Empis (Enoplempis) richardvockerothi 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 richardvockerothi

description: Empis (Enoplempis) richardvockerothi sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 42CF9230-DE6E-4954-BB9F-523B54A9391B
(Figs 342–345, 350, 354)
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Fig. 342), labelled: “[USA] CALIF./ Sta. Barbara [34°25′N 119°42′W]/ 11.II.1993 / J. R. Vockeroth”; “Tunnel Road/ Trail 130m ”; “ CNC/ 1078382 ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / richardvockerothi Sinclair,/ Brooks & Cumming [red label]” (CNC). PARATYPES: USA. California: Los Angeles County: Angeles Crest Hwy, San Gabriel Mts. [34.3589°N 117.9129°W], 15.iii.1957, C.L. Hogue (2♂, LACM); Claremont [34°6′N 117°43′W], Baker, (9♂, 5♀, USNM); same data except, Mts nr Claremont (1♂, 2♀, USNM); San Gabriel Cyn, Hwy 39, F. R. 2N24 at OVH Area, 34.238°N 117.864°W, 7.iv.2009, E09-16, I.S. Winkler & K.C. Collins (1♂, CNC); Sepulveda Cyn [34°07′N 118°28′W], 9.ii.1958, R. S. Erdmann (3♂, LACM); Topanga Cyn, 34.08°N 118.59°W, 8.iii.1995, B. Brown, G. Hendler, MT (1♂, LACM). Orange County: Santa Ana Mts, Hwy 74, 33°36′6.2″N 117°30′38.0″W, 515 m, 15.iii.2010, K. Collins, male swarm, unwrapped prey (3♂, CNC). Santa Barbara County: Same data as holotype (17♂, 2♀, CNC). Tulare County: 0.5 mi. SE Ash Mtn Seq. NP HQ [36°29′N 118°49′W], 4.ii.1984, flume debris trap, R.D. Haines (4♂, CSCA).
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of the subgenus by the absence of distinct lobes on the male hindleg (Figs 343–345), modified setae confined to short, divergent rows on femur and tibia, male cercus narrow with truncate apex, subepandrial process present, and phallus distinctly attenuated near mid-length (Fig. 350).
Description. Wing length 5.0– 5.3 mm. Male. Head dark in ground-colour, with greyish pruinescence (Fig. 342). Eyes holoptic. Frons forming small triangular plate above antennae; without short setulae along inner margin of eye. Face without setae; short, parallel-sided towards mouthparts, with oral margin dark and shiny. Ocellar triangle elevated, with thin greyish pruinescence, with pair of parallel ocellar setae and several pairs of short setulae. Occiput bearing single row of setae, slightly stronger than postocular setae; postocular setae shorter than occipital row; postocellar region without setae. Antenna dark brown; scape 2× longer than pedicel, with short, black setae; pedicel with ring of apical setae; postpedicel long, tapered, 5× longer than basal width; stylus 1.5× longer than basal width of postpedicel. Palpus pale orange-yellow, with dark setulae. Proboscis yellowish brown, length less than 2× head height; labellum with short, dark setae.
Thorax dark brown in ground-colour, densely grey pruinescent (Fig. 342), with 2 pairs of brown vittae: median narrower pair between acr and dc rows, ending at prescutellar depression; broader outer vittae extending to postalar ridge; apex of postpronotal lobe and postalar ridge yellowish brown. Proepisternum with several pairs of short setae on lower section; upper proepisternum in front of spiracle without setae. Prosternum bare. Antepronotum with row of short setae. Postpronotum with 1 long seta and several short setae. Scutum with short uniserial acr anteriorly, biserial posteriorly; dc uniserial, longer and stronger than acr posteriorly; 2–3 posterior npl, with 1–2 slender anterior npl; 1 presut spal, with several setulae; 1 psut spal; 1 pal. Scutellum with pair of long apical sctl, with 1–2 pairs of outer, shorter marginal setae; disc bare. Laterotergite with linear patch of 5–8 long setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles pale.
