Review of the Nearctic genus Wilcoxia James (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae) with descriptions of three new species Author Pollock, Darren A. Author Reichert, Lisa A. text Zootaxa 2019 2019-11-12 4695 5 401 437 journal article 24897 10.11646/zootaxa.4695.5.1 34f39440-da4f-4f5e-b9bf-258a7445ce73 1175-5326 3542536 A6844BF7-1B08-40D8-AB38-37F1E93B434C 4. Wilcoxia pollinosa Wilcox ( Figs 7–8 , 20 , 29 , 39 , 51–52 , 62 , 67 ) Wilcoxia pollinosa Wilcox 1972: 45 . Type locality: “New Mexico , Chaves Co., 6 mi W Roswell”; Poole & Gentili 1996: 64 . Types. Holotype , male ( CAS ), labeled: “[scribbly handwriting] Chaves Co. Sept 15, 65 // 6 mis. west Roswell , N M. // Timberlake Coll. // [blue label] HOLOTYPE ♂ Wilcoxia pollinosa J. Wilcox // California Academy of Sci- ences Type No. 11660 // permanent deposit from University of California , Riverside // ALLOTYPE IS STORED IN THE GENERAL COLLECTION”. The holotype was not examined (images studied at: http://researcharchive. calacademy.org/research/entomology/typesDB/default.asp). The allotype was examined. Derivation of specific epithet . Though not specifically explained by Wilcox (1972) in the original description, it is presumed that the name “ pollinosa ” refers to the extensive pollinosity on the body of individuals of this species. Diagnosis . This species may be diagnosed from other species in the cinerea group by the following combination of characters: scutellum uniformly pollinose, without bare posterior margin; scutum with 2–3 pairs of small, semicircular brownish pollinose patches, contrasting surrounding grey pollinosity; abdominal tergites uniformly pollinose, without extensive bare areas; abdomen long (especially so in males), segment 2 longer than wide. Description . Male ( Fig. 7 ). TL 9.3–9.9 mm ; wing 6.5–6.8 mm . Head ( Fig. 20 ) black, covered in pale grey tomentum; face (in profile) even with, or slightly extended beyond eye; hairs and setae of head white, stoutest setae with amber cast; lower occipital hairs relatively short, sparse; ocellar tubercle with 2 setae (ca. length of scape + pedicel), white to slightly yellow in color; mystax ( Fig. 20 ) sparse, consisting of long setae (ca. length of postpedicel + style) and slightly shorter hairs, confined to lower ¼ of face; setae and hairs white, bases perpendicular to plane of face; hairs above mystax short, inconspicuous (ca. length of pedicel), projecting downward, with bases ca. 45° or less from plane of face; palpi and proboscis black with white hairs; antennomeres brown to black, pollinose, scape pollinose laterally, bare medially; scape and pedicel with several relatively long ventral setae and several short hairs dorsally; ratio of antennomere lengths (scape: pedicel: postpedicel: style+spine) = 8: 8: 27: 11. Thorax black, covered in light grey tomentum with yellow to light brown tint; scutum with divided median stripe, dark brown pollinose; acrostichal setae present, 5–6 per row; scutum surface with dark brown circle of tomentum inside supraalar setae and inside notopleural setae; scutum with sparse pile of short white hairs (ca. length of scape), primarily presuturally; 2 notopleural setae, 1 supraalar seta, 1 postalar seta; stoutest thoracic setae with amber cast; scutellum uniformly pale grey pollinose, with slight yellow tint; 2–3 light yellow marginal setae, about length of scutellum, elevated slightly about level of scutellum, parallel to slightly converging medially; several marginal hairs present; disc of scutellum without hairs; pleura pale grey pollinose, with slight yellow tint; katatergite with about 10 long white setae, tips not “crinkly” (e.g., Fig. 44 ); wings hyaline, costa complete around entire wing margin; microtrichiae dense and conspicuous on distal half of wing ( Fig. 39 ); halter with base yellow and brown, stem and knob yellow; legs ( Figs 7–8 ) non-pollinose, largely yellow; tibiae black for approximately distal ¼ and tarsi black; all femora yellow basally, contrasting brown/black trochanters; hind and middle femora black for distal 1/6 but with tips yellow; front femur black for ca. distal