Lasiopogon wilcoxi McKnight, 2020

Mcknight, Tristan A. & Cannings, Robert A., 2020, Molecular phylogeny of the genus Lasiopogon (Diptera: Asilidae) and a taxonomic revision of the bivittatus section, Zootaxa 4835 (1), pp. 1-115 : 81-83

Lasiopogon wilcoxi McKnight sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F6CA826A-13F3-4F1C-B49D-6AE80F695D7F

Diagnosis. ( Fig. 34 ) A small dark species from southern California and northern Baja California, with mystax black, thoracic tomentum brown to grey with clear dorsocentral stripes, thoracic setae mostly black with hairlike macrosetae, legs black. Tergite tomentum reduced: male dorsum completely shining black cuticle with grey tomentum only along lateral edges and at apical posterior corners; female with sparse straight bands of basal brown and apical grey tomentum, cuticle subshining throughout. Epandrial halves with straight medial margins in dorsal view; phallus paramere sheath dorsal carina coming to a shallow and wide apical point. Ovipositor dark brown except pale yellow/red hypogynial valves and sometimes pale sternite 8; acanthophorite spines black.

Description. Body length ♂ 5.8–7.1mm; ♀ 7.0– 8.7mm. Head. HW ♂ 1.41–1.65mm; ♀ 1.71–1.95mm. FW ♂ 0.28–0.31mm; ♀ 0.33–0.40mm. VW ♂ 0.52–0.70mm; ♀ 0.62–0.77mm. VW/HW = ♂ 0.37–0.42; ♀ 0.36–0.40. FW/VW = ♂ 0.44–0.54; ♀ 0.48–0.53. VD/VW = ♂ 0.13–0.14; ♀ 0.13–0.19. GH/GL = ♂ 0.37–0.53; ♀ 0.37– 0.41. Face and vertex with grey-brown tomentum, face lighter than vertex; small shining black triangle directly behind antennae. Mystax, frontal and occipital setae black; beard and labial setae white. Occipital macrosetae moderately long (to 0.5mm) and curved, those behind the dorsomedial angle of the eye most curved; lateral and ventral macrosetae shorter and straighter. Frontal setae fine and short; orbital setae longer, extend over the edge of the eye. Antennae. Black, with black setae; no setae on postpedicel. Postpedicel short, truncate, widest at midpoint; stylus moderately long and of even width. WPP/LPP = ♂ 0.32–0.36; ♀ 0.36–0.41. LAS/LPP ♂ 0.59–0.71; ♀ 0.62–0.89. Thorax. Prothorax grey/brown, setae white; postpronotal lobes whitish grey, lateral angle ferruginous, setae white. Scutum tomentum steel-grey to brown; dorsocentral stripes dark brown; acrostichal stripes absent, but space between dorsocentral stripes usually somewhat darker than outside stripes. All setae on scutum black; anterior dorsocentral macrosetae 5–6 (to 0.7mm), relatively fine and mixed with finer setae; posteriors 4–5; postalars 2–3, with about 4 shorter setae; supra-alars 2; presuturals 2–3; posthumerals 0–1. Scutellar tomentum grey, from silvery to brownish; two semi-circular wrinkles on disc inside dorsal edge; apical macrosetae long, black, abundant (usually 8–10 on each side) and mixed with many other long setae. Pleural tomentum brown/grey. Katatergite macrosetae black, 6–8 with a few shorter white setae; katepisternal setae sparse, moderately long, white; anepisternal setae black, 5–8 moderately strong (to 0.5mm) and with several short black setae on dorsal margin of sclerite; anepimeron without setae. Legs. Base color black; tomentum uniform faint grey over all but trochanter and base of femur, which are shining black. No coxal peg. Macrosetae on legs black, finer setae mostly black, except long erect white setae on basal 2/3 of femur. Ventral setae on femur longer than femur width; dorsolateral macrosetae faint, inconspicuous among surrounding finer setae, 5–6 on profemur; longer on mesofemur (3–5) and metafemur (8–12). Protibia with ventral macrosetae about 3 times longer than tibial width; dense apicoventral patch of short setae on protibia yellow. Claws reddish brown basally, apically black. Wings. Veins dark brown; membrane transparent, faintly brown, tint stronger when viewed obliquely. DCI = 0.25–0.49, most 0.39–0.49. Halter pale yellow, with slight brownish tinge but without spot; stem dark brown.

