Empis (Enoplempis) valentis Coquillett

Empis (Enoplempis) valentis Coquillett View in CoL

( Figs 277–279 View FIGURES 277–279 , 282, 283 View FIGURES 280–283 , 285 View FIGURES 284–285 )

Empis valentis Coquillett, 1895: 402 View in CoL . Type locality: Mt. View , California ( USA).

E. (Enoplempis) valentis View in CoL : Melander, 1928: 142 (assigned to subgenus Enoplempis ).

Empis valentis View in CoL : Melander, 1902: 320 (revision); Melander, 1965: 461 (catalogue); Yang et al. (2007): 142 (catalogue).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♀, labelled: “Mar.”; “Alameda/ Co. Cal. ”; “Type/ No. 3168/ U.S. N.M. [red label]”; “ Empis / valentis/ Coq [handwritten by Coquillett]” ( USNM).

Additional material examined. USA. California: Alameda County: Berkeley [37°52′N 122°16′W], 26.iii.1897 (1♂, USNM; 1♀, AMNH) GoogleMaps ; Kilkare Rd , 2.2 km N Sunol [37°36′N 121°53′W], 13.v.1979, T. W. Davies (1♂, 2♀, CAS) GoogleMaps ; Sunol Reg. Wilderness, along Indian Joe Ck [37°30ʹN 121°49ʹW], 29.iii.1979, DDW (6♂, 5♀, CAS) . Contra Costa County: Wildcat Ck, Tilden Pk [37°53′N 122°14′W], 20.iii.1951 (1♀, EMEC) GoogleMaps . Humboldt County: Warren Ck [40°53′N 124°2′W], 10.iv.1932 (1♀, CAS) GoogleMaps . Marin County: Alpine Lk. [37°56′N 122°38′W], 6.iv.1956, C.D. MacNeill (1♀, EMEC) GoogleMaps ; Inverness [38°6′N 122°51′W], 23.ii–6.iii.1964, PHA (1♂, 1♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; Inverness , 1 mi. S [38°5′N 122°50′W], 17.iii.1966, C.A. Toschi (1♂, EMEC) GoogleMaps ; same data except, J. Wolf (1♂, EMEC) GoogleMaps ; 2 mi. SE Inverness, Inverness Ridge [38°5′N 122°51′W], 15.iii.1974, JAP (4♂, 1♀, EMEC) GoogleMaps ; Lagunitas [38°0′N 122°42′W], 23.iii.1927, E.H. Nast (1♀, CAS) GoogleMaps ; along Lagunitas Ck below Alpine Dam [37°56′N 122°38′W], 15.iii.1978, DDW (4♂, 3♀, CAS) GoogleMaps ; Mill Valley [37°54ʹN 122°33ʹW], 6.ii.1926 (1♂, CAS) ; same data except, 19.ii.1926 (3♀, CAS) ; same data except, 13.iii.1926 (3♀, CAS) ; same data except, 21.iii.1926 (1♂, 1♀, CAS) ; 2 mi. S Olema [38°1′N 122°46′W], 27.iii.1961, D.Q. Cavagnaro (1♂, UCDC) GoogleMaps ; Paradise Cove [37°53′N 122°28′W], 12.iv.1947, E.L. Kessel (1♂, 1♀, CAS) GoogleMaps ; Phoenix Lk. [37°57′N 122°34′W], 19.iii.1927, H.H. Keifer (1♀, CAS) GoogleMaps ; Umdhlelannyoni Novato [38°06′N 122°34′W], 21.iii.1948, E.L. Kessel (1♀, CAS) GoogleMaps . Mendocino County: Hopland Field Sta. [39°00ʹN 123°05ʹW], Headquarters Lk. , 900–1600 ft, 27.iv.1975, S. Miyasaka (1♀, EMEC) ; same data except, Kelsey Cab. Orch.area , 2500–2800 ft, 14.v.1977, M. Buegler (1♀, EMEC) ; McNab Ranch, Ukiah [39°08′N 123°12′W], 6.iv.1964, T. W. Fisher, UC Ag Exp Sta. Project 2037 Acc. No. AS-173 (1♂, UCRC) GoogleMaps . Monterey County: Big Creek Reserve [36°4′N 121°35′W], 11/ 13.iv.1985, J.A. Debenedictis (1♂, EMEC) GoogleMaps ; Jamesburg [36°22′N 121°35′W], 22.iii.1940, E.G. Linsley (1♂, 2♀, EMEC) GoogleMaps ; Pacific Grove [36°37′N 121°55′W], Mch. 21, L. S. Jr. U Lot. 132 Sub. (1♂, USNM) GoogleMaps ; Paraiso Hot Spgs. [36°19′N 121°22′W], 22.iii.1956, A. Edwards, J.G. Edwards (1♂ with Bibionidae prey, CAS) GoogleMaps . Napa County: Napa [38°18′N 122°17′W], Cordelia, Vallejo, 2.iv.1952, R. M. Bohart (5♂, 1♀, UCDC) GoogleMaps . San Mateo County: La Honda [37°19′N 122°16′W], 3.iv.1956, PHA, at flr. Myosotis sylvatica (1♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except, 8.iii.1964, at catkins Salix sp. (4♂, 7♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; San Bruno , Junipero Serra Co. Pk [37°36′N 122°25′W], 24.iii.1974, PHA (1♀, USNM) GoogleMaps . Santa Clara County : Palo Alto [37°25′N 122°8′W], 26.iii.1895, L. S. Jr. U. Lot. 44 Sub. (1♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except, 28.iii.1899, Lot. 47 (1♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except, 30.iii.1899, Lot. 49 (1♂, USNM) GoogleMaps ; Stan U [37°25′N 122°10′W], 19.iii.1906 (1♂, USNM) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of the E. (En.) valentis species group by the generally more setose occiput and thorax, acrostichals biserial, six or more marginal scutellar setae, halter with dark knob ( Fig. 277 View FIGURES 277–279 ), male hind femur with inner medial knob attached to base of anteroventral process ( Figs 278, 279 View FIGURES 277–279 ), and wing length greater than 7 mm.

