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NUMBER 154, 28 pages 20 March 2023
BISHOP MUSEUM PRESS
HONOLULU
BISHOP MUSEUM
OCCASIONAL PAPERS
The flower-loving microbombyliid
genus EmpididEicus becker, 1907
(dipTera: myThicomyiidae) in porTugal
neal l. evenhuis, Jorge almeida & rui andrade
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Cover photo: Empidideicus carrapateira, sp. nov., visiting flowers of Asteraceae in Carrapateira, Portugal. Photo:
Jorge Almeida.
© the Author(s) and this is an open
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lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F054D0BE-467D-4C5F-8D76-DDDFF4099EC9
The flower-loving microbombyliid genus
Empidideicus Becker, 1907
(Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) in Portugal
NEAL L. EVENHUIS
J. Linsley Gressitt Center for Research in Entomology, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street,
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96817-2704, USA; email: NealE@bishopmuseum.org
JORGE ALMEIDA
Rua da Noruega, 14 – lote 393, 8125-459 Vilamoura, Portugal; email:
jorgemotalmeida@gmail.com
RUI ANDRADE
Rua Calouste Gulbenkian 237 4H3, 4050–145 Porto, Portugal; email: ruiamandrade@yahoo.com
Abstract. The genus Empidideicus Becker, 1907 is comprised of more than 50 species
found primarily in Africa, Europe and Asia. Four new species from Portugal are here
described and illustrated: Empidideicus carrapateira, n. sp., E. blascoi, n. sp., E. inesae,
n. sp., and E. pallidifacies, n. sp. In addition, the species Empidideicus freyi Greathead,
1986 is recorded from Portugal for the first time. With these new species and new records,
there are seven species of Empidideicus now known from Portugal. Additional new
records of Portuguese species found elsewhere are also given. A key is provided to the
species of Empidideicus from the Iberian Peninsula.
INTRODUCTION
Little work has been done on the taxonomy of Mythicomyiidae in Portugal. The world cat-
alog by Evenhuis (2002) listed no known species from Portugal. The checklist of the Iberian
fauna by Carles-Tolrá (2002) listed 16 species (all from Spain, including the Canary
Islands). Subsequent collecting by two of us (JA, RA) has revealed a fairly diverse fauna of
the family for the country. The first Portuguese record of the family, Empidi deicus hackmani
François, 1969, was published in 2009 (Evenhuis et al. 2009). Next, Gharali et al. (2013)
recorded Platypygus ridibundus Costa, 1863; Almeida (2014) recorded Cephalodromia
nitens (Loew, 1846) from Serra da Estrela; Dils & Gharali (2018) described a second
Portuguese Platypygus species (P. ibericus Dils & Gharali, 2018); and most recently,
Evenhuis (2023) described a second Portuguese Empidideicus species, Empidideicus even-
huisi Evenhuis, 2023 from southern Portugal. With further collecting and specimens from
numerous localities from many parts of Portugal, further new species of Empidideicus have
been identified. We here summarize the fauna of Empidideicus in Portugal based on these
collections, describing and illustrating four new species, Empidideicus carrapateira, n. sp.,
E. blascoi, n. sp., E. inesae, n. sp., and E. pallidifacies, n. sp. and recording additional
described species of the genus from Portugal for the first time. When comparing Portuguese
species with specimens from adjacent countries, some new records were found and are listed
here. A key to species of Empidideicus of the Iberian fauna is provided.
ISSN (online) 2376-3191
Published online: 20 March 2023
The flower-loving microbombyliid genus Empidideicus Becker,
1907 (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) in Portugal. Bishop Museum
Occasional Papers 154: 1–28 (2023).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Material has been examined from or is/will be deposited in the following collections:
BPBM Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
CAS California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
CNC Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
MCT Miguel Carles-Tolrá, Barcelona, Spain
MNHNR Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle Rabat, Morocco
NHMM Natuurhistorisch Museum, Maastricht, Netherlands
RA Rui Andrade, Portugal
RBINS Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
ZMHB Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
ZMUC Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
Genitalic preparations were made by macerating parts in either hot lactic acid (a few
minutes) or overnight in an enzymatic solution used for cleaning contact lenses (see Yau &
Marshall 2015), washing in distilled water, and dissecting and examining in concave slides
in a medium of Purell® Hand sanitizer mixed with a drop of 95% ethanol. Male genitalia are
preserved in a microvial pinned below the specimen; female genitalia are mounted on slides.
Images of various morphological structures were accomplished by using a Leica
M165C stereo dissecting scope via the Leica Microsystems LASX Multifocus software (v.
5.0.1) and using Zerene Stacker® software (v. 1.04) (Zerene Systems, LLC, Rich mond,
Wash ington, USA) to align and stack-focus each final image. Geographical coordinates use
WGS84 datum. Morphological terminology follows Cumming & Wood (2017).
TAXONOMY
Genus Empidideicus Becker
Empidideicus Becker, 1907: 97. Type species: Empidideicus carthaginiensis Becker, 1907, by mono-
typy.
This genus of 53 previously described species worldwide (Evenhuis & Pape 2023) is pre-
dominantly Old World with high diversity in southern Africa and the Middle East. Many
undescribed forms are known from these areas as well as China, Madagascar, India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Flores Island (Indonesia), and western and northern
Australia. The European distribution of Empidideicus is mostly Mediterranean and south-
ern Europe. As members of the genus are found mostly in arid and semi-arid areas, the
diversity of the genus is thus disproportionally higher in the drier parts of the Iberian
Peninsula than other areas of Europe.
Many of the species in this study were collected from or photographed at flowers.
Species of Mythicomyiidae, especially Empidideicus, are frequently found on flowers
and/or inflorescences, and sweeping them with aerial nets or setting traps near flowers
will often result in good catches. Those species of Empidideicus in Portugal seem to prefer
flowers with large petals that can serve as “landing zones”—such as many Asteraceae—
which may aid in resource lekking behavior. This resource lekking behavior is seen in
other mythicomyiids [e.g. species of Cyrtosia in Kazakhstan in Evenhuis (2018)] where
flowers can host more than one species (see Fig. 44 herein of Empidideicus freyi and E.
hackmani sharing floral resources of the aster Chamaemelum mixtum). The courting and
BISHOP MUSEUM OCCASIONAL PAPERS: No. 154, 2023
2
mating of these flower-loving mythicomyiids apparently does not always occur on the
flowers (but see Fig. 45 of Empidideicus freyi) and may sometimes take place near to flo-
ral resources [see description of the “Sammelplatz” (= meeting place) and courting and
mating for Cephalodromia in Greece] described in Mühlenberg (1973). Table 1 gives a
list of flowers that have been identified in this study as those visited by species of
Empidideicus in Portugal. Selected photos of species on those flowers are provided in
Figs. 43–48. Nothing is known of the biology of the immatures.
With the four new species described here and new records recorded, there are now
seven species known from Portugal, with a few of these co-occurring in Spain, France,
Tunisia and Morocco; and the total number of Empidideicus species worldwide is now 57.
