Ceraturgus (Ceraturgus) mitchelli Brimley

Barnes, Jeffrey K., 2008, Review of the genus Ceraturgus Wiedemann (Diptera: Asilidae) in North America north of Mexico, Zootaxa 1766, pp. 1-45 : 7-11

Ceraturgus (Ceraturgus) mitchelli Brimley

( FIGS 1 A, 1B, 2A, 3)

Ceraturgus mitchelli Brimley, 1924: 9 .

Type material examined. Holotype, male, UNITED STATES, “Swannanoa, NC, 26 May 1923, T. B. Mitchell”, “ Type No. 26830 U.S. N.M.” [red label], “ TYPE Ceraturgus mitchelli Brimley ” [white label with double red outline], USNM.

Additional material examined. UNITED STATES. FLORIDA. Liberty County: Torreya State Park, 28 April 1952, ɗ, G. S. Walley, CNC; 13 May 1968, Ψ, G. H. Heinrich, FSCA; 15 May 1968, ɗ, H. V. Weems, Jr., FSCA; 9-17 May 1968, ɗ, Ψ, H. V. Weems, Jr., FSCA; 1 May 1973, ɗ, Ψ, H. V. Weems, Jr. FSCA; 22 April 1982, ɗ, L. L. Pechuman, CUIC.

GEORGIA. County unknown: Ψ, H. R. Morrison, USNM.

KENTUCKY. Rowan County: Daniel Boone National Forest, Ramey Cr., 1 June 1992, 2 Ψ, B. C. Kondradieff, CSUC; Ramey Cr., 0.5 mi. off CR-801, 1 June 1992, 2 ɗ, B. C. Kondratieff, CSUC; Ramey Cr., 28 May 1993, ɗ, Kondratieff & Kirchner, BYU; Ramey Cr., 28 May 1993, 7 ɗ, 7 Ψ, Kondradieff & Kichner, CSUC; Ramey Cr., Cave Run Lake, 25 May 2002, 5 ɗ, Ψ, B. Kondradieff & R. F. Kichner, CSUC.

LOUISIANA. Tangipahoa Parish: 6 April 1979, Ψ, R. L. Stone, LSAM.

MICHIGAN. Ingham County: East Lansing, 2 August 1937, Ψ, F. Parmelee, USNM.

NEBRASKA. Douglas County: Omaha, 17 June 1923, Ψ, R. A. Leussler, EMEC.

NORTH CAROLINA. Buncombe County: Black Mountain, 6 June 1927, Ψ, J. C. Crawford, NCSU.

OHIO. Ashland County: Mohican State Park, 7 June 1982, Ψ, CMNH. Franklin County: Columbus, 23 June 1930, ɗ, H. W. Smith, OSU. Geauga County: Bainbridge, 22 June 1935, ɗ, M. E. Crago, OSU. Holmes County: Holmesville, 17 June 1937, ɗ, Ψ, R. T. Everly, OSU; 20 June 1937, Ψ pinned with a silphid ( Nicrophorus marginatus Fabricius ), R. T. Everly, OSU. Stark County: Massillon, 20 June 1961, ɗ, L. R. Ertie, KSUC. Summit County: 12–24 June 1936, L. J. Lipovsky, ɗ, Ψ (examined by JW, now apparently lost). Summit County: 11 June 1937, 4 ɗ, L. J. Lipovsky, SEMC; 3 ɗ, L. J. Lipovsky, USNM; 12 June 1937, ɗ, L. Lipovsky, FSCA; Ψ, ɗ, L. J. Lipovsky, SEMC; ɗ, L. J. Lipovsky, USNM; 24 June 1937, Ψ, L. Lipovsky, FSCA; 5 ɗ, L. J. Lopovsky, SEMC; 29 June 1937, 2 ɗ, L. J. Lipovsky, USNM; Ira, 1 July 1920, 1 Ψ, J. S. Hine, OSU. Wayne County: 4 June 1948, Ψ, R. H. Weesel, CSCA; East Union Township, 15 June 1937, 2 Ψ, D. J. Borror & D. W. Jenkins, OSU, USNM; Wooster, 15 June 1937, ɗ, Ψ, D. Jenkins & D. J. Borror, OSU; 18 June 1954, Ψ, W. E. Goslin, OSU; 30 May 1957, Ψ, W. E. Goslin, OSU.

