Empis (Enoplempis) spokanensis 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 spokanensis

description: Empis (Enoplempis) spokanensis sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: DC97DA93-2024-42DA-BAA7-F9AEAE9CDA07
(Figs 115–118, 120, 130)
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Fig. 116), labelled: “ WASHINGTON: Mt. Spokane / SP, nr Bald Knob Cmpgr. [47°54′N 117°06′W]/ Spokane Co., 5200 ft. / W. J. Turner 28-VI-1977 / Malaise trap ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / spokanensis Sinclair,/ Brooks & Cumming [red label]” (WSU). PARATYPES: USA. Washington: Spokane County: Same data as holotype (10♂, 11♀, WSU; 8♂, 10♀, CNC); same data as holotype except, 5500 ft, 10.vii.1984 (11♂, 3♀, WSU); same data as holotype except, 4800–5200 ft, 25.vi.1979, sweeping (22♂, 11♀, WSU); same data except, 6.vii.1978 (1♂, WSU); same data as holotype except, 6.vii.1978, MT baited w/ CO 2 (16♂, 7♀, WSU); Bald Knob Cpgd, Mt Spokane SP [47°54′N 117°06′W], 4800–5200 ft, 6.vii.1978, MT, WJT (4♂, 2♀, WSU); same data except, 21–22.vii.1975, MT with dry ice bait (4♂, 4♀, WSU); same data except, 9–10.vii.1975 (7♂, 7♀, WFBM); Mt Spokane, 22.vi.1930 (1♂, USNM); Mt Spokane, 5500 ft, 10.vii.1984, J. Jenkins (3♂, 3♀, WSU).
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of the E. (En.) canaster species group by an obliquely projecting process with paint brush-like cluster of setae on the male hind femur, often separated into several groups, paired digitiform basal processes on the male hind tibia, and dense dorsal setae on the apical two-thirds of the male hind tibia longer than width of tibia (Figs 115, 117, 118).
Description. Wing length 6.5–8.0 mm. Male. Similar to E. (En.) canaster, except as follows: head with ocellar triangle with pair of short, parallel ocellar setae, shorter than ocellar triangle. Antenna dark; postpedicel long and tapered, 3× longer than basal width; stylus slightly longer than basal width of postpedicel. Palpus yellowish brown, with dark setulae.
Thorax with antepronotum with row at least 7 pairs of short, dark, stiff setae. Postpronotum with 1 short seta and 4–5 short, dark stiff setae. Scutum with short, fine uniserial acr; dc uniserial, similar to acr; 1 strong posterior npl, with 1–3 shorter anterior npl; 1 short presut spal; 1 short psut spal; 1 short pal. Scutellum with 1 widely separated pair of long sctl, aligned with dc row, with 1 outer, shorter pair of marginal setulae. Laterotergite with narrow patch of 3–4 strong, dark setae.
Legs slender, yellowish brown, apex of tibiae and tarsi darker; coxae yellowish brown, partially clothed in dense greyish pruinescence, concolourous with pleura (Fig. 116). Hind femur with oblique, slender anteroventral digitiform process, with paint brush-like setae, separated into several clusters; 3 narrow posteroventral processes without setae: anterior process slender, arched; middle process forked; posterior process triangular; preapical anterior seta strong, shorter than width of femur (Figs 115–118). Hind tibia with pair of narrow digitiform processes on basal quarter; posteroventral process slightly twisted, with black setae on outer margin, longest apically, with knob-like, inner basal setose lobe; anteroventral process strongly tapered, with appressed crown of black setae; posteroapical comb with seta; apical two-thirds with long dorsal setae, longer apically, less than twice width of tibia; ventral margin with dense, fine erect setae (Figs 115, 117, 118). Hind tarsomere 1 somewhat inflated, with long dorsal setae, similar to tibia; tarsomeres 2–5 similar to mid tarsus.
Abdomen dark, with dense greyish pruinescence, concolourous with scutum; long, pale lateral setae on pregenital segments. Pregenital segments unmodified, except sclerites of segment 8 narrowly separated, weakly narrowly fused anteriorly. Terminalia (Fig. 120): phallus orange brown. Cercus short, rectangular; dorsal margin expanded basally; apex rounded; setae longer than width of cercus; weakly fused anteriorly to epandrium. Subepandrium without process; with row of medium-length setae. Epandrial lamella oval, higher than long; posterior margin without projection, bearing longest setae along posterior margin; some setae as long as epandrium. Hypandrium short, truncate, slightly projected laterally with arched apical margin; numerous strong setae of various lengths present. Phallus very narrow and tubular basally; strongly expanded on basal half, tapered, mostly straight apically; apex not emerging beyond cercus; apex not expanded; ejaculatory apodeme longer than length of epandrium, Tshaped, 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 visible; sternite 4 with long, wavy, golden lateral setae; tergite 8 shiny, without pruinescence.
Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence (Fig. 130). Empis (En.) spokanensis sp. nov. is only known from Mt Spokane State Park in Spokane County, Washington. Adults have been collected in June and July.
Etymology. This species is named after the type locality, Mt Spokane State Park, where all known specimens have been collected.
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 58-60, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5615.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15217957