KEY TO SPECIES OF EMPIDIDEICUS BECKER OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
1. Occiput all black ..................................................................................................... 2
–. Occiput black with some yellow color laterally ...................................................... 5
2. Scutellum all dark brown or black ... (Portugal) ...................... carrapateira, n. sp.
–. Scutellum predominantly yellowish to yellowish brown, some darker brown color
may be present ................................................................................................ 3
3. Scutellum yellow, without brown border ............................................................... 4
–. Scutellum yellow with brown border; mesonotum without admedian lines; frons
white with brown medial spot ... (Spain) ............................ hispanus François
4. Face black; scutellum yellow, some brown may be present as small spot basolaterally
(Fig. 18); wing cell r4+5 much wider than cell m1 at wing margin (Fig. 25);
R4+5 bowed (Portugal, Morocco, Spain) ........................... evenhuisi Evenhuis
–. Face white, scutellum yellow with thin brown mark basomedially; wing cell r4+5
equal in width to m1 at wing margin (Fig. 29); R4+5 straight ... (Portugal) ......
............................................................................................. pallidifacies n. sp.
5. Prescutellar area brown to black, no yellow color present ... (Spain, Portugal,
Morocco, Tunisia) ............................................................. hackmani François
–. Prescutellar area with yellow color, color may be faint ......................................... 6
6. Scutellum all yellow; prescutellar area broadly yellow; mesonotum with black and
yellow pattern, without gray tomentum (Figs. 15, 16) ... (Morocco, Portugal,
Spain) ........................................................................................... blascoi n. sp.
–. Scutellum yellow with some black color; prescutellar area dark colored, with only
small marks of light color; mesonotum gray tomentose with black and whitish
pattern (e.g., Fig. 21) ........................................................................................ 7
7. Scutellum brown with yellow median stripe (Fig. 21); prescutellar area with narrow
yellow mark medially as extension of yellow mark on scutellum; anal cell
widely open at wing margin (Fig. 28); spermatheca globular, apical invagina-
tion deep with small basal dome (Fig. 41) ... (Portugal) .............. inesae n. sp.
–. Scutellum yellow with medial brown band (Fig. 19); prescutellar area with yellow
marks as extensions of admedian vittae; anal cell narrowly open at wing margin
(Fig. 26); spermatheca long subcylindrical, longer than wide; apical invagina-
tion shallow, without basal dome (Fig. 39) ... (Cape Verde Is, Portugal, Moroc -
co, Spain) .................................................................................. freyi Greathead
3
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus blascoi Evenhuis, Almeida & Andrade, n. sp.
lsid:zoobank.org:act:B5266A8C-3BCB-48FF-B113-1815458AF2F1
(Figs. 1, 8, 15, 16, 23, 30, 36)
Material examined. Types. Holotype ♂ (BPBMENT 0000081262) and 1♂,2♀ paratypes from POR-
TUGAL: Beja, Mértola, Mértola, 37°38′13.0″N, 07°39′47.1″W, 4 Aug 2022, R. Andrade. Other
Paratypes: PORTUGAL: 2♀, topotypic, 2 Aug 2022, R. Andrade; 1♀, Faro, Silves, São Bartolomeu
de Messines, 37°16′28.7″N, 08°18′37.3″W, 12 Jul 2014, R. Andrade (BPBM); 1♂, Viseu, Moimenta
da Beira, Leomil, 41°00′16.1″N, 07°40′13.4″W, 7 Aug 2013, R. Andrade (BPBM). MOROCCO:
1♀, Tiznit plage, Sidi Moussa d’Aglou, 29.49°N, 09.50°W, 9 May 1999, V. Vrabeć, V. Vrabcová
(BPBM); 1♀, Ifane environs, Forêt de Cedres, 33°31′N, 05°06′W, 1500 m, yellow pan, V. Vrabeć, V.
Vrabcová (BPBM). SPAIN: Zaragoza Prov: 12♂♀, Monegros, Pina de Ebro, Retuerta de Pina, 360
m, 7 Jun 1991, pan traps between Juniperus thurifera and Rosmarinus sp., J. Blasco-Zumeta
(BPBM); Segovia: 1♂, Chañe, 16 Aug–14 Sep 2000, J.F. Gomez (MCT); Salamanca: 1♀, Villa de
Ciervo, La Navizuela, 31 May–9 Jun 2003, H.-P. Tschorsnig (MCT); 19♂♀, Sierra del Gata, Rio
Azueda, N of El Payo, 15 Aug 2000, on Erigeron, J.F. Gomez (MCT): 163♂♀, Aldea del Obispo,
Prado Caño, 28 Jun 1995, J.F. Gomez (MCT; 179♂♀, Villa de la Yegua, 24 Apr 1995, swept from
Umbelliferae, H.-P. Tschorsnig (MCT). Holotype in BPBM. Paratypes in BPBM, ZMUC and MCT.
Diagnosis. Easily separated from the congeners in Portugal by the presence of a large yel-
low prescutellar area (other species have this area all or predominantly brown to black).
BISHOP MUSEUM OCCASIONAL PAPERS: No. 154, 2023
4
Figures 1–4. Empidideicus habitus, lateral view. 1, E. blascoi, n. sp., male; 2, E. carrapateira, n. sp.,
male; 3, E. evenhuisi Evenhuis, male; 4, E. freyi Greathead, male.
Description
Male (Fig. 1). Length: 1.10–1.50 mm. Head: as long as high in lateral view; eyes sep-
arated at vertex by 1.5× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput black medially, yellow lat-
erally and on postgena; frons (Fig. 8) white with brown medially; face and tip of oral mar-
gin white; antennae black; scape short, subtrapezoidal; pedicel subconical, wider than
long; first flagellomere lanceolate, length 2.5× greatest width; second flagellomere sub-
equal to length of first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical style; mentum white;
clypeus yellowish white, slightly shorter than oral margin; proboscis brown, length 1.5×
head length; labrum dark brown, sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, slightly longer than
clypeus; palpus not evident.
Thorax (Figs. 15, 16). Mesonotum matte black; white broadly laterally from postpro-
notal lobe to postalar callus; scutum with white interhumeral marks as beginning of adme-
dian yellowish white vittae extending to broad, square yellowish prescutellar mark; inter-
humeral marks coalesced with white postpronotal lobes; scutellum yellow; mesonotal disc
and dorsum of scutellum with admixed short fine yellow and white hairs; pleura (Fig. 1)
bare, predominantly whitish yellow with black on following: lower half of katepisternum
and meron; halter stem yellowish white, knob white.
Legs. Yellowish white except tarsal segments 3–5 brown.
Wing (Fig. 23). Elongate, length 3× width; hyaline; veins brown; thickened portion
of costa ends beyond end of R4+5 one-third way to M1; Rs faded basally at connection
with R1; R4+5 straight to wing margin, ending in wing margin at level before end of M2;
vein M1 slightly curved toward wing margin; M2 slightly curved downward at wing mar-
gin; cell dm open; A1 thin, straight to wing margin; anal cell broadly open at wing margin;
fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming longer and
more sparse toward base.
