Elaphropeza singulata, Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2015, New species of fast-running flies (Diptera: Empidoidea, Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) from mangroves in Singapore, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 583-609 : 605

Elaphropeza singulata, Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007

( Figs. 40–42 )

E. singulata, Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007: 107 (female, fig. 181). Type locality: Singapore: Bukit Timah .

Material examined. Singapore: Semakau Island , 1 male, SMO2, 11 July 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30028, Ma7139) .

Diagnosis. Species of the E. ephippiata group; recognised by yellow thorax with scutellum, metanotum brownish, lower part of metapleuron and almost entire hypopleuron dark brown; antenna yellow, with postpedicel about 2 times as long as wide; legs yellow with only tarsomere 5 brownish, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle; acrostichals biserial, lacking on prescutellar depression; haltere brownish.

Description. Length: body 2.1 mm, wing 1.9 mm.

Male (described for the first time): Occiput entirely black, largely shining; with yellowish setation; inner verticals very long inclinate, outer verticals not prominent. Anterior ocellars long proclinate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, very narrow, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with scape, pedicel and postpedicel yellow, stylus brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel short, 2.0 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, 3.6 times longer than postpedicel. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, silvery pubescent, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta short.

Thorax yellow but scutellum (in some view upper margin appearing paler) and metanotum (except lateral corners) brownish, hypopleuron and lower part of mesonotum brown forming subglobular spot; shining, with yellowish to brownish yellow setation. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa, with minute seta on upper part. Postpronotal bristle prominent, short. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleurals, 1 short postsutural supra-alar, 1 long postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute); acrostichals rather long (especially last pair), arranged in 2 irregular rows, sparse (5 in row), lacking on prescutellar depression, broadly separated from dorsocentrals by bare space; dorsocentrals 1–2-serial, sparse, similar to acrostichals, 1 prescutellar pair very long; additionally, some shot thin setae present on notopleuron.

Legs quite robust, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur slightly thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and posteroventral setae and 1 long seta near base, no subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with rows of minute anteroventral and somewhat longer posteroventral spinule-like setae, 1 long seta near base and 1 long subapical brown seta anteriorly. Mid tibia without ventral spinules and apical black claw-like spine, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 3 erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle on about middle; apical projection small, rounded, brownish. Tarsi of all legs unmodified, with unmodified setation.

Wing normally developed, finely infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins mostly yellowish brown, basal section of M 1+2, crossveins bm-cu and r-m pale. Costal vein with moderately long, uniform setulae along anterior margin. Costal bristle long, brown. Costal index: 41/25/32. Vein Rs long, slightly longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R 2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, R 4+5 slightly bowed, M 1+2 straight. Vein CuA 1 reaching wing margin. Vein A 1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu slightly oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Squama brown, with long, brownish yellow setae. Haltere brownish.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale yellow; tergites 2–3 brownish, subtriangular viewed laterally, divided medially, with scattered unmodified setae; tergite 4 dark brown, broadest, subshining, with numerous squamiform setae; tergite 5 very narrow, brown, undivided, with squamiform setae; tergites 6–7 yellowish, tergite 6 divided, with short posteromarginal setae; tergite 7 broad, undivided, with long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites yellowish, with scattered minute setulae, sternite 8 with long posteromarginal setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5, plate-like. Terminalia ( Figs. 41–43 ) moderately large, with left surstylus brown, otherwise yellow. Right epandrial lamella bearing a bundle of stiff brown bristles subapically and a digitiform projection on ventral border ( Fig. 41 ). Right cercus much larger than left cercus with a truncated tip ( Fig. 42 ). Left epandrial lamella with numerous short bristles near apex. Left surstylus large, rounded.

Female: See original description.

Distribution. Singapore.

Remarks. Elaphropeza singulata was described from 5 females found in Sime forest, Bukit Timah, and Nee Soon. All these localities are terrestrial forests while the male described here for the first time is from a mangrove. There is of course no guarantee that these females are conspecific with the male, but will have to wait for more genetic evidence from freshly collected material in the terrestrial forests.

Figures

Fig. 40. Elaphropeza singulata Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007 male habitus lateral. Genitalia removed and illustrated in Figs. 41–43.

Figs. 41–43. Elaphropeza singulata Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007. 41, right epandrial lamella, lateral view; 42, epandrium with cerci, dorsal view; 43, left surstylus, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.