Paramedetera obscura, Grootaert, 2006

Grootaert, Patrick, 2006, The Genus Paramedetera (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) In Singapore, With A Key To The Oriental Species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (1), pp. 49-57 : 52-54

Paramedetera obscura , new species

( Figs. 6-7 )

Material examined. – Holotype - male: SINGAPORE: Clementi woods, 15 Mar.2005, drain (25014, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 446; ZRC).

Paratypes – 4 males, 1 female, same data as holotype . 30 males, 28 females, Clementi woods, major drain (streaming water containing small fish), 23 April 2005 (25084, coll. P. Grootaert, Si742). 57 males, 34 females, same locality, 25 June. 2005 (25189, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 849, Si 850; coll. RBINS) .

Description. – Male. Body length: 1.55-1.60 mm; wing length: 1.48-1.50 mm. Ocellar and vertical bristles yellowish brown. Palp black with a black apical bristle. Four dorsocentrals, 2 anterior dc shorter than posterior 2. All bristles on scutum yellowish brown. Propleural bristle long, pale. Halter white. Squama pale, with a brown border, bearing 6 pale brown cilia.

Legs yellowish brown. Fore coxa brown anteriorly, posterior 4 coxae brown. Femora brown dorsally and yellow ventrally; tibiae and tarsi yellow; 4 th and 5 th tarsomeres of all legs brown. LI: Length of femur, tibia and tarsomeres (in mm): 0.54: 0.49: 0.41: 0.14: 0.11: 0.07: 0.08.

LII: Length of femur, tibia and tarsomeres (in mm): 0.50: 0.56: 0.35: 0.18: 0.13: 0.06: 0.06.

LIII: Length of femur, tibia and tarsomeres (in mm): 0.56: 0.63: 0.22: 0.27: 0.14: 0.07: 0.06.

Aedeagus almost black, with pointed apex in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ). Hypandrium not distinct, represented by the broadly rounded margin of epandrium ( Fig. 6 ). Epandrial setae inserted on short tubercle.

Female. Body length: 1.87 mm; wing length: 1.75 mm. Larger than male. First tergite on both sides with a pale, narrow triangular area at basal margin and a wider pale, triangular area at apical margin. Tergite II with a very small, pale triangular at both sides of apical margin. Tergite III with a large pale triangular area at both sides of apical margin.

Etymology. – The name obscura refers to the darkened, almost black aedeagus.

Differential diagnosis. – It is so far the only species in the genus that has a black aedeagus. However it should not be confused with the huge black prongs on the aedeagus of P. horrorifera.

Paramedetera chelata , new species

( Figs. 8-10 )

Material examined. – Holotype - male: SINGAPORE: Nee Soon , 18 Mar.2005 (25018, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 559; ZRC).

Paratype – 1 male, same provenance as holotype (coll. RBINS) .

Description. – Male. Body length: 1.50 mm; wing length: 1.45 mm. Ocellar and vertical bristles black. Palpi black with a black apical bristle. Four black dorsocentrals, 2 anterior dc shorter than posterior 2. Propleural bristle long, pale. Halter black. Squama brown, with a brown border, bearing 6 pale brown cilia.

Legs yellowish-brown. Fore coxa brown anteriorly, posterior 4 coxae brown. Femora dorsally brown, ventrally yellow; tibiae and tarsi yellow; 4 th and 5 th tarsomeres of fore and mid legs brown, apical 3 tarsomeres of hind legs brown.

LI: Length of femur, tibia and tarsomeres (in mm): 0.42: 0.38: 0.24: 0.10: 0.07: 0.06: 0.06.

LII: Length of femur, tibia and tarsomeres (in mm): 0.42: 0.49: 0.28: 0.14: 0.11: 0.07: 0.06.

LIII: Length of femur, tibia and tarsomeres (in mm): 0.49: 0.52: 0.15: 0.21: 0.1: 0.07: 0.07.

Hypopygium ( Figs. 8-10 ). Aedaegus orange brown, with tip of wings rounded. Inner rim of the wings in ventral view, with two claw-like projections: one at tip and one near middle. Hypandrium not distinct, represented by a small rounded projection. Median epandrial seta not on a tubercle.

Female unknown.

Etymology. – The name chelata refers to the large claw-like projections on the inner rim of the wings of the aedeagus.

Differential diagnosis. – The strong claw-like projections on the inner rim of the wings of the aedeagus are specific. Similar projections, but much smaller, are present in P. sumatrensis Grootaert & Meuffels. The species P. jinxiuensis Yang & Saigusa and P. borneensis Grootaert & Meuffels have also small projections on the inner rim of the wings. The extreme is found in P. horrorifera Grootaert & Meuffels with its huge sharp prongs on the aedeagus. P. chelata new species is a darker species than the others, with all bristling black and even black halters.

Figures

Figs. 6-7. Paramedetera obscura, new species: 6, hypopygium ventral view; 7, hypopygium lateral view.

Figs. 8-10. Paramedetera chelata, new species: 8, hypopygium ventral view; 9, tip of dorsal surstylus, cercus dorsally; 10, hypopygium lateral view.