Abdomen. Dorsum with tergites I–IV black medially, broadly yellow posteriorly and
laterally; lateral margins yellowish white (some specimens with brown spots on extreme
lateral margin); sternites white; tergites with admixed scattered minute yellow, white, and
brown hairs.
Genitalia (Fig. 30). Hypopygium in ventral view gonocoxites subovate, cleft
medially, with thin dark sclerotization basally (hypandrium); gonostylus thin, sickle-
shaped; lateral arms of parameral sheath extending well below gonocoxa, rounded and
slightly flared apically; aedeagal bulb fairly large, rounded; aedeagal apodeme thin, axe-
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 5
Figures 5–7. Empidideicus habitus, lateral view. 5, E. hackmani François, male; 6, E. inesae, n. sp.,
female; 7, E. pallidifacies, n. sp., female.
shaped, length subequal to aedeagal bulb, with short lanceolate lateral rami; upper portion
of parameral sheath one-half length of gonocoxa, very thin, bifid on upper half; aedeagus
not extending beyond parameral sheath; epandrium subrectangular with large rounded
apicoventral process; cerci not evident.
Female: As in male. Genitalia (Fig. 36): genital fork thin, U-shaped; spermatheca sphe-
roid, flat apically sclerotized brown, without striations, invagination apically with depth
slightly more than one-third of reservoir; apical spermathecal duct ca. 3× length of sper-
matheca, thin, transparent; sperm pump 3–4× length of apical duct, swollen, corrugated in
appearance, slightly sclerotized, without evident valves apically or basally; basal duct
short, transparent; common duct absent.
Etymology. The specific epithet is named for Javier Blasco-Zumeta, who collected the
specimens from Monegros, Zaragoza, Spain, and who has been very supportive of the first
author’s work on Mythicomyiidae in Spain for many years.
Remarks. There is some variation in the amount of black color on the mesonotum, from
separate bands with distinct admedian yellowish white vittae (Fig. 16) to the black meso-
notal color coalesced medially obscuring the vittae (Fig. 15).
Distribution. Morocco, Portugal, Spain.
BISHOP MUSEUM OCCASIONAL PAPERS: No. 154, 2023
6
Figures 8–14. Empidideicus heads, frontal view. 8, E. blascoi, n. sp.; 9, E. carrapateira, n. sp. 10, E.
evenhuisi Evenhuis; 11, E. freyi Greathead; 12, E. hackmani François; 13, E. inesae, n. sp.; 14, E. pal-
lidifacies, n. sp.
Empidideicus carrapateira Evenhuis, Almeida & Andrade, n. sp.
lsid:zoobank.org:act:29231558-10B9-4077-A529-E835B50F5C55
(Figs. 2, 9, 17, 24, 31, 37, 43)
Material examined. Types. Holotype ♂ (BPBMENT 0000081263) and 3♂,15♀ paratypes from:
PORTUGAL: Faro, Aljezur, Carrapateira, Bordeira beach, 37°11′44.68″N, 08°54′16.81″W, 16 Apr
2011, J. Almeida, R. Andrade. Holotype in BPBM. Paratypes in BPBM and ZMUC.
Diagnosis. Easily separated from the congeners in Portugal by the all black occiput and
all black to brown scutellum (other species with some amount of yellow in those areas).
Description
Male (Fig. 2). Length: 0.80–1.05 mm. Head: slightly longer than high in lateral view; eyes
separated at vertex by 1× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput and postgena black; frons
(Fig. 9) dark brown, depressed medially; face white with brown medially; tip of oral margin
shiny brown; antennae black; scape short, subtrapezoidal; pedicel subconical, wider than
long; first flagellomere lanceolate, length 3× width; second flagellomere slightly less length
of first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical style; mentum black; clypeus shiny
brown, as long as oral margin; proboscis dark brown to black, length 1.5× head length;
labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, 1.25× head height; palpus not evident.
Thorax (Fig. 17). Mesonotum matte black with scattered minute pale brown hairs;
scutellum dark brown tomentose with black along posterior margin; mesonotal disc and
dorsum of scutellum with short fine pale brown hairs; pleura (Fig. 2) bare, dark brown
except propleuron and upper margins of katepisternum and meron gray; halter stem and
knob grayish yellow.
7
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae)
Figures 15–22. Empidideicus thoraces, dorsal view. 15, E. blascoi, n. sp. (dark form); 16, E. blascoi,
n. sp. (typical form); 17, E. carrapateira, n. sp.; 18, E. evenhuisi Evenhuis; 19, E. freyi Greathead; 20,
E. hackmani François; 21, E. inesae, n. sp.; 22, E. pallidifacies, n. sp.
Legs. Coxae, basal three-fourths of femora and tarsal segments 2–5 brown, yellow
elsewhere.
Wing (Fig. 24). Elongate, length 3× greatest width; subhyaline; veins brown; costa
ends beyond end of R4+5, one-fifth way to end of M1; Rs thin basally at connection with
R1; R4+5 bowed at subapical one-third; vein M1 curved toward wing margin; M2 straight,
with a gentle bend before reaching wing margin; A1 thin, straight to wing margin (wing
wrinkled in photo making it not look straight); anal cell open at wing margin; fringe of
hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more
sparse toward base.
Abdomen. Dorsum black, concolorous with mesonotum; tergite I black with white
membrane basally; tergites II–VII black with thin grayish white band along posterior mar-
gin; sternites pale brown; tergites with sparsely scattered minute pale brown hairs, con-
colorous with those on scutellum.
Genitalia (Fig. 31). Hypopygium shiny brown. In ventral view gonocoxites subtrape-
zoidal, not cleft medially, with thin dark sclerotization basally (hypandrium); gonostyli
subconical-ovular, tapering to apex; lateral arms of parameral sheath extending well
below gonocoxa, thin, slightly L-shaped apically in dorsal view (Fig. 31C); aedeagal bulb
large, rounded; aedeagal apodeme short, axe-shaped, one-third length of lateral arms of
parameral sheath, with short lanceolate lateral rami; upper portion of parameral sheath
very short; aedeagus not extending beyond parameral sheath; epandrium subrectangular
with large somewhat pointed apicoventral process, darkly sclerotized apically; apex with
numerous minute hairs; cerci hemispherical, exerted.
Female: As in male except thin white band not evident on posterior margins of tergites.
Genitalia (Fig. 37): genital fork thin, U-shaped; spermatheca spheroid, sclerotized brown,
darker on basal half, slightly wider than long, with invagination apically extending to one-
BISHOP MUSEUM OCCASIONAL PAPERS: No. 154, 2023
8
Figures 23–26. Empidideicus wings. 23, E. blascoi, n. sp.; 24, E. carrapateira, n. sp.; 25, E. evenhuisi
Evenhuis; 26, E. freyi Greathead.
half depth of reservoir; apical spermathecal duct ca. 3× length of spermatheca, thin, trans-
parent; sperm pump subequal to length of apical duct, slightly sclerotized, without evident
valves apically or basally, shorter section separated from and apical to main sperm pump;
basal duct extremely short, transparent, confluent with sperm pump; no common duct
evident.
