Elaphropeza kerteszi Bezzi, 1912

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 : 116-117

Elaphropeza kerteszi Bezzi, 1912

Elaphropeza kerteszi Bezzi, 1912: 486 (male and female).

Re-description. Female. Wing length 3.0 mm. Occiput black, subshining, finely greyish pollinose, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Anterior ocellars moderately long, proclinate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals moderately long, outer ones hardly prominent. Frons shining. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel brownish (paler at base). Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel (missing on one antenna) 2.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown (partly broken). Gena somewhat produced. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, large, oval.

Thorax almost entirely yellow, shining, with yellow to brownish yellow bristles; scutellum. metanotum and metapleuron in upper part brown. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 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. Acrostichal bristles 2-serial, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals 1-serial, extending to base of scutellum, 1 prescutellar pair long.

Legs (one mid and one hind leg missing) rather slender, entirely yellow. 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, 1 long thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules in apical part (1 subapical somewhat longer), lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur with short anteroventral and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia bearing 1 anterodorsal bristle at about middle; apical projection prominent, small, angular, clothed in dense brownish setulae.

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, brownish yellow. Costal index: 85/32/57/18. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 evenly curved. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, both slightly bowed in apical part. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 present as fold. Crossvein bm-cu slightly oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Halter pale.

Abdomen. Tergite 4 broadest, brown, with squamiform setae; otherwise abdomen almost wholly dusky yellow, tergites 6 and 7 rather brownish yellow. Segment 8 brown, shining. Cercus brownish yellow.

Male. The above re-description agrees with Bezzi's original description that also included a male of this species. Bezzi indicates (1912: 487) that the male terminalia are black and the body size is 2.5–2.7 mm.

Material examined. Female labelled: Tainan, Formosa, H. Sauter, II.09; Bezzi det.; Elaphropeza Kertészii male, female Bezzi ( DEI). This specimen lacks a postpedicel with style on one antenna and a mid and hind leg .

Bezzi (1912) described this species from material taken from Chip-Chip. The type of E. kerteszi was deposited in the Hungarian Museum (Budapest) and was destroyed in 1956 (Papp & Földvári, pers. comm.). Also, Bezzi (1914) mentioned “ein Pärchen” of E. kerteszi housed in the DEI Collection. However, only a female has been obtained for our study from there (see above). So, we believe that the designation of a neotype would be premature for this species since the male sex of this species may yet be found.

Distribution. Taiwan.

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