Empis (Enoplempis) paraeripes 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 paraeripes

description: Empis (Enoplempis) paraeripes sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 418248E8-6243-4A11-91C9-C9EF23369549
(Figs 271, 272, 280, 285)
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: “CAL: Tulare Co. / S. Fork Camp [36°21′N 118°45′W], 13/ mi. SE Three/ Rivers V-3-79/ R. Coville, col.”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / paraeripes Sinclair,/ Brooks & Cumming [red label]” (EMEC). PARATYPES: USA. California: Same data as holotype (3♂, EMEC); same data except, 32–3600 ft, JAP (3♂, EMUC). Fresno County: Dunlap [36°44′N 119°07′W], 9.iv.1953, J.C. Hall (1♂, UCD); same data except, 17.iv.1956, R. P. Allen (1♂, EMUC). Tulare County: Ash Mtn. Kwh. Pwr. Sta. 3 [36°29′N, 118°50′W], 23.iii.1983, J.F. MacDonald (1♂, 3♀, CNC); 1 mi. NE Posey [35°48′N 118°40′W], 14.v.1963, JAP (2♂, EMUC).
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of the E. (En.) valentis species group by the occiput bearing several irregular rows of strong setae, four marginal scutellar setae, halter with yellowish brown knob, male hind femur with inner medial knob, separate from anteroventral process (Figs 271, 272), and wing length less than 7 mm.
Description. Wing length 5.9–6.2 mm. Male. Similar to E. (En.) aeripes, except as follows: head with occiput bearing several irregular rows of strong setae, similar in size to ocellar setae. Postpedicel long and tapered, 4× longer than basal width; stylus 1.5× longer than basal width of postpedicel. Palpus orange brown.
Thorax with postpronotum with 1 long seta and some 2 pairs of shorter, dark setae. Scutum with 2 posterior npl, with 1 shorter anterior npl. Scutellum with 2 pairs of strong sctl, widely separated medially.
Hind femur with anteroventral process digitiform, longer than apical width of femur, with tuft of black apical setae and numerous setae on stalk, without basal lobe; one knob-like lobe medial to digitiform anteroventral process slightly arched posteriorly; one short knob-like posteroventral lobe proximal to preapical row of 4–5 flattened, black posterior setae; preapical anterior seta strong, slightly longer than width of femur (Figs 271, 272). Hind tibia with stout anteroventral digitiform process on basal quarter, slightly proximal to process of femur (when legs folded), with appressed black marginal setae; posteroventrally with broad, rounded process, with short marginal setae and tuft of long subapical setae, subequal to length of process (Figs 271, 272).
Wing with R 5 ending posterior to wing tip. Halter with yellowish brown knob.
Abdomen without posterior margin of tergites glossy. Terminalia (Fig. 280): dark brown. Cercus short, rectangular; dorsal margin with distinct notch at mid-length, posteriorly with short, dorsal knob-like projection; setae shorter than width of cercus. Subepandrium without process or setae. Epandrial lamella oval, higher than long; posterior margin with very short, knob-like projection; posterior margin with short setae. Hypandrium short, truncate, slightly prolonged laterally; without setae. Phallus with basal half strongly expanded posteriorly beyond margin of epandrium; tapered apically, mostly straight apically; apex not emerging beyond epandrium; lateral face of phallus with spicules; ejaculatory apodeme more than half-length of epandrium, Y-shaped, with ventrally positioned lateral apodemes.
Female. Similar to male, except as follows: frons slightly broader; hindleg without modified setae and processes; abdominal pleural membrane with darkened, expanded region; tergites 7 and 8 shiny.
Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence (Fig. 285). Empis (En.) paraeripes sp. nov. is known from March to May in central California.
Etymology. The species name is derived from the Greek para meaning near and aeripes, in reference to the similarity with E. (En.) aeripes.
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 138-139, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5615.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15217957