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 9
Figures 27–29. Empidideicus wings. 27, E. hackmani François; 28, E. inesae, n. sp.; 29, E. pallidifa-
cies, n. sp.
Etymology. The specific epithet is named for the type locality. It is treated as a noun in
apposition.
Distribution. Known only from Portugal.
Empidideicus evenhuisi Evenhuis
(Figs. 3, 10, 18, 25, 32, 38)
Empidideicus evenhuisi Evenhuis, 2023: 20.
Material examined. Types. Holotype ♂ (NHMM 2022-017) and 1♂,4♀ (NHMM 2022-018–2022-
022) paratypes from PORTUGAL: Faro, Vila Real de Santo António, Monte Gordo, 11 Mar 1994,
H.H. Evenhuis, ‘op gele Composiet in de Zeeduinen’ [on yellow composites in the sea dunes]. Other
paratypes: same data except 1♂,3♀ (NMHH 2022-023, 2022-024) (BPBM). Other material exami-
ned: PORTUGAL: 2♂,7♀, Beja, Mértola, Mértola, 37°38′13.0″N, 07°39′47.1″W, 4 Aug 2022, R.
Andrade (BPBM), 1♂, same data except 2 Aug 2022, R. Andrade (BPBM); MOROCCO: 1♂, Tiznit
plage, Sidi Moussa d’Aglou, 29.49°N, 09.50°W, 9 May 1999, V. Vrabeć, V. Vrabcová (BPBM).
SPAIN: Segovia: 1♂, Chañe, 16 Aug–4 Sep 2000, J.F. Gómez (MCT); Salamanca: 2♀, Aldea del
Obispo, Prado Caño, 30 Jun 1995, H.-P. Tschorsnig (MCT). Holotype in NHMM.
Diagnosis. This species is closest to Empidideicus pallidifacies, n. sp. but can be sep-
arated from it by the black face (white in E. pallidifacies, n. sp.) and wing cell r4+5 much
wider than cell m1 at the wing margin (cell r4+5 subequal in width to cell m1 in E. palli-
difacies, n. sp.).
Description
Male (Fig. 3): Length: 0.95–1.00 mm. Head (eyes slightly collapsed from air drying).
slightly higher than long; eyes separated at vertex by 1.5 times distance between lateral
ocelli; occiput and postgena black; frons (Fig. 10) slightly depressed medially, black with
whitish area immediately above antennal sockets; face black (some white may be present at
base of antennae), tip of oral margin brown; clypeus black, 2/3 head height, forcing probos-
cis downward; antennae black; scape short, subtrapezoidal; pedicel subconical, wider than
long; first flagellomere linear-lanceolate, length 2.5× width; second flagellomere subequal
in length to first flagellomere, with minute transparent style apically; proboscis black, sub-
equal to head height; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length slightly shorter than
proboscis; labellae short; palpi not evident.
Thorax. Mesonotum (Fig. 18) matte black, white yellow on postpronotal lobes, small
whitish interhumeral marks (Fig. 10), broad yellow notopleural line to post alar area; scutel-
lum yellow with large brown spot basolaterally, yellow on hind margin; mesonotal disc and
dorsum of scutellum with short fine white hairs; pleura yellow with black on anteroventral
portions of anepisternum, katepisternum, anepimeron and meron: halter stem grayish
brown, knob white.
Legs. Coxae black; femora yellow, brown dorsally; tibia yellow; basitarsus yellow with
brown at extreme apex, remainder of tarsi brown.
Wing (Fig. 25). Pale smoky grayish brown, small streak of brown at base of cell r1
[reminiscent of similar patterning in Empidideicus zuluensis Hesse]; veins brown; costa
ends just beyond end of R4+5; R4+5 slightly bowed to wing margin; vein M1 strongly down-
curved and M2 straight to wing margin; cell dm open apically; A1 almost straight to wing
margin, curved only at extreme apex; anal cell narrowly open at wing margin; fringe of hair
on posterior margin of wing shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse toward
alular area.
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Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 11
Figures 30–31. Empidideicus male genitalia. 30, E. blascoi, n. sp.; A, lateral view; B, gonocoxites,
dorsal view; C, phallic complex, lateral view; D, phallic complex, ventral view. 31, E. carrapateira,
n. sp. A, lateral view; B, gonocoxites, dorsal view; C, phallic complex, dorsal view; D, detail of api-
coventral process of epandrium; E, detail of gonostylus. Abbreviations: adb = aedeagal bulb; adp =
aedeagal apodeme; avp = apicoventral process of epandrium; cer = cercus; epa = epandrium; gcx =
gonocoxite; gst = gonostylus; par = lateral arm of parameral sheath; psh = parameral sheath.
Abdomen with tergites black with thin yellow band along posterior margin (cf. Fig. 3);
tergites with sparsely scattered minute white hairs.
Genitalia (Fig. 32). In lateral view with epandrium subrectangular and gonocoxa
sickle-shaped; in dorsal view with epandrium with long pointed apicoventral processes
(pseudo-surstyli) that overlap, cerci small, rounded, not exerted; gonostylus blade-like,
curved apically, broad basally; phallic complex with relatively small parameral sheath and
long, thin lateral arms of parameral sheath; aedeagal bulb large; aedeagal apodeme small,
thin, peanut-shaped in lateral view; aedeagus thin, extending slightly beyond parameral
sheath.
Female. As in male except interhumeral marks lacking, but yellow band present anteriorly
directly behind head (sometimes obscured by head); fore and mid coxae brownish basally,
yellowish apically. Genitalia (Fig. 38) with genital fork consisting of paired thin lateral
sclerites, medial sclerite pale, not well sclerotized; spermathecal reservoir spherical with
apical invagination, depth almost one-fourth of reservoir; reservoir with short, thin, sclero-
tized base leading to transparent long, thin apical spermathecal duct; sperm pump short
(about equal in length to spermathecal reservoir), sclerotized, without apical or basal valves;
basal duct longer than apical duct; common duct absent.
Remarks. There is some variation in the amount of yellow in the interhumeral area; in
males it can be reduced to a small spot; in females it can be completely absent. In addition,
the whitish area surrounding the antennal sockets (on frons and face) may be solid white,
smoky, or absent altogether. The black and yellow tergal pattern in E. evenhuisi, n. sp. is
sometimes difficult to see as often the last few abdominal segments are retracted.
Distribution. Morocco (new record), Portugal, Spain (new record).
Empidideicus freyi Greathead
(Figs. 4, 11, 19, 26, 33, 39, 4, 45, 46)
Empidideicus freyi Greathead, 1986: 86. Evenhuis 2002: 33.
Empidideicus hackmani. Evenhuis et al. 2009: 492 [in part]; Almeida 2014: 16, misidentification.
