Teuchophorus neesoonensis, Grootaert, 2006

Grootaert, Patrick, 2006, The Genus Teuchophorus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) In Singapore, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (1), pp. 59-82 : 64-65

Teuchophorus neesoonensis , new species

( Figs. 9-11 )

Material examined. – Holotype male: SINGAPORE: Nee Soon , Central Catchment NR, acidic swamp forest, Malaise trap, 24 Mar.2005 (25029, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 600).

Paratypes: SINGAPORE: 2 males, Nee Soon , 26 Aug.2005, Mal 3, (25318, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 1108) ; 1 male, Nee Soon, 7 Sept.2005, Mal. 2, (25332, coll. P. Grootaert, Si1051); 1 male, Nee Soon, 16 Sept.2005, Mal. 2, (25350, coll. P. Grootaert, Si1109).

Diagnosis. – A species of the T. gratiosus group with third antennal segment nearly 4.5 times as long as wide and with arista shorter than third antennal segment (about 3/4 of length of third antennal segment). Basal antennal segments brown. Acr absent.

Description. – Male. Body length: 1.6 mm; wing length: 1.5 mm.

Head. Frons broad, with shining metallic green ground-colour; face concolourous with frons, narrow, near middle as wide as an eye facet. Eye facets enlarged in front and below, small above. Palpi small, brown, with a black apical bristle. Rostrum brown. Occiput shining metallic green Chaetotaxy as usual; a pair of long brown ocellars and verticals, 2 small postocellars. Postocular cilia uniseriate, short, brown. Antenna ( Fig. 9 ) with basal segments dark brown, third segment pale brown, very long, about 4.5 times as long as wide. Arista about 3/4 length of third segment.

Thorax. Mesoscutum and scutellum shining metallic green, but yellowish-brown on sides (humeri, notopleural depression, postalar calli). Pleurae brown on upper half, but yellow on lower half. Long bristles on mesoscutum black. Chaetotaxy as usual, but no acr, 6 dc. Scutellum with 2 marginals.

Legs, including coxae, yellow.

Fore leg. Coxa with very short, sparse brown hairs, and a row of brown bristles towards apex. Femur without ventral bristles. A weak posterior preapical present. Tibia about as long as femur, without bristles or serration. First tarsomere without basal spinule. Length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.49: 0.49: 0.24: 0.14: 0.08: 0.05: 0.05.

Mid leg. Coxa with long brown exterior bristle. Femur with a brown preapical av and a preapical pv. Tibia with a weak brownish pd on basal third; 2 ad and apical crown with 2 somewhat longer bristles. Tarsomeres 4 and 5 unusually short. Length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.56: 0.56: 0.25: 0.12: 0.08: 0.07: 0.07.

Hind leg. Coxa with a brown exterior bristle (shorter than that on mid coxa). Femur slightly thickened, without any bristle, except a preapical a and av. Tibia longer than femur, with 3 short brownish pd. Length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.77: 0.77: 0.17: 0.19: 0.08: 0.05: 0.05.

Wing faintly brownish tinged, with brown veins. Costa not thickened. r4+5 and m1+2 apically slightly diverging. Apical portion of Cu 1.5 times as long as tp. Halter yellow. Squama with almost black border and black cilia.

Abdomen brown; venter yellowish (except for brown 5 th sternite). Hairs and bristles brownish. First tergite with 3 pairs of long black bristles. First tergite with 6 long black marginal bristles. Hypopygium ( Figs. 10-11 ) brown; cerci brown. Cercus with a long apical bristle (longer than cercus is long). Dorsal surstylus with a very long dorsal bristle. A pair of strong pedunculate epandrial bristles and a short basal epandrial bristle ( Fig. 10 ). Hypandrium a simple plate.

Female unknown.

Etymology. – The name neesoonensis refers to the type locality that is probably one of Singapore’s most diverse forests.

Discussion. – Teuchophorus neesoonensis , new species, is very closely related to T. temasek , new species. For the differences between the two species and the other species of the T. gratiosus group, I refer to the discussion under T. temasek , new species. The most obvious character is the length of the arista and the third antennal segment.

Distribution and habitat. – Singapore. Swamp forest.

Figures

Figs. 9-11. Teuchophorus neesoonensis, new species, male: 9, antenna; 10, hypopygium ventral view; 11, hypopygium lateral view.