Legs slender, pale brown, increasingly darker apically (Fig. 342). Coxae with thin dark setae. Hind trochanter with numerous dark setulae. Fore femur sparely clothed in short setae. Fore tibia with 3–4 outstanding anterodorsal setae on proximal two-thirds, with 2 posterodorsal setae on apical third; anterior face with short appressed setae; apex with circlet of preapical setae. Fore tarsomere 1 somewhat swollen, slightly narrower than apex of tibia, with single row of strong ventral setae; tarsomeres 2–4 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 with anteroventral and posteroventral row of pale setulae, longer at base. Mid tibia with 2–3 pairs of erect anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae and several preapical setae; ventral face with dense setulae, with several strong posteroventral setae. Mid tarsus slender; tarsomeres 1–4 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 erect pale setulae; preapical region with V-shaped row of strong, black setae: setae of posterior row shorter with blunt tips; setae of anterior row longer, tapered; without distinct processes; without row of strong posterior preapical setae (Figs 344, 345). Hind tibia with long dorsal setae, length twice width of tibia, with shorter erect anteroventral setae; sub-basal region, opposite modified setae of femur, with pair of oblique comb rows of tightly appressed, shiny black anteroventral and posteroventral wavy setae, slightly longer than width of tibia; proximally; with seta in posteroapical comb (Figs 343–345). Hind tarsus with tarsomere 1 slightly inflated, with long dorsal setae, similar to tibia; remaining tarsomeres similar to mid tarsus.
Wing infuscate with dark veins; all veins well sclerotized, except CuA+CuP rather weak, reaching wing margin as fold; veins complete (except Sc). Basal costal seta present, similar length to outer sctl. R 5 and M 1 divergent near wing margin; R 5 ending at or slightly beyond wing tip; radial fork acute. Halter pale, yellowish brown.
Abdomen paler than thorax, with whitish pruinescence; posterior marginal setae brown, anterior setae thinner, pale, shorter. Pregenital segments unmodified, except sclerites of segment 8 narrowly fused anterolaterally. Terminalia (Fig. 350): similar to abdomen, brown, pruinescent; phallus paler and shiny. Cercus linear, truncate apically, shorter than epandrium; setae shorter than width of cercus. Subepandrial process broad basally, tapered to narrow, downcurved apex; extending to either side of phallus. Epandrial lamella subtriangular, tapered to broadly rounded apex, slightly upcurved dorsoapically; weakly fused with cercus anteriorly; setae longer than cercal setae, mostly concentrated along posterior margin. Hypandrium very short, apical margin shallowly concave; several short setae medially. Phallus broadly expanded near mid-length; abruptly narrowed beyond mid-length, tapered apically to narrow pointed tip, with distinct subapical bend; apex emerging slightly beyond cercus; ejaculatory apodeme two-thirds length of epandrium, T-shaped, with lateral apodemes near lower margin.
Female. Similar to male, except as follows: frons broader, as wide as anterior ocellus; hindleg without modified setae and processes. Abdominal pleural membrane pale, not expanded; tergites 7 and 8 with pruinescence.
Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence (Fig. 354). Empis (En.) richardvockerothi sp. nov. is known from central and southern California. Adults have been collected from February to April.
Etymology. This species is named after our colleague, the late J. Richard Vockeroth (CNC), who collected the holotype.
Nuptial gift presentation. Male swarms have been observed for this species (K. Collins pers. comm.), with male specimens collected with unwrapped prey [see video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVmJngFAsBc].
Remarks. This species is closely related to E. (En.) sierraensis sp. nov. The modifications of the male hindleg in both species are similar to E. (En.) nodipoplitea and related species, but the subepandrial process is present in E. (En.) richardvockerothi sp. nov. and E. (En.) sierraensis sp. nov. and absent in E. (En.) nodipoplitea.
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 177-179, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5615.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15217957