Elaphropeza elasii, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2014

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2014, New Tachydromiinae (Diptera: Empidoidea: Hybotidae) from different types of forests along the Congo river (D. R. of the Congo), Belgian Journal of Entomology 18, pp. 1-34 : 1-34

Elaphropeza elasii sp. nov.

( Figs 33–35)

ETYMOLOGY. This species is dedicated to Mr. Elasi Ramazani Kitima head, of the famous herbarium (INERA) in Yangambi who was very helpful during the 2012 expedition.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype, ♂: D. R. CONGO, Yangambi , 13 June 2012, mixed primary forest (below IFA building) (reg. 32036, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC36) ( RBINS). Mid leg in tray Congo 2 at A1 was extracted for DNA and a COI barcode is available at GenBank.

Paratypes: 1♂ (as EC22) Yangambi, 7 June 2012, mixed primary forest (Mix 3), (reg. 32004, P. Grootaert) ( RBINS). Mid leg in tray Congo 2 at A5 was extracted for DNA and a COI barcode is available at GenBank .

DIAGNOSIS. Small brown species of E. ephippiata group. Antenna completely brown. Thorax almost entirely brown except for prothoracic sclerites, anterior corners of scutum, postalar callus and anterior part of katepisternum yellow. Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal bristles.

DESCRIPTION.

Male. Occiput entirely black, finely pollinose (including vertex); with yellowish brown to yellow setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals short. Anterior ocellars long proclinate and cruciate, posterior ocellars short. Frons shining, rather narrow, above antennae somewhat narrower than anterior ocellus. Antenna brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel subtriangular, short, nearly 2.5 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, nearly 3.0 times longer than postpedicel, about 2.0 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow, labrum brown apically. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered dark setulae, subapical seta thin, moderately long.

Thorax almost entirely dark brown, prothoracic sclerites, anterior corners of scutum, postalar tubercle and katepisternum (= sternopleuron) anteriorly yellow; longer setae brown. Prothoracic episterna without long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleurals, 1 short postsutural supra­alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair long, cruciate; lateral pair minute); acrostichals arranged in 2 almost regular, broadly spaced rows, rather long, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals arranged in 1–2 rows, rather long, 1 pair of very long prescutellars.

Legs long, slender, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish. Coxae and trochanters with ordinary setae. Fore femur with rows of spinule­like anteroventral and somewhat longer posteroventral setae, 1 long seta near base, and short subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent setae (except circlet of subapicals). Mid femur slender, with rows of dark spinule­like anteroventral and posteroventral setae, 1 long seta near base and 1 long subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules, black subapical spine, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 2–3 short erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae; apical projection rather small, rounded, brownish yellow. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, uniformly infuscate; crossveins r­m, bm­cu and basal section of M pale. Costal vein with rather short setulae along anterior margin. Costal seta short, brownish. Costal index: 40/24/37. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm­cu. R 1 of uniform thickness throughout. Vein R 2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 divergent near wing apex, both almost straight. Crossvein bm­cu somewhat oblique. Crossvein r­m before middle of cell bm. Squama brownish yellow, with brown setae. Halter dark.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale; tergites 2–3 broadly divided dorsally, represented by lateral subtriangular brownish marks, with ordinary short setae; tergite 4 broadest, dark brown, with squamiform setae; tergite 5 very narrow, with ordinary setae; tergites 6–7 of subequal width, with ordinary setae; tergite 7 with moderately long posteromarginals. Sternites undivided medially. Gland­like structures present between tergites 4–5, ampoule­like. Terminalia ( Figs 33–35) moderately large, brown; cerci yellowish. Cerci separated; right cercus digitiform, moderately long, with ordinary setae; left cercus digitiform, somewhat shorter than right cercus, with ordinary setae. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella rather subrectangular, deeply concave on subapical part dorsally, with numerous ordinary setae and 3 stronger subapical setae; right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 1 long seta apically; left surstylus rather large, subtriangular, broadly ovate apically, with numerous short ordinary setae. Two rod­shaped apodemes.

Length (mm). Wing 2.1.

Female unknown.

COMPARISON. In the structure of the male terminalia E. elasii sp. nov. is very similar to E. congoensis Grootaert & Shamshev, 2013 and E. monoseta Grootaert et Shamshev, 2013 described from D. R. Congo. Additionally, all these species have 2 anterodorsal bristles on the hind tibia. However, E. elasii sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from E. congoensis and E. monoseta by its brownish antenna and almost entirely dark brown thorax.

DISTRIBUTION. D. R. Congo.