Elaphropeza feminata Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor V., 2012, The fast-running flies (Diptera, Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) of Singapore and adjacent regions, European Journal of Taxonomy 5, pp. 1-162 : 101-103

Elaphropeza feminata Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007

Figs 152-155

Elaphropeza feminata Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007: 107 (female only).

Diagnosis

Occiput black; postpedicel brownish in apical part and yellow basally, nearly 3.5 times longer than wide; thorax with scutellum and metanotum black; legs with tarsomere 5 black, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle. Male: left surstylus with shallow apical notch. Male: abdominal segment 8 modified.

Description

Male

(previously undescribed)

LENGTH. Body 2.4-2.5 mm, wing 2.0- 2.1 mm.

HEAD. Occiput black. Anterior ocellars long, proclinate and cruciate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals long, outer verticals somewhat shorter. Antenna ( Fig. 152 ) with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel brownish in apical part and yellowish basally (yellow space varying, but no more than half of postpedicel). Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel nearly 3.5 times longer than wide. Stylus normally pubescent, brown, at most 1.5 times longer than postpedicel and nearly as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Palpus yellow, small, rounded.

THORAX. Almost entirely yellow, only scutellum and metanotum black. Prothoracic episternum lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 1 very short bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 subequally long notopleurals, 1 somewhat shorter postsutural supra-alar, 1 similar postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute).Acrostichals arranged in 4 irregular rows anteriorly but 2-serial posteriorly, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals arranged in 2-3 irregular rows anteriorly, becoming uni-serial toward scutellum, prescutellar pair very long (nearly as long as apical scutellars).

LEGS. Almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs black. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur somewhat thickened, with rows of short anteroventral and posteroventral bristles, 2 longer pale setae near base and 1 strong brownish subapical bristle posteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with rows (3 basally otherwise 2) of spinule-like, short ventral setae. Mid tibia with hardly prominent ventral spinules, bearing subapical, black claw-like spine, lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur with row of short anteroventral setae and about 4 short erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia bearing 1 anterodorsal bristle, with hardly prominent rounded apical projection. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

WING. Uniformly finely infuscate. Costal index: 45/29/33/15. Basal costal bristle long, brownish yellow. R 4+5 and M 1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, both straight. Crossvein bm-cu slightly oblique to transverse. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Calypter brownish yellow, with several long concolorous setae. Halter pale yellow.

ABDOMEN. Tergite 1 entirely pale yellow. Tergites 2 and 3 brownish, of subequal width in dorsal view, deeply concave anteriorly and divided along midline; with unmodified setation. Tergite 4 broadest, dark brown, subshining, with slightly flattened setae. Tergite 5 very narrow, concolorous with tergite 4, bearing squamiform setae. Tergites 6 and 7 yellow (sometimes with brownish tinge), former with moderately long, latter with longer posteromarginal setae.

TERMINALIA. Rather large, left surstylus dark brown, right epandrial lamella yellowish brown apically and yellow basally ( Figs 153-155 ). Cerci narrowly fused; right cercus short, slightly prominent, with several short setae, lacking spines; left cercus unbranched, rather short, subrectangular, with several setae of different lengths, lacking spines. Epandrium completely divided. Right surstylus not prominent. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 153 ) elongate oval, more or less truncated, with numerous moderately long setae longer along ventral margin. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 3 moderately long setae apically. Left surstylus ( Fig. 155 ) with upper lobe large, broadly ovate, with shallow apical notch;

scattered setulae on outer face but bearing some moderately long setae on inner face. Hypandrium with 2 long setae apically. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes present.

Female See full description in Shamshev & Grootaert (2007: 107).

Material examined

SINGAPORE: 1 ♀, Semakau (SMK05), 13 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29068, leg. P.G.); 2 ♀♀, Semakau (SMK05), 27 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29119, leg. P.G.); 4 ♀♀, Semakau (SMK03), 3 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29142, leg. P.G.); 1 ♀, Semakau (SMK02), 27 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29116, leg. P.G.); 1 ♀, Semakau (SMK02), 3 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29141, leg. P.G.); 12 ♀♀, Pasir Ris (PSR02), 12 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29063, leg. P.G.); 4 ♀♀, Pasir Ris (PSR01), 19 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29085, leg. P.G.); 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀, Pasir Ris (PSR02), 20 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29086, leg. P.G.); 5 ♀♀, Pasir Ris (PSR01), 26 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29113, leg. P.G.); 3 ♀♀, Pasir Ris (PSR02), 26 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29114, leg. P.G.); 1 ♀, Pasir Ris (PSR02), 2 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29139, leg. P.G.); 1 ♀, Pasir Ris (PSR01), 2 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29138, leg. P.G.); 1 ♀, Kranji (KNT01), 2 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29128, leg. P.G.); 1 ♀, Pulau Ubin (PU02), 12 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29059, leg. P.G.); 4 ♀♀, Pulau Ubin (PU02), 26 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29110, leg. P.G.); 4 ♀♀, Pulau Ubin (PU02), 2 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29135, leg. P.G.); 3 ♀♀, Pulau Ubin (PU02), 2 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29135, leg. P.G.).

Distribution

Singapore.

Habitat and seasonal occurrence

A common mangrove species mainly represented by females. Collection records are from May, June, October and December.

Remarks

The male sex of E. feminata is described here for the first time. In our previous key to species we indicated that in this species acrostichal bristles are biserial ( Shamshev & Grootaert 2007: 12). Actually, as has been noted above, they are arranged in 4 irregular rows near the anterior margin of the scutum and become 2-serial posteriorly and lacking on the prescutellar depression.

Figures

Figs 152-155. Elaphropeza feminata Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007, ♂. 152. postpedicel and stylus of antenna, lateral view. 153. right epandrial lamella, lateral view. 154. epandrium with cerci, dorsal view. 155. left surstylus, lateral view. (after Shamshev & Grootaert 2007).