Schildia caliginosa, Dikow & Bayless, 2009

Dikow, Torsten & Bayless, Keith M., 2009, Taxonomic revision of the genus Schildia Aldrich, 1923 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae) with the description of new extant and extinct species, Insect Systematics & Evolution 40, pp. 253-289 : 266-268

Schildia caliginosa sp.n. ( Fig. 38 )

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the apruinose antepronotum, postpronotum, and medial postpronotal lobes, the two brown transverse bands on the mesothoracic tibiae, the yellow transverse band on metathoracic tibiae more than 3 times as long as width of metathoracic tibia, and the entirely dark brown scutum.

Etymology. Latin adjective caliginosus = misty or dark. Refers to the dark coloration of this species and its type locality, which is adjacent to the tepui Cerro Neblina in southern Venezuela.

Description. Head: Face silver pruinose, wide, wider than adjacent ommatidium; mystax yellow, 2 setae; vertex wide, wider than face at clypeal–facial margin, silver pruinose; occipital triangle apruinose, distance between triangle and median eye margin more than adjacent ommatidium; occiput laterally light brown pruinose, median dorso-ventral stripe silver pruinose; postocular setae yellow; proboscis brown; Antennae: scape and pedicel light yellow, light yellow setae dorsally and ventrally; postpedicel predominantly light yellow, light brown dorso-distal, silver pruinose, about 1.8 times as long as combined length of scape and pedicel; stylus brown, 1/4 as long as postpedicel, composed of 1 element.

Th orax: Predominantly brown, parts silver and brown pruinose; antepronotum, postpronotum and median postpronotal lobes apruinose; lateral postpronotal lobes apruinose, light yellow; scutum brown, predominantly apruinose, only dorsal of wing base and posterior margin silver pruinose; presutural dc setae: 1–2 short, 1 long, postsutural dc setae: only a few short anteriorly oriented setae close to posterior margin, 3–4 short acr setae, 1 npl and 1 spa seta; anepisternum predominantly brown, dorsal margin yellow, anteriorly and dorsally silver and remaining parts brown pruinose, few yellow anepisternal setae on anterior and dorsal margins; anepimeron, proepimeron, katepisternum, katepimeron and meron+metanepisternum brown, katepisternum predominantly apruinose, anterior margin silver and dorsal margin brown pruinose, meron+metanepisternum apruinose, remaining sclerites brown pruinose, metkatepisternum yellow, silver pruinose; scutellum brown, silver pruinose, few very short apical scutellar setae; Legs: light yellow to light brown; coxae and trochanters light yellow; pro and mes femora light yellow with 2 transverse light brown bands, met femur mostly light yellow to light brown, clubbed in distal 1/3, club brown, scattered brown macrosetae on pro and mes femora, met femur with distinct rows of brown macrosetae; pro and mes tibiae light yellow with 2 light brown transverse bands, met tibia brown with median yellow transverse band, more than 3 times as long as width of tibia, all tibiae with yellow to light brown erect macrosetae in rows, pro and mes tibiae with 3 long apical macrosetae, met tibia with 1 median and 2 apical macrosetae; tarsus light yellow to light brown, proximal tarsomere always longer than 2 following tarsomeres combined, short and long macrosetae on all tarsomeres; pro and mes empodia minute, met empodium more than half as long as median claw; median claw more than half as long as lateral claw; Wings: length = 4.2–4.4 mm; few microtrichia, trichoid spicules short, symmetrical dorsally and ventrally, 12–14 on M1 between r-m and diversion of M1 and M2; cell d small, terminating in M2 and M3, r-m situated just distally to separation of M 3 and CuA 1; R 1 reaching C proximal to R 5 and M 1 joining C, R2+3 straight proximally and smoothly arching posteriad distally; halter light yellow, knob dark brown, length = 0.8 mm.

Abdomen: Brown; T2 length = 4.0 mm, T2 with yellow transverse band medially, T2–3 with short, erect, evenly spaced macrosetae, remaining T with irregularly spaced and longer macrosetae, T7–8 with lateral sensory areas; Male terminalia: ♂ unknown; Female genitalia: spermathecae occupying only segment 8, individual spermathecal ducts long and coiled; spermathecal reservoirs not sclerotized, as wide as individual ducts, forming a coil.

Type material. The ♀ holotype is labeled “ VENEZUELA. T.F. Amaz. Cerro de la Neblina Base camp , 140 m. 0°50’N, 66°10’W 23 February 1985 / P.J. and P.M. Spangler R.A. Faitoute W.E. Steiner Collectors / HOLOTYPE Schildia caliginosa sp.n. det. T. Dikow & K. Bayless 2007 (red label)” ( USNM). The specimen is double mounted (minuten in block of red rubber) and is in very good condition. The ♀ paratype is labeled “ Ecuador, Orellana, Yasuni National Park, Onkone Gare Plot, Lot 1591 , 00°39’S 076°27’W, 240 m, 26.vi.1996, T. Erwin / PARATYPE Schildia caliginosa sp.n. det. T. Dikow & K. Bayless 2007 (yellow label)” ( USNM). The specimen is doubled mounted (minuten in block of silicone) and is in excellent condition .

Distribution. Venezuela ( Fig. 38 ). Biodiversity hotspot/high-biodiversity wilderness area: –/Amazonia ( Fig. 38 ).

Figures

Fig. 38. Map of the Neotropical region with biodiversity hotspots and wilderness areas, shaded in grey, showing distribution of Schildia alphus (square), S. caliginosa sp.n. (star), S. fragilis (circle) and S. gracillima (triangle). Open symbols, type localities.