PENNSYLVANIA. Allegheny County: Wilmerding, 13 June 1914, ɗ, Zahrobsky, CLEV; 25 June, ɗ, Zahrobsky, CLEV. Butler County: Slippery Rock, 21 June 1929, ɗ, CMNH. Centre County: State College, 23 June 1934, Ψ, V. R. Haber, PSUC. Clearfield County: Shawville, 10 July 1940, 1 Ψ, J. Bauer, CMNH. Monroe County: ca. 2 mi. S of Bushkill, 10 June 1983, ɗ, C. S. Bergson, ANSP.

TENNESSEE. Blount County: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cade's Cove, 1–6 June 1979, ɗ, Sharkey & Johnson, MCZ. Morgan County: Burrvillle, 25 May 1950, Ψ, B. Benesh, FMNH; 1 June 1953, Ψ, B. Benesh, CUIC; 16 May 1954, Ψ, B. Benesh, FMNH; 8 June 1954, Ψ, B. Benesh, FMNH; 15 May 1955, ɗ, B. Benesh, FMNH; 3–6 June 1958, 2 Ψ, B. Benesh, FMNH; 14–16 June 1958, 2 Ψ, B. Benesh, FMNH.

TEXAS. Bastrop County: Lost Pines Biological Station, Stengl Ranch, between Buescher and Bastrop State Parks, 15–16 April 1994, Ψ, C. R. Nelson, BYU; Stengl Ranch, near Buescher State Park, 17 April 1993, 2 Ψ, C. R. Nelson & G. I. Baird, BYU. Brazos County: College Station, 11 April 1918, Ψ, H. J. Reinhard, TAMU. Colorado County: 11 April 1922, Ψ, G. Wiley, CAS. Dallas County: 19 April 1936, ɗ, Cheatum, USNM; Dallas, Ψ, MCZ. Montague County: Forestburg, 30 April 1942, 2 ɗ, Ψ, L. H. Bridwell, USNM; 18 May 1942, ɗ, L. H. Bridwell, USNM; 20 May 1942, Ψ, L. H. Bridwell, USNM; 30 May 1942, Ψ, L. H. Bridwell, USNM. Van Zandt County: Wills Point, 29 April 1937, ɗ, Ψ, R. W. Dawson, USNM.

Male. Body length: 15.9–19.5 mm (mean ± S.D.: 18.1 ± 0.9; N = 24).

Head. Width 1.6 times eye height. Face white tomentose. Frons, vertex, postcranium, and gena white pollinose; postcranium and gena only thinly pollinose; ocellar tubercle and narrow midfrontal area immediately below ocellar tubercle bare, shining black. Face with mystax of long white setae confined to lower third; upper face with shorter white setae reaching to antennal bases. Frons laterally with short, thin, white setae. Ocellar triangle tuberculate, with about 14–16 long white setae. Postocular setae white, many with proclinate apices. Postgena and stipes with dense vestiture of long, slender, apically crinkled, white hair-like setae. Proboscis dark brown or black, laterally compressed, about 3.3 times as long as deep, deepest near base, tapered to rounded apex. Palpal segments about equal in length, dark brown, both with long, pale hair-like setae. Antenna 4.3 mm long, dark brown or black; scape shining, with pale lateral setae along entire length; pedicel dull, with pale dorsolateral and ventrolateral setae at apex; flagellomeres dull; first flagellomere dorsally with only 2–3 short, inconspicuous, pale, proclinate setae; antennomere:scape ratios 1.0:0.8:2.9:0.5:2.2.

