Elaphropeza sylvicola, 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 : 54-56

Elaphropeza sylvicola sp. nov.

( Figs. 80–83 )

Diagnosis. Occiput yellow, postpedicel about 3.5 times longer than wide; thorax almost entirely yellow, only scutum with indistinct patch just behind anterior corner and metanotum wholly brownish; legs entirely yellow, hind tibia lacking prominent bristles.

Description. Male. Body length 2.1–2.2 mm, wing length 1.6–1.7 mm. Occiput largely yellow, broadly darkened above neck, subshining, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Frons black, subshining. Ocellar tubercle brownish, anterior ocellars long, proclinate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals long, outer ones hardly prominent. Antenna ( Fig. 80 ) largely yellow, postpedicel brownish yellow. Pedicel with circlet of sub- equally short setulae. Postpedicel nearly 3.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, about 2.0 times longer than postpedicel and nearly 1.5 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded.

Thorax almost entirely yellow, shining, with yellow to brownish yellow bristles; scutum with indistinct patch just behind anterior corner, metanotum wholly brownish. Prothoracic episterna with 1 long upturned bristle just above fore coxa and 1 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. Acrostichals and dorsocentrals multiserial, uniform (except for 1 pair of long prescutellars), extending to base of scutellum.

Legs wholly yellow, 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 dorsal bristles, posteroventral subapical bristle black, long. Mid femur slender, with 2 rows of spinule-like, short, ventral bristles (posteroventrals longer), 1 long thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules in apical part, 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 moderately long, yellow. Costal index: 34/25/33/12. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 smoothly arched. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 slightly divergent near wing apex, both straight. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 absent. Crossvein bm-cu oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter with dark knob.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 very narrow, pale brownish. Tergites 2–5 somewhat darker. Tergite 2 broadly concave anteriorly, with unmodified setae. Tergite 3 broadest, with squamiform setae. Tergite 4 somewhat narrower than tergite 3, with squamiform setae. Tergite 5 nearly as broad as tergite 2, with scattered squamiform setae. Tergites 6 and 7 of subequal width, tergite 7 with moderately long posteromarginal bristles. Sternites weakly sclerotised, sternites 3–5 divided. Gland-like structures between tergites 3–4 and 4–5.

Terminalia ( Figs. 81–83 ) large, yellow. Cerci broadly separated, covered with numerous moderately long bristles, lacking spines; left cercus subrectangular, rather short and broad; right cercus short, slender. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella subrectangular, covered with numerous bristles of different lengths. Right surstylus prominent, large, subtriangular, covered with short bristles. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with several moderately long and short bristles apically. Left surstylus with upper lobe moderately large, subtriangular, with numerous moderately long bristles. Hypandrium with 1 very long and 1 minute bristles. Phallus long, coiled. One rod-shaped apodeme.

Female. Body length 2.1–2.2 mm, wing length 1.6–1.7 mm. Mid tibia lacking ventral spinules. Segment 8 brownish yellow, with sclerites fused antero-laterally; sternite 8 not folded apically. Sternite 10 and cercus concolorous, brownish yellow. Otherwise as in male.

Material examined. Holotype male labelled: SINGAPORE, Nee Soon , 7 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25332, leg. PG, E-40).

Paratypes: SINGAPORE, 1 ♀, Bukit Timah , 4 December 2002, rain forest; primary, sweeping (reg. 22050, leg. PG) ;; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 16 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25349, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 14 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25390, leg. PG) ; 3 ♀♀, Nee Soon , 28 October 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25403, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 9 November 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25414, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 1 April 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25040, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Sime forest , 22 July 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25270, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 19 August 2005, forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25300, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 7 September 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25334, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sime forest , 14 October 2005, forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25384, leg. PG) .

Derivatio nominis. The name sylvicola alludes to the fact that this species was found in woods (sylva: wood, cola: living).

Distribution and bionomics. Singapore. Forest.

Singapore: This is not a very common species that was found in various types of forest. The peak of activity is from mid August until mid November. Only a single male was found resulting in a sex ratio of 19/ 1 females to males .

Remarks. The relationships of E. sylvicola sp. nov. are unclear beyond inclusion within the E. biuncinata species group. The main distinguishing features of the new species are indicated in the diagnosis given above and in the key. Also, E. sylvicola sp. nov. differs from E. kunmingana (Yang and Yang) described from China by a wholly yellow scutellum ( Yang & Yang 1990).

Figures

FIGURES 80–83. Elaphropeza sylvicola sp. nov. 80. antenna. 81. epandrium with cerci. 82. right surstylus. 83. left surstylus.