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

description: Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) contrasticus Evenhuis & Gharali, n. sp.
(Figs 7, 20, 26, 27, 41, 51, 52, 65, 66)
Types. Holotype ♂ and 4♂, 3♀ paratypes from MADAGASCAR: Tulear Province: Parc National de Kirindy Mitea, 16.3 km SE Belo zur Mer, 80 m, 20°47′43″S, 44°8′49″E, 6–10 Dec 2001, Fisher & Griswold, Malaise trap in tropical dry forest, code: BLF-4730 (CAS). Other paratypes from MADAGASCAR: Majunga Province: 7♂, Ampijoroa (Andranofasika) National Park, 46 m, 16°19.16′S, 46°48.80′E, 9/ 20 Nov 2003, hand net in deciduous forest, M.E. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala (CASLOT 014437); 2♀, same data except 22/ 28 Sep 2003, MG 25 _16 (CAS); Toliara Province: 13♂, 7♀, Parc National de Tsimanampetsotsa, Forêt de Bemanateza, 20.7 km E. Efoetse, 23°59′32″S, 43°52′50″E, 90 m, 22–26 Mar 2002, B. Fisher, T. Griswold et al., Malaise trap in spiny forest thicket, coll. code: BLF6257 (CAS); Tulear Province: 3♂, Mikea Forest, NW of Manombo, 22°54.8′S, 43°28.93′E, 23 Jul–6 Aug 2002, M.E. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, spiny forest (CASLOT 024700); 1♂ (dissected), same data except 29 Apr–9 May 2002 (CASLOT 0246652); 1♀, Cape Ste. Marie Special Reserve, 37 m, 74 km S. of Tsishombe, 25°35.26′S, 45°09.78′E, 22–29 Jun 2003, M. Irwin, F. Parker, Malaise trap, spiny bush (CASLOT 024750); 2♂, 1♀, same data except 18–23 Dec 2002 (CASLOT 024735); 1♂, 1♀, same data except 30 Apr–11 May 2002 (CASLOT 024746); 2m, same data except 9–15 Dec 2002 (CASLOT 024734). Holotype in CAS. Paratypes in CAS and BPBM.
Diagnosis. Most similar to E. (A.) irwini n. sp. based on the extremely short proboscis, but can be separated from it by the black scutellum (yellow in E. (A.) irwini n. sp.) and the dichoptic eyes below the level of the antennae (eyes below antennae holoptic or nearly so in E. (A.) irwini n. sp.).
Description:
Male (Fig. 7). Length: 0.98–1.20 mm. Wing: 1.00– 1.10 mm. Head (Fig. 20): globular, wider than high; eyes dichoptic below antennae, separated at vertex by 1.5× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput and postgena black; frons slightly depressed medially, white small black dot medially; face white narrow, tip of oral margin brown; antennae (cf. Fig. 24) brown; scape short, subtrapezoidal; pedicel subconical, wider than long; first flagellomere linear-lanceolate, length 2.5× width; second flagellomere minute, length one-eighth that of first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical style; mentum white; clypeus brown, short, not extending beyond tip of oral margin; proboscis brown, slightly exerted from oral margin, labellum stiff, pointed apically; palpus not evident.
Thorax (Fig. 26). Mesonotum and scutellum matte brownish black with yellowish white to white markings in following areas: broad dorsolateral band from humeral callus to postalar callus, interhumeral mark large, coalesced with that on humeral callus; mesonotal disc and dorsum of scutellum with short fine brown hairs; pleura bare; pleura predominantly yellow with brown on following: anteroventral corner of anepisternum and anepimeron, ventral third of meron; halter stem white, knob white with brown dorsally.
Legs. Coxae and femora brownish; rest of legs white except tarsal segments 4 and 5 brown.
Wing (Fig. 41). Relatively short, length 2.3× width; subhyaline; veins brown; costa ends slightly beyond end of R 4+5; vein Sc incomplete; Rs faded at connection with R 1; R 4+5 straight to wing margin, ending at level of end of M 2; vein M 1 curved to wing margin; M 2 straight; cell dm closed by apical tiny crossvein; A 1 evanescent, visible as fold, straight to wing margin; anal cell open at wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse toward base.
Abdomen (Fig. 51). Dorsum brownish black, tergites with thin white band along posterior margin, broad white laterally; tergites with sparsely scattered white hairs; sternites brown.
Genitalia (Fig. 65). Hypopygium white, some brown on gonocoxites. Epandrium subquadrate in lateral view with small, rounded apicoventral process; gonocoxa somewhat sickle-shaped in lateral view, subglobular in ventral view, with rounded subrectangular gonostylus bearing pointed apical process, with thin dark sclerotization basally; lateral arms of parameral sheath extending below gonocoxa, thin, rounded apically; aedeagal bulb large, rounded; parameral sheath narrow, almost as long as aedeagus, aedeagal apodeme peanut-shaped with foliate lateral rami.
Female: As in male except: Thorax (Fig. 27) with prescutellar area and fine vittae that connect to interhumeral area with yellow color; scutellum pale yellowish brown to admixture of pale yellowish brown and darker brown; pleura with less brown on pleurites; abdomen (Fig. 52) with tergite I brown with yellow band posteriorly; tergites II-V brown medially (becoming narrower on succeeding segments), brown pattern with concavity of admedially coalesced with posterior yellow (concavity sometimes with one or more brown spots), tergites white laterally; sternites white. Genitalia (Fig. 66) with deeply concave M-shaped genital fork, depressed medial portion thicker than thin arms of “M”; spermatheca ovoid, with wide papillate apex on apical one-fourth; with invagination set in larger depression, striations on basal three-fourths; apical spermathecal duct thin, length subequal to sperm pump; sperm pump translucent, appearing corrugated, without visible apical or basal valves, leading to short lightly sclerotized common duct; basal duct confluent with common duct.
Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the Latin contrasticus, referring to the contrasting black and white pattern of the thorax.
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 407-408, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5222.5.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7471736