Schildia alphus Martin, 1975

Dikow, Torsten & Bayless, Keith M., 2009, Taxonomic revision of the genus Schildia Aldrich, 1923 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae) with the description of new extant and extinct species, Insect Systematics & Evolution 40, pp. 253-289 : 265-266

Schildia alphus Martin, 1975 ( Fig. 38 ) ( Martin, 1975: 190)

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the minute metathoracic empodia (never more than 1/4 as long as median claw), the anteriorly apruinose meron+metanepisternum, and the brown postocular setae.

Redescription. Head: Face grey pruinose, wide, wider than adjacent ommatidium; mystax light yellow, 2 setae; vertex wide, wider than face at clypeal–facial margin, grey pruinose; occipital triangle apruinose, distance between triangle and median eye margin more than adjacent ommatidium; occiput along eye margin grey pruinose, medially brown pruinose, median dorso-ventral stripe silver pruinose, ventro-laterally apruinose; postocular setae brown; proboscis brown; Antennae: scape and pedicel light yellow, light yellow setae dorsally and ventrally; postpedicel proximally light yellow, brown distally, silver pruinose, about 2 times as long as combined length of scape and pedicel; stylus brown, about 1/2 as long as postpedicel, composed of 1 element.

Th orax: Predominantly brown, parts silver and brown pruinose; antepronotum, postpronotum, and median postpronotal lobes silver pruinose; lateral postpronotal lobes apruinose, light yellow; scutum brown, predominantly apruinose, lateral and posterior margins silver pruinose; presutural dc setae: 2 short, 1 long, postsutural dc setae: 2 anteriorly oriented setae as long as short presutural dc setae, 5–6 short acr setae, 1 npl and 1 spa seta; anepisternum predominantly silver pruinose with brown pruinosity posteriorly, few yellow anepisternal setae on anterior and dorsal margins; anepimeron brown pruinose, proepimeron silver pruinose, katepisternum anteriorly silver and posteriorly brown pruinose, meron+metanepisternum anteriorly apruinose, silver pruinose posteriorly, metkatepisternum yellow, silver pruinose; scutellum brown, brown pruinose, few short apical scutellar setae; Legs: light yellow to brown; coxae and trochanters light yellow; pro and mes femora light yellow with 2 transverse light brown bands, met femur mostly light brown, clubbed in distal 2/5, club brown, yellow transverse band at proximal margin of club, scattered brown setae on pro and mes femora, met femur with distinct rows of brown macrosetae; pro and mes tibiae light yellow with 2 light brown transverse bands, met tibia brown with median yellow transverse band, slightly wider than width of tibia, all tibiae with brown erect macrosetae in rows, pro and mes tibiae with 3 long apical macrosetae, met tibia with 1 median and 2 apical macrosetae; tarsus light yellow to brown, proximal tarsomere always longer than 2following tarsomeres combined, short and long macrosetae on all tarsomeres; all empodia minute; median claw more than half as long as lateral claw; Wings: length = 3.40–3.65 mm; microtrichia scattered on wing, trichoid spicules short, symmetrical dorsally and ventrally, 16–24 on M1 between r-m and diversion of M1 and M2; cell d large, terminating in M2 and M3, r-m situated proximal to separation of M3 and CuA 1; R1 reaching C well proximal to R 5 and M 1 joining C, R 2+3 straight proximally and smoothly arching posteriad distally; halter light yellow, knob dark brown, length = 0.75 mm.

Abdomen: Brown, T3-6 yellow anteriorly; T2 length = 2.3 mm, T2 with yellow transverse band medially, T2–3 with short, erect, evenly spaced macrosetae, remaining T with irregularly spaced and longer macrosetae, T7–8 with lateral sensory areas; Male terminalia: ♂ unknown; Female genitalia: spermathecae occupying only segment 8, individual spermathecal ducts long and coiled; spermathecal reservoirs not sclerotized, as wide as individual ducts, forming a coil.

Type material. The ♀ holotype is labeled “ Sit. B. Vista Cascavel Ceará, VIII-39 (handwritten) / O.C. Alves Coll. (handwritten) / ♀ / HOLOTYPE Schildia alphus Chas. H. Martin (species name handwritten, red label)” ( MZSP). The specimen is double mounted (minuten glued into block of cork) and is in good condition. The ♀ paratype is labeled “ Ceará Cascavel Shannon + Alves XII-940 (handwritten, black bor- der) / ♀ / PARATYPE Schildia alphus Chas. H. Martin (species name handwritten, yellow label) / Charles H. Martin donation to F.S.C.A.” ( FSCA). The specimen is double mounted (minuten fixed to pin) and is in fair condition (left wing and metathoracic leg broken, abdomen glued to pin) .

Distribution. Brazil ( Fig. 38 ).

Remarks. Initially the holotype could not be found in the MZSP collection as indicated by Martin (1975), but was recovered in the FSCA among other Leptogastrinae type specimens. The FSCA purchased Charles H. Martin’s private collection after he passed away. The holotype was not collected in December 1940 as stated by Martin (1975) in his original description, but in August 1939 as clearly indicated on the label. This is the only Neotropical species found in xeric shrub lands and not in tropical or subtropical broad leafed forest.

Figures

Fig. 38. Map of the Neotropical region with biodiversity hotspots and wilderness areas, shaded in grey, showing distribution of Schildia alphus (square), S. caliginosa sp.n. (star), S. fragilis (circle) and S. gracillima (triangle). Open symbols, type localities.