Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis
Creators: name: Evenhuis, Neal L.
name: Gharali, Babak
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Bombyliidae
Empidideicus
Empidideicus rhinoclypeatus

description: Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis
(Figs 4, 13, 14, 22, 36, 37, 46, 59, 60, 75, 76)
Empidideicus rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis, 2007: 56.
Material Examined. Types. Holotype ♂ and 43♂, 22♀ paratypes from MADAGASCAR: Tulear Province: Cape Ste. Marie Special Reserve, 37 m, 74 km S. of Tsishombe, 25°35.26′S, 45°09.78′E, 5–15 Feb 2003, M. Irwin, F. Parker, Malaise trap, spiny bush. Other paratypes: MADAGASCAR: Tulear Province: 2♂, 3♀, Mikea Forest, NW of Manombo, 22°54.8′S, 43°28.93′E, 18–29 April 2002, M.E. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, deciduous dry forest; 3♂, Andohahela National Park, Parcel II, 16–17 Dec 2002, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, transitional forest. Other material examined. MADAGASCAR: Tulear Province: 4♂, topotypic except, 18–26 Oct 2003, M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, spiny forest; 3♂, 1♀, same data except 20–30 Apr 2003 (CASLOT 024745); 2♂, 1♀, same data except 22–29 Jun 2003 (CASLOT 024750); 5♂, same data except 30 Apr–11 May 2003 (CASLOT 024746); 11♂, 6♀, same data except 27 Oct 2002 (CASLOT 024728); 2m, 1f, Mikea Forest, NW of Manombo, 22°54.8′S, 43°28.93′E, 16–26 Dec 1001, M.E. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, spiny forest (CASLOT 024686); 2♂, same data except 29 May–8 Jun 2002 (CASLOT 024697); 1♂, 1♀, same data except 23 Jul–6 Aug 2002 (CASLOT 024700); 1♂, 1♀, same data except 13–23 Jul 2002 (CASLOT 024667); 2♂, 1♀, same data except 1–8 Mar 2002 (CASLOT 024657); 3♂, same data except 19 Feb–1 Mar 2002 (CASLOT 024656); 1♂, same data except 12 Oct–12 Nov 2001 (CASLOT 024646); 2♂, same data except 29 Apr–9 May 2002 (024662). Holotype in CAS. Paratypes in CAS and BPBM.
Diagnosis: It is easily separated from all Empidideicus by the elongate clypeus, extending below the oral margin and one-half the length of the labrum. This one of the largest known species in the genus (most other species are less than 1.5 mm in body length) and is thus easily spotted in collections due to its size combined with the downward or backward reflexed proboscis.
Description:
Male (Fig. 13). Length: 1.60–2.88 mm. Wing: 1.70–2.95 mm. Head (Figs 4, 22): longer than high; eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by 1.5× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput and postgena black; front slightly depressed medially, white with subrectangular brown area immediately below ocellar tubercle; face white, tip of oral margin tan to brown; antennae (cf. Fig. 23) dark brown, set in deep pocket; scape short, subtrapezoidal; pedicel subconical, wider than long; first flagellomere lanceolate, length 3.5× width; second flagellomere one-half length of first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical style; mentum black; clypeus dark brown, elongate, extending well beyond tip of oral margin, length subequal to head height; proboscis dark brown to black, length 2.5× head length; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length subequal to clypeus; palpus not evident.
Thorax (Fig. 36). Mesonotum shiny black with yellow markings in following areas: prescutellar area extending anteriorly for a short distance as traces of admedian vittae; dorsolaterally from humeral callus to transverse suture; postalar callus as anterolateral extension of prescutellar mark; scutellum yellow; mesonotal disc and dorsum of scutellum with short fine brown hairs, small patch of fine minute brown hairs on dorsolateral corner of anepisternum and upper half of propleuron, otherwise, pleura bare; pleura dark brown with pale yellow to white spots on following: posterodorsal corner of anepisternum and anepimeron, laterally on propleuron, upper half of meron; coxae and basal three-fourths of femora and tarsal segments 4 and 5 brown, remainder of legs yellow; halter stem grayish brown, knob white.
Wing (Fig. 46). Elongate, length 3.5× width; subhyaline with pale brownish tinge; veins brown; costa ends slightly beyond end of R 4+5; vein Sc incomplete; Rs evanescent at connection with R 1; R 4+5 very slightly bowed; vein M 1 curved to wing margin; M 2 straight to wing margin; cell dm closed by apical crossvein, crossvein subequal in length to crossvein r-m; anal cell closed in wing margin; A 1 effaced, straight to wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse toward base.
Abdomen (Fig. 59). Dorsum black, concolorous with central mesonotal color; tergite I white laterally; posterior margins of tergites II–VII and lateral portions white; when viewed laterally abdomen with lateral black band consisting of black color on extreme lateral tips of tergites and sternites; remainder of sternites white; tergites with sparsely scattered minute hairs.
Genitalia (Fig. 75). Hypopygium shiny brown. Gonocoxa subtriangular in lateral view with rounded subrectangular gonostylus (Fig. 75A); lateral arms of parameral sheath extending below gonocoxa, flared apically; aedeagal bulb large, rounded; aedeagal apodeme subequal in length to gonocoxal apodeme, peanut-shaped with short lanceolate lateral rami (Fig. 75B); epiphallus slightly longer than gonocoxa, with hooked apex; epandrium subrectangular with long, thin, clubbed apicoventral process in lateral view.
Female: As in male except dark coloration of thorax (Fig. 37) and abdomen brown. Abdominal dark coloration interrupted medially by longitudinal white stripe (Fig. 60). Genitalia (Fig. 76): genital fork spermatheca spheroidellipsoid, sclerotized brown, longer than wide, with striations on basal half, large hole apically; apical spermathecal duct ca. 1.5× length of spermatheca, thin, transparent; sperm pump 3–4× length of apical duct, transparent, not sclerotized apically or basally, slightly flared and rounded apically; basal duct confluent with sperm pump.
Etymology. The specific epithet derives from Greek, ρηινοσ = “nose” + χλψπεατυσ = “provide with a shield”; referring to the elongate clypeus of this new species, which is reminiscent of the nose guards of ancient Greek helmets.
description: Published as part of Evenhuis, Neal L. & Gharali, Babak, 2022, The subgenus Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) in Madagascar, pp. 401-426 in Zootaxa 5222 (5) on pages 416-418, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5222.5.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7471736