Rhaphium srilankensis, Naglis, Stefan & Grootaert, Patrick, 2011

Naglis, Stefan & Grootaert, Patrick, 2011, A remarkable new species of Rhaphium Meigen (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) from Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 2991, pp. 44-48 : 45-46

Rhaphium srilankensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 A–B, 2, 3)

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3, labelled: “ Sri Lanka, N.E. Dist., Hakgala Natural Reserve, 6–7 Feb 1979, Malaise trap” ( USNM). PARATYPES: 1 3, Sri Lanka, N.E. Dist., Hakgala, Botanic Garden, 6.. ii.1979; 5 3, Ceylon, N.E. Dist., Kanda-ela Reservoir, 5.6 mi. SW Nuwara, Elija, 6200 ft., 10–21.ii.1970, Davis & Rowe; 2 Ƥ, same data ( USNM); 2 3, Ceylon, Centr. Province, Pidurutalagala, Alt. 6400 ft., 2 mi NW Nuwara Ellya, jungle, 4.iii.1962, Loc. 116:II ( MZLU).

Description. Male. Length (holotype): body 2.9 mm, wing 3.2 mm. Head: Eyes separated on face, face and clypeus with dense silvery-white pruinosity; frons metallic blue-green shining, with violet reflections, without pruinosity; pair of strong verticals and ocellars present; postverticals short; small seta between postverticals and postoculars present; upper postoculars black and uniseriate, lower white and multiseriate; palpus short, brownish; proboscis dark; antenna dark brown; scape vase-like, bare; pedicel short, with apical circlet of short setae; first flagellomere ( Fig. 1 A) with dense pubescence, about 7 times as long as basal width; arista absent (MSSC). Thorax: Mesonotum metallic blue-green shining, with longitudinal purplish-brown stripe between dc rows, broadening in posterior part and becoming orange-yellow, and with purplish-black area above notopleuron; 6 pairs of strong dc, anterior most smaller; ac short, biseriate, sometimes displaced and appearing uniseriate; 1 h, 1 ph, 1 psu, 2 npl, 1 su, 2 sa, 1 pa; scutellum metallic blue-green, with pair of strong marginal scutellar setae, but without additional smaller setae or hairs; pleura metallic green with dense grey pruinosity. Legs: Almost entirely yellow, except: basal half of mid and hind coxae, dorsoapical half of hind femur, and hind tarsomeres dark; hairs and setae black except as noted. Fore leg: Coxa with white hairs and 3–4 dark apical setae; femur bare of major setae; tibia with strong ad seta at 1/4, and 1 small pd seta at 1/2; tarsomeres simple; relative length of tibia and tarsomeres: 41:22:11:9:6:5. Mid leg: Coxa with white hairs and 2 strong anterolateral setae; femur with 1 anterior and 1 posterior preapical seta; tibia with small ad/pd setal pair at 1/5, and ad/pd setal pair at 1/2; tarsomeres simple; relative length of tibia and tarsomeres: 64:29:15:11:7:5. Hind leg: Coxa with strong lateral seta at 1/2; femur bare of major setae; tibia with ad/pd setal pair at 1/5, and 1/2; tarsomeres simple; relative length of tibia and tarsomeres: 83:22:28:18:12:7. All claws and pulvilli very small. Wing: Membrane with brown infuscation, veins brown; R4+5 slightly bent anteriad becoming straight before wing margin; M subparallel with R4+5 and joining costa at apex; CuAx ratio: 0.5; RMx ratio: 2.5; lower calypter yellow with fan of pale setae; halter yellow. Abdomen: Dark olive green, shining, sternite 8 dark brown; hairs and setae black, some ventral setae light; hypopygium ( Figs. 2 , 3 ): epandrium dark brown, cercus ochreous brown. Epandrial lobes short, asymmetrical; hypandrium strongly reduced; phallus positioned on right side at right epandrial lobe; surstylus forceps-like, ventral arm distinctly longer, dorsal arm with long sinuate seta; cercus shorter than surstylus, narrow, with long apical setae. Female: Similar to male, except: first flagellomere twice as long as basal width; arista ( Fig. 1 B) present, subapical; face broader, pruinosity less dense; palpus larger.

Etymology. The new species is named after the country where it has been collected.

Remarks. The specimens have been collected in the mountainous region at an elevation of about 1900 m in the southern part of the Central Province in Sri Lanka.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Rhaphium srilankensis sp. nov.: first flagellomere. A. male. B. female (scale bar = 0.1 mm).

FIGURE 2. Rhaphium srilankensis sp. nov.: male hypopygium, left lateral view. Sur = surstylus; Cer = cercus (scale bar = 0.1 mm).

FIGURE 3. Rhaphium srilankensis sp. nov.: male hypopygium, ventral view. Sur = surstylus; Cer = cercus; Epl = epandrial lobes; Ph = phallus (scale bar = 0.1 mm).