Sphecomyia sexfasciata Moran sp. n. Figs 2K, 16B, 17B, 18B, 23

Type locality.

U.S.A: California, Ventura Co., Ventura Mountains, Pine Mountain Creek, just south of Reyes Creek Campground, 34.677, −119.308, 1190 m.

Type.

Holotype male, pinned. Original label: "USA: California: Ventura Co. // Ventura Mountains, Pine Mountain // creek just S. of Reyes Cr. Cmpgrd. // 34.677° N, − 119.308° W, elev 1190 m // at Prunus virginiana var. demisa // 29 April– 1 May 2016 // J. N. Hogue, notes JNH# 526" " LACM ENT 342251". [1♂, LACMENT342251, LACM]

Paratypes: U.S.A.: California, Arroyo Seco, 34.118483, −118.191733, C.D. Michener, 27.i.1935, CNC46969 (1♂, CNC); Monterey Co., Highway. 1, roadside canyon 3.5 km N Lucia, 36.0589, −121.5875, K.C. Holston, 15.v.2001, KMM0901 (1♀, CSCA); Riverside Co., Morongo Valley, 34.0451, −116.5668, W. Laidlaw, 28.iv.1972, JSS45129 (1♀, CAS); Riverside Co., Riverside, 33.9533, −117.3919, Salix lasiolepis, 26.ii.1933, UCRC428629; UCRC428631 (1♂,1♀, UCRC); San Bernardino Co., Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, 34.0507, −116.5694, J.H. Skevington, K. Moran, 25.iv.2016, CNC517072 (1♀, CNC); Ventura Co., Ventura Mountains, Pine Mountain Creek, just South of Reyes Creek Campground, 34.677, −119.308, 1190 m, Prunus virginiana var. demisa, A.M. Haberkern, 30.iv.2016, LACMENT342306 (1♂, USNM); J.N. Hogue, 29. iv– 1.v.2016, LACMENT342252 (1♂, LACM).

Diagnosis.

Species similar to S. brevicornis and S. interrupta sp. n. but can be distinguished by the following characters: scutum with three pairs of pruinose vittae; cell c completely microtrichose; antenna possessing a 3:3:2 ratio of segments; frons pilose; anepimeron pruinose; anterior three-fourth of scutellum pruinose; medial facial vitta not interrupted by a macula of pruinosity on tubercle.

Description.

Male. Body length: 12.3-12.6 mm. Wing length: 8.9-9.6 mm. Head. Face yellow pruinose with shiny, black, medial vitta extending from oral margin to base of antenna; frons broad, about as long as broad at antenna, two-thirds as broad at vertex as at antenna, sparsely yellow pilose, with yellow pruinosity along posterior fourth; vertex triangular, longer than broad, shiny, with ocellar triangle black pilose; postocular border yellow pruinose; postocular pile black; occipital pile yellow; male narrowly dichoptic; antenna black, black pilose, length of segments roughly in a 3:3:2 ratio.

Thorax. Matte black; postpronotum yellow pilose; scutum yellow pilose, except with black pile posteromedially; scutellum, postalar callus, proepimeron, posterior anepisternum yellow pilose; posterior katepisternum yellow pilose with broadly separated patches; anterior anepimeron yellow pilose; metasternum yellow pilose; postpronotum, scutellum, broad posterior margin of anepisternum and dorso-posterior corner of katepisternum yellow pruinose; anepimeron yellow pruinose anteriorly; scutum with three pairs of pruinose vittae, anterior pair long running from anterior edge of scutum to transverse suture, posterior pair shorter and terminating before posterior edge and a small medial pair along the lateral margins of the scutum; ventral calypter with long yellow pile.

Legs. Fore femur, except for extreme apex, along with last two tarsi black; rest of leg yellow; midleg with femur except extreme apex, and last two tarsomeres, black; rest of leg reddish-yellow; hind leg reddish-yellow except last two tarsomeres black; legs yellow pilose, except black pilose on last three tarsomeres;

Wing. Hyaline; microtrichia absent from following areas: broad anterior margin of cell cua.

Abdomen. Tergites and sternites shiny to sub-shiny, black with yellow pruinose markings as follows: tergite 1 pruinose along posterior margin; tergite 2 with broad, interrupted, truncate medial band which meets a broad, uninterrupted posterior band in the posterolateral corners of tergite; tergite 3 with broad medial band, sometimes very narrowly interrupted, that joins with broad posterior band in two places creating a medial diamond-shaped spot of no pruinosity; pattern on tergite 4 same as tergite 3; sternites 1 to 4 completely pruinose; sternites 6 to 8 pruinose; pile of abdomen yellow.

Male genitalia. Surstylus elongated, about 2½ times as long as broad, apex acute, directed ventrally, with abrupt curve; pile on dorsal surface of surstylus, increasing in length posteriorly; minute spines on ventral surface and apical three-fourth of lateral inner and outer surface; basal fourth of the ventral surface of the surstylus produced into a lobe directed ventrally, with minute pubescence on ventral and lateral inner surface; cerci rounded, with invagination on posterior border; aedeagus as in Fig. 2K.

Female.

Similar to male except normal sexual dimorphism.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: California (Fig. 23). Lowland chaparral in southern California.

Biology .

Collected visiting flowers of Salix lasiolepis Benth. and Prunus virginiana var. demisa (Nutt. ex Torr. and A. Gray) Torr. Recorded flying late January through mid-May.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin sex (Brown 1956: 700), which means six, and the Latin fasciata (Brown 1956: 134), which means band or stripe. It references the three pairs of vittae on the scutum, a character unique within the genus Sphecomyia .