Efferia fulvibarbis (Macquart)

Aubrey G. Scarbrough & Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, 2009, Review of the West Indian species of Efferia Coquillett (Diptera: Asilidae) with 13 new species and checklist: Part II. Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Lesser Antilles including Tobago and Trinidad, Zootaxa 1994, pp. 1-66 : 23-26

Efferia fulvibarbis (Macquart)

Figs. 33–38 , 92 , Table 1

Erax fulvibarbis Macquart, 1848: 28 . Walker 1855: 624; Aldrich 1905: 276.

Efferia fulvibarbis, Martin & Papavero 1970: 65 . Catalogue; comb. nov.

Nerax fulvibarbis, Hull 1962: 478 . Comb. nov.

Erax pachychaetus Bromley, 1928:1 . Holotype ♂, type locality: Haiti, L. Moliniére (AMNH). Syn. nov.

Nerax pachychaetus, Hull 1962: 478 . Comb. nov.

Efferia pachychaeta, Martin & Papavero 1970: 66 . Catalogue; comb. nov.

Redescription, male. Measurements, body 16.7–28.8 mm; wing 13.1–24.0 mm. Head: Face and frons black, face medially, and oral margin narrowly reddish; tomentum yellowish; face with stout reddish bristles, usually sparse black bristles dorsally; face at antennae about 2/3 as wide as 1 eye. Palpi red, setae mostly or entirely yellowish, usually sparse black setae apically. Proboscis red basally. Antennae reddish, apex of pedicel and flagellum mostly blackish or blackish-red, setae mostly black or yellowish, generally mixed with black setae ventrally; style slightly flat, flared apically, mostly dark brown to black, basally often reddish basally. Ocellar tubercle with long black setae. Occiput pale yellowish or gray tomentose, setae mostly white; stout postocular bristles reddish.

Thorax: Pronotum pale yellowish setae and bristles. Scutum mostly red or black, at least postalar callus reddish, 2 narrow paramedial stripes and 2 lateral spots blackish; tomentum pale brownish-yellow, whitish posteriorly; setae mostly black, pale anteriorly and laterally above wings, anterior setae as long as scape, setae much shorter beyond anterior setae; bristles usually black, few sometimes pale, thin and short, 5–6 lateral bristles and 4–5 dorsocentral bristles. Scutellum red, yellowish-gray or whitish tomentose, usually mostly or entirely pale yellowish setose, sometimes mostly black setae, setae and marginal bristles short, setae subequal to equal length of scape, bristles as long or slightly longer than scape and pedicel combined; 5–6 thin reddish, yellowish, or blackish marginal bristles, 2–3 median bristles usually thick. Pleura mostly red or black, if red anepisternum and katepisternum blackish, yellowish tomentose anteriorly, grayish posteriorly, setae pale, katatergal bristles black. Halter reddish, knob dark.

Wing ( Fig. 92 ): Brownish, especially bordering veins; veins reddish basally, reddish-brown apically; costal cell brown or reddish-brown; wing strong corrugations anteriorly. Costal margin strongly dilated. Crossvein r-m just beyond apical 1/3 of cell d. Cell r4 angular basally, R4 recurrent vein absent; R5 joins wing margin at or just before apex.

Legs: Usually red, lower 1/2 of femora and apices of tibiae blackish, femora sometimes mostly black, with femoral bases reddish dorsally; setae mostly yellowish, black dorsoapically on femora, yellowish or reddish on metathoracic tibiae ventrally; bristles black, 1 or 2 reddish bristles on mesothoracic and metathoracic femora anteriorly. Tarsi reddish-black or black, bristles black, dense setae rustic red ventrally.

Abdomen: Mostly blackish, tergite 1 laterally and bases of tergites 3–5 narrowly red. Wide sides of tergites 1–5 laterally, sternites 1–5, and segments 6 and 7 entirely whitish tomentose, setae white or yellowish, long and erect on segments 1–3, short beyond except long on apical margin of 7; tergites 2–5 brown tomentose dorsally. Tergite 8 blackish-red or black, setae black; sternite 8 with dense long white or black setae apically.

Terminalia ( Figs. 33–36 ): Blackish-red to black, setae mostly black, yellowish dorsally. Epandrium 2.7–2.8 times as long as wide, usually reddish posteriorly and basally, dorsoapical process narrowly membranous posteriorly. Gonostylus blade-like apically. Aedeagus strongly curved downward, lateral tubes somewhat angular apically. Gonocoxa membranous apically, apex round, prominent mound-like median process anteriorly, densely black setose.

Female. Measurements, body 18.0– 24.1 mm; wing 13.0– 17.1 mm. Head: Face at antennae 2/3 as wide as 1 eye. Thorax: Anterior scutal setae short, 1/2–2/3 as long as scape. Wing: Costal cell reddish. R4 recurrent vein as long or longer than base of cell r4. Abdomen: Mostly reddish or black, yellowish-gray or gray tomentose, setae yellowish or white, long and erect on segments 1–3; tergites 1–7 dorsally blackish-red or dark brown tomentose, may appear black at some angles, setae blackish on tergites 3–7; wide sides of tergites 1–6, narrow margin of tergite 7, and sternite 7 yellowish-gray or gray tomentose. Sternite 6 with transverse band of sparse, long, black setae apically. Terminalia ( Figs. 37–38 ): 5.3–6.9 mm, 11.0–13.5 times longer than diameter at middle. Cercus about 1/3 as long as segment 9 dorsally. Spermathecae ovate, somewhat narrow with rounded apex or wider with minute apical point.

