Empis (Coptophlebia) verruca, Daugeron & Grootaert, 2005

Daugeron, Christophe & Grootaert, Patrick, 2005, Empidine Dance Flies From Singapore And Southern Malaysia (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 53 (2), pp. 211-220 : 216

Empis (Coptophlebia) verruca , new species

( Figs. 1D , 8)

Material examined. – Holotype - male, Singapore, Nee Soon, sample 22057, coll. P. Grootaert, 5 Oct.2000 ( ZRC).

Paratypes – 1 male with the same data ( ZRC) ; 6 males and 1 female, Singapore, Nee Soon, primary rain forest, sample 22054, coll. P. Grootaert, 4 Dec.2002 ( ZRC, KBIN-IRScNB, MNHN) ; 1 male, Singapore, Nee Soon, sample 23102, coll. P. Grootaert, 3 Dec.2002 ( ZRC) .

Etymology. – From the Latin word verruca in reference to the presence of a tubercle on the male fore tibia.

Diagnosis. – Medium-sized brownish species with fore tibia deformed and bearing an anterodorsal tubercle at basal quarter.

Description. – Male – Head. Occiput dark brown blackish, antenna blackish, second and third flagellomeres aristiform. Palpus brown, labrum length almost twice head height. Thorax dark brown. Proepisternum with 1 fine, short bristle, proepisternum with 1 rather long bristle. Dorsocentrals uniserial, strong, long. Legs ( Fig. 1D ) brown. Fore tibia deformed at base with a characteristic anterodorsal tubercle at basal quarter, 1 rather strong dorsal bristle at middle, longer than tibia depth; first fore tarsomere with 1 strong, long anterolateral bristle at base, 1 strong, long dorsal bristle apically. Mid tibia with 3 strong dorsal bristles (at basal quarter, near middle, at tip), the last two long, 1 strong ventral bristle at basal third; first mid tarsomere with 2 strong, long dorsal and ventral bristles basally, 1 strong, very long posterodorsal bristle apically, following three mid tarsomeres with 1 strong, long dorsal bristle apically. Hind tibia with row of strong, long dorsal bristles; first hind tarsomere with pair of strong, long dorsal bristles apically, following four tarsomeres with pair of distinct dorsal bristles apically. Wing (length = 2.6 mm) feebly tinged with brown, A1 abbreviated. Halter brown. Abdomen brown. Sternites with pair of distinct bristles posteriorly. Hypopygium ( Fig. 8). Epandrium distinctly triangular with 3 strong, long bristles at tip. Hypandrium long, pointed at tip. Phallus somewhat narrowed apically.

Female similar to male except for the following characters: wing more distinctly brown. Fore femur distinctly paler than coxa and tibia; fore tibia with dorsal pennation as long as tibia depth; first fore tarsomere with short dorsal pennation except apically; mid femur, hind femur and tibia with long dorsal and ventral pennation; mid tibia with short dorsal pennation; first hind tarsomere with short dorsal pennation basally.

Remarks. – This species belongs to the E. hyalea clade. It can be distinguished from all other species by the presence of a characteristic tubercle on fore tibia.

Figures

Fig. 1. Male fore leg in frontal view: A, tibia and first tarsomere of E. (C.) neesoonensis; B, tibia and tarsus of E. (C.) producta; C, tibia and first tarsomere of E. (C.) tortuosa; D, tibia and first tarsomere of E. (C.) verruca.