Redescription. Wing length 7.0– 7.8 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, nearly 4× longer than basal width; stylus slightly longer than basal width of postpedicel. Palpus orange brown.

Thorax rather setose, with long thin setae on pprn extending onto posthumeral region; acr biserial; dc 2–3- serial; 2 long posterior npl, with numerous long, thin anterior npl. Scutellum with 3 or more pairs of long sctl, not widely separated medially.

Hind femur with anteroventral process digitiform, with tuft of black apical setae and numerous setae on stalk, with narrow, curved basal lobe; one short knob-like posteroventral lobe proximal to preapical row of 4–5 flattened, black posterior setae ( Figs 278, 279 View FIGURES 277–279 ). Hind tibia straight at base, with broad, somewhat flattened anteroventral digitiform process on basal quarter, with appressed black setae on outer margin; posteroventrally with similar broad, rounded process, not flattened dorsally, with crown of black apical setae, shorter than setae on anteroventral process ( Figs 277–279 View FIGURES 277–279 ).

Wing with R 5 ending nearly at wing tip. Halter with dark knob ( Fig. 277 View FIGURES 277–279 ).

Abdomen without glossy posterior margin of tergites. Terminalia ( Figs 282, 283 View FIGURES 280–283 ): cercus without knob-like projection in apical cleft. Hypandrium with short prolongation laterally. Lateral face of phallus with thickened spicules.

Female. Similar to male, except as follows: hindleg without modified setae and processes; abdomen with posterior margin of tergites glossy; abdominal pleural membrane with darkened, expanded region.

Geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence ( Fig. 285 View FIGURES 284–285 ). Empis (En.) valentis is known from February to May in northern and central California.

Nuptial gift presentation. A male specimen listed above was examined with an unwrapped Bibionidae fly prey item pinned below the specimen. This may indicate that males of this species present unwrapped prey to females as nuptial gifts.

Remarks. The male of E. (En.) valentis was described by Melander (1902).

Unplaced species

( Figs 5 View FIGURES 4–5 , 286–354 View FIGURES 286–291 View FIGURES 292–295 View FIGURES 296–298 View FIGURES 299–304 View FIGURES 305–306 View FIGURES 307–308 View FIGURES 309–315 View FIGURES 316–318 View FIGURES 319–323 View FIGURES 324–325 View FIGURES 326–328 View FIGURES 329–330 View FIGURES 331–335 View FIGURES 336–337 View FIGURES 338–341 View FIGURES 342–349 View FIGURES 350–352 View FIGURES 353–354 )

The 17 species listed below show no species group affiliations and are left as unplaced (Appendix 2). Ten of these species have the male hindleg unmodified and comprise a recognizable albeit artificial subgroup that includes E. (En.) aphela sp. nov., E. (En.) blodgettensis sp. nov., E. (En.) californica sp. nov., E. (En.) cerina sp. nov., E. (En.) delnortensis sp. nov., E. (En.) holoptica sp. nov., E. (En.) manning sp. nov., E. (En.) oregonensis sp. nov., E. (En.) susanae sp. nov. and E. (En.) yakimensis sp. nov. These species lack lobes and setal patterns other than ventral pile on the hind femur (e.g., Figs 286, 288 View FIGURES 286–291 , 320 View FIGURES 319–323 ), the male terminalia with hypandrium strap-like, without setae, subepandrial process present, and phallus long and slender with roughened surface near apex (e.g., Figs 338–341 View FIGURES 338–341 ).

The remaining seven species ( E. (En.) culcitella sp. nov., E. (En.) dubitata sp. nov., E. (En.) genista sp. nov., E. (En.) missoula sp. nov., E. (En.) poplitea Loew , E. (En.) richardvockerothi sp. nov. and E. (En.) sierraensis sp. nov.), all have the male hindleg modified ( Figs 5 View FIGURES 4–5 , 300 View FIGURES 299–304 , 309–313 View FIGURES 309–315 , 322 View FIGURES 319–323 , 334 View FIGURES 331–335 , 343–347 View FIGURES 342–349 ) but could not be confidently assigned to the above-named species groups.