Types. Holotype ♂ and 1♂,5♀ paratypes from CAPE VERDE ISLANDS: São Tiago, São Jorge,
May 1983, water traps, A. van Harten (BMNH). Other paratypes: CAPE VERDE ISLANDS: 6♀,
topotypic, 1–10 Mar 1984, 10♂,32♀, topotypic, Mar–Apr 1984, suction trap, A. van Harten (BMNH,
ZMHB) [specimens stated to be in personal collection of D. Greathead are now in BMNH].
Material Examined. CAPE VERDE ISLANDS: 1♂,3♀, São Tiago, São Jorge dos Órgãos, Mar
1990, A. van Harten (BPBM). PORTUGAL: 1♂,10♀, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Canidelo,
41°08′20.7″N, 08°39′55.2″W, 30 Sep 2010. R. Andrade; 1♀, same data except 29 Jun 2011; 2♂, same
data except 4 May 2011; 1♀, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Arcozelo, 41°03′12.3″N, 08°39′18.0″W, 26
May 2011, R. Andrade (BPBM, ZMUC); 1♀, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Gulpilhares, 41°04′27.8″N,
08°39′23.6″W, 22 Jun 2009, on Eryngium maritimum, R. Andrade; 1♀, Braga, Esposende, Apúlia,
41°28′16.4″N, 08°46′27.2″W, 6 May 2009, R. Andrade; 1♀, same data except 4 Jun 2009; 2♀, Faro,
Loulé, Almancil, 37°01′31.8″N, 08°00′20.4″W, 30 Sep 2016, R. Andrade (all BPBM). MOROCCO:
1♀, Tiznit plage, Sidi Moussa d’Aglou, 0–50 m, 29.49°N, 09.50°W, 20 Apr 2003, P. Skála (BPBM);
1♀, Oued El Hamma, 6–21 Jun 2016, Malaise, K. Kettani (MNHNR); 1♀, Oued Mhajrat, 20 –13 Oct
2015, Malaise, K. Kettani (MNHNR). SPAIN: Salamanca: 24♂♀ Sierra de Gata, Rio Agueda, n. of
El Payo, 6 Aug 2000, on Eryngium, J.F. Gómez (MCT); 1♀, Villa de Cierro, La Naviguela, 1 May–
9 Jun 2003, H.-P. Tschorsnig (MCT); 177♂♀, Villa de Yegun, Vado de la Viña, 24 Apr 1995, swept
off Umbelliferae, H.-P. Tschorsnig (MCT); 107♂♀, Aldea del Obispo, Prado Caño, 28 Jun 1995, H.-
P. Tschorsnig (MCT).
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Diagnosis. Easily separated from the congeners in Portugal by the yellow scutellum with
a median brown stripe (the scutellum in other species without such a median brown stripe)
and the generally grayish brown pollinose mesonotum with thin yellowish admedian vit-
tae (other species either grayish, black, or yellow and black but not grayish brown polli-
nose and with or without admedian vittae).
Description
Male (Fig. 4). Length: 0.98–1.15 mm. Head: About 1.3× longer than high; eyes separated
at vertex by 1× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput black dorsally, yellow laterally,
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 13
Figure 32. Empidideicus evenhuisi Evenhuis, male genitalia; A, lateral view; B, gonocoxites, dorsal
view; C, phallic complex, ventral view; D, epandrium caudal view; E, detail of gonostylus.
Abbreviations: aed = aedeagus; apv = apicoventral process of epandrium.
postgena yellow; frons (Fig. 11) depressed medially, yellow along inner eye margin,
brown medially; face white, tip of oral margin tan; antennae brown; scape short, subtrape-
zoidal; pedicel subconical, wider than long; first flagellomere ovate, length 3× width; sec-
ond flagellomere subequal in length to first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical
style; mentum white; clypeus tan, as long as oral margin; proboscis dark brown to black,
length 2× head length; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length subequal to pro-
boscis; palpus not evident.
Thorax (Fig. 19). Mesonotum matte grayish brown pollinose with yellow pollinose
interhumeral marks; thin grayish yellowish admedian vittae from interhumeral marks to
scutellum; admedian vittae in prescutellar area concolorous with interhumeral marks;
white to yellow dorsolaterally from postpronotal lobe to transverse suture; interhumeral
marks not coalesced with white postpronotal lobes; scutellum grayish yellow with brown
band medially; disc and dorsum of scutellum with numerous short fine white hairs; pleura
(Fig. 4) predominantly yellowish white except brown spot on ventral anepisternum, and
brown on ventral half of katepisternum and meron; halter stem and knob yellow.
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Figure 33. Empidideicus freyi Greathead, male genitalia; A, lateral view; B, gonocoxites, dorsal view;
C, phallic complex, ventral view; D, epandrium caudal view. Abbreviations: apv = apicoventral pro-
cess of epandrium.
Legs. Basal half of coxae and tarsal segments 3–5 brown, yellow elsewhere.
Wing (Fig. 26). Shorter than other species from Portugal, length 2× width; subhya-
line; veins brown; costa ends beyond end of R4+5 one-third way to end of M1; Rs faded
basally at connection with R1; R4+5 straight to wing margin; vein M1 slightly curved
toward wing margin; M2 straight; cell dm open; A1 thin, straight to wing margin; anal cell
open at wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip
becoming longer and more sparse toward base.
Abdomen. Dorsum brown; tergites II–VII predominantly brown with white band
along posterior margin; lateral margins broader white than posterior bands, extreme lateral
margin brown; sternites white; tergites with sparsely scattered minute white hairs.
Genitalia (Fig. 33). Hypopygium shiny yellowish brown. In ventral view gonocox-
ites subquadrate, without cleft medially; gonostylus thin, linear, with minute hairs at apex;
lateral arms of parameral sheath extending well below gonocoxa, flared apically; aedeagal
bulb very large, rounded; aedeagal apodeme short, one-fourth length of lateral arms of
parameral sheath, with short lanceolate lateral rami; upper portion of parameral sheath
short; aedeagus not extending beyond parameral sheath; epandrium subquadrate with
large rounded apicoventral process, process rounded at apex with minute hairs, and with
small depression in inner margin.
Female: As in male. Genitalia (Fig. 39): spermatheca cylindrical, sclerotized brown,
length 2.5× width, with thin band of striations near base, invagination apically very small,
narrow; apical spermathecal duct ca. 3× length of spermatheca, thin, transparent; sperm
pump 3–4× length of apical duct, slightly sclerotized, without evident valves apically or
basally; basal duct extremely short, transparent, confluent with sperm pump; common
duct not evident.
Remarks. The Portuguese and Moroccan specimens differ in some characters from those
from the type locality in the Cape Verde Islands including legs with brown on basal half
of the coxae (all yellow in the Cape Verde specimens) and the presence of what appears
to be an apical valve in female genitalia, which is lacking in the Portuguese specimens.
However, dissection of females of Cape Verde specimens on hand showed this valve not
to be present. The difference in coxal coloration is here considered to be variable since
other external characters of the head, mesonotum and scutellum fit well with E. freyi. The
sperm pump of the female genitalia drawn by Greathead is not the same as dissections
from other specimens from Cape Verde made during this study seems to be an error in
illustrating. The disjunct distribution of this species may be evidence of it as a relict
species. It is hypothesized that further collecting will show it to be present in other coun-
tries in between Cape Verde and Portugal. Some of the specimens of this species recorded
in Evenhuis et al. (2009) and those in Almeida (2014) were misidentified as E. hackmani.
