Sphecomyia cryptica Moran

M. Moran, Kevin & H. Skevington, Jeffrey, 2019, Revision of world Sphecomyia Latreille (Diptera, Syrphidae), ZooKeys 836, pp. 15-79 : 28-30

Sphecomyia cryptica Moran sp. n. Figs 2D, 7C, 8C, 9C, 15A, 21A, 22E, 25

Sphecomyia pattonii of authors Cole and Lovett 1921:293, not Williston 1882. Misidentification.

Type locality.

U.S.A.: Oregon: Klamath County, Lake of the Woods, 42.36056, −122.205, 1500 m.

Types.

Holotype male, pinned. Original label: "Crater Lake // Nat. Park" "A. L. Lovett // Coll 8 22" “CNC47005”. [1♂, CNC47005, CNC]

Paratypes: U.S.A., California: Del Norte Co., Darlingtonia, HWY 199, Six Rivers National Forest, 41.838611, −123.946111, 120 m, F.C. Thompson, 1.vi.2009, USNM_ENT01261991; USNM_ENT01261992; USNM_ENT01261993 (3♂, USNM); M. Hauser, 1.vi.2009, KMM0891; KMM0892 (2♂, CSCA). Oregon: 12-15 miles east of Ashland, Dead Indian Road, 42.2695, −122.4388, 1371 to 1493 m, H.A. Scullen, 17.vii.1930, KMM0805 (1♀, WIRC); Anna Creek, 42.9253, −122.1727, A.L. Lovett, 22.viii, CNC47006 (1♂, CNC); Crater Lake National Park, 42.8684, −122.1685, 2133 m, E.C. Van Dyke, 17.vii.1922, KMM0913; KMM0915 (2♀, CAS); A.L. Lovett, 22.viii, CNC47004; (1♂, CNC); KMM0903; KMM0904 (2♂, AMNH); D.C. Lowrie, 21.vii.1951, USNM01261990 (1♂, USNM); KMM0902 (1♀, WSU); E.C. Van Dyke, 14.vii.1934, KMM0914 (1♂, CAS); Douglas Co., Diamond Lake, 43.1699, −122.1681, E.C. Van Dyke, 16.vii.1934, KMM0916 (1♂, CAS); Jackson Co., 1.5 miles north Mount Ashland Ski Bowl, 42.1058, −122.6994, P. Rude, 4.vii.1970, EMEC371299 (1♂, EMEC); Jackson Co., Mount Ashland, 42.08, −122.7175, 2073 m, P. Rude, 26.vii.1966, EMEC371298; EMEC371348 (2♀, EMEC); Klamath Co., Crescent Lake, 43.5084, −121.9685, E.R. Jaycox, 4.vii.1952, CNC143004 (1♀, CNC); Klamath Co., Klamath Falls, Coary Ranch, 42.225, −121.78111, Prunus demissa , J. Schuh, 12.vi.1964, USNM1028902 (1♂, USNM); Klamath Co., Lake of the Woods, 42.3606, −122.205, E.C. Van Dyke, 10.vii.1934, KMM0906; KMM0907; KMM0908; KMM0909; KMM0910; KMM0911; KMM0912; KMM0917 (7♂,1♀, CAS); 42.360561, −122.205000, 1508 m, H.A. Scullen, 18.vii.1930, KMM0905 (1♂, WIRC); Klamath Co., Pelican Butte Road, 42.4633, −122.1103, P.H. Arnaud Jr., 29.vii.1967, USNM1071333 (1♂, USNM); Linn Co., Hoodoo Ski Bowl, 44.4072, −121.8719, 1402 m, P.A. Opler, 25.vii.1966, EMEC371347; EMEC371349; EMEC371350 (1♂,2♀, EMEC); Linn Co., Marion Forks, 44.6155, −121.9468, R.L. Fischner, 30.vi.1962, USNM01261994 (1♀, USNM); Mount Hood, Cloud Cap, 45.402875, −121.654162, 1520 m, M.C. Lane, 17.vii.1933, KMM0793; KMM0794 (2♂, WIRC); Mount Hood, 45.5389 -121.5681, 1524 m, M.C. Lane, 21.vi.1925, KMM0798 (1♂, WIRC); G.P. Englekardt, viii, USNM1028877; USNM1028911 (1♂,1♀, USNM); Mount Jefferson, 44.67429, −121.7990, subalpine regions, J.C. Bridwell, 20.vii.1907, CNC47015 (1♀, CNC); Timberline near Government Camp, Mount Hood, 45.3309, −121.7107, E.C. Van Dyke, 28.vii.1937, KMM0841; KMM0842 (2♀, CAS); Vidae Falls, Crater Lake National Park, 42.8844, −122.09970, B.V. Peterson, 10.vii.1968, CNC47016 (1♀, CNC).

