Elaphropeza melanuroides, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2015

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2015, New species of fast-running flies (Diptera: Empidoidea, Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) from mangroves in Singapore, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 583-609 : 597-600

Elaphropeza melanuroides , new species

( Figs. 26–30 )

Material examined. Holotype male: Singapore: Pulau Ubin , PU3 , 26 May 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29256, Ma0889) . Paratypes: Semakau Island , 1 male, SMO3 , 27 December 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29656, Ma 6747) ; 3 females, SMO3 , 7 March 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29787, Ma 6751) ; 3 males, SMO3 , 21 March 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29815, Ma 6758) ; 1 male, SMN1 , 27 December 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29651, Ma 6769) ; 1 male, SMN2 , 6 December 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29613, Ma 6770) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 25 October 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29539, Ma 6831) ; 1 male, 1 female, SMO3 , 18 October 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29526, Ma 6838) ; 2 males, 1 female, SMO3 , 8 November 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29578, Ma 6888) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 29 November 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29604, Ma 6896) ; 1 male, SMN3 , 4 October 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29497, Ma 6915) ; 2 males, SMO3 , 14 March 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29801, Ma 6948) ; 1 male, SMO1 , 11 April 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29855, Ma 6975) ; 1 male, 1 female, SMO3 , 18 April 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29871, Ma 6990) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 25 April 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29885, Ma 6995) ; 1 male, SMO2 , 23 May 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29937, Ma 7025) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 16 May 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29925, Ma 7029) ; 2 females, SMN3 , 13 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29974, Ma 7048) ; 2 males, SMO1 , 6 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29962, Ma 7051) ; 1 male, SMN1 , 13 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29972, Ma 7065) ; 1 male, SMN3 , 14 November 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30260, Ma 8866) ; 1 female, SMN3 , 1 August 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30068, Ma 7101) ; 1 male, SMO1 , 13 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29975, Ma 7115) ; 1 male, 1 female, SMO3 , 11 July 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30024, Ma 7144) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 28 November 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30289, Ma 7153) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 7 August 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30081, Ma 7175) ; 1 male, SMN2 , 3 January 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29665, Ma 7225) ; 2 males, SMO3 , 28 March 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29829, Ma 7242) ; 1 male, SMN1 , 28 March 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29824, Ma 7276) ; 2 males, SMO3 , 11 April 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29857, Ma 7594) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 5 December 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30301, Ma 7619) ; 1 female, SMO3 , 29 January 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30406, Ma 7626) ; 1 male, SMO3 , 31 October 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30237, Ma 8000); Pulau Ubin , 2 males, PU2 , 23 June 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29307, Ma 7447) ; 1 male, PU1 , 1 April 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29830, Ma 7451) ; 1 female, PU1 , 24 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30004, Ma 7458) ; 1 female, PU4 , 24 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30006, Ma 7461) ; 1 female, PU1 , 22 September 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29475, Ma 7512) ; 2 males, PU2 , 29 September 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29489, Ma 7515) ; 1 male, PU2 , 2 February 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29723, Ma 7537) ; 1 female, PU2 , 27 April 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29887, Ma 7646) ; 1 male, PU2 , 29 March 2014, mangrove, (reg. 30512, Ma 8885) .

Etymology. The epithet refers to its resemblance to E. melanura Bezzi 1912 .

Diagnosis. Species of the E. ephippiata group; recognised by yellow thorax but scutellum and metanotum brown, antenna with postpedicel about 2.5 times as long as wide, legs yellow with only tarsomere 5 brown, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle, 2 pairs of long prescutellars, haltere yellow.

Description. Length: wing 2.3 mm.

Male: Occiput entirely black, largely shining; with yellowish setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals somewhat shorter. Anterior ocellars moderately long proclinate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, very narrow, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel toward apex and stylus brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel short, 2.5–2.7 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, moderately long, nearly 1.5 times longer than postpedicel. Proboscis yellowish. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, silvery pubescent, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta moderately long.

Thorax yellow but scutellum and metanotum brown; shining, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa, with minute setula on upper part. Postpronotal seta hardly prominent. Mesonotum with 3 notopleurals (middle seta shorter), 1 moderately long postsutural supra-alar, 1 longer postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair short); acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum entirely covered with uniform setulae, 2 pairs of long prescutellars (anterior much shorter).

Legs long, slender, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brown. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur slightly thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and posteroventral setae, 1 long seta near base, 1 short subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with spinule-like ventral setulae more numerous on basal part, 1 long seta near base and 1 long subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia without ventral spinules, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur with hardly prominent anteroventrals, 4 erect dorsal setae near base and 1 longer subapical seta anteriorly. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal pale brown bristle on about middle; apical projection small, rounded, brownish. Tarsi of all legs unmodified, with unmodified setation.

Wing normally developed, finely infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins mostly yellowish brown, basal section of M 1+2, crossveins bm-cu and r-m pale. Costal vein with moderately long, uniform setulae along anterior margin. Costal bristle long, brown. Costal index: 47/30/35. Vein Rs long, slightly longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R 2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 almost parallel near wing apex, R 4+5 slightly bowed, M 1+2 straight. Vein CuA 1 reaching wing margin. Vein A 1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu perpendicular. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Squama yellow, with long, brownish yellow setae. Haltere pale yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale yellow; tergites 2–3 brownish, subtriangular viewed laterally, divided medially, with scattered unmodified setae; tergite 4 dark brown, broadest, with numerous squamiform setae; tergite 5 very narrow, undivided, with squamiform setae; tergites 6 somewhat broader than tergite 5, with moderately long posteromarginal setae; tergite 7 broad, with very long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites yellowish to brownish yellow, with scattered minute setulae, sternite 8 with short posteromarginal setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5.

Terminalia ( Figs. 28–30 ) rather large; cerci, apical half of right epandrial lamella and left surstylus brown ( Figs. 26–27 ). Right epandrial lamella densely covered with long bristles ( Fig. 28 ). Cerci small, narrowly fused ( Fig. 29 ). Left epandrial lamella with quite long bristles near tip. Left surstylus oval, but apex pointed.

Female: Similar to male.

Distribution. Singapore.

Remarks. In the key to the Oriental Elaphropeza (see Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012) the new species will lead to E. melanura Bezzi, 1912 described from Taiwan and indeed the species are quite similar. Unfortunately the neotype male was not dissected to illustrate the male terminalia. Nevertheless there are many distinct characters to distinguish the two species.

In E. melanura the inner verticals are long, the outer ones are hardly prominent. In melanuroides inner verticals are as long as outer verticals. The postpedicel is 1.5 times as long as wide and brown in E. melanura while 2.5 times as long and brown with base ventrally yellow in E. melanuroides . There is 1 long prescutellar bristle in melanura while 2 longer prescutellars in E. melanuroides . Haltere is yellow in E. melanura while white in E. melanuroides . Mid femur in E. melanura with 2 rows of spine-like, short ventral bristles. In E. melanuroides mid femur is with bristles that are not spine-like, however on apical third there are some darker bristles.

Figures

Figs. 26–27. Elaphropeza melanuroides, new species, male habitus: 26, lateral; 27, dorsal.

Figs. 28–30. Elaphropeza melanuroides, new species: 28, right epandrial lamella, lateral view; 29, epandrium with cerci, dorsal view; 30, left surstylus, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.