half, but extreme tip yellow; leg hairs and setae white, stoutest setae with amber cast; femora dorsally with moderately dense, short white appressed hairs (<femur width); ventrally surface mainly bare, with a few scattered short white hairs (<femur width), basally with 1 or 2 long hairs (> femur width); tibiae with sparse, short (<tibia width) appressed yellowish hairs, ventrally with a few longer, more erect hairs; mesotibial spine blackish-brown; protibiae without sigmoidal spine at apex. Abdomen ( Figs 7 , 29 ) black, pale grey pollinose, with very pale yellow cast, some specimens with pollinosity somewhat lighter on posterior 1/3 of tergites, with sparse short, white hairs; segments relatively narrow, 2–5 longer than wide; tergite 2 largely bare anterad punctillae; tergites 2–5 with narrow bare area along posterodorsal margin, widest medially; pollinosity thin or absent on small elliptical spot medially on tergites 2–5; tergites 3–5 also with small elliptical bare patch laterally; sternites pale grey pollinose with slight yellow cast, with very sparse, short white hairs, not noticeably differing in length from anterior to posterior sternites. Male genitalia ( Figs 51–52 ). Apex of dorsal gonocoxite process entire, not bifid, but with very slight notch subapically; dorsal process extending past apex of ventral gonocoxite process; medial gonocoxite processes relatively thin and acute, but not distinctly curved; gonostylus relatively thin, arcuate, apex not truncate; phallus without subapical denticle on lateral margins; lateral margins evenly narrowed to apex. Female ( Fig. 8 ). TL 10.1–10.6 mm ; wing 6.8–7.1 mm . Features similar to male, except for the following: abdomen black with pale yellow-grey pollinosity; the following pattern of bare patches may be distinct or indicated merely by thinned pollinosity, or are largely absent: tergites 2–6 with bare longitudinally oriented ellipses middorsocentral, and also lateral; in some specimens, tergites may have posterior margins narrowly bare of tomentum; tergite 2 may also have 2 additional bare patches anterior of punctillae; tergite 8 bare, non-pollinose. Natural history . The only information available for W . pollinosa was obtained from recent collection of several specimens in Chaves Co., New Mexico , just east of Roswell. On 23 and 25 September 2018 , individuals were collected by general sweeping of vegetation in an open, semi-desert type habitat ( Fig. 67 ). Plant species were not identified, but there was a relatively even mix of grasses, non-grasses, and open sandy substrate. Unfortunately, no specimens were seen in situ , so there was no way of ascertaining which (if any) of the plants were most closely associated with W . pollinosa . On the days of collection, two other robber fly species were also collected in the same sweep samples: Metapogon punctipennis Coquillett, 1904 and Megaphorus pulcher (Pritchard, 1935) . Collection date range: 11.viii–25.x. Distribution ( Fig. 62 ). The few specimens examined exhibit a relatively restricted distribution: central to southeastern New Mexico (Chaves, Eddy, Torrance Counties) and into adjacent west Texas (Hudspeth County). The elevations of these localities range from 3272–6507 feet . Non-type material examined . UNITED STATES OF AMERICA . New Mexico . Chaves Co. 0.5 mi E. off Co. Rd. 1, ca. 3 mi. N. Hwy 70, 33.648925 , -104.30499 , 23.ix.2018 , D. & G. Pollock , swept from vegetation, ( ENMU , 2♂ , 1♀ ); same locality and collectors, 25.ix.2018 , ( ENMU , 1♂ ). Eddy Co. 3.4 mi. NE Sitting Bull Falls [ 32.267731 , -104.66662 ], Guadalupe Mts. , 3.ix.1986 , D. Richman , ( NMSU , 1♂ ); 0.5 mi. N. State Line , Hwy 180 and 62 [ 32.001841 , -104.524459 ], 2.x.1962 , ( CAS , 1♀ ) . Texas . Hudspeth Co. [ 31.536671 , -105.389663 , est.] 30.viii.1940 , D.J. & J.N. Knull , ( EMFC , 1♀ ). Literature records ( Wilcox 1972 ) . New Mexico . Chaves Co. 6 mi. W. Roswell [ 33.394118 , -104.627565 ], 15.ix.1965 ( holotype ). Eddy Co. 16 mi. S. Artesia [ 32.608323 , -104.401016 ], 3000–5000 ft. , 24.ix.1950 . Torrance Co. Gran Quivira [ 34.260603 , -106.092376 ], 11.viii.1931 .