Elaphropeza verheyeni, 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 verheyeni sp. nov.

( Figs 21–23 )

ETYMOLOGY. The species is dedicated to Dr. Erik Verheyen (RBINS) who is from the Belgian side the driving force behind many cooperative programmes at the University of Kisangani.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype, ♂: D. R. CONGO, Yangambi , 8 June 2012, (reg. 32007, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC26) ( RBINS). Mid leg in tray Congo 2 at position F7 with barcode AB42405561 was extracted for DNA and a COI barcode is available at GenBank.

DIAGNOSIS. Species of E. biuncinata group. Thorax reddish yellow, but postnotum brown and meron with indistinct brownish mark on lower part. Legs entirely yellow including apical tarsomere of all legs. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta. Halter darkened.

DESCRIPTION.

Male. Occiput entirely black, 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 shining, rather 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, 2.3 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, 4.2 times longer than postpedicel, 2.5 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 almost entirely reddish yellow, postnotum brown, meron (= hypopleuron) with indistinct brownish mark on lower part; longer setae brownish. 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 (missing); acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum almost entirely covered with uniform setulae (lacking in front of scutellum), 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 bristles (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 with 1 anterodorsal seta; apical projection rather large, truncate, brownish yellow. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, finely uniformly infuscate. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Costal seta moderately long, brownish. Costal index: 39/36/29. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm­cu. R 1 of uniform thickness throughout. Vein R 2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 parallel near wing apex, both slightly bowed. Crossvein bm­cu oblique. Crossvein r­m near middle of cell bm. Halter darkened.

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 becoming gradually narrower from 3rd to 5th, with squamiform setae; tergites 6 and 7 brownish yellow, with unmodified setation; tergite 7 with moderately long posteromarginal setae. Sternites 3–4 broadly divided medially. Gland­like structures present between tergites 3–4 and 4–5, plate­like. Terminalia ( Figs 21–23 ) moderately large, yellow. Cerci separated. Right cercus very narrow, short, with ordinary setae. Left cercus long narrow at base but otherwise strongly broadened, with ordinary setae. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella elongate ovate, covered with numerous ordinary setae longer along dorsal margin. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with numerous setulae apically; left surstylus rather small, subrectangular, broader on apical part, with short ordinary setae. Phallus long. One rod­shaped apodeme.

Length (mm). Body 2.8, wing 2.1.

Female unknown.

COMPARISON. The new species is similar to E. zamba Grootaert & Shamshev described from D. R. Congo ( GROOTAERT & SHAMSHEV, 2013). The main differences between these species have been given in the key.

DISTRIBUTION. D. R. Congo.

Figures

Figs 21–23. Elaphropeza verheyeni sp. nov., 21. Right epandrial lamella, lateral view; 22. Terminalia, dorsal view; 23. Left surstylus, lateral view.