Empis (Enoplempis) blodgettensis 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 blodgettensis

description: Empis (Enoplempis) blodgettensis sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BC3C1563-7E3F-4830-9019-B91589C7C7B0
(Figs 287–289, 294, 295, 307)
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Fig. 287), labelled: “ CALIF. El Dorado Co. / Blodgett Forest [38°54′N 120°39′W], 13/ mi. E. Georgetown, el./ 4000-4500’ 2 Jun 1974 / A. Hajek ”; “Univ. Calif./ Insect Survey/ Specimen #/ 191355 [missing left antenna] [with unwrapped Macrocera sp. (Keroplatidae) prey]”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / blodgettensis Sinclair,/ Brooks & Cumming [red label]” (EMEC). PARATYPE: USA. California: Same data as holotype except, 191355 (1♂, EMEC).
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of the subgenus by the grey body (Fig. 287) and males with eyes closely approximated, unmodified hindleg (Fig. 288), slightly inflated fore and hind tarsomere 1 (Figs, 288, 289), hind tibia with long, slender dorsal setae, length nearly twice width of tibia and cercus deeply cleft along dorsal margin (Fig. 292).
Description. Wing length 6.5–6.8 mm. Male. Similar to E. (En.) californica sp. nov., except as follows: head with eyes closely approximated. Frons very narrow. Antenna with postpedicel 4× longer than basal width.
Thorax with antepronotum with 2 pairs of dark setae. Postpronotum with 1 long seta and several short, dark setae. Scutum with short, fine uniserial acr; dc slightly longer, stronger than acr, increasing in length and stronger posteriorly; 2 posterior npl, with several short anterior npl setulae; 1 presut spal; 1 psut spal; 1 pal. Scutellum with 1 pair of long, convergent apical sctl, with 1 pair of long outer marginal setae.
Legs stocky, orange brown, apex of tibiae and tarsi darker brown; coxae with greyish pruinescence (Fig. 287). Femora with white ventral pile, longest on hind femur. Fore femur with anteroventral and posteroventral row of setae, shorter than half width of femur. Fore tibia without long posterior setae; 3–4 erect anterodorsal setae on apical half, length longer than width of tibia; anterior face with short appressed setae. Fore tarsomere 1 slightly inflated without long dorsal setae, with fine dense ventral setae; 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. Mid femur similar to fore femur. Mid tibia with fine ventral setae, with several stronger anteroventral and posteroventral setae. Mid tarsomeres 1–5 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 slender without modified setae and processes; rows of fine ventral setae, length shorter than width of femur (Fig. 288). Hind tibia without processes or modified setae; long dorsal setae, length nearly twice width of tibia; fine erect ventral setae, shorter than width of tibia (Fig. 288). Hind tarsus slightly inflated with long dorsal setae, similar to tibia, otherwise similar to mid tarsus.
Wing with CuA+CuP strong, reaching wing margin. Basal costal seta absent. R 5 and M 1 divergent near wing margin; R 5 ending at or beyond wing tip; radial fork acute. Halter paler than orange-brown legs (Fig. 287).
Terminalia (Figs 294, 295): apex of epandrium and dorsal margin of cerci dark brown, phallus orange brown and shiny. Cercus deeply cleft dorsally, V-shaped; anterior lobe rounded, posterior lobe tapered; setae shorter than width of cercus. Subepandrial process extending on either side of phallus. Epandrial lamella elongate, longer than height; anterior half broad; posterior margin with somewhat expanded, truncate, bearing long setae ventrally, shorter than width of epandrium. Hypandrium narrow, strap-like; without setae. Phallus (Fig. 295) with base not strongly expanded, tapered apically, with distinct sinuous bend near mid-length; apical half gently arched, apex emerging beyond cerci; apex with long narrow opening from small, expanded margin with roughened surface; ejaculatory apodeme more than half-length of epandrium, Y-shaped, with lateral apodemes positioned near ventral margin with short medial apodeme.
Female. Unknown.
Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence (Fig. 307). Empis (En.) blodgettensis sp. nov. is only known from the type locality in El Dorado County, California. Adults have been collected in June.
Etymology. The species is named after Blodgett Forest in El Dorado County, California, where both male specimens were collected.
Nuptial gift presentation. The holotype male is pinned with an unwrapped prey item (Keroplatidae). This may indicate that males of this species present unwrapped prey to females as nuptial gifts.
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 146-147, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5615.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15217957