Corresponding author: Christopher J. Borkent (
Academic editor: M. Hauser
Two new genera and five new species of spider flies (
Spiders flies (
Acroceridae comprise approximately 520 species in 53 genera (
The Neotropical spider fly fauna includes all three subfamilies and is represented by 19 genera and approximately 100 species. Five philopotine genera are recorded for the Neotropics:
Panopinae is the most diverse subfamily, represented by ten genera in the New World. Six of these are endemic to South America -
Acrocerinae is represented in the Neotropical Region by six genera, three of them,
In this manuscript we describe two new acrocerid genera (a philopotine and a panopine) and five new species. A complete key to all 21 genera occurring in the New World is provided.
Terminology follows
Forty-three specimens were examined from the two collections listed above. The specimens were compared to previously published descriptions and figures and did not agree with any described species in the case of
1 | Postpronotal lobes greatly enlarged, meeting or nearly meeting along midline to form collar for head; body shape strongly arched ( |
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– | Postpronotal lobes not greatly enlarged, separate along midline; body not strongly arched ( |
2 |
2. (1) | Antenna with flagellum stylate (never longer than head length) ( |
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– | Antenna with flagellum cylindrical, tapered, or flattened (usually longer than head length) ( |
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3. (1) | Wing venation reduced, M with only one or two branches, and only basal cell (br) present ( |
4 |
– | Wing venation relatively complete, all branches of M present as well as discal and r4+5 cells (South America) | |
4. (3) | Eyes bare | 5 |
– | Eyes covered with short pile ( |
6 |
5. (4) | Pairs of tubercles present on tergites II–IV of abdomen; occiput extended posteriorly to form an acute ridge (South America) ( |
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– | Abdomen without tubercles; occiput rounded, not extended posteriorly ( |
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6. (4) | Frons well developed, almost twice as long as wide and longer than antennae; antennae inserted in the middle of frons; lower facial margin the same width in the upper and lateral portions; clypeus longer than antennae ( |
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– | Frons not developed, as long as wide and shorter than antennae; antennae inserted in the lower part of frons, closer to mouthparts; lower facial margin wider in the upper portion than in lateral portions; clypeus shorter than antennae ( |
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7. (2) | Cell m3 present and well defined (i.e., |
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– | Cell m3 clearly absent ( |
8 |
8. (7) | Antennae located on upper half of head, usually proximal to frons ( |
9 |
– | Antennae located on lower half of head, adjacent to mouthparts | 12 |
9. (8) | Vein R4+5 present as a single, unforked vein originating along anterior margin at (or near) apex of cell r4+5 ( |
10 |
– | Vein R4+5 originating at apex of basal cell r4+5 and then forking into veins R4 and R5 (i.e. |
11 |
10. (9) | Eyes sparsely pilose, setae barely evident; wing veins A1 and CuA2 either separate ( |
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– | Eyes densely pilose; A1 not joined to CuA2, either incomplete, or open to wing margin ( |
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11. (9) | Wing with single medial vein; at most two wing cells present (br and bm); alula well developed ( |
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– | Wing with three medial veins originating from discal cell; four wing cells present; alula reduced ( |
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12. (8) | Tibial spines present; mouthparts present (Cosmopolitan); wing with at least four closed cells ( |
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– | Tibial spines absent, mouthparts absent, buccal cavity closed; wing with at most two closed wing cells ( |
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13. (2) | Pulvilli and empodium present (i.e. |
14 |
– | Pulvilli and empodium absent; flagellum extremely large and paddle-like (South America, known only from male) | |
14. (13) | Mouthparts longer than head | 15 |
– | Mouthparts shorter than head | 18 |
15. (14) | Wing costal margin abruptly bent distally so that wing apex is truncated (i.e., |
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– | Wing costal margin uniform and continuous with rounded apex (i.e. |
16 |
16. (15) | Eyes contiguous below the antennae; palp present; alula absent (Nearctic) | |
– | Eyes separated below the antennae (i.e. |
17 |
17. (16) | Antenna elongate, tapered cylinder, not strongly flattened; ocellar tubercle rarely raised (New World) | |
– | Antenna strongly flattened laterally and paddle-like (i.e. |
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18. (14) | Scapes exhibiting total ( |
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– | Scapes separate | 19 |
19. (18) | Ocellar tubercle strongly raised (twice as high as wide), shaped like a crown ( |
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– | Ocellar tubercle not strongly raised | 20 |
20. (19) | Antennae inserted adjacent to ocellar tubercle (Neotropical and Nearctic) | 21 |
– | Antennae inserted between the middle of frons and mouthparts (Central America) | |
21. (20) | Eyes bare (Central America) | |
– | Eyes pilose (i.e. |
22 |
22. (21) | Vein R4 absent (South America) | |
– | Vein R4 present (i.e. |
23 |
23. (22) | Eyes widely separated above antennae ( |
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– | Eyes narrowly separated above antennae; ocellar tubercle at most slightly raised (Chile) |
Subfamily
Body shape not arched; coloration non-metallic. Head width slightly less than thorax width; nearly spherical in shape; ocellar tubercle raised and rounded with three ocelli; postocular ridge and occiput rounded; posterior margin of eye rounded; eye sparsely pilose with minute setae (not more than 4× length of single ommatidium); eyes either contiguous above antennal base or with antennal base adjacent to dorsal eye margin, contiguous below antennal base; palpus absent; proboscis length greatly reduced with sparse pile; antennae located near or adjacent to ocellar tubercle; flagellum stylate, apex with terminal seta(e); scapes not fused together; postpronotal lobes not enlarged or contiguous medially; antepronotum narrow; subscutellum enlarged; legs not elongated; tibial spines absent; pulvilli present; wing markings and microtrichia absent. Costal vein ending near wing apex; costal margin straight; humeral crossvein absent; R1 inflated at pterostigma; radial veins straight, veins R4 and R5 present as single fused vein; crossvein 2r-m present between M1 and R4+5, bisecting cell r4+5, basal portion of cell narrow elongate; two M veins present, not reaching wing margin; discal cell closed; cell m3 absent; CuA1 joining M3; anal lobe well developed; alula well developed. Abdomen greatly rounded, inflated, tergites smooth.