Distribution: Cape Verde Islands, Morocco (new record), Portugal (new record), Spain
(new record).
15
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae)
Empidideicus hackmani François
(Figs. 5, 12, 20, 27, 24, 40, 44, 47)
Empidideicus hackmani François, 1969: 113. Cooper & Cumming 1993: 10; Evenhuis 2002: 33;
Zaitzev 2008: 87; Evenhuis et al. 2009: 492; Koçak & Kemal 2008: 21, 2015: 14.
Material examined. Types. Holotype ♀ from SPAIN: Granada, Sierra Nevada, N. slope Veleta, 2,200
m, [37.162°N, 03.5252°W], 30 Jul 1960, J.R. Vockeroth [photographs of type on slide examined]
(CNC). Paratype ♀ from SPAIN: Sierra Nevada, Granada, 2,400 m, [37.162°N, 03.5262°W], 30 Jul
1960, J.R. Vockeroth [on slide] (RBINS). Other material examined: FRANCE: 48♂♀, 4 km S Agde,
43°18′49″N, 3°31′55″E, 10–11 Jul 2009, salty meadows, pan traps and sweeping, M. Barták
(BPBM). MOROCCO: 1♀, Rif, Larache, Tagzhout Adrou, 556 m, 35.523333°N, 05.62861°W, 14
Jun–15 Jul 2013, Malaise in Quercus suber forest, K. Kettani (MNHNR). PORTUGAL: 1♂,6♀,
Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Vila Nova de Anha, 41°40′08.9″N, 08°49′25.7″W, 12 Jun 2011,
R. Andrade (BPBM); 2♀, Viana do Castelo, Ponte da Barca, Entre Ambos-os-Rios, 41°49′12.6″N,
08°19′18.4″W, 8 Aug 2013, R. Andrade; 2♀, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Avintes, 41°06′00.0″N,
08°33′35.3″W, 20 Jun 2011, R. Andrade (BPBM); 1♂,1♀, same data except 23 May 2011 (BPBM);
2♀, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Canidelo, 41°08′20.7″N, 08°39′55.2″W, 29 Jun 2011, R. Andrade
(BPBM); 1♂,10♀, Braga, Esposende, Apúlia, 41°28′16.4″N, 08°46′27.2″W, 3 Aug 2009, R. Andrade
(BPBM, ZMUC); 1♀, Braga, Vila Nova da Famalicão, Novais, 41°23′26.34″N, 08°26′06.06″W, 16
Aug 2013, R. Andrade; 1♂,1♀, same data except 16 Jun 2017; 6♀, same data except 23 Aug 2010
(BPBM), 2♀, Braga, Barcelos, Gilmonde, 41°30′43.0″N, 8°38′57.0″W, 19 Aug 2010, R. Andrade
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Figures 34. Empidideicus hackmani François, male genitalia. A, lateral view; B, gonocoxites, dorsal
view; C, phallic complex, lateral view; D, phallic complex, ventral view E, epandrium caudal view;
F, detail of apex of apicoventral process of epandrium.
(BPBM); 1♀, same data except 2 Jun 2019; 2♀, same data except 1 Sep 2020; 1♀, Bragança,
Miranda do Douro, Vila Chã de Braciosa, 41°25′29.8″N, 06°18′29.4″W, 9 Jun 2021, R. Andrade
(BPBM); 2♂,6♀, Leiria, Óbidos, Vau, 39°23′30.9″N, 09°12′03.6″W, 15 Aug 2022, R. Andrade
(BPBM); 11♂,24♀, Porto, Valongo, Campo, 41°10′31.9″N, 08°28′48.5″W, 28 Jul 2010 (BPBM,
ZMUC); 3♂,5♀, Bragança, Bragança, França, 41°56′33.1″N, 06°45′51.0″W, 19 Jul 2020, R. Andrade
(BPBM). TUNISIA: 1♂,2♀, Mahdia, dunes N of Chebba [36.2569°N, 11.0965°E], 28 Apr 2009, D.
Gibbs (BPBM).
Unverified records in the literature. FRANCE: Taulignan, 22 Jul 1956, P. du Merle
(MNHN) (Zaitzev 2008: 87). The record of Italy in Evenhuis (2002: 33) was an error and
is here removed from the distribution of this species.
Diagnosis. Easily separated from the congeners in Portugal by the scutellum brown dor-
sally and along posterior margin with a yellow band medially (E. inesae, n. sp. is similar
but has yellow along the posterior margin).
Description
Male (Fig. 5). Length: 0.98–1.15 mm. Head: clearly longer than high in lateral view; eyes
separated at vertex by 1× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput black dorsally, yellow
laterally and postgena yellow; frons (Fig. 12) white, slightly depressed, brown medially;
face white; antennae with scape short, yellowish white, subtrapezoidal; pedicel yellow,
subconical, wider than long; first flagellomere brown, lanceolate, length 2× greatest
width; second flagellomere brown, slightly less length of first flagellomere, with minute
transparent apical style; mentum black; clypeus pale brown, as long as oral margin; pro-
boscis dark brown to black, length 1.5× head length; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed api-
cally, length subequal to proboscis; palpus not evident.
Thorax (Fig. 20). Mesonotum brown pollinose, darker medially, with gray pollinose
admedian stripes from interhumeral mark to scutellum; grayish white dorsolaterally from
postpronotal lobe to post alar callus; grayish white interhumeral marks narrowly coa-
lesced with white postpronotal lobes; scutellum brown with yellow median stripe; meso-
notal disc and dorsum of scutellum with short fine white hairs; pleura bare, yellowish
white, with black on following: anteroventral half of anepisternum, ventral three-fourths
of katepisternum and meron; halter stem and knob white.
Legs. Coxae and femora brown basally, yellow elsewhere except tarsomeres 3–5
brown.
Wing (Fig. 27). Elongate, length 3× width; hyaline; veins brown; thickened portion
of costa ends slightly beyond end of R4+5; Rs thin at connection with R1; R4+5 fairly
straight to wing margin; vein M1 slightly curved toward wing margin; M2 straight; cell
dm open; A1 thin, straight to wing margin; anal cell open at wing margin; fringe of hair
on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse
toward base.
Abdomen. Dorsum black, concolorous with mediotergite color; tergites I–VII black
with thin white band along posterior margin, band becoming successively broader on suc-
cessive segments; lateral margins broader white than posterior bands; sternites pale
brown; tergites with sparsely admixed minute white and black hairs.
Genitalia (Fig. 34). Hypopygium brown. In ventral view gonocoxites subtrapezoidal,
deeply cleft medially, with thin dark sclerotization basally and medially (hypandrium),
extending to origins of gonostyli; gonostylus long, thin, linear; lateral arms of parameral
17
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae)
sheath extending well below gonocoxa, flared apically; aedeagal bulb large, narrow-elon-
gate, rounded; aedeagal apodeme small, one-fifth length of lateral arms of parameral
sheath, with short lanceolate lateral rami; upper portion of parameral sheath subequal in
length to gonostylus; aedeagus extending slightly beyond parameral sheath; epandrium
subquadrate in lateral view with large rounded apicoventral process, which is beaklike and
darkly sclerotize apically.
