Elaphropeza biuncinata ( Melander, 1928 )

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 : 14-19

Elaphropeza biuncinata ( Melander, 1928)

( Figs. 1 , 2–5 , 209, 211 , 219–221 , 239 , 241 , 251, 258)

Drapetis (Elaphropeza) biuncinata Melander, 1928: 313 (male).

Re-description. Male. Body length 2.1–2.3 mm, wing length 1.6–1.7 mm. Occiput yellow, broadly darkened above neck, subshining, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Ocellar tubercle brownish, with anterior ocellars long, proclinate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals long, outer ones hardly prominent. Frons yellow, subshining. Antenna ( Fig. 2 ) with postpedicel brownish yellow, scape and pedicel somewhat paler. Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel 2.9–3.1 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, about 3.0–3.5 times longer than postpedicel and nearly 2.0 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus ( Fig. 209 ) yellow, small, rounded, with scattered brownish yellow setulae, bearing 1 longer and darker subapical seta.

Thorax almost wholly yellow, shining, with yellow to brownish yellow bristles; sternopleuron and hypopleuron somewhat brownish along lower margin (sometimes wholly yellow), metanotum brownish in different extent. Prothoracic episterna with 1 long upturned bristle just above fore coxa and 1 short bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleural, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellar (inner ones very long, cruciate; outer ones very short) bristles. Acrostichals and dorsocentrals multiserial, uniform (except for 1 pair of long prescutellars), extending to base of scutellum.

Legs wholly yellow (mid and hind femora often appearing paler in basal part), mainly with yellow to brownish yellow setation. 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 with 2 rows of spinule-like, short ventral bristles (becoming shorter in apical part of femur), 1 long bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia ( Fig. 219 ) with 1 row of black ventral spinules in apical part, lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur with 1 row of short anteroventrals and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia bearing 2 black curved subapical anteroventral bristles ( Fig. 220 ); apical projection short, rounded, clothed in dense brownish setulae ( Fig. 221 ). Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing ( Fig. 258 ) normally developed, uniformly finely infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins yellowish to brownish yellow. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle long, yellow. Costal index: 30/30/30/13. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, both straight. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Crossvein bm-cu oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter dark.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 almost entirely pale yellow, with very narrow brownish space separated in middle. Tergites 2–5 brown. Tergite 2 broadly concave dorsally and somewhat broadened laterally, with scattered unmodified setae. Tergite 3 broadest (about 4 times as broad as tergite 2 in middle part), bearing squamiform setae. Tergite 4 nearly 1.5 times narrower than tergite 3, with squamiform setae. Tergite 5 subequal in width to tergite 4, with squamiform setae. Tergites 6–7 unmodified, yellowish brown; tergite 7 with moderately long posteromarginal bristles. Sternites 1–5 represented by small lateral brownish spots, with some unmodified setulae. Sternites 6–8 unmodified, brownish yellow, with longer setae than previous sternites. Gland-like structures present between tergites 3–4 and 4–5.

Terminalia ( Figs. 3–5 ) large, brownish yellow. Cerci divided; left cercus unbranched, digitiform, moderately long, narrowed apically, with unmodified bristles of different lengths; right cercus hardly prominent, with several unmodified bristles. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella subtriangular, covered with numerous bristles. Right surstylus well prominent, moderately large, as in Fig. 4 , with scattered unmodified bristles. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with several short bristles apically. Left surstylus with upper lobe large, broadly oval, with short digitiform dorsal projection, bearing numerous long bristles. Hypandrium with 2 subapical bristles ( Fig. 241 ). Phallus very long, coiled (Fig. 251). One rod-shaped apodeme ( Fig. 3 ).

Female. Body length 1.9–2.3 mm, wing length 1.6–1.7 mm. Mid tibia lacking ventral spinules. Segment 8 ( Fig. 239 ) rather short, with sclerites narrowly fused antero-laterally, sternite 8 not folded apically. Cercus broad, oval. Otherwise as in male.

