Ceraturgus (Ceraturgus) elizabethae Brimley

Barnes, Jeffrey K., 2008, Review of the genus Ceraturgus Wiedemann (Diptera: Asilidae) in North America north of Mexico, Zootaxa 1766, pp. 1-45 : 12-16

Ceraturgus (Ceraturgus) elizabethae Brimley

( FIGS 1 C, 1D, 2B, 4)

Ceraturgus elizabethae Brimley, 1924: 8 .

Type material examined. Holotype, male, UNITED STATES: “Raleigh, N. C., VI 13 1922, T. B. Mitchell”, “A Ψ in coitu A ɗ ”, “2.”, “ Type No. 26831 U.S. N.M.” [red label], “ Type Ceraturgus elizabethae ɗ Brimley”, USNM. Allotype, female, UNITED STATES: “Raleigh, N. C., VI 13 1922, T. B. Mitchell”, “A ɗ in coitu A Ψ”, Allotype No. 26831 U.S. N.M.” [red label]. Paratype, female, UNITED STATES: “Raleigh, N.C., 21 June 22, C. S. Brimley”, “ NCSU, ex NCDA &CS, 2000”, “ PARATYPE, Ceraturgus elizabethae Brimley ” [red label, handwritten], NCSU.

Additional material examined. UNITED STATES. ALABAMA. Monroe County: Haines Island Park, 31°43'23"N 37°28'10"W, 26–31 May 1995, ɗ, J. A. McGown, MEM.

ARKANSAS. Clay County: Chalk Bluff, 30 June 2005, Ψ, N. Lavers, UAAM. Craighead County: Jonesboro, woods, 26 June 2005, Ψ, N. Lavers, UAAM. Lee County: St. Francis National Forest, 22–23 June 1973, Ψ, NCSU; 9 June 2003, ɗ, N. Lavers, UAAM. Washington County: Fayetteville, 12–20 June 1973, Ψ, E. V. Gage, TAMU.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Chain Bridge, 24 July 1913, Ψ, H. B. Kirk, USNM.

GEORGIA. Clarke County: 3 July 1983, Ψ, E. Vargo, BYU; Whitehall Forest 14–18 June 1979, R. H. Turnbow, Jr., FSCA; Whitehall Forest, 5–8 July 1979, insect flight trap, Ψ, R. H. Turnbow, Jr., CSCA. Thomas County: Thomasville, 18 May 1940, ɗ, W. H. Thames, Jr., UGCA.

INDIANA. Harrison County: July 8, 1969, Ψ, H.R. Rush, CSCA; Owen County: Spencer, 11 July 1925, 2 ɗ, E. G. Anderson, USNM, UMRM; 12 July 1925, Ψ, E. G. Anderson, UMRM.

KENTUCKY. Hardin County: Fort Knox, 11 July 1963, ɗ, P. E. Adams, FSCA. Rockcastle County: Livingston, ɗ, H. G. Hubbard, USNM. MARYLAND. Prince George's County: Beltsville, 16 July, Ψ, F. R. Cole, USNM.

MISSISSIPPI. Grenada County: Grenada, 22 June 1971, Ψ, C. Bryson, MEM; T21N R2E, Sec. 12, 13N & R3E, Sec 7S, 18N, 5–11 June 1991, ɗ, Ψ, R. L. Brown, MEM.

MISSOURI. St. Louis County: Ranken, 4 July 1935, Ψ, E. P. Meiners, UMRM.

NORTH CAROLINA. Haywood County: Crestmont, 18 July 1922, Ψ, T. H. Hubbell, UMMZ. Nash County: Rocky Mount, 25 June 1924, Ψ, A. M. Woodside, NCSU. Wake County: 16 June 1955, Ψ, H. V. Weems, Jr., FSCA; Raleigh, 18 June 1926, 2 Ψ, C. S. Brimley, NCSU; 19 July 1932, Ψ, C. S. Brimley, NCSU.

OHIO. Hocking County: Laurel Township, 20 June 1937, ɗ, E. S. & J. S. Thomas, OSU.

OKLAHOMA. Ottawa County: Wyandotte, 4 June 1931, Ψ, W. D. Davis, USNM. Pushmataha County: Neshoba, 15 June 1934, 2 Ψ, A. E. Pritchard, USNM.

PENNSYLVANIA. County unknown: Germantown, 2 July 1908, Ψ, USNM. Centre County: State College, 12 July 1928, Ψ, C. B. Lewis, MCZ.

SOUTH CAROLINA. Pickens County: Rocky Bottom, 9 July 1931, Ψ, F. Sherman, CUAC.

TEXAS. Brazos County: College Station, 21–25 April 1981, Ψ, R. Wharton & R. Turnbow, TAMU. Dallas County: Dallas, ɗ, MCZ.