Female: As in male. Genitalia (Fig. 40): spermatheca spheroid, sclerotized brown, slightly
longer than wide, without striations, apical invagination one-third depth of reservoir; api-
cal spermathecal duct ca. 2× length of spermatheca, sclerotized at base of reservoir, other-
wise thin, transparent; sperm pump 2× length of apical duct, appearing corrugated, not
sclerotized, without evident valves apically or basally; basal duct short, transparent, con-
fluent with sperm pump; common duct absent.
Remarks. Empidideicus hackmani was described from southern Spain by François (1969)
based on two female specimens. Evenhuis et al. (2009) recorded it for the first time from
Portugal and Zaitzev (2008) recorded it from southern France [although unverified, its
location is near enough to the verified French record near Agde, so it is very probable that
the identification by Zaitzev is correct.] From the material examined in this study, we can
add Morocco and Tunisia to the distributional range. Further collecting may extend its dis-
tribution further into adjacent countries as it seems to be a fairly widespread species.
Distribution: France, Morocco (new record), Portugal, Spain, Tunisia (new record).
Empidideicus inesae Evenhuis, Almeida & Andrade, n. sp.
lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC5FFFB8-DE6A-4BAF-8B56-ABBF0102D957
(Figs. 6, 13, 21, 28, 41)
Types. Holotype ♀ (BPBMENT 0000081264) and 11♀ paratypes from PORTUGAL: Faro, Aljezur,
Carrapateira, Bordeira beach, 37°11′44.68″N, 08°54′16.81″W, 16 Apr 2011, J. Almeida, R. Andrade.
Holotype in BPBM. Paratypes in BPBM and ZMUC.
Diagnosis. Easily separated from the congeners in Portugal by the small medial whitish
mark in the otherwise brown prescutellar area (other species either have no mark, a large
yellow prescutellar area, or paired whitish marks as extension of admedian mesonotal vit-
tae).
Description
Female (Fig. 6). Length: 0.75–1.10 mm. Head: longer than high; eyes separated at vertex
by 1× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput black, white laterally, postgena black; frons
(Fig. 13) yellowish white, slightly depressed and brown medially; face white; antennae
dark brown; scape short, subtrapezoidal; pedicel subconical, wider than long; first flagel-
lomere ovate, length 2× greatest width; second flagellomere subequal in length to first fla-
gellomere, with minute transparent apical style; mentum black; clypeus dark brown, as
long as oral margin, with white hairs; proboscis dark brown to black, length equal to head
length; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length subequal to proboscis; palpus not
evident.
Thorax (Fig. 21). Mesonotum matte brown, gray pollinose with darker brown adme-
dian vittae and brown above postpronotal lobe, supraalar and postalar areas; white dorso-
laterally from postpronotal lobe to postalar callus; yellow interhumeral marks not coa-
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18
lesced with white postpronotal lobes; prescutellar area brown with thin white median
mark extending to scutellum; scutellum whitish yellow with brown basolaterally; meso-
notal disc and dorsum of scutellum with short fine black hairs; pleura (Fig. 6) bare, yel-
lowish white with brown on following: anteroventral portion of anepisternum and kate-
pisternum and all of meron; halter stem yellow, knob yellow with brown spot dorsally.
Legs. Coxae and femora pale brown basally, yellow elsewhere except tibia brown.
Wing (Fig. 28). Elongate, length 3× width; subhyaline; veins brown; costa ends one-
fourth way beyond end of R4+5; Rs faded basally at connection with R1; R4+5 short,
straight, ending at level well before end of M2; vein M1 slightly curved toward wing mar-
gin; M2 slightly downcurved at wing margin; cell dm open; A1 thin, straight to wing mar-
gin; anal cell widely open at wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well
shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse toward base.
Abdomen. Dorsum chocolate brown; tergites I–IV with white band along posterior
margin; sternites brown; tergites with sparsely scattered minute black hairs.
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 19
Figure 35. Empidideicus pallidifacies, n. sp., male genitalia; A, lateral view; B, gonocoxites, dorsal
view; C, phallic complex, lateral view; D, phallic complex, ventral view E, detail of apex of apico-
ventral process of epandrium; F, detail of gonostylus.
Genitalia (Fig. 41): spermatheca spheroid, sclerotized brown, slightly longer than
wide, without striations, apical invagination deep, four-fifths depth of reservoir, with
small dome at base; apical spermathecal duct ca. 2× length of spermatheca, sclerotized at
base of reservoir, otherwise thin, transparent; sperm pump short, 0.75× length of apical
duct, appearing corrugated, slightly swollen medially, not sclerotized, without evident
valves apically or basally; basal duct short, transparent, confluent with sperm pump; com-
mon duct absent.
Male: Unknown.
Etymology. The specific epithet is named for Inês Almeida, the daughter of one of the
authors (JA).
Distribution. Known only from Portugal.
Empidideicus pallidifacies Evenhuis, Almeida & Andrade, n. sp.
lsid:zoobank.org:act:EBCD54EE-37F9-480F-9262-B7412F3A634B
(Figs. 7, 14, 22, 29, 35, 42, 48)
Types. Holotype ♂ (BPBMENT 0000081265) and 7♂,20♀ paratypes from PORTUGAL: Porto,
Vila Nova de Gaia, Arcozelo, 41°03′12.3″N, 08°39′18.0″W, 26 May 2011, R. Andrade. Other para-
types from PORTUGAL: same data except 20–22 Jun 2009; 1♂,4♀, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia,
Gulpilhares, 41°04′27.8″N, 08°39′23.6″W, 22 Jun 2009 on Euphorbiaceae, R. Andrade; 1♂,8♀,
Braga, Esposende, Apúlia, 41°28′16.4″N, 08°46′27.2″W, 4 Jun 2009, R. Andrade. Holotype in
BPBM. Paratypes in BPBM and ZMUC.
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Figures 36–39. Empidideicus female genitalia. 36, E. blascoi, n. sp.; 37, E. carrapateira, n. sp.; 38,
E. evenhuisi Evenhuis; 39, E. freyi Greathead. Abbreviations: ad = apical duct; bd = basal duct; spm
= spermathecal reservoir; spp = sperm pump.
Diagnosis. This species is closest to Empidideicus evenhuisi but can be separated from it
by the white face (black in E. evenhuisi) and wing cell r4+5 equal in width to cell m1 at
the wing margin (cell r4+5 much wider than cell m1 in E. evenhuisi).
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 21
Figures 40–42. Empidideicus female genitalia. 40, E. hackmani François; 41, E. inesae, n. sp.; 42, E.
pallidifacies, n. sp.
