Empidideicus legulicoxa Gharali & Evenhuis

Gharali, Babak, Kamali, Karim, Evenhuis, Neal, Talebi, Ali Asghar & Khalgani, Jafar, 2010, First record of the genus Empidideicus (Diptera: Bombylioidea: Mythicomyiidae) from Iran, with description of six new species, Zootaxa 2627, pp. 1-19 : 10-11

Empidideicus legulicoxa Gharali & Evenhuis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 and 7 e)

Specimens examined: Holotype female (preserved in alcohol), IRAN: Tehran, Tarbiat Modares University, Faculty of Agriculture research field, 7 July 2008, swept on Matricaria recutita L., leg. B. Gharali (BPBM).

Diagnosis. E. legulicoxa is separated from congeners in Iran by the black dorsum of mesonotum, almost black scutellum (only yellow in margin) and the presence of a small dark brown sclerotised rectangular flaplike process on the mid coxa.

Description. Female. Lengths. Body: 1.70 mm; wing: 1.53 mm (Holotype)

Head ( Fig. 7 e). Higher than long (1.2 times); eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by slightly more than distance between lateral ocelli; occiput black; postgena black, dark brown laterally along posterior eye margin; occiput and postgena with minute and yellowish hairs; frons yellowish white, slightly depressed medially with large squarish brown spot medially; antennae with scape and pedicel light brown; flagellomeres dark brown; first flagellomere subconical, length ca. 2.5 times greatest width; second flagellomere about 1/2 length of first flagellomere; labrum stiff, pointed, dark brown, length ca. 3/5 head height; proboscis pale brown.

Thorax. Slightly wider than head; mesonotum shining, predominantly black dorsally with pair of large brownish yellow interhumeral marks; yellow color laterally from humeral callus to post alar callus, postalar calli black; faint prescutellar mark evident, brownish black; scutellum black, yellow along posterior and lateral margins; pleura yellow with black color on following: anepisternum as crescent mark anteroventrally, anterior and ventral margin of anepimeron, lower three-fourths of katepisternum, and meron; halter stem white, knob yellowish white.

Legs. Coxae yellow with brown color only at extreme bases, largest amount of brown on hind coxa; mid coxa with small dark brown sclerotised rectangular flap-like process basoposteriorly ( Fig. 4); femora yellow except faintly brownish area subapically on dorsal surface of fore femur; tibiae and tarsal segments yellowish to yellowish brown, except last tarsal segment blackish brown.

Wing ( Fig. 7 e). Length 2.6 times longer than wide; hyaline; costa, Sc, R1, CuA2, R4+5, and cross veins blackish brown, well sclerotised; M1, M2, M1+2 and CuA1 not well sclerotised; costa ends slightly beyond end of R4+5; vein Sc incomplete; vein separating basal cells and Rs at connection with R1 evanescent; R4+5 fairly straight; M1 curved to wing margin; M2 slightly sinuous, 1.7 times as long as M1+2; cell dm open; A1 evident basally, continuing as a faint trace to wing margin; anal cell open at wing margin; fringe of hairs on posterior margin of wing shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse toward base.

Abdomen. Predominantly yellow with medial brown color dorsally, broadest and most evident on tergites I–III; brown color of tergites I–III with undulating posterior margin, broadest medially, thinning sublaterally, becoming a bit broader again at lateral most portion of segment; brown on tergites IV–VII thin, reduced to paired medial spots on tergites IV–V, as thin strip on succeeding tergites.

Genitalia. Not dissected.

Male. Unknown

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the Latin “ legula ” = ear lap + coxa; referring to the characteristic flap-like process basally on the mid coxa.

Distribution. This species is currently known only from Iran (Tehran province).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Lateral view of Empidideicus adults (females): a— E. amicus, b— E. ebellicus, c— E. greatheadi, d— E. matricarius, e— E. legulicoxa, f— E. persicus.