Revision of the morphology, phylogenetic relationships, behaviour and diversity of the Iberian and Italian ant-like Tachydromia Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Hybotidae) Author Gonçalves, Ana Rita 1A0C6FC2-1273-4DFD-A306-874D90860F61 Computational Biology and Population Genomics Group, cE 3 c, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749 - 016 Lisboa, Portugal. ana.goncalves@mail.mcgill.ca Author Grootaert, Patrick B80BC556-9087-4D0D-9D69-7FA9BE5779C4 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium and Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, Singapore. pgrootaert@yahoo.co.uk Author Andrade, Rui 36D41774-1466-4297-BB51-CCCEEE6DCB4E Rua Calouste Gulbenkian 237 4 H 3, 4050 - 145 Porto, Portugal. ruiamandrade@yahoo.com Author Paulo, Octávio S. 2F8855AC-67EC-47BC-ADF5-019EAF332A7A Computational Biology and Population Genomics Group, cE 3 c, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749 - 016 Lisboa, Portugal. ofpaulo@fc.ul.pt Author Mengual, Ximo A509310D-B567-4830-B8A4-BCB139BB8768 Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz-Institut f ̹ r Biodiversität der Tiere, Adenauerallee 160, 53113, Bonn, Germany. X.Mengual@leibniz-zfmk.de text European Journal of Taxonomy 2021 2021-01-25 732 1 56 journal article 8644 10.5852/ejt.2021.732.1213 e98cc372-5374-45f3-b965-c57d9a916566 2118-9773 4471717 39F0C998-10AE-44BF-B1ED-7593AD4AE3AA Tachydromia apterygon Plant & Deeming, 2006 Figs 3 , 16 I–J, 19 J, 22–24 Tachydromia apterygon Plant & Deeming, 2006: 13 (male only). Diagnosis Small (length = 2 mm ), slender, overall dark, with minute bilobed squamiform wings ( Fig. 22 ) in both sexes and halteres absent. Frons, vertex and occiput largely covered by grey microtrichia; 1 pair of lateroclinate ocellars; 1 pair of proclinate verticals; palpi pale yellow, antennae with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel brown; proboscis shiny black; postpedicel sub-conical, similar length as of pedicel. Thorax black with portion of episternum densely covered with grey microtrichia. Legs with colour pattern of yellowish and dark brown to black; fore tibia with ciliation of short coarse setae. Mid tibia with anteroventral spur at apex, produced into short apical elongation, about as long as diameter of tibia at apex ( Fig. 19J ); spur with several distinct setae and, on distal half margin, a few short, stout, curved spinose setae. Abdomen black, covered with grey microtrichia and short setae, longer at hind margin of last sternite. Type material examined Holotype ITALY • 1 ♂ ; Lazio , 10 km south of Forca d’Acero, on road to Sora ; 1 Jul. 2005 ; J.C. Deeming leg.; NMWC . Additional material examined ITALY • 5 ♂♂ , 10 ♀♀ ; Frosinone , San Donato Val di Comino ; 41°43′58.7″ N , 13°49′12.2″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg. • 2 ♂♂ ; L’Aquila , Gioia dei Marsi , Parco Nazionale D’Abruzzo Lazio e Molise ; 41°51′34.0″ N , 13°46′52.1″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg. • 19 ♂♂ , 13 ♀♀ ; L’Aquila , Pacentro ; 42°02′56.7″ N , 14°02′51.7″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg. • 18 ♂♂ , 14 ♀♀ ; Pescara , Sant’Eufemia a Maiella ; 42°06′01.2″ N , 14°02′10.5″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg. • 13 ♂♂ , 13 ♀♀ ; L’Aquila , Ofena ; 42°23′06.1″ N , 13°45′37.8″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg. • 2 ♂♂ ; Pescara , Farindola ; 42°23′45.7″ N , 13°47′06.8″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg. • 2 ♂♂ , 3 ♀♀ ; Lazio , Leonessa ; 42°30′59.3″ N , 12°59′10.9″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg.; ZFMK • 4 ♂♂ , 3 ♀♀ (all male terminalia studied, RBINS ); Lazio , Posta ; 42°31′51.2″ N , 13°03′37.4″ E ; 26–29 Jun. 2017 ; A.R. Gonçalves and R. Andrade leg. Fig. 3. Terminalia of Tachydromia apterygon Plant & Deeming, 2006 from Italy, Lazio, Posta (RBINS). A . Right surstylus and right epandrial lamella. B . Epandrium with cerci. C . Left epandrial lamella and left surstylus. D . Right surstylus. Scale bar: 0.1 mm. Description Female (previously undescribed) Similar to male. Micropterous, wing round, brownish, bilobate, apical margin of posterior lobe bearing 1 long seta, anterior lobe bearing 3 shorter setae, lobes covered with grey microtrichia. Differs from male in following: legs mainly covered with microtrichia and regular rows of setae; spur on mid tibia absent; cercus pale brown with grey microtrichia and long setae; a few longer setae on apical sternites. Distribution and habitat Italy . Currently, this species is only known from the central Apennine Mountains ( Fig. 23 ). It occurs on the edge of forests of Fagus sylvatica L. ( Fig. 24 ), on the leaf litter and short herbaceous vegetation, where it can be abundant. It has also been found in mixed deciduous woodland at lower altitudes, inside the forest, on the leaf litter. Remarks Despite the sampling effort at the end of July, the species was not found at the mixed deciduous woodland type locality. However, it was still very abundant at higher altitudes. The type specimen was collected at the beginning of July, so by the end of the month, it may already be too hot and dry for this species to survive at lower altitudes.