Elaphropeza kranjiensis, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor V., 2012, The fast-running flies (Diptera, Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) of Singapore and adjacent regions, European Journal of Taxonomy 5, pp. 1-162 : 109-111

Elaphropeza kranjiensis sp. nov.

Figs 165-168

Diagnosis

Occiput black, antenna entirely brownish yellow with postpedicel about 3.5 times as long as wide; scutum with large brown elongate subtriangular patch on each side (anterior corner extending almost to level of anterior spiracle); legs with tarsomere 5 brownish, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle.

Description

Male LENGTH. Body 2.7 mm, wing 2.6 mm.

HEAD. Occiput black, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Anterior ocellars moderately long, proclinate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals moderately long, proclinate; outer verticals not prominent.Antenna ( Fig. 165 ) entirely brownish yellow; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel narrow basally, nearly 3.5 times longer than wide; stylus normally pubescent, brown, about 3.5 times as long as postpedicel and nearly 2.0 times longer than scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, elongate oval, with several dark setulae.

THORAX. Yellow with brownish markings, shining, with yellow to brownish yellow bristles; scutum with large brown elongate subtriangular patch on each side (anterior corner extending almost to level of anterior spiracle), metanotum entirely brown, meron (= hypopleuron) and anepimeron (= pteropleuron) brownish, katepisternum (= sternopleuron) brownish on lower part; anterior spiracle brown. Prothoracic episternum lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 1 short seta in upper part. Postpronotal bristle minute. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals (posterior bristle longer), 1 short postsutural supraalar, 1 minute postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute). Acrostichal bristles prominent in anterior part of scutum only, 2-serial, few in number; dorsocentral bristles uniserial, extending to base of scutellum (prescutellar pair long).

LEGS. Long, slender, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomeres 5 brownish; clothed with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur with numerous short setae ventrally. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with hardly prominent ventral setation. Mid tibia with slightly prominent ventral spinules, bearing subapical, black claw-like spine anteriorly, lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur bearing minute anteroventral setae (except circlet of subapicals); with small, dorsal subbasal tubercle armed with 4 short spine-like setae. Hind tibia bearing 1 anterodorsal bristle before middle; apical projection prominent, small, somewhat pointed, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Hind tarsomere 1 somewhat thickened.

WING. Normally developed, finely uniformly infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins largely yellowish brown, basal section of M 1+2, crossveins r-m and bm-cu (except base) pale. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle long, brown. Costal index: 57/33/49/13. Vein Rs subequal to crossvein bm-cu. R 2+3 smoothly arched. R 4+5 and M 1+2 parallel near wing apex, R 4+5 somewhat bowed. CuA 1 reaching wing margin. Vein A 1 present as fold. Crossvein bmcu somewhat oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Calypter brownish yellow, with several long concolorous cilia. Halter darkened.

ABDOMEN. Tergite 1 entirely pale yellow. Tergites 2 and 3 with brownish lateral subtriangular spaces, otherwise pale yellow; bearing scattered unmodified setulae. Tergite 4 broadest, brown, with numerous squamiform setae. Tergite 5 somewhat narrower than tergite 4, brown, bearing numerous squamiform setae. Tergite 6 with small brownish patch laterally, otherwise pale yellow, with minute posteromarginal bristles. Tergite 7 brown, with several long brown posteromarginal bristles. Segment 8 with several moderately long unmodified setae. Sternites brownish, unmodified, sternites 2-4 convex posteriorly, sternites 5-7 subrectangular, with scattered minute setulae. Gland-like structure between tergites 4 and 5, ampoule-like.

TERMINALIA. Rather small, yellowish brown ( Figs 166-168 ). Cerci separated; right cercus rather long, digitiform, somewhat narrowed apically, with several setae of different lengths, lacking spines; left cercus shorter, branched, with short setae. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella as in Figure 166 , covered with numerous setae of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 3 moderately long setae apically. Left surstylus ( Fig. 168 ) moderately large, mostly covered with minute setulae, bearing short spine like setae near base dorsally. Hypandrium with 2 short setae. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes present.

Female

Unknown.

Material examined

Holotype ♂ SINGAPORE: Kranji (KNT01), 2 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29128, leg. P.G.; in ZRC).

Etymology

The species is named after the Kranji Nature trail that is a small strip of mangrove on the north of the island of Singapore.

Distribution

Singapore.

Habitat and seasonal occurrence

This species occurs in mangrove, with a single record from June.

Remarks

The new species could primarily be compared with E. bulohensis Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007 known from Singapore. However, E. bulohensis has a different scutal pattern and modified abdominal sternite 4.

Figures

Figs 165-168. Elaphropeza kranjiensis sp. nov., ♂. 165. postpedicel and stylus of antenna, lateral view. 166. right epandrial lamella, lateral view. 167. epandrium with cerci, dorsal view. 168. left surstylus, lateral view.