Sphaerops appendiculata Philippi, 1865

Schlinger, Evert I., Gillung, Jessica P. & Borkent, Christopher J., 2013, New spider flies from the Neotropical Region (Diptera, Acroceridae) with a key to New World genera, ZooKeys 270, pp. 59-93 : 66

Sphaerops appendiculata Philippi, 1865 Figs 3-524

Material examined.

CHILE; Santiago Prov.; 3 km N. El Arrayan; 7.ix.1966; 1150 m; 33°21'S, 70°28'W; EI Schlinger, ME Irwin. [reared from Sequestriidae (Araneae), remains of spider host pinned with specimen], (EIS # 2951, 2952 (host); 1 ♂, CAS); [Chile] Santiago, 15.xi.[19]39, Stuardo (EIS # 2974; 1 ♂, CAS); [Chile] El Canalo, 15.x.1933; Stuardo (EIS # 2978; 1 ♂, CAS).

Diagnosis.

Pile covering body and legs is much longer and denser than in Sphaerops micella sp. n. (Fig. 3). Antennae are inserted on the head near but not immediately adjacent to the ocellar tubercle. This species is also much larger (6.3 vs 1.9 mm), has brown rather than yellow wing veins, and the wing veins CuA2 and A1 join near the wing margin.

Description.

Male with medium body size: (Fig. 3) 6.3 ± 1.2 mm (5.8 - 7.0 mm, n = 3) and wing shorter than the body: 5.9 ± 1.4 mm (5.1 - 6.4 mm, n = 3). Head. (Fig. 4) Eye dark brown, occiput and ocellar tubercle dark brown, covered with pale yellow pile; ocelli light brown, frons dark brown and strongly reduced, antennae light brown, face dark brown with pale yellow pile, clypeus dark brown, bare and as long as scape and pedicel combined, mouthparts yellow and strongly reduced. Thorax. Uniformly dark brown with dense covering pale yellow pile; coxae dark brown, femora, tibia and tarsi light brown, basal tarsomere longer than remaining tarsomeres, lower calypter pale yellow with light brown margin and covered with dense pale yellow pile, halter yellow. Wing. (Fig. 5) All wing veins brown. Abdomen. Tergites dark brown, sternites dark brown with posterior margin yellow.