Abdomen. Male. Cuticle dark brown/black, tergites (except tergite 1) bare and shining dorsally with pale greybrown tomentum along lateral edges and lateral corners of posterior edges; tergite 1 with light grey tomentum covering all but narrow anterior dorsal edge. Tergites 1–4 with abundant erect fine white lateral setae; tergites 5–7 with mostly short recumbent black setae; dorsal setulae black. Lateral macrosetae on first tergite 6–7, mostly black (2–6). Sternite tomentum grey, setae white. Female. Grey tomentum bands cover apical 30–50% of each tergite, basal tomentum bands brown; pattern sometimes indistinct because all tomentum thin, with brown/black cuticle shining through especially medially. Male genitalia. Epandrium and hypandrium/gonocoxite complex cuticle dark brown/chestnut; epandrium covered in thin grey tomentum except polished along inside dorsal margin and at base, hypandrium complex bare; terminalia with short white setae, setal brush dark brown. Epandrium elongate, in lateral view the width about 40% the length, widest apically, with dorsal and ventral margins straight for basal half, then curving ventrally to rounded apex. In dorsal view, medial margins straight and parallel; basal sclerite present but weak medially. Phallus paramere sheath dorsally about 55% the length of phallus; paramere sheath without ventral ornamentation; dorsal carina comes to a shallow, wide, and rounded apical point widely separated from the aedeagal tube. Ejaculatory apodeme in lateral view gently bent dorsally in basal third and slightly recurved apically, with moderately broad dorsal carina. Subepandrial sclerite with triangular central unsclerotized area in basal 58%, relatively narrow; spines sparsely distributed, parallel-sided and blunt only at apex of sclerite, sharply tapered elsewhere.

Female genitalia. Undissected: Setae white, abundant, erect. Tergite 8 dark brown/black, occasionally with a pale brown apical ring; sternite 8 usually dark brown/black, sometimes paler apically; lateral lobe setae weak; hypogynial valves pale brown/tan with fine setae. Cerci brown/black with pale setae; acanthophorite spines black.

Type Material. HOLOTYPE ♂ labelled: “[rectangular white label] CALIF., River./ Co. 8 mi. E./ Sunnymead ”; “[rectangularwhitelabel] E.M. Fisher /coll.III-17-66”;“[rectangularwhitelabel] FISH ”.Ourtypelabel“[redandblack bordered label] HOLOTYPE / Lasiopogon wilcoxi / des. T.A.McKnight 2017” has been added. Deposited at USNM.

PARATYPES (134 specimens designated): [no loc], M.C. Van Duzee (1♂ EMEC) .

MEXICO: BAJA CALIFORNIA NORTE: 7 mi S Tecate , [32.501 -116.598], 25.iii.1968, E.M. Fisher (2♂ 4♀ FISH, 1♂ RBCM) .

U.S.A.: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles Co., Bouquet Canyon , [34.526 -118.442], 22.iii.1941, J. Wilcox (6♂ 7♀ CAS) , 23.iii.1941, J. Wilcox (1♂ 1♀ BEZA, 1♀ FISH, 1♂ 1♀ RBCM, 1♂ 1♀ UCRC, UCRC ENT 449946 , ENT450000 ) ; Mint Canyon Forest Camp, [34.4378 -118.4320], 10.v.1941, J. Wilcox (1♀ CAS) ; Mt. Wilson, Opids Camp , [34.255 -118.095], 14.v.1937, J. Wilcox (7♂ 2♀ CAS, 1♂ RBCM) ; San Dimas Canyon , [34.163 -117.769], 27.iii.1941, J. Wilcox (1♂ CAS) ; Santa Monica Mts , 14.iii.1953, A. Ebeling (1♀ EMEC) ; Santa Monica Mts, Calabasas Highlands , [34.127 -118.641], 2.iii.1972, E.M. Fisher (1♂ 1♀ ESUW, 6♂ 3♀ FISH, 1♂ TAM) ; Santa Monica Mts, Cold Creek at Stunt Rd , [34.095 -118.649], 20.iv.1974, P.A. de Moraes (1♂ 1♀ FISH) ; Sierra Madre , [34.178 -118.041], 17.iii.1941, J. Wilcox (1♀ CAS) ; Soledad Canyon, 4 mi W Soledad Forest Station, [34.439 -118.312], 27.iii.1978, E.M. Fisher (2♂ 3♀ FISH) ; Upper Stone Canyon , [34.1244 -118.4550], 22.iv.1954, W. McDonald (1♂ FSCA) ; Orange Co., Black Star Canyon [33.769 -117.682], 20.iii.1967, R.J. Hamton (1♀ FISH) ; Riverside Co: Anza , 10 km S, malaise in wash, nr chaparral, 33.4595 -116.6355, 6–22.v.2010, G. Pratt, M.E. Irwin (1♀ UAIC) ; Banning , 4000’, [34.008 -116.907], 14.v.1953, J. Wilcox (2♂ 1♀ CAS) ; 5 mi E Hemet , [33.762 -116.883], 18.iv.1962, E.M. Fisher (1♂ 1♀ FISH) ; Idyllwild , [33.7430 -116.7130], 28.v.1979, J.W. B. (1♂ SDMC) ; 7 mi E Sunnymead , [33.985 -117.107], 9.v.1964, P.A. Rauch (1♀ UCRC, UCRC ENT 449996 ) , M.E. Irwin (1♂ UCRC, UCRC ENT 449997 ) ; 8 mi E Sunnymead , [33.9416 -117.0340], 12.iv.1958, E.I. Schlinger (1♂ FSCA) , 24.iii.1962, E.I. Schlinger (2♂ RBCM, 4♂ UCRC, UCRC ENT 449992 – UCRC ENT 449995 ), 18.iii.1964, M.W. Stone (1♂ 1♀ CAS) , 17.iii.1966, E.M. Fisher (5♂ 3♀ FISH) , 7.iii.1967, J. Wilcox (4♂ CAS, 1♀ ESUW, 1♂ RBCM), 9.iv.1971, E.M. Fisher (5♂ 2♀ FISH) ; Little San Gorgonio Creek at Potrero Blvd bridge, 2 mi NW of Beaumont, 33.9411 -117.0156, 9.iii.2014, T.A. McKnight (1♂ [1 EtOH] UMMZ) ; Noble Creek at Bogart County Park, 5 mi N Beaumont, 33.9974 -116.9528, 10.iii.2014, T.A. McKnight (1♂ RBCM, 1♀ TAM, 2♂ 1♀ [3 EtOH] UMMZ) ; Noble Creek at Elm Ave , 1 mi NW of Beaumont, 33.9459 -116.9821, 9.iii.2014, T.A. McKnight (1♀ [1 EtOH] TAM) ; 6 mi N Temecula [33.581 -117.148], 15.iii.1963, J. Powell (1♂ RBCM) ; San Bernardino Co: Cajon Pass , summit, [34.3290 -117.4490], 6.v.1956, J. Wilcox (2♂ CAS) ; Lake Gregory , [34.2420 -117.2770], 31.v.1964, M.W. Stone (4♂ 2♀ CAS, 1♂ 2♀ FISH) ; 1 mi S Mojave River Forks , [34.3410 -117.2610], 8.v.1982, E.M. Fisher (1♀ FISH) ; Sheep Creek Canyon, [34.3570 -117.6130], J.C. and E.M. Hall (1♂ 1♀ FISH) , 1.v.1946, A.L. Melander (1♂ USNM, USNMENT1100158 ) ; San Diego Co: 4.5 mi W Ranchita, Hwy S-22, near Warner Springs , [33.2180 -116.5880], 22.iv.1979, E.M. Fisher (2♂ FISH) ; Ventura Co: Moorpark , [34.2760 -118.8770], 22.iv.1941, M.W. Stone (3♂ 2♀ CAS) ; Sespe Wildlife Area nr. Dough Flat , [34.5230 -118.8940], 15.v.1971, UCR Field Entomology (1♂ UCRC, UCRC ENT 449998 ) ; Tapo Canyon, Santa Susana , [34.3070 -118.7210], 3.v.1964, M.E. Irwin (1♂ UCRC, UCRC ENT 449999 ) .

