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Description of

Nebritus powelli Webb & Irwin
(Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae)

Derivation of name. This species in named in honor of Jerry A. Powell, University of California, Berkeley, who collected many of the specimens.

Diagnosis. Males and females of Nebritus powelli are very similar to N. tanneri in having the scape cylindrical, dark reddish brown with gray pruinosity; the length of the scape less than 0.80 mm; the length/width ratio of the scape greater than 3.5. Nebritus powelli is separated from N. tanneri in having the thorax with a broad median band of white setae; the scutellum with a lateral patch of white setae; and sternite 8 in males is subquadrate with the posterior margin shallowly emarginate; the gonocoxite lacks a distinctive posteromedial patch of black setae in ventral view; and the ejacuatory apodeme is narrow, not expanded anteriorly.

Description of holotype male
(MEI 006335). Body length 5.8 mm.

Head. Length 0.9 mm. Ocellar tubercle black, glossy; ocellar setae black, elongate, scattered. Eyes reddish brown, median margin of eyes straight.. Frons (Fig. 13) brownish gray pruinose on dorsal two-thirds and surrounding lateral half of antennal bases and dark reddish brown to black, glossy on ventral third of frons; a dark brown pruinose area exists dorsolaterally on frons and silver pile extends laterally from antennal bases to margin of eyes; setae black, elongate, scattered over entire frons. Antenna (Fig. 14) dark brown, brownish gray pruinose; setae dark brown, scattered over scape, pedicel and basally on flagellum; macrosetae black, scattered on scape; length of antenna 1.1 times head length; length of scape 0.46 mm, 3.8 times width, 4.6 times length of pedicel; length of pedicel 0.10 mm, 0.8 times width; length of flagellum 0.38 mm, 2.7 times width, 0.8 times length of scape; style length 0.04 mm. Parafacial with dense, white to gold pile; tentorial pit large, dark reddish brown, glossy. Genal setae white. Maxillary palp dark brown, gray pruinose; length 0.40 mm, 4.0 times width; setae dark yellow.

Thorax. Macrosetae: np 3, sa 1, pa 1, dc 1, sc 2. Dark brown, gray pruinose; mixture of white, lanceolate, subappressed setae and dark brown, elongate setae over entire dorsum; vittae dark brown, dorsocentral and dorsolateral vittae separated by gray pruinose stripe. Postpronotal lobe concolorous with thorax; setae pale yellow, elongate. Prosternal setae white. Pleuron dark brown, dense gray pruinose; setae white, elongate, abundant on propleuron, scattered over entire anepisternum although more dense dorsally, scattered over entire katepisternum although more abundant along anterior margin. Scutellum dark brown; setae white to pale yellow with lateral patch of white setae. Laterotergite dark brown, dense gray pruinose; setae pale yellow with scattered dark brown setae.

Wing. Length 4.3 mm, 3.3 times width; opaque, pale smoky brown, concolorous; pterostigma slightly darker than membrane. Halter dark brown, stalk yellowish brown.

Legs. Coxae dark brown, dense gray pruinose, apical macrosetae dark brown. Femora dark brown, gray pruinose; setal pattern a mixture of scattered, white, and dark brown, elongate setae and white, appressed, lanceolate setae. Tibiae dark yellowish brown, apical half of foretibia, apical fourth of middletibiae, and apex of hindtibia dark brown. Tarsi dark brown, basal fourth of hind basitarsus dark yellowish brown.

Abdomen. Dark brown, gray pruinose, concolorous; dorsal setae dark brown, subappressed; lateral setae dark brown, elongate with scattered pale yellow lanceolate setae.

Terminalia (Fig. 15-20). Tergite 8 broad; posterior margin broadly emarginate. Sternite 8 subquadrate, posterior margin shallowly emarginate. Gonocoxite lacks posteromedian patch of black setae as seen in ventral view. Ejaculatory apodeme narrow, not expanded anteriorly.

Variation. Body measurements given in table.Thorax. Macrosetae: np 3, sa 1-2, 2, pa 1, dc 1, sc 2.

Description of Female
Similar to male with following exceptions. Body measurements given in table.

Head. Ocellar tubercle dark reddish brown, dark gold pruinose; setae dark reddish brown, scattered. Frons dark reddish brown, dorsal half dark gold pruinose, ventral half silver gray pruinose; dark yellow and dark reddish brown setae, moderately long, scattered. Maxillary palp pale yellowish brown.

Thorax. Macrosetae: np 2-3, 3, sa 2, pa 1, dc 1-2, 1 sc 2. Dark gold and black setae on mesonotum, dark gold setae subappressed.

Legs. Foretibia dark yellowish brown, apical fourth dark reddish brown.

Abdomen. Dark reddish brown, dense gray pruinose along posterior third of each tergite.

Terminalia (Fig. 21-22). Furca (Fig. 22) oval; anterior and posterior margins truncate; lateral margins rounded.

Immature Stages

Larva (N=2) (Figs. 23-26): Length 0.50-0.54 mm, 1.5 times longer than wide; metacephalic rod elongate, posterior third clavate, length 0.82-0.84 mm, 1.6 times length of head. Prothoracic spiracle (Fig. 25). Posterior spiracle (Fig. 26).

Pupa (N=4) (Figs. 27-28). Length 7.8-9.3, 8.7 mm, width 1.8-2.2, 2.0 mm. Alar process not spinose. Labial sheath tapered ventrally, bisecting proboscial sheath. Length of antennal sheath 0.42-0.46, 0.45 mm, apical spine absent.Thoracic spiracle short, truncate apically; length 0.14-0.21, 0.17 mm, . Posterior spines elongate, not divergent apically, length 0.27-0.36, 0.32 mm. Dorsal spines on abdominal segments I-VII and ventral spines on segment II-VII fine, not fused basally. Abdominal spiracles on segments I-VII moderately thick, tubular.

Seasonal Activity. In the specimens examined, adults were collected from 10 January to 19 July, with several specimens collected on dunes and on Salix sp.

Distribution. Nebritus powelli is known only from the coastal dunes of central California. (Map)

text from Webb & Irwin 1991a

[ Nebritus powelli index | Begin key to Nebritus ]

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Last updated 12 October, 2007 .

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