Elaphropeza albicornis, 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 : 584-586

Elaphropeza albicornis , new species

( Figs. 1–5 )

Material examined. Holotype male, Singapore, Semakau Island , SMN1, 21 March 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29810, Ma6931) . Paratypes: Singapore: Semakau Island , 1 male, SMN2, 22 August 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29418, Ma 6802) ; 1 male, SMN2, 8 November 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29561, Ma 6868) ; 1 male, SMN2, 8 November 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29561, Ma 6869) ; 1 female, SMN2, 18 October 2012, mangrove, (reg. 29522, Ma 6922) ; 1 female, SMN1, 21 March 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29810, Ma 6931) ; 1 female, SMN1, 27 June 2013, mangrove, (reg. 29998, Ma 7072) ; 1 female, SMN2, 7 February 2014, mangrove, (reg. 30415, Ma 8781) ; 1 female, SMN3, 3 October 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30182, Ma 8816) ; 1 male, SMN3, 10 October 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30195, Ma 8817) ; 1 female, SMN2, 20 March 2014, mangrove, (reg. 30443, Ma 8920) ; 1 female, SMN1, 29 August 2013, mangrove, (reg. 30115, Ma 8922) .

Etymology. The epithet refers to the white colour of the postpedicel.

Diagnosis. Species of the E. ephippiata group; recognised by yellow thorax with scutellum and metanotum brown, antenna pale yellow with stylus brown, legs yellow with only tarsomere 5 brown, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle, haltere yellow.

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

Male: Occiput entirely black, subshining; with yellowish setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals somewhat shorter inclinate. Anterior ocellars long proclinate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, very narrow, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna pale yellow but stylus brown; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel short, nearly 2.5 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, rather short, nearly 1.5 times longer than postpedicel. Proboscis yellowish. Palpus pale yellow, small, rounded, silvery pubescent, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta short.

Thorax yellow but scutellum and metanotum entirely brown; prothoracic sclerites, entire mesopleuron and mesonotum on anterior part finely tomentose, otherwise shining, with yellowish setation. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta hardly prominent. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleurals, 1 similar postsutural supra-alar, 1 similar postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair short); acrostichals short, arranged in 4 irregular rows, numerous, hardly separated from dorsocentrals, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals multiserial, similar to acrostichals, 1 prescutellar pair very long.

Legs quite robust, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brown. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur slightly thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and posteroventral setae, several brownish yellow spinules ventrally just beyond middle, 1 long thin seta near base, 1 subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with row of minute anteroventral and row of longer posteroventral spinule-like setae, 1 long thin seta near base and 1 long strong subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia without ventral spinules bur bearing 1 ventral subapical black claw-like spine, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 4 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: 44/29/34. 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 almost straight, M 1+2 straight. Vein CuA 1 reaching wing margin. Vein A 1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu perpendicular. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Squama yellow, with long, brownish yellow setae. Haltere pale yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale yellow ( Fig. 1 ); tergites 2–3 yellowish, subtriangular viewed laterally, divided medially, with unmodified setae; tergite 4 dark brown, shining, broadest, with numerous unmodified setae; tergite 5 very narrow, undivided, brownish yellow, with squamiform setae; tergites 6–7 yellowish, tergite 6 somewhat broader than tergite 5, undivided, with long posteromarginal setae; tergite 7 broad, undivided, with long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites yellowish, with scattered setulae, sternite 8 with moderately long posteromarginal setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5, plate-like. Terminalia ( Figs. 3–5 ) rather small, brown except yellow basal part of right epandrial lamella. Right epandrial lamella with only a few longer bristles on side ( Fig. 3 ). Right and left cercus fused to a digitiform extension ( Fig. 4 ). Left epandrial lamella with a single bristle. Left surstylus large, with minute bristles ( Fig. 5 ).

Female: Similar to male. Fore femur without ventral spinules; mid tibia without ventral subapical black spine. Abdominal tergites 6–7 with shorter posteromarginal setae; segment 8 narrow, brownish yellow. Cercus small, yellowish, with scattered short setae.

Distribution. Singapore.

Remarks. Very similar to E. bakau , new species but differing by the brown colour of the scutellum and metanotum. In the latter scutellum and metanotum are yellowish. In the key to Elaphropeza of Singapore ( Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012) E. albicornis , new species runs to the species with black scutellum and acrostichals lacking on prescutellar depression (couplet 79). It has antenna with scape, pedicel and postpedicel pale yellow, stylus brownish. Postpedicel short, nearly 2.5 times as long as wide. Elaphropeza feminata Shamshev & Grootaert and E. semakau Grootaert & Shamshev have postpedicel brownish apically and longer, 3.5–4.5 times as long as wide.

Figures

Figs. 1–2. Elaphropeza albicornis, new species, male 1, habitus lateral; 2, habitus dorsal.

Figs. 3–5. Elaphropeza albicornis, new species: 3, right epandrial lamella, lateral view; 4, epandrium with cerci, dorsal view; 5, left surstylus, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. lc: left cercus; ls: left surstylus; rel: right epanderial lamella, lel: left epandrial lamella.