Elaphropeza obscura, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2015

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 : 600-602

Elaphropeza obscura , new species

( Figs. 31–34 )

Material examined. Holotype male: Singapore, Semakau Island , SMN3, 13 April 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29185, Ma0826) . Paratypes: Singapore: Semakau Island , 1 female, SMO2, 26 April 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29200, Ma 0805); Semakau replanted , 1 female, SMN1, 6 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29980, Ma 7041) ; 1 female, SMO1, 12 September 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30144, Ma 7193) ; 1 male, SMN2, 17 January 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29691, Ma 7230) ; 1 female, SMO3, 7 February 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29731, Ma 7240) ; 1 male, SMN1, 30 October 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30180, Ma 7961) .

Etymology. The epithet refers to the dark colour of the body.

Diagnosis. Species of the E. ephippiata group; recognised by entirely brown thorax, brown palpus, largely brown legs and intensively darkened wings, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle, haltere brownish.

Description. Length: body 2.8 mm, wing 2.3 mm.

Male: Occiput entirely black, largely shining; with brownish to black setation; inner verticals long strong inclinate, outer verticals somewhat shorter and thinner. Anterior ocellars long proclinate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, very narrow, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with scape and pedicel reddish brown, postpedicel and stylus brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel long narrow, 4.5–5 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, slightly longer than postpedicel. Proboscis brownish. Palpus brown, small, rounded, bearing scattered brownish setulae, subapical seta moderately long.

Thorax entirely brown, shining, with brownish to black setation. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa, with minute setula on upper part. Postpronotal seta hardly prominent. Mesonotum with 2 subequally long notopleurals, 1 similar postsutural supraalar, 1 similar postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair short); scutum entirely covered with uniform minute setae, 2 pairs of prescutellars (posterior long, anterior short).

Legs long, slender, largely brown to yellowish brown, fore coxa and femur paler, rather brownish yellow. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur slightly thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and posteroventral setae, 1 long seta near base, no subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with ventral spinule-like setae more numerous on basal half, 1 long thin seta near base and 1 long strong subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia without ventral spinules, lacking prominent setae (except quite strong 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, broadly brownish along anterior margin, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins mostly brown, basal section of M 1+2, short section of R 4+5 just before wing margin, crossveins bm-cu and r-m pale. Costal vein with moderately long, uniform setulae along anterior margin. Costal bristle long, brown. Costal index: 52/29/30. 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 near middle of cell bm. Squama brown, with long, brownish 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, shining, broadest, with squamiform setae; tergite 5 very narrow, undivided, with squamiform setae; tergites 6 somewhat broader than tergite 5, with short posteromarginal setae; tergite 7 broad, with long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites brownish, sternite 4 broadly divided, with scattered short setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5.

Terminalia ( Figs. 32–34 ) rather small, brown. Right epandrial lamella with long dark bristles ( Fig. 32 ). Cerci small, enclosed in lamellae ( Fig. 33 ). Left surstylus with only minute bristles.

Female: Similar to male. Abdominal tergite 6 broad, with triangular excision anteriorly; segment 7 dark brown, broad; segment 8 narrow, upturned; cercus brownish, with some minute setae.

Distribution. Singapore.

Remarks. In the key to Elaphropeza of Singapore ( Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012) E. obscura , new species runs to couplet 3. It possesses 1 anterodorsal bristle on the hind tibiae and can be distinguished from E. strigifera (de Meijere) by the postpedicel being 4.5 to 5 times as long as wide, legs are largely brown to yellow brown and wing is broadly brownish along anterior margin. In the E. strigifera , postpedicel is short, 1.5 times as long as wide. All legs have only tarsomere 5 black and wing is hyaline along anterior and posterior margin, otherwise brownish, including wing apex.

Figures

Fig. 31. Elaphropeza obscura, new species, male habitus lateral. Genitalia removed and illustrated in Figs. 32–34.

Figs. 32–34. Elaphropeza obscura, new species: 32, right epandrial lamella, lateral view; 33, epandrium with cerci, dorsal view; 34, left surstylus, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.