Specimens examined. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Las Yayitas, Azua Prov., / 7.iv.2003, D. Perez, B.Hierro, / D. Veloz, S. Medrano (day) (1 ♂, NMNH), RD-136 Caseta no. 1 Parque / Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco, / Independencia Prov., 18o16.080’N, 70o32.708’W 777 m, / 3.vii.2003, DPerez, RBastardo, / BHierro (day) (1 ♂, NMNH); RD-271 4–5 km S Puerto / Escondido, on trail to Caseta no. / PN Sierra de Bahoruco, / Independencia Prov., ~ 950 m, / 14.vii.2004, DPerez (day) (2 ♀, NMNH); RD-097 La Malena de Boca / Chica, Santo Domingo Prov., / nr. sea level, 18o25.461’N / 69o33. 408’W, 21.iii.2003, D. / Perez, B. Hierro, S. Medrano / (day/night) (1 ♂, NMNH); 1 km E Juan Dolio, San Pedro [de Macorís Prov.] 29.iii / 2003 / D. Perez-Gelabert (4 ♂, 5 ♀, NMNH); Republica Dominicana / San Fr. de Macorís / Villas del Mar / 29.ix.2002 / H. Takizawa (1 ♂, 1 ♀, MHND); RD-243 Babosico, on way to / Jánico, Santiago Prov., 515 m / 19o20.955’N 70o47.503’W, 27 / iv.2004, D. Perez, B. Hierro, / R. Bastardo (1 ♂, NMNH). HAITI: ( Erax pachychaetus Bromley holotype ♂, allotype ♀, AMNH); Bois Caradeux, date?, [Ouest dept.] / coll. E.M. Ducasse (1 ♂, 1 ♀, AMNH); Port au Prince / Haiti / Sept. 7–10, 1934 (5 ♂, 7 ♀, AMNH); Acc. 138-24 / Port- Au-Prince, / Haiti: Aug 1924 ~ G. N. Wolcott / Coll. ~ S W Bromley / Collection / 1955 (1 ♀, NMNH); Bois Caradeux [Ouest dept.] / Coll. E.M. Ducasse ~ Port-au-Prince / Haiti / 7–10.ix.1934 ~ S.W. Bromley / Collection / 1955 (4 ♂, 6 ♀, NMNH); same data except ~ Erax / pachychaetus / Bromley / Det. / S.W. Bromley 1936 (1 ♂, NMNH); S.W. Bromley / Collection / 1955 (1 ♂, NMNH).

Distribution. Dominican Republic: Azua, Independencia, Santo Domingo, San Pedro de Macorís, and Santiago provinces; Haiti: Ouest department. Captured near sea level to about 950 meters in elevation during March, April, July, August, and September.

Remarks. Efferia fulvibarbis is distinguished by it large, robust body [17–29 mm], reddish face and legs; femora mostly blackish-red, sometimes black ventrally, apices red; mostly yellowish or reddish vestiture, vein R5 curved forward meeting costa before wing apex, and in the combined characters of the terminalia ( Figs. 33–38 ). The male is further recognized by the strongly dilated wing and the female by the long narrow ovipositor.

Macquart’s specimens of E. fulvibarbis are presumed lost ( Martin & Papavero, 1970). However, we are convinced that it and E. pachychaeta (NEW SYNONYM) are the same species based on the original description, size and color of the body, and type locality. Both are the larger species in Hispaniola and were originally reported from the vicinity of Bois Caradeux - Port-au-Prince in eastern Haiti. Macquart (1848) states that the thorax is red [‘thorace rufo’]. Efferia fulvibarbis is the only species that has a reddish body, a moderately or strongly dilated wing, and the sides of the abdominal tergites are yellowish-gray tomentose. Additionally, E. exacta , another large species that is frequently misidentified as E. fulvibarbis in museum collections, is black with abundant black bristles on the head thorax, coxae, and legs; the costal margin is straight, not dilated; and the pleura and sides of the tergites are dark yellowish-brown or reddish-brown tomentose. Furthermore, the apical corners of tergites 2–4 have large, white, tomentose spots, often triangular in shape.

Two forms of Efferia fulvibarbis exist. Older museum specimens from Haiti are mostly red and large (21–29 mm) whereas newer material from the Dominican Republic is more nearly black with partly reddish femora and have a wider range in size (16.7–28.8 mm). Terminalia of the 2 forms are identical.

Figures

FIGURES 33–38. Efferia fulvibarbis (Macquart). Male terminalia, lateral view: 33. Intact, left side; 34. Gonostylus with thick sclerotization; 35. Phallus; and 36. Aedeagus with tubes and phallic flange. Female terminalia, lateral view: 37. Ovipositor; 38. Median and lateral spermatheca.

FIGURES 89–96. Wings of 8 species of Efferia Coquillett. 89. E. exacta sp. nov.; 90. E. forbesi (Curran); 91. E. fortis (Walker); 92. E. fulvibarbis (Macquart); 93. E. haitensis (Walker); 94. E. montensis sp. nov.; 95. E. nigrimystacea (Macquart); and 96. E. sinuosa sp. nov. Abbrevations: Costa = C; discal cell = dc; first medial cell =m 1; fourth radial vein = R 4; fifth radial vein = R 5; recurrent vein = rec; radial-medial crossvein = r-m.