Chelipoda chaiamnata, Plant, 2009

Plant, Adrian R., 2009, Diversity Of Chelipoda Macquart, 1823 (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae) In Northern Thailand With Discussion Of A Biodiversity ‘ Hot Spot’ At Doi Inthanon, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 57 (2), pp. 255-277 : 257

Chelipoda chaiamnata , new species

( Figs 1 , 24 )

Material examined. – Holotype. Male, THAILAND: Loei, Phu Ruea National Park, Nature Trail , 17°30.740'N 101°20.650'E, 1,353 m, Malaise trap, coll. N. Jaroenchai, 26 Sep.–2 Oct.2006 ( QSBG, T834 ).

Paratypes. One male, same data as holotype ( NMWC) ; 1 male, 19–26 Sep.2006 ( QSBG, T831 ) : Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon National Park, Campground Pond , 18°32.657'N, 98°31.482'E, 1,200 m, Malaise trap, coll. Y. Areeluck, 2 females, 2–10 Nov.2006 ( QSBG & NMWC, T831 ) .

Diagnosis. – Black head. Yellow thorax with narrow median stripe on scutum and a contrastingly deep black marking between and behind front coxae.

Description. – Male. Body length 3 mm. Head black with paler dust; ocl, vtl and upper upo strong, yellowish brown; other upo blackish, small; lpo pale; a few pale hairs behind mouth. Antenna with basal segments yellow; poped black, 2.5x long as wide; stylus black, rather more than 2x long as poped. Mouthparts brownish, proboscis black.

Thorax clear yellow, narrow median stripe on scutum, broader stripe on mediotergite and base of scutellum dark brown ( Fig. 24 ). Area between and behind front coxa on av margin of katepisternum contrastingly deep black. Setae yellow; two dc (including one level with npl) upper npl, sa and sct all strong; otherwise only minute hairs posteriorly on scutum, pospronotum and lower notopleural area.

Legs yellow, tarsomeres 4–5 obscurely darker. C 1 0.85x as long as thorax, anterior ciliation of small setulae yellow, no strong anterobasal seta. F 1 slightly longer than C 1, inflated, 3.7–3.9x as long as wide, widest 0.3–0.4 from base; femoral formula approximately 5(5–5)/20.5(20–23)/17(15–17)/5(5– 6) +2–4 ( Table 1); usually only one strong basal spine, others very weak and contiguous with av and pv series of spines; denticles black, spines yellow to yellowish black.

Abdomen black, yellowish ventrally; tergite 8 reduced, strongly sclerotized; sternites 7 and 8 with distinct setae on posterior margins and ventrally. Epan and Hypan fused ( Fig. 1 ), rather hemispherical in lateral view, brownish yellow becoming darker ventrally and posteriorly, bearing distinct setae posteriorly; left and right lamellae narrowly separated by unpigmented membrane. Cercus fused with Epan, yellowish, somewhat darker basally with long anteriorly directed digitiform process bearing long erect setae above and somewhat shorter more decumbent setae below. Subepandrial process greyish yellow, a minute upturned dorsal ‘tooth’ apically. Phallus yellow apically, darker basally, reaching almost to apex of subepandrial process; apicolaterally with four or five minute tubercles each bearing a minute short spine-like seta.

Wing membrane faintly yellowish; veins yellowish. Squamae with dark yellow fringes. Halter whitish yellow.

Female. Similar to male; antenna with poped slightly longer, 2.8x long as wide.

Legs similar to male, F 1 slightly more inflated; femoral formula 5(5–5)/22(20–24)/16.5(15–17)/5(4–5) +1–2, usually only one strong basal spine, other very weak.

Cercus yellow, slightly elongated.

Etymology. – The specific epithet derives from the Thai word, chai-am-nat (domineering), in reference to supposed fierce predatory behaviour inferred from the presence of strongly raptorial front legs in this species. Used as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. – Known only from Loei and Chiang Mai provinces from rather dry seasonal forest biotopes between 1,200 and 1,353 m from September to November.

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Male genitalia of Chelipoda species in lateral view: 1. C. chaiamnata new species; 2. C. flavida Brunetti; 3. C. guangxiensis Yang & Yang; 4. C. inthawichayanona new species: 5–6 C. hubeiensis Yang & Yang; 5. typical form; 6. variant (outline only).

Figs. 19–24. Thoracic dorsum of Chelipoda spp. showing schematic pattern of ground colour. 19–20. C. macrosceles new species: 19. male; 20. female: 21. C. flavida Brunneti, male: 22–23. C. nakropa new species, male: 22. high elevation morph; 23. mid elevation morph: 24. C. chaiamnata new species, male.