Elaphropeza bulohensis, 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 : 102-103

Elaphropeza bulohensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 170–174 )

Diagnosis. Occiput black, antenna entirely brownish yellow with postpedicel about 3.5 times as long as wide; scutum in anterior corner and above notopleural space with indistinct, elongate, brownish patch; legs pale brownish, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle.

Description. Male. Body length 2.3 mm, wing length 1.9 mm. Occiput black, subshining, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Anterior ocellars moderately long, proclinate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals moderately long, outer ones hardly prominent. Antenna ( Fig. 170 ) wholly brownish yellow. Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel nearly 3.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, about 2.0 times as long as postpedicel and somewhat (1.3 times) longer than scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded.

Thorax yellow with brownish markings, shining, with yellow to brownish yellow bristles; scutum in anterior corner and above notopleural space with indistinct, elongate, brownish patch, sternopleuron and hypopleuron with brownish patch in lower part. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa and short bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle minute. 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 prominent in anterior part of scutum only, 2-serial, few in number; dorsocentral bristles 1- serial, extending to base of scutellum (prescutellars long).

Legs long, slender, with fore femur yellowish with brownish tinge, otherwise rather pale brownish (tibiae and tarsi somewhat darker); clothed with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. 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 (posteroventrals somewhat longer), 1 long thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with ventral spinules along whole length (1 subapical spinule stronger), lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur bearing 1 row of short anteroventrals and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia bearing 1 anterodorsal bristle about middle; apical projection prominent, small, rounded, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Hind tarsomere 1 somewhat thickened.

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 long, yellow. Costal index: 48/20/47/12. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 smoothly arched. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, vein R4+5 somewhat bowed. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 present as fold. Crossvein bm-cu somewhat oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 entirely pale yellow. Tergites 2 and 3 with rather small brownish yellow lateral spaces, otherwise pale yellow; with scattered unmodified setation. Tergite 4 broadest, dark brown, with squa- miform setae. Tergite 5 narrow, concolorous with tergite 4, bearing squamiform setae. Tergites 6 and 7 brownish yellow, of subequal width, both with minute posteromarginal bristles. Sternites 1–3 yellowish, sternites 4– 7 brownish yellow, subrectangular, sternite 4 with 2 tubercles. Gland-like structures between tergites 4 and 5 ( Fig. 174 ).

Terminalia ( Figs. 171–173 ) small, brownish yellow. Cerci separated, of subequal size and shape, left cercus slightly larger, covered with numerous bristles of different lengths, lacking spines. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella falciform, covered with numerous bristles of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with several long bristles apically. Left surstylus with upper lobe moderately large, subrectangular, with numerous short bristles. Hypandrium with 4 short bristles. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined: Holotype male labelled: SINGAPORE, Sungei Buloh , 9 December 2002, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 22057, leg. PG, E-48).

Derivatio nominis. The name bulohensis refers to the type locality being the wetland reserve of Sungei Buloh.

Distribution. Singapore. Mangrove.

Remarks. In having a modified ampoule-like abdominal gland, E. bulohensis sp. nov. is likely closely related to E. equalis sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 170–174. Elaphropeza bulohensis sp. nov. 170. antenna. 171. epandrium with cerci. 172. right epandrial lamella. 173. left surstylus. 174. abdominal tergites 4 and 5.