Geron notios Hall & Evenhuis

Hall, Jack C. & Evenhuis, Neal L., 2003, Review of the subgenus Geron (Geron) Meigen in the Nearctic Region (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Toxophorinae), Zootaxa 181, pp. 1-72 : 44-46

Geron notios Hall & Evenhuis , sp. nov.

Description. Male. Head. Front silvery tomentose, hair wanting; antenna black; scape with long white hair, apex with shorter black hair; pedicel with short black hair; first flagellomere evenly tapering from base to acuminate apex; antennal ratio: 7:3:18; face cinereous pollinose, white pilose, bare medially, silvery tomentum lateral to antennal base; oral margin white; proboscis projects beyond oral margin for a distance about two times head height; gena white pilose and tomentose; occiput with lower half white pilose and tomentose, upper half pale yellow pilose, tomentum wanting; ocellar tubercle with yellow to black hair.

Thorax. Mesonotum dull black, lateral margin vaguely brownish; median longitudinal stripe vague, short, medially divided, not reaching transverse suture; notum with pale yellow pile, shorter black hair medially behind transverse suture; tomentum golden yellow, scattered; pleura white pilose and tomentose; legs black with white hair and scales, mid and hind tibiae brownish to ferruginous; halter with stem and knob pale yellowish; scutellum pale yellow pilose, tomentum golden yellow scattered.

Wing. Hyaline; venation normal; crossvein r­m at middle of cell dm; crossvein m­cu sinuate; basicosta with pale yellow hair.

Thorax. Abdominal dorsum white to pale yellow pilose, tomentum golden yellow, scattered; side and venter white pilose and tomentose; tergites with lateral margins black; sternites with posterior margins black.

Genitalia ( Fig. 47 ) with gonocoxa in ventral view with two depressions separated by a median ridge; gonocoxa in lateral view elongate­rectangular, lower margin undulate, without a projection; gonostylus about four times longer than high, in dorsal view narrow, inner margin curved medially; lateral ramus narrow, slightly shorter than gonostylus; dorsolateral ramus narrow, long but not reaching apex of lateral ramus.

Female. As in male except as follows: Head. Eyes separated at vertex by one and onehalf times width of ocellar tubercle; front with yellow hair, middle with golden yellow tomentum, side, next to eye margin with silver­white tomentum; upper half of occiput with golden yellow tomentum. Thorax. Mesonotum with lateral and anterior margins cinereous pollinose; median longitudinal stripe reaches transverse suture; notum with abundant golden yellow tomentum; fore tarsi with palynophilic setae. Abdomen. Dorsum yellow pilose, golden yellow tomentose. Genitalia with posterior projection of tergite VIII fulvous; vaginal furca ( Fig. 16 ) with upper half narrowly V­shaped; lower half complicated, arms straight, lower portion consisting of three enlarged connected pieces, inner pieces nearly touching, outer pieces narrow, cup­shaped.

Types. Holotype male (CAS No. 16533) and allotype (17 mi. E Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, 4.xii.1958, D.D. Linsdale). Paratypes. United States: Arizona. Cochise County: 4, topotypic, collected with types; 4, Portal, 4.viii.1959 (H.E. Evans); 1, Cienega Lake, 23.viii.1967 (F.G. Andrews); Santa Cruz County: 1, Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mts., 16.viii.1964 (P.A. Rauch). California. Riverside County: l, Blythe, 15.vii.1938 (P.H. Timberlake). Texas. San Saba County: 1, San Saba, 25.viii.1921, Mexico: Nayarít: 1, 4 mi. S San Blas, 5.xi.1964 (M.E. Irwin). Sonora: 8, 75 mi. S. Hermosillo, 25.iv.1961 (R.H.

& E.M. Painter); l, 10 mi. SE Guayamas, 21.iv.1961 (R.H. & E.M. Painter). Holotype and allotype deposited in CAS. Paratypes deposited in USNM and UCR.

Variation. In both sexes the femora vary from entirely black to entirely ferruginous. The tomentum on the dorsum of the body varies in color from golden to yellow.

Discussion. Specimens in which the legs are entirely ferruginous cannot be separated from specimens of G. rufipes except by means of the male and female genitalia. This species and G. rufipes are the only species of Geron that have all ferruginous legs. In general, specimens of G. notios are smaller (3–5 mm in length) than specimens of G. rufipes .

Biology. Immature stages unknown. Adults have been taken at flowers of Lippia nodiflora .

Distribution. United States (Arizona, California, Texas). Mexico (Nayarít, Sonora).

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the Greek “ ” = southern; referring to the relatively southerly distribution of this species in North America.

Figures

FIGURES 46 – 49. Geron male genitalia. 46, G. niveus Painter; a, lateral view; b, tip of gonocoxa, dorsal view, epiphallus removed. 47, G. notios Hall & Evenhuis, sp. nov.; a, lateral view; b, gonocoxa, dorsal view. 48, G. painteri Hall & Evenhuis, sp. nov.; a, lateral view; b, tip of gonocoxa, ventral view. 49, G. parvidus Painter; a, lateral view; b, gonocoxa, dorsal view, epiphallus and phallic complex removed.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Geron vaginal furcae. 13, G. monticola Hall & Evenhuis, sp. nov. 14, G. nevadensis Hall & Evenhuis, sp. nov. 15, G. nigripes Painter. 16, G. notios Hall & Evenhuis, sp. nov. 17, G. painteri Hall Evenhuis, sp. nov. 18, G. parvidus Painter.