VIRGINIA. Arlington County: Glencarlyn, 10 July 1919, Ψ, USNM; 30 June, Ψ, MCZ. Fairfax County: Falls Church, Ψ, MCZ; Great Falls, 27 June 1913, Ψ, S. A. Rohwer, USNM; Scotts Run, 17 July 1917, ɗ, L. O. Jackson, USNM. Nelson County: 18 July 1913, Ψ, W. Robinson, USNM; 20 June 1922, Ψ, W. Robinson, USNM; 2 July 1927, Ψ, W. Robinson, USNM; 11 July 1928, Ψ, W. Robinson, USNM.

WEST VIRGINIA. Pocahontas County, Charles Creek, near Cranberry Glades, 3490 ft., 1 July 1967, Ψ, FSCA.

Male. Body length: 14.0– 18.5 mm (mean ± S.D.: 17.3 ± 1.8; N = 8).

Head. Width 1.6 times eye height. Face golden tomentose, with mystax of long golden brown setae confined to lower third; upper face with shorter golden brown setae almost reaching to antennal bases. Frons and vertex, including ocellar tubercle, shining dark brown, except for narrow golden pollinose line along inner compound eye margins. Frons covered with short, thin, golden brown setae, except along midline. Postcranium dark brown, except for broad golden pollinose bands along outer compound eye margins. Gena dark brown. Ocellar triangle tuberculate, with about 12–16 long yellow or brown setae. Postocular setae pale yellow, many with proclinate apices. Postgena and stipes with dense vestiture of long, slender, apically crinkled, dark brown or black hair-like setae. Proboscis brown, laterally compressed, about 4.6 times as long as deep, deepest near base, tapered to rounded apex. Palpal segments about equal in length, dark brown, both with long, golden brown hair-like setae. Antenna 6.1 mm long; scape shining reddish brown, with pale lateral setae along entire length; pedicel dull reddish brown, with pale dorsolateral and ventrolateral setae at apex; flagellomeres dull black; antennomere:scape ratios 1.0:0.9:3.3:0.6:4.4.

Thorax. Cervical sclerites dark brown in ground color, thinly golden pollinose, with dense vestiture of long, slender, apically crinkled, brown hair-like setae. Pronotum thinly golden brown pollinose, with dense pile of long, slender, apically crinkled, brown setae covering antepronotum and with lateral patch of shorter, straighter, paler setae on postpronotum; postpronotal lobe shining golden brown in ground color, thickly golden pollinose anteriorly, covered with long, slender, erect pale setae posteriorly. Propleuron brown pollinose, with dense vestiture of long, declinate, brown hair-like setae on proepisternum and reclinate hair-like setae on anterior portion of proepimeron. Prosternum thinly golden brown pollinose, lacking setae. Scutum shining brown in ground color, mostly devoid of pollen, but with narrow, golden pollinose line along transverse suture and broad, lateral, supra-alar golden pollinose band extending from postpronotal lobe almost to postalar callus, this band often weak between postpronotal lobe and transverse suture; with obscure, dark, central subshining vitta extending from pronotum nearly to scutellum, divided by narrow line of short, pale setae along midline; with pair of broad, dark, posterolateral subshining bare patches, divided by narrow line of golden pollen along transverse suture, reaching from behind postpronotal lobes almost to scutellum; subshining dark 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; remainder of scutum with vestiture of shorter, hair-like setae; lateral margin of scutum, in addition to several weaker setae, with 1–2 strong, pale presutural setae and 6–7 strong, pale postsutural, supra-alar setae. Postalar callus shining golden brown in ground color; with short, pale hair-like setae laterally; long, strong, pale reclinate setae posteriorly; and small patch of golden pollen posteromesially. Scutellum dark brown in ground color, golden pollinose posteriorly on disc, devoid of strong, marginal setae, with several weak, pale marginal hair-like setae about equal to length of scutellum. Mediotergite shining dark brown; anatergite thickly golden pollinose; katatergite thinly golden pollinose, with fan of long, slender, apically crinkled, pale hair-like setae. Most mesopleural sclerites at least partly golden pollinose, but pollen sparse or lacking on most of anterior and ventral anepisternum, most of lower katepisternum, lower anepimeron, and meron, these areas appearing shining dark brown. Posterior half of anepisternum covered with long, fine, golden, apically crinkled hair-like setae; dorsal setae declinate, ventral setae reclinate. Anterior basalare brown; posterior basalare pale golden pollinose. Katepisternum with small dorsal patch of fine, pale hair-like setae. Anepimeron, katepimeron, and meron lacking setae. Basal swelling of pleural wing process golden brown pollinose. Subalar sclerite brown. Metepisternum and metepimeron golden pollinose; metepimeron with long, fine, apically crinkled, pale hair-like setae.

