Elaphropeza uniseta Melander, 1918

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 : 113-114

Elaphropeza uniseta Melander, 1918

Elaphropeza uniseta Melander, 1918: 213 (female).

Re-description. Female. Body length 2.1 mm, wing length 2.6 mm. Occiput black, largely subshining, finely greyish pollinose, with shining spot on each side in upper part, bearing yellow to brown (large bristles) setation. Anterior ocellars moderately long, proclinate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals moderately long, outer ones hardly prominent. Antenna brown (scape and pedicel somewhat paler). Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel 2.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, about 3.0 times longer than postpedicel and 2.0 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 rather narrow median vitta disappearing before prescutellar depression and elongate spot above notopleural space, scutellum in middle part and metapleuron in upper part brown. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa and short bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle short. 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 2-serial, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals 1-serial, extending to base of scutellum (prescutellars long).

Legs rather long and slender, largely yellow, with yellow to brownish yellow setation; fore and mid tibiae and tarsi of all legs with brownish tinge. 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 (becoming shorter in apical part of femur), 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 with 1 row of short anteroventrals and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia bearing 1 anterodorsal bristle; apical projection prominent, small, rounded, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

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 long, yellow. Costal index: 76/26 (remaining part of wing folded). Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, the former slightly bowed, the latter straight. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 absent. Crossvein bm-cu somewhat oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Halter with blackish knob.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 entirely pale yellow. Tergites 2 and 3 with brownish subtriangular spaces viewed laterally, broadly concave anteriorly; with unmodified setation. Tergite 4 broadest, darker, with squamiform setae. Tergite 5 concolorous with tergite 4, bearing squamiform setae. Tergites 6 and 7 unmodified, brownish. Cercus rather brownish yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Type material examined. Holotype female labelled: Manila / PH [ Philippines]; RobtBrown [Robert Brown] / collector; TYPE [hand-written on white paper]; Drapetis / uniseta / Mel. (Smithsonian Institute).

Melander (1918) described this species from a single female. Currently, the holotype is in good condition.

Distribution. Philippines (Luzon).

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