Elaphropeza ghesquierei (Collart)

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2013, The flies of the family Hybotidae (Diptera, Empidoidea) collected during the Boyekoli Ebale Congo 2010 Expedition in Democratic Republic of Congo, Zootaxa 3603 (1), pp. 1-61 : 40-41

Elaphropeza ghesquierei (Collart)

( Fig. 56 )

Drapetis (Elaphropeza) ghesquierei Collart, 1934: 63 , figs 3 & 4. Type locality: Sankuvu [D.R. Congo]. Elaphropeza ghesquierei: Smith, 1969: 48 ; Smith, 1980: 432 ( Drapetis (Elaphropeza) , catalogue); Raffone, 1990: 105; Yang et al., 2007: 374 (catalogue).

Type material examined: D.R. Congo, Sankuvu, IV.1925 (leg. J. Ghesquière) obtained from culture of Aleurodes on manioc. The HOLOTYPE Ƥ is mounted on a slide in Canada balsam with the following label: on left side – Drapetis / ( Elaphropeza )/ ghesquierei n. sp. / A. Collart det./ TYPE [red]/ Musée du Congo / D 1–4/ R.G. 2834 [hand-written] ( RMCA ENT 000016388). Together with the slide there is a pin with the following labels: TYPE [red]; Parasite de Bemisia du Manioc; Musée du Congo, Sankuru: iv.1925, J. Ghesquière, prédateru de Bemisia du Manioc; R. Dét. 2834.

Diagnosis. Species of E. ephippiata -group; thorax black; antenna with scape and postpedicel yellow, postpedicel dark; palpus white; legs with fore tibia and terminal tarsomeres brownish, otherwise yellow, hind tibia without bristles; halter pale.

Re-description. Length: body 1.3 mm, wing 1.4 mm. Female. Head black. Ocellar tubercle with short setae. Antenna ( Fig. 54 and Collart, 1934: 63, fig. 3) with scape and pedicel yellowish, postpedicel and stylus dark; postpedicel 3.7 times as long as wide; stylus 1.8 times as long as pedicel, with long pubescence. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus white, with scattered setulae.

Thorax entirely black, shining, with pale setation. Because the thorax is damaged by pressing it is difficult to recognise mesonotal setation; at least postpronotal bristle not prominent, supra-alar face covered with numerous setulae, 2 notopleurals; also Collart notes “2 long prescutellars; 1 supra-alar, 1 intra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellars (lateral pair short, apical pair long and cruciate”

Legs quite robust, yellowish; fore tibia and terminal tarsomeres brownish. Fore femur thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and similar posteroventral setulae, 2 long setae near base, and short subapical seta anteriorly. Tibiae lacking prominent bristles. Mid femur slender, with minute anteroventral and posteroventral setulae. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules. Hind femur and tibia somewhat thickened. Hind femur mostly with minute anteroventrals, 2–3 subapicals somewhat longer. Tarsi of all legs unmodified, with unmodified setation.

Wing (l.c.: 64, fig. 4) hyaline, with yellowish veins; 1 long yellow costal seta. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 divergent near wing apex, both slightly bowed. Vein A1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu transverse. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Halter pale yellow.

Abdomen with blackish brown tergites and pale yellowish sternites; covered with short setae; tergite 4 and 5 with squamiform setae. Cercus brownish yellow.

Male. Collart (1934: 64) indicates that he had a male of this species but it was lost during manipulations at the time of the original description. He noted that the male genitalia are large, shining blackish brown, with brown hairs; otherwise there are no differences with the female.

Distribution. D.R. Congo.

Remarks. Among species described from D.R. Congo E. ghesquierei is most similar to E. nuda sp. nov. The main differences between these species have been noted in the key. Elaphropeza sinikorensis described from Sierra Leone has a shorter postpedicel and a black halter knob ( Raffone 1990).

Figures

FIGURE 54. Elaphropeza ghesquierei Collart, 1934, antenna.

FIGURES 55 – 57. Elaphropeza juakalyi sp. nov. 55. Right epandrial lamella; 56. Epandrium with cerci; 57. Left surstylus.