Description
Male (Fig. 7). Length: 0.98–1.15 mm. Head: slightly longer than high; eyes separated at
vertex by 1× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput and postgena black, gray pollinose;
frons (cf. Fig. 14) grayish black; face white; antennae black; scape short, subtrapezoidal;
pedicel subconical, wider than long; first flagellomere linear-ovate, length 3× width; second
flagellomere four-fifths length of first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical style;
mentum black; clypeus black, as long as oral margin; proboscis dark brown to black, length
1.5× head length; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length slightly shorter than head
height; palpus not evident.
Thorax (Fig. 22). Mesonotum matte black, gray pollinose medially; grayish white dorso-
laterally from postpronotal lobe to post alar callus, deeply cleft in supraalar area; without inter-
humeral marks; postpronotal lobes white; scutellum creamy yellowish white with thin brown
spot basomedially and spot of brown basolaterally; mesonotal disc and dorsum of scutellum
with short fine admixed black and yellowish white hairs; pleura (Fig. 7) bare, mixed grayish
white and brown, with dark brown on following: almost all of katepisternum and meron, lat-
erally on propleuron, posterior half of meron; halter stem grayish yellow, knob brilliant white.
Legs. Coxae and femora except tips dark brown, otherwise yellow except tarsal seg-
ments 2–5 brown.
Wing (Fig. 29). Elongate, length 3.5× width; subhyaline; veins brown; costa ends one-
fourth way beyond end of R4+5; Rs faded basally at connection with R1; R4+5 fairly straight
to wing margin; vein M1 slightly curved toward wing margin; M2 slightly curved downward
at wing margin; cell dm open; A1 thin, straight to wing margin; anal cell narrowly open at
wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming
longer and more sparse toward base.
Abdomen. Dorsum black, concolorous with mediotergite color, with white band along
posterior margin, band becoming successively broader on successive segments; sternites
dark brown; tergites with sparsely scattered minute golden hairs.
Genitalia (Fig. 35). Hypopygium brown. In ventral view with gonocoxites deeply cleft
medially, thus appearing as two lobes, with thin dark sclerotization basally (hypandrium);
gonostylus fairly short, length ca. 2× width, hooked apically; lateral arms of parameral
sheath extremely long, extending well below gonocoxa, rounded, slightly curved at apex;
aedeagal bulb, rounded, less than one-half length of lateral parameral arms; aedeagal apo-
deme fairly large, Y-shaped with flattened apex at one end of the “Y”, one-half length of lat-
eral arms of parameral sheath, with long foliate lateral rami; upper portion of parameral
sheath slightly shorter than gonocoxa, with long cap-like covering apically; aedeagus not
extending beyond parameral sheath; epandrium subrectangular with long thin rounded api-
coventral process, with dark sclerotization and microscopic hairs apically.
Female: As in male except faint interhumeral marks present (Fig. 14); notopleural stripe and
not cleft in supraalar area; tergal white bands broader than in male. Genitalia (Fig. 42) with
spermatheca spheroid-cylindrical, sclerotized brown, slightly longer than wide, with stria-
tions on basal half, apical invagination shallow, one-sixth depth of reservoir, with papillate
process medially bearing glandular trichomes apically; apical spermathecal duct subequal in
length to spermatheca, thin, transparent; sperm pump long, 2× length of apical duct, appear-
ing corrugated, not sclerotized, without evident valves apically or basally; basal duct
extremely short, transparent, confluent with sperm pump; common duct absent.
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22
Etymology. The specific epithet is named for the pale face that distinguishes it from E.
evenhuisi.
Distribution. Known only from Portugal.
Table 1. Records of floral visitation by Portuguese species of Empidideicus.
Species* Locality Flower family Flower species
blascoi Mértola Lamiaceae Mentha suaveolens
carrapateira Carrapateira Asteraceae Undet. gen. sp.
evenhuisi Mértola Lamiaceae Mentha suaveolens
evenhuisi Monte Gordo Asteraceae Undet. gen. sp.
freyi Arcozelo Brassicaceae Malcolmia littorea
freyi Gulpilhares Apiaceae Eryngium maritimum
freyi Gulpilhares Asteraceae Undet. gen. sp.
freyi Apúlia Asteraceae Helichrysum italicum
freyi Vila Nova de Anha Asteraceae Chamaemelum mixtum
hackmani Apúlia Asteraceae Helichrysum italicum
hackmani Apúlia Asteraceae Undet. gen. sp.
hackmani Apúlia Crassulaceae Sedum acre
hackmani Campo Asteraceae Tolpis barbata
hackmani Campo Asteraceae Andryala integrifolia
hackmani Canidelo Asteraceae Undet. gen. sp.
hackmani Gilmonde Asteraceae Undet. gen. sp.
hackmani Vau Asteraceae Cichorium intybus
hackmani Vila Nova de Anha Asteraceae Chamaemelum mixtum
pallidifacies Apúlia Geraniaceae Erodium cicutarium
pallidifacies Apúlia Crassulaceae Sedum acre
pallidifacies Apúlia Asteraceae Undet. gen. sp.
pallidifacies Arcozelo Apiaceae Eryngium maritimum
pallidifacies Arcozelo Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia paralias
pallidifacies Torreira Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia sp.
* Some records in this table are from photographs only, thus material is not listed in the Material
examined section for those species.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The following are thanked for loaning and/or donating specimens for study: Miguel
Carles-Tolrá, Patrick Grootaert, Javier Blasco-Zumeta, Kawtar Kettani, the late David
Greathead, David Gibbs, Miroslav Barták, Michael von Tschirnhaus, and Martin Hauser.
Owen Lonsdale (CNC) is thanked for providing images of the holotype slide mount of
Empidideicus hackmani François. Thomas Pape (ZMUC) kindly provided images of the
holotype of Empidideicus hispanus François. Carlos Francisco Gonçalves Aguiar (Socio-
Ecological Systems in IPB – Instituto Politécnico de Bragança) kindly helped with iden-
tifications of some of the plants. Babak Gharali and Chris Lambkin are thanked for their
reviews of the manuscript, suggestions and corrections of which helped improve it.
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 23
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Figures 43–44. Empidideicus on flowers in Portugal. 43, Empidideicus carrapateira, n. sp. on an
undetermined aster at Carrapateira, Bordeira beach. Photo: Jorge Almeida; 44, E. freyi Greathead and
E. hackmani François on Chamaemelum mixtum at Vila Nova de Anha. Photo: Rui Andrade.
Evenhuis et al.—Portuguese Empidideicus (Mythicomyiidae) 25
Figures 45–46. Empidideicus on flowers in Portugal. 45, E. freyi Greathead, in copula on
Chamaemelum mixtum at Vila Nova de Anha. Photo Rui Andrade; 46, E. freyi Greathead on
Helichrysum italicum at Apúlia. Photo: Jorge Almeida.
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Figures 47–48. Empidideicus on flowers in Portugal. 47, E. hackmani on an undetermined aster at
Apúlia. Photo: Rui Andrade; 48, E. pallidifacies, n. sp. on Erodium cicutarium at Apúlia. Photo: Rui
Andrade.
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