1 | Antennae immediately adjacent to ocellar tubercle; wing veins pale ( |
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– | Antennae not immediately adjacent to ocellar tubercle ( |
All from Chile and bearing yellow paratype labels. Some with genitalia dissected and placed in glycerin in microvial on pin with specimen. Same data as holotype (4 ♂, CAS); Same except: 2 km E Puente La Semilla: 119 km SE Copiapó; malaise nr wash with water; 11–17.x.2003; ME Irwin; 2082 m;
This species is much smaller than
Male with small body length: 1.9 ± 0.6 mm (1.4-2.4 mm, n = 10) and wing just longer than body: 2.2 ± 0.5 mm (1.7 -2.5 mm, n = 10) setae covering body and legs is fine and short (
Based on an examination of the voucher specimens of
CHILE; Santiago Prov.; 3 km N. El Arrayan; 7.ix.1966; 1150 m;
Pile covering body and legs is much longer and denser than in
Male with medium body size: (
Body shape arched (
The prefix of the genus epithet (
Male with medium body size (male body: 9.5–12.3 (holotype) mm; n = 2) and wing longer than the body (male wing: 10.8–15.1 (holotype) mm; n = 2).
The proboscis in the holotype is broken (
The species epithet is derived from the Latin:
Body shape not arched (
The genus epithet is derived from the
Four females, same data as holotype except: genitalia not dissected; EIS specimen numbers are: 013436, 013437, 013438, 013441; and with yellow paratype labels.
Male holotype with medium body size (
This species is named in honor of Dr. Lionel A. Stange, Florida State Collection of Arthropods, who collected the type series.
Body shape not arched; coloration non-metallic. Head width much narrower than thorax width; hemispherical; ocellar tubercle shape raised, rounded, two ocelli present, anterior ocellus absent; postocular ridge and occiput rounded; posterior margin of eye rounded; eyes densely pilose; not contiguous above antennal base, rarely contiguous below; palpus absent; proboscis length greatly reduced, with sparse pile; antennae located on middle of frons, either nearer to ocellar tubercle or to mouthparts; flagellum elongate, slightly tapered or paddle-shaped; apex with terminal setae present or absent; scapes fused; postpronotal lobes not enlarged or contiguous medially; antepronotum narrow; subscutellum barely visible beneath scutellum; legs not elongated; tibial spines present apically; pulvilli present; wing markings and microtrichia absent; costal vein ending near wing apex; costal margin straight; humeral crossvein absent; radial veins straight; R1 not inflated distally; R4+5 originating at apex of basal cell r4+5 and then forking into veins R4 and R5 (
1 | M1 present | 2 |
– | M1 absent | 4 |
2. (1) | Tibia and first tarsomere of hind leg greatly swollen ( |
|
– | Tibia and first tarsomere of hind leg not swollen ( |
3 |
3. (2) | Ocellar tubercle raised; thorax yellow with two longitudinal black stripes (Brazil) | |
– | Ocellar tubercle not raised; thorax brown, without stripes ( |
|
4. (1) | R2+3 complete, reaching wing margin ( |
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– | R2+3 incomplete, not reaching wing margin ( |
5 |
5. (4) | Eyes holoptic below antennae (Brazil) | |
– | Eyes separated below antennae | 6 |
6. (5) | M2 absent; antennae inserted on the top of the head in male (i.e., |
|
– | M2 present ( |
Antennae inserted in the middle of the head (female,
Female holotype with medium body size (
The specific epithet is derived from the Latin,
Antennae inserted in the middle of the head (male); post pedicel as long as the head height; head, thorax and scutellum black; legs and abdomen black with yellow markings; hind leg with tibia and first tarsomere swollen (
Male holotype with medium body size (
The species epithet,
Distribution of
Thank you to Shaun L. Winterton for his encouragement and support during the writing of this manuscript as well as his comments on a previous version of this manuscript. We also thank Drs. Norman E. Woodley, Owen Lonsdale and Martin Hauser for their comments and suggestions on a previous version of the manuscript. Thank you to Norman Penny (CAS), and Norman E. Woodley (USNM) for the loan of specimens. Dr. F. Christian Thompson provided assistance with nomenclatural accounts and bibliographic records. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (DEB award number 0614213) and the Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS-209-48). Statements and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of NSF or ABRS.