Elachisoma simillimum, Papp, László, 2017

Papp, László, 2017, Twenty New Species Of Fifteen Genera Of The Afrotropical Sphaeroceridae (Diptera), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 63 (4), pp. 377-427 : 386-388

Elachisoma simillimum sp. n.

(Figs 36–42)

Holotype: male ( HNHM), RSA: EasternCapeProv., SandvlakteFarmnr. Paterson, cattle pasture, cow pats – Jan 12, 2007, No. 18, GPS 11, S33°26’14.2” E25°56’54.8”, L. Papp & M. Földvári.

Paratypes ( HNHM): 39 males 12 females : samedataasforholotype. 2 males: ibid., farmlands nr Happy Lands, Jan 11, S33° 28’ 38.1’’ E25° 35’ 49.7’’, 51 m (No. 15, on cattle dung) ; 1 male 2 females: ibid., Hogsback, S32° 36’ 23.5’’ E26° 57’ 55.3’’, 1101 m, Jan 9, No. 11 (cattledung) ; 16 males 17 females: ibid., ShamwariGameRes[erve], onelephantdung, Jan 11, 2007, No. 14 – GPS10, S33° 24’ 47.0’’ E26° 05’ 45.0’’, 301 m .

Sizeinmm: bodylength 0.71 (holotype), 0.70–0.75 (paratypes); winglength 0.675 (holotype), 0.67–0.73 (paratypes); wingwidth 0.30 (holotype), 0.30–0.31 (paratypes).

Description. Male. Headasbroadasthorax (0.30 mm), sub-pentagonalindorsal view. Facialplateshort, antennalfoveaedeep, 6–7 pairsofshortinterfrontals, acomplete rowofinclinateinnerorbitals. Longitudinalaxisofeye 0.105 mm. Firstflagellomeresubconical. Arista 0.24–0.25 mmwithlongcilia. Legsshort, thick. Midtibiawithamidventral setaandaventro-apicalseta, aswellasadistinctantero-apical. Midbasitarsusaslong as 2nd tarsomere (0.06 mm). Mid tibia with anterodorsals at 11/34, 23/34 and 14/17. No posterodorsalsetaonmidtibia. Hindtibiawithsomedorsalsetae. Wingmembranelight greyish, costalandradialveinslightbrown, otherveinsasgreyishasmembrane. Costanot reachingwingapex. Cs1 with 0.033 longsetae. Cs2, 0.125 mm, Cs3, 0.23 mm, costalindex 0.54. VeinRob 2+3 lique, apicalhalfmostlyparalleltocostalvein. R4+5 arched, apexreaching C in acute, i.e. not at 90°. Radial index (see PAPP 1983), 1.862. Cross- vein M-M, 0.063, RM to MM, 0.025 mm. Analveinkicked. Fringeonmarginofwing 0.03 mm. Alulacomparatively large, 0.09 mmbroad, apexbroadlyrounded.

Genitalia (Figs 36–42) structurally as in E. aterrimum . Sternite 5 (Fig. 36) with broad U-shaped, withapairoflongdigitiformlateralprocesses. Thatprocessbearsmediallydirected setae not to long on its medial edge. Sternite 5 meso-caudally with a pair of membra- nousprocesses, whichserveasbaseforthreerowsofsmallblunt, comparativelylongpegs. Figs 34–42. 34–35 = Ceropterellanitidosa (Richards), malegenitalia: 34 = phallusinventral view, 35 = phallusandphallapodeme, lateralview (outset: apexofdistiphallusofanother specimen). 36–42 = Elachisomasimillimum sp. n., malepostabdomenandgenitalia: 36 = sternite 5, ventral view, 37 = epandrium with cerci and subepandrial sclerite, caudal view, 38 = hypandrium, ventralview, 39 = basiphallusandphallapodeme, lateralview, 40 = distiphal- lus, ventralview, 41 = postgonite, lateralview, 42 = surstylus, broadest (sublateral) view.

Scale bar: 0.2 mm for Figs 34–35, 0.1 mm for Figs 36–42

Synsternite not large, left part of sternite 8 convex, right portion to sagittal line very short. Cercal part of epandrium reduced, i.e. ventral edge of cerci almost straight. Subepandrial sclerite small, not projecting dorsally above cercal part (Fig. 37). Hypandrium (Fig. 38) fusedtoepandrium, hypandriumarmsfusedwithmedialappendage; medialappendage (rod) long, reaching tip of phallapodeme in lateral view. Surstylus (Fig. 42) with two 2 lobes, onoppositesidewithalargeblacktooth. Phallapodemeslightlycurvedventrally. Basiphallus (Fig. 39) compact. Distiphallus (Fig. 40) rathershort, apicallywithashortthin processsagittally, withapairofbroadrecurvedprocesseslaterally. Postgonitewithrather thinapicalpart, whichisdefinitelyproclinate.

Etymology. Thespecificepithet (Latin: ‘simillimum’ = mostsimilar) referstothebody featuresofthenewspeciesverysimilartothoseofthewide-spreadspecies E. aterrimum .

Comments. E. simillimum sp. n. is similar to the wide-spread E. aterrimum (Haliday) . Theradialindexofwingvenationissmallerthaninthe E. aterrimum-E. bajzae complex, andmuchlowerthanthatof E. braacki . Reliable differences are in the fine structure of male sternite 5 and those of the male genitalia. Thebroadprocessesbearingrowsofpegsinthisnewspeciesare morewidelyseparated (Fig. 36, cf. PAPP 1983: fig. 12). Thesurstyliarealso differentinbothspecies: thelengthoflobesismarkedlydifferentfromeach other in E. aterrimum , while they are almost equal length in E. simillimum . The anal vein is as kicked as in E. aterrimum .