Elaphropeza benitotani, Published, 2007

SHAMSHEV, IGOR V. & GROOTAERT, PATRICK, 2007, Revision of the genus Elaphropeza Macquart (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Oriental Region, with a special attention to the fauna of Singapore, Zootaxa 1488 (1), pp. 1-164 : 68-70

Elaphropeza benitotani sp. nov.

( Figs. 103–106 )

Diagnosis. Rather large species with yellow occiput, postpedicel brownish, 4.0–4.5 times longer than wide; thorax yellow with brownish markings, scutum with elongate spot above wing base, mesopleuron with large brown spot; hind tibia lacking bristles.

Description. Male. Body length 2.9–3.1 mm, wing length 2.3–2.4 mm. Occiput yellow, subshining, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Ocellar tubercle black, anterior ocellars short, only slightly longer than posterior ocellars, proclinate. Vertical bristles hardly prominent. Antenna ( Fig. 103 ) with scape yellow, pedicel and postpedicel brownish. Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel 4.0–4.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, about 1.5 times as long as postpedicel and somewhat shorter than scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded.

Thorax yellow with markings, shining, with yellow to brownish yellow bristles; scutum with hardly prominent, brownish, narrow, elongate patch above wing base, mesopleuron with large brown spot, pteropleuron wholly, metapleuron in upper part brownish, metanotum brown in middle part. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 2–3 very short bristly hairs in upper part. Postpronotal bristle hardly prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleural, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellar (inner ones very long, cruciate; outer ones very short) bristles. Acrostichal bristles 2-serial, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals 1-serial, prescutellars longer; some numerous setulae present in anterior part of scutum laterally.

Legs largely yellow with some brownish tinge, tibiae brownish in varying extent, hind femur paler on basal 1/3. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore and hind femora and tibiae somewhat thickened. Fore femur with rows of short antero- and posteroventral bristles (2 bristles near base longer). Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur slender, with numerous very short thin ventral spinules, 1 long thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with hardly prominent ventral spinules (1 subapical strong black), lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur bearing 1 row of short anteroventrals and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia lacking prominent bristles; apical projection prominent, small, rounded, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, finely uniformly infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins yellowish to brownish yellow. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle short, brownish yellow. Costal index: 60/35/46/21. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 smoothly arched. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, both straight. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 present as fold. Crossvein bm-cu somewhat oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Halter with dark knob.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 very narrow, brownish, divided dorsally. Tergites 2 and 3 with 2 brownish subtriangular spots divided dorsally; tergite 2 with unmodified setation, tergite 3 with ordinary and few flattened setae. Tergite 4 broadest, dark brown, with numerous squamiform setae. Tergite 5 very narrow, brownish, with unmodified setae. Tergites 6 and 7 weakly sclerotised, yellowish, with short posteromarginal bristles. Sternites weakly sclerotised, yellowish, with scattered setation. Gland-like structures present between tergites 4 and 5.

Terminalia ( Figs. 104–106 ) small, brown. Cerci broadly separated, digitiform, covered with bristles of different lengths, lacking spines, of subequal length, left cercus somewhat broader. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella subrectangular, with truncate upper margin, covered with numerous bristles of different length. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with several moderately long bristles apically. Left surstylus with upper lobe large, subtriangular, broadly rounded at apex, with numerous bristles of different lengths. Hypandrium with 1 bristle. Phallus very short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Body length 2.8–3.0 mm, wing length 2.3–2.4 mm. Segment 8 short, with sclerites separated; sternite 8 folded apically. Cercus yellow. Otherwise as in male.

Material examined: Holotype male labelled: SINGAPORE: Nee Soon , 25 January 2006, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 26022, leg. PG, E-33).

Paratypes: SINGAPORE, 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 16 March 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25017, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 24 March 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25029, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 20 May 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25146, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 3 June 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25152, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 8 July 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25206, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 26 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25316, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 16 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25349, leg. PG) ; 3 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 16 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25350, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 23 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25361, leg. PG) ; 4 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 28 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25403, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 28 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25404, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 9 November 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25414, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 18 November 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25422, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 3 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25437, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 3 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25438, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 14 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25446, leg. PG) ; 3 ♂♂, Nee Soon , 14 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25448, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 4 January 2006, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 26004, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 4 January 2006, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 26004, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 25 January 2006, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 26022, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 8 February 2006, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 26030, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 22 July 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25270, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Sungei Buloh , 4 January 2006, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 26007, leg. PG) .

Derivatio nominis. This species is dedicated to Prof. Dr. Benito Tan, botanist at NUS who specialised in mosses.

Distribution. Singapore. Forest and occasionally mangrove.

Singapore. This is a locally common species. Most records are from the swamp forest at Nee Soon. There is only one record (single male) from the mangrove at Sungei Buloh. The species is active throughout the year, but very rare in the first half. A marked peak of activity is from the second half September until the first half December.

Remarks. The relationships of E. benitotani sp. nov. are unclear beyond inclusion within the E. ephippiata species group. The main distinguishing features of this species are indicated in the key. Additionally, E. benitotani sp. nov. appears to resemble E. maolana Yang and Yang (known from China only). However, in the latter species the male terminalia are clearly different ( Yang and Yang 1994). Elaphropeza fujianensis Yang and Yang (known from China only) differs from E. benitotani sp. nov. by the pattern of the thorax ( Yang and Yang 2003).

Figures

FIGURES 103–106. Elaphropeza benitotani sp. nov. 103. antenna. 104. epandrium with cerci. 105. right epandrial lamella. 106. left surstylus.