Elaphropeza distincta Senior-White, 1922

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 : 74

Elaphropeza distincta Senior-White, 1922

Elaphropeza distincta Senior-White, 1922: 152 (female).

Re-description. Female. Body length 1.5 mm, wing length 1.8 mm. Occiput, including frons, yellow. Antenna entirely yellow. Postpedicel short, not much more than twice the length of the pedicel. Style yellow with the usual microscopic pubescence. Palpus whitish.

Thorax almost entirely yellow, metanotum brownish yellow. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coax, with 1 very short bristle in upper part. Acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles multiserial, the former lacking on prescutellar depression.

Legs entirely pale yellow. Fore femur with rows of short antero- and posteroventral bristles and 2 longer bristles near base. Fore tibia with 1 short but distinct anterodorsal bristle in middle part.

Wing normally developed, hyaline, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins yellowish to brownish yellow. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle moderately long, brown. Costal index: 44/24/37/14. 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 transverse. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter with black knob [not entirely yellow as in the original description].

Abdomen with tergites 2–7 brownish, tergite 4 broadest, tergites 4 and 5 bearing squamiform setae. Segment 8 rather short, brownish yellow. [Senior-White indicated (l.c.: 152) that the tip of the abdomen is upturned. However, this is a result of a little damage rather than the natural condition in this species] (For some missing structures, descriptions adopted from Senior-White (1922)).

Male. Unknown.

Type material examined: Holotype female labelled: CEYLON / Matale Dist., / Suduganga / 12.ix.1921.; Elaphropeza / distincta / TYPE / Senior White.; Holotype; BMNH (E) # 244886 ( BMNH).

Senior White (1922) described this species from a single female that is now deposited in the BMNH. Currently, both antennae, the tibia and tarsus on one of the fore legs and mid and hind legs are lost from the holotype; otherwise it is in fairly good condition .

Distribution. Sri Lanka.

Remarks. The relationships of E. distincta are unclear beyond inclusion within the E. ephippiata species group.