque / del Sur river, San Juan Prov., / 23.iv.2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-245 Jaiquí Picado, ~ 2 km / W. road Santiago-Sajoma, San - / tiago Prov., 531 m, 19o26.372’N / 70o 52.434’W, 27.iv.2004, D. / Perez, B. Hierro, R. Bastardo (d) (1 ♂, 6 ♀, NMNH); RD-243 Babosico, on way to / Jánico Santiago Prov., 515 m, / 19o20.955’N 70o47.503’W, 27 / iv.2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro, / R. Bastardo (d) (2 ♂, 1 ♀, NMNH); RD-244 Cerro Santo Tomás, / Parque Botánico de Jánico, / Santiago Prov., 493 m, / 19o19.382’N 70o49.240’W, 27.iv.2004, / D. Perez, B. Hierro, R Bastardo (d) (1 ♀, NMNH); RD-248 Entrance to Sabana / Iglesia, Santiago Prov., 374 m / 19o20.196’N 70o45.483’W, / 29.iv.2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro, / R. Bastardo (d) (1 ♂, NMNH); Sierra Prieta, Santo Domingo / Prov., 13.v.2004, R. Bastardo (1 ♂, 1 ♀, MHND); District Nacional / Haina, 18.v.85 / L.A. Stange (1 ♂, FSCA); La Boraba, Sierra Prieta / Santo Domingo Prov., 24. / vi.2004 R. Bastardo (1 ♀, MHND); 16728, no data (1 ♂, IIBZ).

Distribution. Dominican Republic: Azua, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, San Juan, Santiago, and Santo Domingo provinces. Active at 12 to 1239 meters in elevation during April through August, and into November.

Etymology. This species is named for Norman Woodley, USDA, SEL, at the NMNH, Washington, D.C., who collected the holotype of this species and contributed numerous specimens from the Dominican Republic during our study.

Remarks. Efferia woodleyi is distinguished by the abundant black vestiture of the head; black pronotal bristles, and combined characters of the terminalia ( Figs. 82–87 ). The male is further distinguished by slightly dilated costa, R4 recurrent vein usually absent, and segments 5–7 or 6–7 white tomentose. The female is further distinguished by the brownish-gray tomentose and white setose sternite 7, only the apical margin has black setae, setae sometimes entirely white, and the long slender ovipositor.

Figures

FIGURES 82–87. Efferia woodleyi sp. nov. Male terminalia, lateral view: 82. Lateral view, lateral view: 83. Gonostylus with thick sclerotization; 84. Phallus; and 85. Aedeagus with tubes and phallic flange. Female terminalia: 86. Ovipositor; 87. Median and lateral spermathecae.