Thorax. Cervical sclerites black in ground color, densely white pollinose, with dense vestiture of long, slender, apically crinkled, white hair-like setae. Pronotum white to pale yellow pollinose, with dense pile of long, slender, apically crinkled, white setae covering antepronotum and with lateral patch of shorter, straight, white setae on postpronotum; postpronotal lobe thickly white pollinose, covered with long, slender, erect white setae. Propleuron white pollinose, with dense vestiture of long, declinate, white hair-like setae on proepisternum and reclinate hair-like setae on anterior portion of proepimeron. Prosternum thinly white pollinose, lacking setae or hair-like setae. Scutum black in ground color, with continuous, broad, white pollinose, lateral and posterior band extending from postpronotal lobe to postalar lobe and across prescutellar edge of scutum; with central subshining vitta extending from pronotum nearly to scutellum, divided by narrow brown pollinose vitta along midline, flanked by pale pollinose bands extending and tapering from anterior end of scutum to transverse suture; with pair of broad posterolateral subshining black bare patches, divided by narrow line of white pollen along transverse suture, reaching from behind postpronotal lobes almost to scutellum; subshining black areas of scutum mostly devoid of vestiture of short or long setae, except for patch of long hair-like setae between transverse suture and scutellum; pollinose areas of scutum with vestiture of shorter, hair-like setae; lateral margin of scutum, in addition to several weaker setae, with 3–4 strong, pale presutural setae and 8–12 strong, pale postsutural, supra-alar setae. Postalar callus mostly white pollinose, with short, pale hair-like setae laterally and long, strong, pale reclinate setae posteriorly. Scutellum black in ground color, sparsely white pollinose on disc and margin, with about 8–12 moderately strong, long, erect pale marginal setae longer than or equal to length of scutellum and several marginal hair-like setae. Mediotergite shining black; anatergite thickly white pollinose; katatergite white pollinose, with fan of long, slender, apically crinkled, white hair-like setae. Most mesopleural sclerites at least partly white pollinose, but pollen sparse or lacking on lower anepisternum, lower katepisternum, lower and posterior anepimeron, and meron, these areas appearing shining or dull black. Posterior half of anepisternum covered with long, fine, golden, apically crinkled hair-like setae; dorsal hair-like setae declinate, ventral hair-like setae reclinate. Anterior basalare brown; posterior basalare white pollinose. Katepisternum with dorsal line of fine, pale hair-like setae. Anepimeron, katepimeron, and meron lacking stout setae or hair-like setae. Basal swelling of pleural wing process white pollinose. Subalar sclerite brown. Metepisternum and metepimeron white pollinose; metepimeron with long, fine, apically crinkled, pale hair-like setae.

Legs. Coxae lightly dusted with white pollen. Prothoracic and mesothoracic coxae densely covered with long, slender, white, apically crinkled hair-like setae on anterior and lateral surfaces. Metathoracic coxa with similar hair-like setae anteroventrally and posterolaterally. All femora shining black except for brownish yellow extreme apices, with circlets of several stout, pale setae near apex; prothoracic femur with 0–1 stout, pale seta anteriorly near middle and 1–3 pale posterodorsal setae near apex; mesothoracic femur with 2 stout, pale setae anteriorly near middle and 3–4 pale posterodorsal setae near apex; metathoracic femur with anterior row of 5–8 white bristles and 1–2 pale posterodorsal setae near apex. Prothoracic tibia mostly yellow, with anterodorsal and posterodorsal row of short pale setae and posteroventral row of long pale setae; mesothoracic tibia variable in color, usually mostly yellow with brown anteroventral patch, sometimes mostly yellow with small apical brown or black ring, rarely completely black, with anterodorsal, antertoventral, posterodorsal, and posteroventral rows of long, pale, stout setae; metathoracic tibia black, except for brownish yellow extreme base, with dorsal and anterior rows of long, pale setae and ventral row of long pale to dark brown setae. Prothoracic tarsi with all tarsomeres brownish yellow. Mesothroacic tarsi with all tarsomeres brownish yellow basally, black apcially. Metathoracic tarsi with tarsomeres concolorous black. First tarsomere longer than or equal to length of second and third combined. All claws black with golden brown base. Prothoracic pulvilli brown; mesothoracic and metathoracic pulvilli yellow.

Wing ( FIG.1 A). 11.8–16.1 mm long (mean ± S.D.: 14.0 ± 0.8; N = 24). Membrane hyaline or very lightly infuscated apically, infuscated darker brown basally; lightly infuscated in cells bm, cu p, and a1, most heavily infuscated in cells c and sc, along anterior margin of cell br, at base of cells r1 and r2+3, and around crossvein rm. Halter with stem and knob brown or brownish yellow.

