Elaphropeza albistylus, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2014

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2014, New Tachydromiinae (Diptera: Empidoidea: Hybotidae) from different types of forests along the Congo river (D. R. of the Congo), Belgian Journal of Entomology 18, pp. 1-34 : 1-34

Elaphropeza albistylus sp. nov.

( Figs 12–14)

ETYMOLOGY. The name albistylus refers to the white stylus.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype, ♂: D. R. CONGO, Yangambi , 10 June 2012 (reg. 32019, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC33) ( RBINS).

Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀ same provenance as holotype ( RBINS) ; 1♂, 11 June 2012 (reg. 32023, leg. P. Grootaert), mid leg in tray Congo 2 at position B1was extracted for DNA and a COI barcode is available at GenBank ( RBINS) .

DIAGNOSIS. Small species of E. biuncinata group. Occiput yellowish with large dark brown mark above neck; postpedicel brown; stylus almost white except for brown base. Thorax reddish yellow but postnotum and metapleuron brownish, katepisternum and meron brownish on lower part, anepisternum and anepimeron with indistinct brownish marks posteriorly. No anterodorsal seta on hind tibia. Male: left cercus brown, spine­like with long black setae on right side.

DESCRIPTION.

Male. Occiput with large, dark brown, rounded mark above neck, otherwise yellow, densely pollinose (including vertex); with yellowish brown to yellow setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals short. Anterior ocellars long proclinate and cruciate, posterior ocellars short. Frons yellow, shining, above antennae about 2.0 times as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with scape and pedicel reddish yellow, postpedicel brownish, stylus largely pale only brownish basally; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel subtriangular, nearly 3.0 times (3.2 in holotype) longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, 3.4 times longer than postpedicel, nearly 2.0 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis yellow, labrum brown apically. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered dark setulae, subapical seta thin, moderately long.

Thorax with scutum almost entirely reddish yellow (only small indistinct brownish marks on anterior corners), scutellum reddish yellow; postnotum and metapleuron brownish; katepisternum (= sternopleuron) and meron (= hypopleuron) brownish on lower part, anepisternum (= mesopleuron) and anepimeron (= pteropleuron) with indistinct brownish marks posteriorly; otherwise thorax reddish yellow. Prothoracic episterna with long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleurals, 1 short postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair long, cruciate; lateral pair short); acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum entirely covered with uniform setulae, 1 pair of long prescutellars (nearly as long as notopleurals).

Legs quite robust, entirely yellow, hind femur somewhat paler basally. Coxae and trochanters with ordinary setae. Fore femur thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and somewhat longer posteroventral setae, 2 long setae near base, and short subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent setae (except circlet of subapicals). Mid femur slender, with row of very short yellowish anteroventrals, row of stronger and longer posteroventrals, 1 long dark seta near base and 1 short subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur and tibia somewhat thickened. Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 3 short erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia lacking prominent setae; apical projection rather large, truncate, brownish yellow. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, finely uniformly brownish infuscate. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Costal seta moderately long, brownish. Costal index: 16/17/17. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm­cu. R 1 of uniform thickness throughout. Vein R 2+3 evenly bowed, almost straight. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 somewhat convergent near wing apex, less sclerotised just before wing margin, R 4+5 almost straight, M 1+2 bowed. Crossvein bm­cu oblique. Crossvein r­m near middle of cell bm. Halter dark.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 represented by very small narrow lateral stripes; tergite 2 broadly concave dorsally, with unmodified short setae, subtriangular viewed laterally; tergites 3–5 of subequal width, tergites 6 and 7 somewhat narrower; tergites 3 and 4 with squamiform setae; tergites 7 with rather short posteromarginal setae. Sternites 3–5 divided medially. Gland­like structures present between tergites 3–4, plate­like. Terminalia ( Figs 12–14) moderately large, left cercus brown, otherwise yellow. Right cercus very small, with ordinary setae. Left cercus rather long, narrow, falciform viewed laterally, on right side with 4 very long brown setae. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella elongate ovate, covered with numerous ordinary setae. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with several short setae apically; left surstylus narrow and twisted, with several short ordinary setae. One rod­shaped apodeme.

Length (mm). Body 1.8, wing 1.6.

Female. Mid tibia without ventral spinules; segment 8 modified, with sclerites strongly sclerotised; long, dark brown ovipositor; cercus rather small, subglobular. Otherwise as in male.

COMPARISON. The new species is easily recognised by the occiput being largely yellowish and the stylus being white. It is similar to E. baeloi Grootaert & Shamshev described from D. R. Congo ( GROOTAERT & SHAMSHEV, 2013) and the main differences between these species have been noted in the key.

DISTRIBUTION. D. R. Congo.