Empis (Enoplempis) cerina 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 cerina

description: Empis (Enoplempis) cerina sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A6C23F7C-E040-4939-8423-025DAD0F60C8
(Figs 291, 297, 298, 308)
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Fig. 291), labelled: “USA: CA: Siskiyou Co.,/ Weed, Columbine Rd,/ 41°23′21″N 122°25′10″W,/ 15.ii-24.vi.2016, MT, E. Boyd,/ CNC695049 ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Empis (Enoplempis) / cerina Sinclair,/ Brooks & Cumming [red label]” (CNC). PARATYPES: USA. California: Mendocino County: No.Cal. Coast Range Pres., 5 mi. N Branscomb [39°42′N 123°39′W], 26.v.1976, JAP (1♂, EMEC); same data except, 26–27.v.1976, R. Wharton (1♂, EMEC). Siskiyou County: Same data as holotype except, CNC695047 (1♂, CNC). Trinity County: Buttercreek Mdw, 8 mi. W Hayfork [40°34′N 123°8′W], 21.v.1973, M. Bentzien (1♀, EMEC); 4 mi. S Hayfork, 18.v.1973, JAP (1♂, 1♀, EMEC); Hayfork Rgr Sta., 2300 ft, 21.v.1973, at bl. lites, JAP (1♀, EMEC). Oregon: Benton County: Adair A.F. Sta. [44°40′N 123°13′W], 15.v.1969, E.M. Fisher (1♂, 1♀, CAS; 1♂, CSCA). Hood River County: Hood River [45°42′N 121°31′W], 19.v.1917, F. R. Cole (1♂, USNM). Lane County: Oakridge, 18 mi. NW [43°52′N 122°42′W], 12.v.1969, E.M. & J.L. Fisher (1♂, CSCA).
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of the subgenus by the yellow body (Fig. 291), and males are holoptic, with unmodified hindleg.
Description. Wing length 5.6–6.4 mm. Male. Similar to E. (En.) californica sp. nov., except as follows: head holoptic. Postpedicel, stylus dark, scape and pedicel pale brown.
Thorax yellowish brown in ground-colour, with thin greyish pruinescence (Fig. 291). Scutum with median pair of narrow, brownish vittae; posterior face of postpronotal lobe shiny. Antepronotum with 4 or more pairs of dark setae. Postpronotum with 1 long seta and several short, dark setae. Scutum with short, fine biserial acr; dc slightly longer, stronger than acr, increasing in length and stronger posteriorly; 2 posterior npl, with several shorter anterior npl; 1 presut spal; 1 psut spal; 1–2 pal. Scutellum with pair of long apical sctl, with outer pair of marginal setae.
Legs long, stocky, yellow to orange brown, apex of tibiae, apex of tarsomere 1 and sometimes tarsomere 2 and remaining tarsomeres darker brown; coxae with thin pruinescence (Fig. 291). Mid femur with white ventral pile, absent on fore and hind femora. Fore femur with anteroventral and posteroventral row of slender setae, shorter than half width of femur. Fore tibia with 2–3 erect anterodorsal, length slightly longer than width of tibia; anterior face with short appressed setae. Fore tarsomere 1 swollen with long dorsal setae, length slightly longer than width of tarsomere, 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 3 erect posterodorsal setae and pair of anterodorsal and posteroventral basal setae, length slightly longer than width of tibia. 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 half width of femur; 2–3 anterodorsal setae on apical fourth (Fig. 291). Hind tibia without processes or modified setae; long dorsal setae on apical two-thirds, length less than twice width of tibia (Fig. 291). Hind tarsus swollen with long dorsal setae, similar to tibia, with strong setae among finer dense ventral setae; tarsomeres 2–5 similar to fore tarsus.
Wing with veins complete (except Sc).
Abdomen yellow, paler than thorax, with dense whitish dorsal pruinescence. Terminalia (Figs 297, 298): yellow, with dorsal margin of cerci dark brown. Cercus linear, with straight dorsal margin; apex tapered; setae denser along dorsal margin, shorter than width of cercus. Subepandrial process extending on either side of phallus. Epandrial lamella elongate, longer than height; posterior margin with distinct upturned dorsally; apex rounded, bearing long setae ventrally, shorter than width of epandrium. Hypandrium narrow, strap-like; without setae. Phallus (Fig. 298) with basal half strongly expanded, tapered apically; apical half sinuous, with hooked apex; apex emerging beyond cerci; roughened surface proximal to apex, near opposite dorsal margin of epandrial lamella; ejaculatory apodeme elongate, length two-thirds length of epandrium, Y-shaped, with lateral apodemes positioned near ventral margin.
Female. Similar to male, except as follows: frons broader, wider than anterior ocellus; fore tarsomere not swollen; hind tibia with 4–6 strong anterodorsal and posterodorsal erect setae.Abdominal pleural membrane without darkened, expanded region; tergite 8 and syntergite 9+10 with pruinescence.
Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence (Fig. 308). Empis (En.) cerina sp. nov. is known from Oregon and northern California. Adults have been collected from February to June.
Etymology. This species is named from the Latin for wax coloured or yellowish, in reference to the species yellowish body colouration.
Nuptial gift presentation. Form unknown.
Remarks. This yellow species keys to E. rufescens Loew (= E. colonica Walker) using the key in Melander (1902), but the latter species is confined to eastern North America and lacks the stout ventral spine-like setae on the tarsi.
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 148-151, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5615.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15217957