Empis (Enoplempis) bigoti, Kessel & Kessel, 1951

Sinclair, Bradley J., Brooks, Scott E. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2025, Revision of the western Nearctic species of Empis subgenus Enoplempis (Diptera: Empididae), Zootaxa 5615 (1), pp. 1-200 : 20

Empis (Enoplempis) bigoti species group

( Figs 2, 3 , 6–11 , 41–81 , 91, 92 )

Seven species are included in this group, E. (En.) aerobatica Melander , E. (En.) bigoti Melander , E. (En.) collinsi sp. nov., E. (En.) montgomeryi sp. nov., E. (En.) multifaria sp. nov., E. (En.) paraerobatica sp. nov. and E. (En.) podagra Melander , which are distinguished by the phallus usually strongly attenuated at mid-length with narrowed, sinuous apical half (e.g., Figs 52, 53 , 77 , 92 ), hypandrium bare, subepandrial process present, apex of epandrial lamella usually slightly upturned (e.g., Figs 61 , 91 ), abdomen either mostly entirely shiny (e.g., Fig. 73 ) or with distinct shiny tergal bands separated by dense pruinescence (e.g., Fig. 71 , except E. (En.) collinsi , Fig. 48 ), and male hind femur with preapical row of thickened posterior setae (e.g., Fig. 44 ). In addition, males of this species group (i.e., E. (En.) aerobatica , E. (En.) bigoti ) produce balloons ( Figs 6–11 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Empis (Enoplempis) species in situ. 1, E. (En.) sp. in manca species group, on leaf of Actostaphylos purissima P.V. Wells in Santa Barbara Co., California (photograph by Alice Abela); 2, E. (En.) multifaria sp. nov., on flower of Nemophila menziesii Hooker & Arnott in Santa Clara Co., California (photograph by Robin Gwen Agarwal); 3, E. (En.) bigoti Melander, flying mating pair (male on top) with balloon in Contra Costa Co., California (photograph by Ken-ichi Ueda).

FIGURES 6–14. Balloons of E. (Enoplempis) species. 6, E. (En.) bigoti Melander (New York Creek, California), mating pair collected with balloon, prey: Psocoptera; 7, E. (En.) aerobatica Melander (3 mi. S Helmer, Idaho), prey: Chloropidae; 8, same, prey: Psyllidae; 9, E. (En.) bigoti Melander (New York Creek, California), prey: Psocoptera; 10, same, paratype of E. bullifera Kessel & Kessel (Novato, California), prey: Chironomidae; 11, same, opposite end of balloon; 12, E. (En.) geneatis (Melander) (Briones Reg. Pk, California), prey: Sciaridae; 13, same (Mill Valley, California), prey: Chalcidoidea; 14, E. (En.) vockerothi Cumming, empty prey-less balloon (Hocking Co., Ohio). Balloons all at same scale, except E. (En.) vockerothi.

FIGURES 41–45. Male habitus, thorax, hindleg and female habitus of E. (Enoplempis) aerobatica Melander. 41, male habitus, lateral view; 42, thorax, dorsal view; 43, hind femur tibia joint, anterior view; 44, hind femur tibia joint, posterior view; 45, female habitus, lateral view.

FIGURES 46–51. Male habitus, thorax and hindleg of the E. (Enoplempis) bigoti species group. 46, E. (En.) bigoti Melander, hind femur tibia joint, anterior view; 47, same, hind femur tibia joint, posterior view; 48, E. (En.) collinsi sp. nov., male habitus (holotype), lateral view; 49, same, head and thorax, dorsal view; 50, same, hind femur tibia joint, anterior view; 51, same, hind femur tibia joint, posterior view.

FIGURES 52–53. Male terminalia of the E. (Enoplempis) bigoti species group, lateral view. 52, E. (En.) aerobatica Melander; 53, E. (En.) bigoti Melander.

FIGURE 54. Known geographical distribution of E. (Enoplempis) aerobatica Melander.

FIGURES 55–58. Abdomen and hindleg of E. (Enoplempis) montgomeryi sp. nov. 55, male abdomen, dorsal view; 56, hindleg, anterior view; 57, hind femur tibia joint, anterior view; 58, hind femur tibia joint, posterior view.

FIGURES 59–61. Male terminalia of the E. (Enoplempis) bigoti species group, lateral view. 59, E. (En.) collinsi sp. nov.; 60, same, phallus; 61, E. (En.) montgomeryi sp. nov.

FIGURES 62–70. Habitus, head, thorax, abdomen and hindleg of E. (Enoplempis) multifaria sp. nov. 62, male habitus, lateral view; 63, male abdomen and terminalia, lateral view; 64, female abdomen, lateral view; 65, female abdomen, dorsal view; 66, male head and thorax, dorsal view; 67, apex of male hind femur and hind tibia, anterior view; 68, male hindleg, anterior view; 69, hind femur tibia joint, anterior view; 70, hind femur tibia joint, posterior view.

FIGURES 71–75. Male habitus, abdomen, terminalia and hindleg of the E. (Enoplempis) bigoti species group. 71, E. (En.) paraerobatica sp. nov., male abdomen and terminalia (holotype), lateral view; 72, same, hind femur tibia joint, anterior and posterior views; 73, E. (En.) podagra Melander, male habitus, lateral view; 74, same, hind femur tibia joint, anterior view; 75, same, hind femur tibia joint, posterior view.

FIGURES 76–79. Male terminalia of the E. (Enoplempis) bigoti species group, lateral view. 76, E. (En.) multifaria sp. nov.; 77, same, phallus; 78, E. (En.) paraerobatica sp. nov.; 79, same, phallus.

FIGURES 80–81. Known geographical distribution of the E. (Enoplempis) bigoti species group. 80, E. (En.) bigoti Melander, E. (En.) paraerobatica sp. nov. and E. (En.) podagra Melander; 81, E. (En.) collinsi sp. nov., E. (En.) montgomeryi sp. nov. and E. (En.) multifaria sp. nov.

FIGURES 91–93. Male terminalia of the E. (Enoplempis) bigoti and E. (En.) canaster species groups, lateral view. 91, E. (En.) podagra Melander; 92, same, phallus; 93, E. (En.) arizonensis sp. nov.