Type material examined. Male holotype labelled: Mt. Makiling / Luzon, Baker; TYPE / Elaphropeza / biuncinata / Mel. [dark red label]; ALMelander / Collection / 1961 ( USNM).

Paratypes: 1 ♂, Mt. Makiling / Luzon, Baker; PARATYPE / Elaphropeza / biuncinata / Mel. [dark red label]; CFBaker / collection / 1927; Elaphropeza / biuncinata / Mel. ( USNM).

1 ♀, Mt. Makiling / Luzon, Baker; ALLOTYPE / Elaphropeza / biuncinata / Mel. [dark red label]; ALMelander / Collection / 1961 ( USNM).

Melander (1928) described this species after two males and he mentioned also a female taken from the same locality. Currently, all these specimens are deposited in Melander's Collection in Washington. The head of the type specimen (holotype) is broken off and glued on a separate pin supplied by the following label: “head found in type unit box, 22.VIII.84, T. Saigusa”. It should be noted that Melander did not indicate directly that the female is an allotype, although normally he did it in other cases. We confirm that in this female specimen the hind tibia lacks two curved subapical bristles (as Melander noted). In other characters, including halters, which are dark (yellow after Melander's description), this female does not differ from the specimens that we have identified as E. biuncinata .

Additional material examined: 2 ♂♂, SINGAPORE, Bukit Timah , 15 July 2005, rain forest, Mal (reg. 25261, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Bukit Timah , 27 July 2005, rain forest, Mal (reg. 25274, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Bukit Timah , 5 August 2005, rain forest, Mal (reg. 25278, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Bukit Timah , 19 August 2005, rain forest, Mal (reg. 25301, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Bukit Timah , 16 September 2005, rain forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25346, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Bukit Timah , 16 September 2005, rain forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25347, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Bukit Timah , 23 September 2005, rain forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25358, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Bukit Timah , 23 September 2005, rain forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25359, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Chek Jawa , 11 October 2005, mangrove, Mal (reg. 25380, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 11 December 2003, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 23121, leg. PG) ; 2 ♂♂, 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) ; 2 ♂♂, Nee Soon , 24 March 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25028, leg. PG) ; 6 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 24 March 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25030, leg. PG) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 5 April 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25048, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 13 May 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25143, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 13 May 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25141, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 20 May 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25145, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 17 June 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25156, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 8 July 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25205, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 15 July 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25258, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 15 July 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25260, leg. PG) ; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 5 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25283, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 5 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25281, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 12 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25292, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 12 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25290, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 19 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25296, leg. PG) ; 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 19 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25298, leg. PG) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 26 August 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25318, leg. PG) ; 3 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 16 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25350, leg. PG) ; 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 16 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25351, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 23 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25361, leg. PG) ; 2 ♂♂, Nee Soon , 14 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 5 (reg. 25392, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 14 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25390, leg. PG) ; 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 14 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25390, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 28 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25403, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 28 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25405, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 18 November 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25424, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 3 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25436, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 3 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25436, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 14 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25446, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 14 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25448, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 14 December 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25447, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 21 December 2005, swamp forest, sweeping (reg. 25454, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 13 January 2006, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 26014, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 25 January 2006, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 26020, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 8 February 2006, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 26028, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 8 February 2006, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 26030, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Sime forest , 17 June 2005, forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25137, leg. PG) ; 3 ♀♀, Sime forest , 8 July 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25203, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 5 August 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25279, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 7 September 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25334, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 16 September 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25352, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 14 October 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25384, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 9 November 2005, forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25413, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 18 November 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25420, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 8 February 2006, forest, Mal 2 (reg. 26027, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Sime forest , 17 February 2006, forest, Mal 2 (reg. 26035, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 17 February 2006, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 26034, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Sungei Buloh , 19 August 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25302, leg. PG, E- 09) .

