Elaphropeza monoseta, Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2013

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 : 47-49

Elaphropeza monoseta sp. nov.

( Figs. 64–66 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, 3 labelled: D.R. CONGO, Yaekela , 5 May 2010, swamp forest (reg. 30015, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC5); Holotype / Elaphropeza monoseta / Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov. ( RBINS). PARATYPES: 4 3, 3 Ƥ, Yaekela , 7 May 2010, secondary forest (reg. 30021, leg. P. Grootaert); 1 Ƥ, Kona , 13 May 2010, primary swamp forest (reg. 30038, leg. P. Grootaert); 2 3, Likombo forest, 2 km SW Bomane, 20–22 May 2010, Malaise traps, lowland evergreen primary forest (disturbed), (leg. A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), BECE 0 0 891, 00554; 1 3, Bomane village area, 20–24 May 2010, Malaise traps, lowland evergreen swamp forest, (leg. A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), BECE 0 1482. 1 Ƥ, Yafira forest transect, Malaise traps, lowland evergreen swamp forest: 0 0.69594, 24.20107, 29– 31.5.2010, (leg. A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), BECE 0 3407, 0 3406. 1 Ƥ, Eyolo forest, ca. 2 km E Lieki, Malaise traps, lowland evergreen swamp forest 2 June 2010, (leg. A.H. Kirk-Spriggs) ( BECE 02633).

Diagnosis. Species of the E. ephippiata -group; thorax yellow, scutum on each side with brownish subtriangular spot extending from level of anterior notopleural bristle to base of scutellum; scutellum, metanotum and metapleuron yellowish brown, anepimeron and meron rather brownish yellow; hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal bristles.

Description. Length: body 2.1 mm, wing 2.0 mm. Male. Occiput entirely black, largely shining; with brownish setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals hardly prominent. Anterior ocellars long proclinate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, very narrow, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel and stylus brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel subtriangular, short, 2.0 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, very long, about 4.0 times (4.2 times in holotype) longer than postpedicel, nearly 2.0 times (2.3 times in holotype) as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, silvery pubescent, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta hardly prominent.

Thorax largely yellow, shining, with brown setation; scutum on each side with brownish subtriangular spot extending from level of anterior notopleural bristle to base of scutellum and narrowly connecting along base of scutellum; in darker specimens with 2 narrow vittae between acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles; scutellum, metanotum and metapleuron yellowish brown, anepimeron and meron rather brownish yellow, katepisternum and anepisternum with indistinct brownish yellow patches medially; spiracles brownish. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa, with minute setula on upper part. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals (posterior longer), 1 short postsutural supra-alar, 1 minute postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute); acrostichals short, arranged in 2 broad rows, rather scattered, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals 1–2-serial, as long as acrostichals, 1 prescutellar pair very long.

Legs long, slender, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish yellow, hind femur somewhat paler basally. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur slightly thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and posteroventral setulae, 1 long seta near base, no subapical seta anteriorly, covered with spinulelike setulae on about basal half anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with row of minute anteroventral and row of similar posteroventral spinules, 1 long fine seta near base and 1 long strong subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules, including 1 stouter subapical, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur with hardly prominent anteroventrals and 3 erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 1–2 (usually 2) black anterodorsal bristles near middle; apical projection small, rounded, brownish. Tarsi of all legs unmodified, with unmodified setation; hind basitarsus with some subequally short spinule-like setulae basally.

Wing normally developed, finely infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins mostly yellowish brown, basal section of M1+2 and crossvein bm-cu pale; basal section of vein CuA1 thicker than basal section of vein M1+2. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Costal bristle long, brown. Costal index: 40/23/28. Vein Rs nearly as long as crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, both somewhat bowed. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu slightly oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Halter blackish.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale; tergites 2–3 brownish, subtriangular viewed laterally, divided medially, with scattered unmodified setae; tergite 4 dark brown, broadest, with squamiform setae; tergite 5 narrow, undivided, with squamiform setae; tergite 6 nearly as wide as tergite 5, divided, with minute unmodified setae; tergite 7 broad, undivided, with long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites 1–3 yellowish, sternites 4–8 yellowish brown; undivided but sternites 2–4 deeply concave posteriorly; with scattered minute setulae, sternite 8 with long posteromarginal setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5, ampoule-like. Terminalia ( Figs. 64–66 ) rather small, brownish. Cerci separated; right cercus very narrow, weakly sclerotised, digitiform, longer than left cercus, with several unmodified setae of different lengths; left cercus unbranched, short, rather subrectangular, with several unmodified setae of different lengths; hypoproct prominent, digitiform. Epandrium ( Fig. 65 ) completely divided. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 64 ) subrectangular, somewhat narrowed apically, covered with numerous unmodified setae of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 3 moderately long setae apically. Left surstylus ( Fig. 66 ) large, rather subrectangular, with small dorsal subbasal projection bearing 3 strong setae, otherwise with short unmodified setae. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Similar to male but abdominal gland of different structure, plate-like; cercus brownish.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the presence of a single anterodorsal seta on hind tibia.

Distribution. D.R. Congo.

Remarks. Elaphropeza monoseta sp. nov. is most similar to E. incerta sp. nov. The main differences between these species have been noted in the key. It should be noted that in this species the number of anterodorsal bristles on the hind tibia varies (1–2, but usually 2) and sometimes it even differs between right and left legs. Also, the shape of the left surstylus is variable.

Figures

FIGURES 64 – 66. Elaphropeza monoseta sp. nov. 64. Right epandrial lamella; 65. Epandrium with cerci; 66. Left surstylus.