Elaphropeza pallida, 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 : 602-605

Elaphropeza pallida , new species

( Figs. 35–39 )

Material examined. Holotype male: Singapore: Semakau Island , SMN3, 24 May 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29250, Ma0823) . Paratypes: Singapore: Semakau Island , 1 male, SMN3, 23 April 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29211, Ma 0819) ; 2 males, 2 females, SMN1, 13 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29972, Ma 7066) ; 1 male, SMN1, 17 January 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29690, Ma 7217) ; 1 female, SMO3, 7 February 2014, mangrove, (reg. 30419, Ma 8790) ; 1 male, SMO3, 13 February 2014, mangrove, (reg. 30432, Ma 8794) ; 1 male, SMN1, 21 November 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30271, Ma 8833) ; 1 male, SMN3, 11 July 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30026, Ma 8843) ; 1 male, SMN3, 13 April 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29185, Ma 0827) .

Etymology. The epithet refers to the pale (Lat. pallidus, a) colour of the body.

Diagnosis. Species of the E. ephippiata group; recognised by entirely yellow thorax, antenna with postpedicel about 2.5 times as long as wide, legs yellow with only tarsomere 5 brown, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle, acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles multiserial, haltere yellow.

Description. Length: body 2.0 mm, wing 1.7 mm.

Male: Occiput entirely black, largely shining; with yellowish setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals short inclinate. Anterior ocellars long proclinate and cruciate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, very narrow, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel rather brownish yellow, stylus brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel conical, short, nearly 2.3 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, moderately long, 1.4 times longer than postpedicel. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta short.

Thorax entirely yellow, shining, with brownish yellow longer setae. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa, with minute setula on upper part. Postpronotal seta hardly prominent. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleurals, 1 short postsutural supra-alar, 1 similar postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute); scutum almost uniformly covered with short setae

(sparser on prescutellar depression), with 1 pair of very long prescutellars.

Legs rather robust, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur slightly thickened, with hardly prominent rows of anteroventral and posteroventral setulae and long seta near base, no subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with row of minute anteroventral and row of longer posteroventral spinules, 1 long seta near base and 1 long subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia with 2 rows of slightly prominent black ventral spinules on about apical half, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur with hardly prominent anteroventrals and 3 erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 1 moderately long black anterodorsal bristle; 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: 31/22/25. 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. Haltere yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale yellow; tergites 2–3 brownish, subtriangular viewed laterally, divided medially, with scattered unmodified setae; tergite 4 dark brown, broadest, with numerous squamiform setae laterally; tergite 5 very narrow, undivided, with several squamiform setae; tergites 6–7 broad, undivided, weakly sclerotised, tergite 7 with several long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites yellowish, with scattered minute setulae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5.

Terminalia ( Figs. 37–39 ) rather large, yellow ( Fig. 35 ). Right epandrial lamella with a few long bristles, surstylus fused with lamella ( Fig. 37 ). Left cercus very large, tip truncated with a pair of long black apical bristles ( Fig. 38 ). Right cercus short. Left epandrial lamella with 3 bristles. Left surstylus very large with only minute bristles ( Fig. 39 ).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Singapore.

Remarks. In the key to Elaphropeza of Singapore ( Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012) E. pallida , new species runs to couplet 67. These are species with scutellum entirely yellow. Elaphropeza asiophila and E. ubinensis have a darkened haltere and acrostichals extending to the base of the scutellum. Elaphropeza pallida , new species has yellow halteres and the acrostichals also extending to the base of the scutellum so we let it run to couplet 70.

67. Scutellum entirely yellow ....................................................68

– Scutellum largely brown or black .......................................74

68. Haltere darkened. Acrostichal bristles extending to base of scutellum. Postpedicel at least 4.5 times as long as wide..69

– Haltere yellow. Acrostichal bristles lacking on prescutellar depression (except E. pallida , new species). Postpedicel shorter...................................................................................70

69. Postpedicel about 6.0 times longer than wide. Metanotum reddish-yellow ( Singapore)...................................................... ............................. E. asiophila Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007

– Postpedicel about 4.5 times longer than wide. Metanotum brownish ( Singapore)............................................................... ............................. E. ubinensis Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007

70. Fore tibia and tarsus, mid and hind tarsomere 5 brownish. Abdominal tergites 4 and 5 with squamiform setae. Male: cerci broadly fused, digitiform; right epandrial lamella truncate apically, lacking spines ............................................................ ................................... E. furca Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007

– Legs with only tarsomere 5 brown. Different combination of characters............................................................................ 71a

71a. Abdominal tergites 4 and 5 with squamiform setae. Scutum almost uniformly covered with short setae (sparser on prescutellar depression) ( Singapore) ......... E. pallida sp. nov.

– Abdominal tergite 4 at most with slightly flattened setae, tergite 5 with squamiform setae. Acrostichals 2–4-serial, lacking on prescutellar depression.......................................................71b

Figures

Fig. 35–36. Elaphropeza pallida, new species, male habitus: 35, lateral; 36, dorsal.

Figs. 37–39. Elaphropeza pallida, new species: 37, right epandrial lamella, lateral view; 38, epandrium with cerci, dorsal view; 39, left surstylus, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.