MALAYSIA: 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Langkawi , Burau Bay, 1 September 2005, sweep netting (reg. 25323, leg. PG, det. as E-42)

Distribution and bionomics. Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. Forest.

Singapore: This is one of the commonest Elaphropeza species , with records from all forest types. Only twice was the species observed in mangrove. Elaphropeza biuncinata is present throughout the year. In the first half of the year there are short, small peaks nearly every month that probably reflect a one-month generation time interval. It is abundant and continuously present from the beginning of August until Mid December. The sex ratio is almost 1/1 suggesting a similar activity pattern of females and males.

Remarks. Elaphropeza biuncinata appears to belong to a monophyletic lineage including phenetically uniform E. hirsutitibia de Meijere , E. combinata sp. nov., E. melanderi sp. nov., E. crassicercus sp. nov., E. spiralis sp. nov., E. yangi sp. nov., E. murphyi sp. nov., E. flavicaput sp. nov., E. monacantha sp. nov. and E. luanae sp. nov. These species share curved subapical bristles on the hind tibia, however, the relationships between them are not quite clear. The main distinguishing features of E. biuncinata are indicated in the key. E. biuncinata resembles E. melanderi sp. nov. differing primarily by an uniformly coloured scutum (vs. two elongate brownish spots on each side).

Elaphropeza sp. 42 known from a single male is very similar to E. biuncinata and differs from the latter in some characters of the male terminalia only ( Figs. 6–9 ). This specimen was taken from Langkawi ( Malaysia). Although the distinguishing characters of Elaphropeza sp. 42 are quite distinctive (especially the shape of the cerci and right surstylus), we believe that it would be premature to give this specimen a formal taxonomic name until additional material becomes available.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Elaphropeza biuncinata (Melander), type species of the E. biuncinata group.

FIGURES 2–5. Elaphropeza biuncinata (Melander) 2. antenna. 3. epandrium with cerci. 4. right surstylus. 5. left surstylus. c: cercus; a: apodeme; ls: left surstylus; rel: right epandrial lamella; rs: right surstylus.

FIGURES 209–211. 209. Elaphropeza biuncinata: mouthparts. 210. E. palpata: head. 211. E. biuncinata pleura. Abbreviations: cx1: fore coxa; cx2: mid coxa; cx3: hind coxa; hypl: hypopleuron (= meron); mpl: mesopleuron (= anepisternum); mtn: metanotum (= postnotum); ptpl: pteropleuron (anepimeron); sc: scutellum; stpl: sternopleuron (= katepisternum).

FIGURES 218–224. 218. Elaphropeza crassicercus sp. nov., hind tibia. 219. E. biuncinata, mid tibia. 220. E. biuncinata, hind tibia anteriorly. 221. E. biuncinata, tip of hind tibia posteriorly. 222. E. bicaudata, hind femur and tibia. 223. E. bezzii sp. nov., hind tibia anteriorly. 224. E. palpata, hind femur and tibia anteriorly.

FIGURES 235–240. Ovipositors. 235. Elaphropeza ephippiata. 236. E. bicaudata. 237. E. bicaudata ventral. 238. E. feminata sp. nov. 239. E. biuncinata. 240. E. singaporensis sp. nov.

FIGURES 241–245. Hypandria. 241. Elaphropeza biuncinata. 242. E. ephippiata. 243. E. ephippiata, detail tip. 244. E. meieri sp. nov. 245. E. bicaudata.

FIGURES 253-259. Wings. 253. Elaphropeza singaporensis sp. nov. 254. E. pluriacantha sp. nov. 255. E. yangi sp. nov. 256. E. spiralis sp. nov. 257. E. bicaudata. 258. E. biuncinata. 259. E. hirsutitibia. 260-261. E. palpata.

FIGURES 6–9. Elaphropeza sp. 42 (Malaysia: Langkawi) closely related to E. biuncinata (Melander) 6. antenna. 7. epandrium with cerci. 8. right surstylus. 9. left surstylus.