Elaphropeza pulchra, 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

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.13272879
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CC7F0646-9D66-4068-9336-C6DC12098C4E
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039187F2-FFDB-087E-FDAD-FF531AF77E44
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Elaphropeza pulchra
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Elaphropeza pulchra sp. nov.

( Figs 42–44 View Figs 42–44 )

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet refers to the beauty of this species (pulcher means beautiful in Latin).

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype, ♂: D. R. CONGO, Yangambi , 9 June 2012, mixed primary forest (below WWF building) (reg. 32010, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC19) ( RBINS). Mid leg in tray Congo 2 at C7 with barcode AB42405563 was extracted for DNA and a COI barcode is available at GenBank.

Paratypes: 2♂, Yangambi , 12 June 2012, mixed primary forest (path to GIL4) (reg. 32030, leg. P. Grootaert) ( RBINS) ; 1♂, 1♀, Yangambi , 9 June 2012, mixed primary forest (reg. 32029, leg. P. Grootaert) ; 1♂, Yangambi , 7 June 2012, mixed primary forest MIX3 (reg, 32004) with mid leg in tray Congo 2 at position A3 with barcode AB42405531 was extracted for DNA ; 1♂, Yangambi , 12 June 2012 (reg. 32030) with mid leg in tray Congo 2 at position F2 with barcode AB42406425 was extracted for DNA .

DIAGNOSIS. A mediumsized black species of the E. ephippiata group; antenna blackish brown; thorax black, but prothoracic sclerites, anterior corners of scutum and katepisternum contrastingly yellow; legs almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 brownish; hind tibia without prominent bristles.

DESCRIPTION.

Male. Occiput entirely black, finely pollinose (including vertex); with yellowish brown to yellow setation; inner verticals very short inclinate, outer verticals not prominent. Anterior ocellars very short proclinate and cruciate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, rather narrow, above antennae narrower than anterior ocellus. Antenna brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel subtriangular, short, nearly 2.5 times (2.3 in holotype) longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, nearly 4.0 times longer than postpedicel, about 2.5 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow, labrum brown apically. Palpus brownish yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered dark setulae, subapical seta thin, moderately long.

Thorax almost entirely dark brown, prothoracic sclerites, anterior corners of scutum and katepisternum (= sternopleuron) anteriorly yellow (the extent of the coloration is variable); longer setae brown. Prothoracic episterna without long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleurals, 1 short postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair long, cruciate; lateral pair very short); acrostichals arranged in 2–3 irregular rows (more numerous anteriorly), broadly spaced rows, short, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals arranged in 1–2 rows, short, 1 pair of longer prescutellars.

Legs long, slender, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish apically. 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 lacking prominent setae (except subapicals); apical projection rather large, 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: 65/32/47. 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 with blackish knob and yellow stem.

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, consisting of two ampoulelike reservoirs. Terminalia ( Figs 42–44 View Figs 42–44 ) moderately large, brownish black, cerci yellow. Cerci narrowly fused; right cercus very small, with ordinary setae; left cercus digitiform, long, with ordinary short and 2–3 stronger black subapical setae (1 longest). Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella subtriangular, long, with twisted tip that looks bifid in lateral view, covered with numerous ordinary setae; right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with several moderately long setae apically; left surstylus large, circular. Two rodshaped apodemes.

Length (mm). Wing 2.8 mm.

Female. Similar to male. Glandlike structures platelike. Segment 8 with separated sclerites; cercus small, rounded, brownish.

COMPARISON. The new species is similar to E. aseta sp. nov. and main differences between these species have been noted in the key. In E. pulchra sp. nov. the extent of the dark coloration of the anterior part of the thorax is variable from yellow to almost completely black. There are two specimens with broadly yellow scutum anteriorly (up to level of anterior notopleural seta).

DISTRIBUTION. D. R. Congo.

Checklist of the Tachydromiinae of D. R. of the Congo

Actually about 120 species of Tachydromiinae are known for the Afrotropical Region including the 41 species reported here below ( YANG et al., 2007). This means that about one third of the actual known Afrotropical Tachydromiine species are found in the D. R. of the Congo.

Crossopalpus aenescens (Wiedemann, 1830)

Crossopalpus nyaka Smith, 1969 View in CoL

Crossopalpus quadrispina (Collart, 1934)

Crossopalpus yaekela Grootaert & Shamshev, 2013

Drapetis congoensis Grootaert & Shamshev, 2013

Drapetis denticulata sp. nov.

Drapetis yaekelaensis Grootaert & Shamshev, 2013

Drapetis yangambensis sp. nov.

Drapetis zamba Grootaert & Shamshev, 2013

Elaphropeza albistylus sp. nov.

Elaphropeza angulata Grootaert & Shamshev, 2013

Elaphropeza aseta sp. nov.