Sphecomyia metallica (Bigot, 1882), stat. rev. and

M. Moran, Kevin & H. Skevington, Jeffrey, 2019, Revision of world Sphecomyia Latreille (Diptera, Syrphidae), ZooKeys 836, pp. 15-79 : 36

Sphecomyia metallica (Bigot, 1882), stat. rev. and comb. n. Figs 2H, 4B, 16E, 17E, 18E, 26

Eurhinomallota metallica Bigot 1882: 78. Type Locality:?California [see below] [UMO]

Brachymyia lupina Williston 1882a: 77. Type Locality: California. Syn. nov. [USNM]

Eurhinomallota lupina Williston 1882b: 330.

Criorhina lupina Williston 1886: 209 - Kertész 1910: 288; Curran 1925 f: 157; Byers et al. 1962: 167; Nayar 1968: 297; Cole and Schlinger 1969: 330; Telford 1975: 20.

Diagnosis.

Sphecomyia metallica is not easily confused with any other congeneric as it is the only species which is long pilose and also completely pruinose on the scutum and scutellum.

Redescription.

Male. Body length: 9.2-13.2 mm. Wing length: 7.9-10.7 mm. Head. Face silver pruinose with shiny, black, medial vitta extending from oral margin to tubercle; frons broad, about as long as broad at antenna, as broad at vertex as at antenna, pale pilose and silver pruinose; vertex polygonal, slightly longer than broad, silver pruinose, with ocellar triangle pale pilose; postocular border silver; postocular and occipital pile pale; broadly dichoptic in male; antenna black, pale pilose, length of segments roughly in a 3:3:2 ratio.

Thorax. Black; long pilose; postpronotum, scutum, scutellum, postalar callus, proepimeron, posterior anepisternum pale pilose; posterior katepisternum pale pilose with broadly separated patches; anterior anepimeron pale pilose; metasternum pale pilose; postpronotum, mesonotum, broad posterior margin of anepisternum, dorso-posterior corner of katepisternum and anepimeron silver pruinose.

Legs. Foreleg black, except extreme apex of femur and anterior third of tibia reddish-yellow; mid and hind leg similar; tarsi not modified; leg pale pilose; hind coxa silver pruinose.

Wing. Hyaline; wing completely microtrichose.

Abdomen. Tergites and sternites shiny to sub-shiny, black with silver pruinosity as follows: tergite 1 completely silver pruinose; tergite 2 weakly silver pruinose; tergite 3 weakly silver pruinose along margins with thin, interrupted medial band; tergite 4 as tergite 3; sternites 1 to 4 completely silver pruinose; pile of abdomen long, pale.

Male genitalia. Surstylus elongated, about 2½ times as long as broad, apex acute, with rounded curve, directed ventrally; pile on dorsal surface of surstylus, increasing in length posteriorly; minute spines on ventral surface and apical three-fourth of lateral inner and outer surface; basal fourth of the ventral surface of the surstylus produced into a lobe directed ventrally, with minute pubescence on ventral and lateral inner surface; cerci rounded, with conspicuous invagination on posterior border; aedeagus as in Fig. 2H.

Female.

Similar to male except normal sexual dimorphism and as follows: medial facial vittae extends past tubercle to terminate just below antenna.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: California, Oregon (Fig. 26). Mostly restricted to California, with a short extension into coastal Oregon.

Biology.

Associated with lowland Arctostaphylos Adans. sp., more commonly known as manzanitas or bearberries. The plant ranges from small shrubs to trees of over 6 m. It has small, clustered, bell-shaped, pink or white flowers. Also collected on flowers of Ribes sanguineum Pursh and Ribes menziesii Pursh. Due to their unusual flight period of December through mid-April, more research is necessary to reveal the true distribution of the species.

Remarks.

Although the type locality is listed as Mexico, the authors believe that the type is from current-day California as it was collected prior to 1848 when the state was still part of Mexico.

Contrary to the previous treatment, Eurhinomallota metallica Bigot, 1882 is senior to Brachymyia lupina Williston, 1882. Bigot’s name was published in the bimonthly Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France in March of 1882. Williston’s name was published in the April 1882 issue of the Canadian Entomologist. The improper treatment arose because the Bulletin itself was obscure until recently, with the Annales de la Société entomologique de France, the annually published compilation, taken as the date of publication for many species.

The combination of Eurhinomallota with Sphecomyia is supported by the type species’ possession of all characters used to distinguish Sphecomyia from other Criorhinina. This decision is further supported by molecular evidence showing a close relationship with Sphecomyia , i.e., the present COI gene tree (Fig. 27) and a multi-gene molecular phylogeny of the Criorhinina which will be presented in an upcoming paper. It is the authors opinion that combination with Sphecomyia , as opposed to resurrecting the concept as a monotypic genus, serves to emphasize its relationship with the group.