Empis (Enoplempis) safra Sinclair, Brooks & Cumming, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Sinclair, Bradley J.
name: Brooks, Scott E.
name: Cumming, Jeffrey M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Empididae
Empis
Empis safra

description: Empis (Enoplempis) safra sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A9004A4A-AFFD-4365-8B17-F85BE652A371
(Figs 107–109, 111, 130)
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Fig. 107), labelled: “ OREGON: Big Creek [44°57′N 117°41′W], 26/ mi. SE Union, 4200 ft. / Baker Co., E. J. Davis / VI-(12-14)-1977/ Malaise baited with CO 2 ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / safra Sinclair,/ Brooks & Cumming [red label]” (WSU). PARATYPES: USA. Oregon: Baker County: Same data as holotype except, 27–30.vi.1976 (1♂, WSU); U. Goose Ck, 34 mi. SE Union [44°56′N 117°25′W], 4160 ft, 12–14.vi.1977, MT baited with CO 2, E.G. Davis (1♀, WSU); same data except, 19–22.vi.1977 (2♂, 3♀, WSU); same data except, 29.vi–5.vii.1975 (1♀, WSU); Velvet Ck [45°1′N 117°31′W], 28 mi. SE Union, 4720 ft, Wallowa-Whitman NF, 17.vi.1977, sweeping, WJT (3♂, 1♀, CNC); same data except, 20–22.vi.1976, E.J. Davis (1♀, WSU).
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of the E. (En.) canaster species group by the yellow body colour, scutum with pair of yellowish-brown vittae, two paint brush-like preapical ventral lobes on the male hind femur, pair of digitiform basal processes on the male hind tibia, and the length of the distal dorsal setae of the male hind tibia is longer than width of tibia (Figs 107–109).
Description. Wing length 7.1–7.5 mm. Male. Similar to E. (En.) canaster, except as follows: head grey in ground-colour, with pale greyish pruinescence. Ocellar triangle elevated, with thin greyish pruinescence, with very short, parallel ocellar setae, shorter than triangle and several short setulae. Occiput with single median row of strong, stiff setae, subequal in length to ocellar setae; postocular setae with upper 2–3 setae stronger and slightly longer than ocellar setae, with shorter, thinner lower postocular setae. Postpedicel and stylus dark; scape and pedicel distinctly yellowish-brown; scape slightly more than 2× longer than pedicel; postpedicel long, tapered, 4× longer than basal width; stylus slightly more than 1.5× longer than basal width of postpedicel. Palpus pale, yellowish brown, with dark setulae.
Thorax yellow in ground-colour, densely grey pruinescent (Fig. 107). Scutum with pair of yellowish brown vittae running between setal rows; apex of postpronotal lobe shiny yellow. Postpronotum with 1 short seta and several dark, stiff setulae. Scutum with short, fine uniserial acr; dc uniserial, slightly longer, stronger than acr; 1 posterior npl, with 1–2 very short anterior npl; 1 presut spal; 1 psut spal; 1 pal. Scutellum with 1 widely separated pair of short sctl, aligned with dc row, shorter than half length of scutellum; 1 outer, shorter pair of marginal setulae. Laterotergite with narrow patch of 2–4 strong, dark setae.
Legs slender, yellow, tarsi slightly darker; coxae yellow, often with thin pruinescence (Fig. 107). Fore femur clothed in short, black setae. Fore tarsomere 1 swollen, slightly broader than apex of tibia, without dense setulae; long ventral setae, longer than width of tarsomere; tarsomeres 2–5 with biserial row of spine-like ventral setae; tarsomeres 1–4 with apicolateral pair of spine-like setae, longer than width of segment. Hind femur with 2 preapical, paint brush-like ventral processes and outer, broad, laterally flattened posteroventral process with tuft of black setae; small knob-like posteroventral process distal to broad process; medial paint brush-like process narrow without base; outer paint brush-like process broad with setae longer laterally, directed obliquely; apex of femur without preapical row of posterior setae; preapical anterior seta strong, shorter than width of femur (Figs 108, 109). Hind tibia with pair of processes on basal quarter; posteroventral process short, broad with crown of apicolateral black setae; anteroventral process short, expanded laterally with short, strong setae along apical face and longer, thinner apical setae; setae in posteroapical comb; apical half with long dorsal setae, longer apically, slightly longer than width of tibia; ventral face with fine, erect setae (Figs 107–109). Hind tarsomere 1 somewhat inflated, with several long dorsal setae, similar to tibia; tarsomeres 2–5 similar to mid tarsus.
Abdomen yellow, with thin pruinescence, concolourous with scutum; long, pale lateral setae on pregenital segments. Pregenital segments unmodified, except sclerites of segment 8 narrowly separated, fused anteriorly. Terminalia (Fig. 111): yellow, shiny with cercus dark brown. Cercus, rectangular; dorsal margin slightly sinuous; apex rounded, downcurved; setae longer than width of cercus; weakly fused anteriorly to epandrium. Subepandrium without process; with row of medium-length setae. Epandrial lamella subtriangular, higher than long; posterior margin without projection, bearing longest setae along posterior margin; setae shorter than half length of epandrium. Hypandrium short, truncate, slightly projected laterally with straight apical margin; several thin setae, shorter than length of hypandrium. Phallus very narrow and tubular basally; strongly expanded on basal half, tapered, sinuous apically; apex not emerging beyond cercus; apex not expanded; ejaculatory apodeme longer than length of epandrium, T-shaped, with ventrally positioned lateral apodemes.
Female. Similar to male, except as follows: frons broader, nearly as wide as ocellar triangle; hindleg without modified setae and processes; abdominal pleural membrane not expanded; tergite 8 subshiny; cercus brown.
Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence (Fig. 130). Empis (En.) safra sp. nov. is only known from Baker County, Oregon. Adults have been collected in June and July.
Etymology. This species is named after safra (Arabic) in reference to its yellowish body colouration.
Nuptial gift presentation. Form unknown.
description: Published as part of Sinclair, Bradley J., Brooks, Scott E. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2025, Revision of the western Nearctic species of Empis subgenus Enoplempis (Diptera: Empididae), pp. 1-200 in Zootaxa 5615 (1) on pages 55-56, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5615.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15217957