Sphecomyia sexfasciata Moran

M. Moran, Kevin & H. Skevington, Jeffrey, 2019, Revision of world Sphecomyia Latreille (Diptera, Syrphidae), ZooKeys 836, pp. 15-79 : 42-43

Sphecomyia sexfasciata Moran sp. n. Figs 2K, 16B, 17B, 18B, 23

Type locality.

U.S.A: California, Ventura Co., Ventura Mountains, Pine Mountain Creek, just south of Reyes Creek Campground, 34.677, −119.308, 1190 m.

Type.

Holotype male, pinned. Original label: "USA: California: Ventura Co. // Ventura Mountains, Pine Mountain // creek just S. of Reyes Cr. Cmpgrd. // 34.677° N, − 119.308° W, elev 1190 m // at Prunus virginiana var. demisa // 29 April– 1 May 2016 // J. N. Hogue, notes JNH# 526" " LACM ENT 342251". [1♂, LACMENT342251, LACM]

Paratypes: U.S.A.: California, Arroyo Seco, 34.118483, −118.191733, C.D. Michener, 27.i.1935, CNC46969 (1♂, CNC); Monterey Co., Highway. 1, roadside canyon 3.5 km N Lucia, 36.0589, −121.5875, K.C. Holston, 15.v.2001, KMM0901 (1♀, CSCA); Riverside Co., Morongo Valley, 34.0451, −116.5668, W. Laidlaw, 28.iv.1972, JSS45129 (1♀, CAS); Riverside Co., Riverside, 33.9533, −117.3919, Salix lasiolepis , 26.ii.1933, UCRC428629; UCRC428631 (1♂,1♀, UCRC); San Bernardino Co., Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, 34.0507, −116.5694, J.H. Skevington, K. Moran, 25.iv.2016, CNC517072 (1♀, CNC); Ventura Co., Ventura Mountains, Pine Mountain Creek, just South of Reyes Creek Campground, 34.677, −119.308, 1190 m, Prunus virginiana var. demisa , A.M. Haberkern, 30.iv.2016, LACMENT342306 (1♂, USNM); J.N. Hogue, 29. iv– 1.v.2016, LACMENT342252 (1♂, LACM).

Diagnosis.

Species similar to S. brevicornis and S. interrupta sp. n. but can be distinguished by the following characters: scutum with three pairs of pruinose vittae; cell c completely microtrichose; antenna possessing a 3:3:2 ratio of segments; frons pilose; anepimeron pruinose; anterior three-fourth of scutellum pruinose; medial facial vitta not interrupted by a macula of pruinosity on tubercle.

Description.

Male. Body length: 12.3-12.6 mm. Wing length: 8.9-9.6 mm. Head. Face yellow pruinose with shiny, black, medial vitta extending from oral margin to base of antenna; frons broad, about as long as broad at antenna, two-thirds as broad at vertex as at antenna, sparsely yellow pilose, with yellow pruinosity along posterior fourth; vertex triangular, longer than broad, shiny, with ocellar triangle black pilose; postocular border yellow pruinose; postocular pile black; occipital pile yellow; male narrowly dichoptic; antenna black, black pilose, length of segments roughly in a 3:3:2 ratio.

Thorax. Matte black; postpronotum yellow pilose; scutum yellow pilose, except with black pile posteromedially; scutellum, postalar callus, proepimeron, posterior anepisternum yellow pilose; posterior katepisternum yellow pilose with broadly separated patches; anterior anepimeron yellow pilose; metasternum yellow pilose; postpronotum, scutellum, broad posterior margin of anepisternum and dorso-posterior corner of katepisternum yellow pruinose; anepimeron yellow pruinose anteriorly; scutum with three pairs of pruinose vittae, anterior pair long running from anterior edge of scutum to transverse suture, posterior pair shorter and terminating before posterior edge and a small medial pair along the lateral margins of the scutum; ventral calypter with long yellow pile.

Legs. Fore femur, except for extreme apex, along with last two tarsi black; rest of leg yellow; midleg with femur except extreme apex, and last two tarsomeres, black; rest of leg reddish-yellow; hind leg reddish-yellow except last two tarsomeres black; legs yellow pilose, except black pilose on last three tarsomeres;

Wing. Hyaline; microtrichia absent from following areas: broad anterior margin of cell cua.

Abdomen. Tergites and sternites shiny to sub-shiny, black with yellow pruinose markings as follows: tergite 1 pruinose along posterior margin; tergite 2 with broad, interrupted, truncate medial band which meets a broad, uninterrupted posterior band in the posterolateral corners of tergite; tergite 3 with broad medial band, sometimes very narrowly interrupted, that joins with broad posterior band in two places creating a medial diamond-shaped spot of no pruinosity; pattern on tergite 4 same as tergite 3; sternites 1 to 4 completely pruinose; sternites 6 to 8 pruinose; pile of abdomen yellow.

Male genitalia. Surstylus elongated, about 2½ times as long as broad, apex acute, directed ventrally, with abrupt curve; 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 invagination on posterior border; aedeagus as in Fig. 2K.

Female.

Similar to male except normal sexual dimorphism.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: California (Fig. 23). Lowland chaparral in southern California.

Biology.

Collected visiting flowers of Salix lasiolepis Benth. and Prunus virginiana var. demisa (Nutt. ex Torr. and A. Gray) Torr. Recorded flying late January through mid-May.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin sex ( Brown 1956: 700), which means six, and the Latin fasciata ( Brown 1956: 134), which means band or stripe. It references the three pairs of vittae on the scutum, a character unique within the genus Sphecomyia .