Elaphropeza luteoides, Published, 2007

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 : 100-102

Elaphropeza luteoides sp. nov.

( Figs. 166–169 )

Diagnosis. Occiput, antenna, thorax and legs entirely yellow, postpedicel very short, about 1.5 times longer than wide; hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle.

Description. Male. Body length 2.2 mm, wing length 1.7 mm. Occiput wholly yellow including ocellar tubercle and frons, subshining, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Eye deeply concave on posterior margin. Anterior ocellars long, proclinate; posterior ocellars somewhat shorter, lateroclinate. Inner verticals long, outer ones shorter. Antenna ( Fig. 166 ) wholly yellow. Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel short, 1.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brownish yellow, 5.5 times longer than postpedicel and about 3.0 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded.

Thorax entirely yellow, shining, with yellow to brownish (large bristles) setation. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 1–2 very short bristles in upper part. Postpronotal bristle not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleural, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellar (inner ones very long, cruciate; outer ones very short) bristles. Acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles multiserial, uniform (except for 2 pairs of long prescutellars), acrostichals lacking on prescutellar depression.

Legs entirely yellow, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. 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 rows of spinule-like, short, ventral bris- tles (posteroventrals longer and stronger), 1 long thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with 2 rows of hardly prominent 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 near middle and 1 subapical anterior short straight bristle; apical projection hardly prominent, rounded, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

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 long, brown. Costal index: 40/21/34/14. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 smoothly arched. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, both straight. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 absent. Crossvein bm-cu transverse. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter with dark knob.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale yellow. Tergites 2 and 3 brownish yellow, elongate triangular viewed dorsolaterally, broadly separated along midline; with unmodified setation. Tergite 4 broadest, dark brown, with squamiform setae. Tergite 5 very narrow, dark brown, with squamiform setae. Tergites 6 and 7 yellowish, the former with very short, the latter with rather long posteromarginal bristles.

Terminalia ( Figs. 167–169 ) yellow, large. Cerci broadly separated, covered with bristles of different lengths, lacking spines. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella subtriangular, greatly produced and broadened at apex, covered with numerous bristles of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, lacking bristles apically. Left surstylus ( Fig. 169 ) with upper lobe quite large, with three digitiform processes on upper margin, bearing numerous long bristles. Hypandrium with 1 long and 1 short bristles. Phallus very short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined: Holotype male labelled: SINGAPORE, Nee Soon , 9 November 2005, swamp forest, Mal 1 (reg. 25414, leg. PG, E-45).

Derivatio nominis. The species name luteoides alludes to its resemblance to E. lutea .

Distribution. Singapore. Forest.

Remarks. In having subequally long anterior and posterior ocellar bristles, E. luteoides sp. nov. appears closely related to E. spicata sp. nov. and E. lutea .

Figures

FIGURES 166–169. Elaphropeza luteoides sp. nov. 166. antenna. 167. epandrium with cerci. 168. right epandrial lamella. 169. left surstylus.