Abdomen. Tergites 1–5 shining black in ground color, with broad posterior white pollinose transverse band; each pollinose band complete, mostly uniform in width, but much wider at lateral margin. Tergite 1 with many long pale hair-like setae anterolaterally, many long pale setae posterolaterally. Tergite 2 with many long, slender, pale hair-like setae laterally; tergites 3–6 with shorter pale hair-like setae. Tergite 6 shining black, with white pollinose posterolateral angles. Tergite 7 shining black. Sternites 1–6 with heavy dusting of white pollen, and with some long, slender, pale hair-like setae. Terminalia shining black, with many long dark hairlike setae; gonocoxite and gonostylus as in Fig. 2 A.

Female. Similar to male.

Body length: 17.2–23.7 mm (mean ± S.D.: 20.8 ± 1.6; N = 18).

Head. Width 1.6 times eye height. Antenna 4.3 mm long; antennomere:scape ratios: 1.0:0.8:2.9:0.5:2.1.

Wing ( FIG.1 B). 14.3–19.0 mm long (mean ± S.D.: 17.1 ± 1.4; N = 18). Membrane more extensively infuscated than in male; mostly lightly infuscated brown, darker in cells c and sc, at base of cells r1 and r2+3, and around crossvein r-m.

Legs. Femora variable in color, usually mostly black with small apical yellow ring, sometimes mostly black with broad to narrow apical and basal reddish brown rings, rarely mostly reddish brown, with central black patches. Mesothoracic tibia variable in color, usually mostly yellow with small brown apical ring, sometimes mostly yellow with anteroventral brown or black patch, sometimes completely yellow. All pulvilli yellow.

Abdomen. All tergites shining black or dark brown in ground color. Tergites 1–4 with broad posterior white pollinose transverse band; each pollinose band complete, mostly uniform in width, but much wider at lateral margin. Tergite 6–8 wholly or mostly shining black; tergites 5–6 and sometimes tergite 7 with small posterolateral white pollinose patch. Sternites 1–8 shining black or dark brown in ground color; sternites 1–3 heavily dusted with white pollen; sternites 4–5 variable, usually only partially pollinose, especially laterally and posteriorly, but sternite 4 sometimes wholly pollinose; sternites 6–8 lacking pollen.

Distribution ( Fig. 3 ). Pennsylvania and Florida west to Nebraska and Texas.

Discussion. Ceraturgus mitchelli can be distinguished from other North American members of the genus by the fact that the posterior pollinose bands on male tergites 2–5 and female tergites 2–4 extend forward at the lateral margins of the tergites. The bands are thus widest at the lateral margins in this species only. This species has been commonly misidentified as C. dimidiatus , presumably because Back’s (1909) key leads to this species, which is now placed in the genus Taracticus .

Most females from Texas differ from typical females in that the femora are mostly black with broad to narrow apical and basal reddish brown rings. This, plus the odd, seemingly patchy distribution of the species, with most known specimens collected in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and eastern Texas, suggests that we might be identifying more than one species as C. mitchelli . However, comparison of the male genitalia of one specimen from Wilmerding, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, with those of a specimen from Forestburg, Montague County, Texas ( FIG. 2 A), has revealed no significant difference.

Specimens from Florida, Louisiana, and Texas have been collected from early April to late May. Most specimens from more northerly states have been collected from mid May to late June, although there is one record of specimen collected in early August in Michigan. One female from Holmesville, Holmes County, Ohio, is pinned with its presumed prey, a specimen of Nicrophorus marginatus Fabricius ( Coleoptera : Silphidae ) prey.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ceraturgus, right wing, dorsal view: A, B, C. mitchelli, male and female, respectively; C, D, C. elizabethae, male and female, respectively; E, F, C. cruciatus, male and female, respectively; G, H, C. fasciatus, male and female, respectively.

FIGURE 2. Ceraturgus male genitalia, epandrium removed, anterodorsal view: A, C. mitchelli; B, C. elizabethae; C, C. cruciatus; D, C. fasciatus.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Ceraturgus mitchelli by county and parish.