Diagnosis.

Species similar to S. columbiana , S. dyari , S. hoguei sp. n., S. oraria sp. n., and S. pattonii but can be distinguished by the following characters: tergite 1 with uninterrupted, pruinose band along posterior margin; scutellum mixed black and yellow pilose; ventral calypter with long yellow pile; sternites 2 to 4 almost completely pruinose, with a triangular region of non-pruinosity posteromedially.

Description.

Male. Body length: 11.9-14.2 mm. Wing length: 8.9-10.7 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, bare, with yellow pruinosity along posterior third; vertex tri angular, 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. Sub-shiny black; postpronotum yellow pilose; scutum yellow pilose, except with black pile posteromedially; scutellum mostly yellow pilose with occasional black pile; postalar callus, proepimeron, posterior anepisternum yellow pilose; posterior katepisternum yellow pilose with broadly separated patches; anterior anepimeron yellow pilose; metasternum yellow pilose; postpronotum, anterior fourth of scutellum, broad posterior margin of anepisternum and dorso-posterior corner of katepisternum yellow pruinose; area between postpronota weakly yellow pruinose, except shiny medially; anepimeron shiny; scutum without pruinose vittae; ventral calypter with long yellow pile.

Legs. Foreleg black, except extreme apex of femur and anterior third of tibia reddish-yellow; fore tarsi slightly broadened; midleg reddish-yellow, except last two tarsomeres black; hind leg reddish-yellow, except last two tarsomeres black; legs yellow pilose, except, fore tibia, fore tarsi, extreme apex of fore femur and last two mid and hind tarsomeres black pilose; hind coxa yellow pruinose.

Wing. Hyaline; microtrichia absent from following areas: cell bc; cell r1 from base to about halfway to crossvein r-m; broad basal portion of cell br (before origin of M) and about basal two-fifths of narrower portion of this cell (caudad of spurious vein only); cell bm, except apex and narrow anterior and posterior margins of about apical fourth; broad anterior margin of cell cua; narrow, elongate, oval area proximal to vein A1.

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 narrow, uninterrupted posterior band in the posterolateral corners of tergite; tergite 3 with similar medial band, but more narrowly interrupted; pattern on tergite 4 same as tergite 3 except medial band very narrowly or incompletely interrupted; sternite 1 shiny; sternites 2 to 4 almost completely pruinose, with a triangular region of non-pruinosity posteromedially; sternites 6 to 8 pruinose; pile of abdomen yellow, except sometimes with scattered black pile present on postabdomen.

Male genitalia. Surstylus elongated, about twice as long as broad, curving upward dorsally; pile on dorsal surface of surstylus, increasing in length posteriorly; minute spines on ventral surface, with apical three-fourths of lateral inter surface also with spines; basal fourth of the ventral surface of the surstylus produced into a lobe directed anteriorly, with no minute pubescence present; cerci rounded, with invagination on posterior border; aedeagus as in Fig. 2D.

Female.

Similar to male except normal sexual dimorphism.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: Oregon (Fig. 25). Restricted to the Oregon portion of the Cascade Range.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek kryptos ( Brown 1956: 241), which means hidden or secret and references the difficulty of distinguishing this species from S. dyari and S. pattonii .

Biology.

Cole and Lovett (1921) misidentified specimens Lovett collected as S. pattonii . Lovett noted he observed them "entirely in the forenoon, occurring just at the edge of clearings and flying swiftly, close to the ground, resting occasionally in low growing shrubbery at the very edge of dense forests". They have been collected visiting flowers of Prunus virginiana var. demissa (Nutt. ex Torr. and A. Gray) Torr. A specimen collected by Bridwell notes it was collected in the sup-alpine region. Recorded flying June through August.