Legs. Coxae pale golden pollinose. Prothoracic and mesothoracic coxae densely covered with long, slen- der, pale, apically crinkled hair-like setae on anterior and lateral surfaces. Metathoracic coxa with similar hairlike setae anteroventrally and posterolaterally. All femora shining yellowish brown to reddish brown, darker dorsally than ventrally, with circlets of several stout, pale setae near apex; prothoracic femur with 1–2 stout, pale seta anteriorly on basal half; mesothoracic femur with 1–2 stout, pale setae anteriorly on basal half; metathoracic femur with anterior row of 4–5 pale bristles. Tibiae and tarsi wholly yellow. Prothoracic tibia with anterodorsal and posterodorsal row of short pale setae and posteroventral row of long pale setae; mesothoracic tibia with anterodorsal, anteroventral, and posteroventral rows of long pale setae and posterodorsal row of short, pale setae; metathoracic tibia with anterior and dorsal rows of short pale setae and ventral row of long, pale setae. Length of 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 C). 11.1–15.0 mm long (mean ± S.D.: 13.5 ± 1.2; N = 8). Membrane lightly infuscated apically, darker brown basally; lightly infuscated in cells cu p, and a1, most heavily infuscated in cells c and sc, br, bm, at base of cells r1 and r2+3, and around crossvein r-m. Halter with stem and knob brown or yellowish brown.

Abdomen. Tergites 1–3 shining dark brown or black in ground color, with broad posterior pale yellow pollinose transverse band; each pollinose band mostly uniform in width, but narrowed at lateral margin and narrowed or obliterated at midline. Tergites 4–6 shining dark brown or black anteriorly, shining reddish brown posteriorly, mostly lacking pollen, but tergite 4 sometimes with small amount of yellow pollen at posterolateral angles or at midline. Tergite 1 with many long pale hair-like setae anterolaterally, many long pale setae posterolaterally. Tergites 2–6 with shorter, pale hair-like setae. Sternites 1–6 mostly devoid of yellow pollen, but sternite 2 sometimes with patches of yellow pollen in posterolateral corners, and with some long, slender, apically crinkled, brown hair-like setae, especially dense on sternites 5–6. Terminalia shining yellowish brown or reddish brown, with many long brown hair-like setae; gonocoxite and gonostylus as in FIG. 2 B.

Female. Similar to male.

Body length: 16.5–24.3 mm (mean ± S.D.: 20.3 ± 2.2; N = 15).

Head. Width 1.6 times eye height. Mystax with long setae confined to oral margin. Antenna 6.0 mm long; antennomere:scape ratios: 1.0:0.8:3.4:0.6:4.2.

Thorax. Scutellum with marginal hair-like setae shorter than length of scutellum.

Wing ( FIG. 1 D). 14.0–19.0 mm long (mean ± S.D.: 16.8 ± 1.3; N = 15). Membrane more extensively infuscated than in male; mostly infuscated dark brown throughout, lighter in center of some cells.

Legs. Femora usually uniformly yellowish brown to reddish brown, rarely with dorsal side darker. All tibiae, tarsi, and pulvilli yellow.

Abdomen. All tergites shining reddish brown to dark brown in ground color; tergites 5–8 usually lighter in color than tergites 1–4. Usually tergites 1–4 with posterior pale yellow pollinose transverse band; pollinose band sometimes absent from tergite 4, or represented by small posterolateral pollinose patch; pollinose band complete on tergite 1, usually narrowly or broadly interrupted at midline on tergites 2–4, rarely complete or slightly notched at midline. Tergites 5–8 wholly or mostly shining black; tergite 5 sometimes with small posterolateral pale yellow pollinose patch. Sternites 1–2 brown pollinose; sternites 3–4 sometimes shining brown with broad posterior brown pollinose band, sometimes completely shining. Sternite 2 or sternites 2–3 sometimes with posterolateral pale yellow pollinose patches; sternites 5–8 shining dark brown to reddish brown.

Distribution ( FIG. 4 ). Pennsylvania and Georgia west to Oklahoma and Texas.

Discussion. Many pinned specimens have become greasy, and the grease tends to obliterate the yellow color of the pollinose bands on tergites 1–3. However, in lateral view, with the light reflecting from an appropriate direction, it is possible to detect the dullness produced by the pollen.

Norman Lavers (personal communication) has provided some information about the specimens that he observed and collected in Arkansas. All were collected in upland sites well removed from running and standing water. The male collected in 2003 at St. Francis National Forest, Lee County, was found in a small island of saplings situated in the middle of a large grassy and weedy field. It was perched on a sapling, about one meter from the ground. The two individuals that he observed at Bell Slough Wildlife Management Area, Faulkner County, in 2005 were in glades, one perched on a small sapling and the other perched on low vegetation. The female collected at Jonesboro, Craighead County, in 2005, was in closed canopy woodland, perched on poison ivy leaves, carrying what appeared to be a small beetle. When disturbed, it flew down into the poison ivy and hung from a leaf by its forelegs. The female collected at Chalk Bluff, Clay County, in 2005, was also found on poison ivy under a closed forest canopy. Specimens of this species were sometimes observed in areas where sphecid wasps of the genus Tachytes were flying. The flies look quite similar to the wasps, which may serve as their mimicry models.

A few specimens from Georgia, Alabama, and Texas have been collected from late April to late May, but most specimens have been collected from mid June to mid July.

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 4. Distribution of Ceraturgus elizabethae by county.