Taxonomic Notes. This species was included in Cannings (2002) as “ L. biv-3.”

Etymology. Named for Joseph Wilcox, well known student of the Asilidae who revised the Nearctic Lasiopogon in the 1930s and collected thousands of specimens of this genus during his career.

Distribution ( Fig. 40 ) Nearctic; USA, foothills of southern California and northern Baja California. Type locality: U.S.A., California: Riverside Co., 8 miles E of Sunnymead.

Phylogenetic Relationships. Member of the bivittatus section, sister species to L. zonatus , likely in a position basal to the drabicolum group.

Natural History. Habitat: mid-elevation sandy river banks. Caught perching on bare sand adjacent to willows in dry washes ( Fig. 19 ). Dates collected: March 2 to May 31, with most in late March and early April.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Matrix key of Lasiopogon morphology for species revised in this publication, indicating details of tergite tomentum, major setation, and dissected male genitalia. Taxa are grouped on pages with closely related and visually similar species. (34) L. apoecus sp. nov., L. condylophorus sp. nov., L. gabrieli, L. wilcoxi sp. nov., L. zonatus.

FIGURES 37–40. Distribution maps of georeferenced records for Lasiopogon species revised in this publication, part 1 of 2. Each map corresponds to one page of the morphology tabular key.

FIGURES 14–21. Representative habitats of inland sand-perching Lasiopogon species collected for this revision. (14) Washington: Asotin Co., Snake River, sandy bank 4 mi S of Asotin jct Hwy 129, 21.iv.2014 (L. ripicola). (15) Washington: Thurston Co., Tumwater, Deschutes River @ Pioneer Park, 15.v.2015 (L. puyallupi stat. nov.). (16) Oregon: Linn Co., Crabtree Creek @ Hwy 226 bridge 8 mi N of Lebanon, 19.v.2012 (L. willametti). (17) Washington: Franklin Co., Juniper Dunes Wilderness, N entrance, 18 mi NE of Pasco, 20.iv.2014 (L. albidus). (18) California: Marin Co., San Antonio Creek, San Antonio Rd 4.5 mi S of Petaluma, 15.iii.2014 (L. zonatus, L. esau sp. nov.). (19) California: Riverside Co., Little San Gorgonio Creek @ Potrero blvd bridge, 2 mi NW of Beaumont, 9.iii.2014 (L. wilcoxi sp. nov.). (20) New Mexico: Grant Co., Gila River below Forks campsite, 6.v.2015 (L. karli sp. nov.). (21) California: Riverside Co., Santa Ana River at Mt. Rubidoux, 4.iii.2013 (L. drabicolum).