Teuchophorus spinulosus, Grootaert, 2006

Grootaert, Patrick, 2006, The Genus Teuchophorus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) In Singapore, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (1), pp. 59-82 : 71-72

Teuchophorus spinulosus new species

(Figs. 25-27)

Material examined. – Holotype male: SINGAPORE: Sime forest , 24 Mar.2005 (25026, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 560).

Paratypes: SINGAPORE: 1 male, Sime forest , 24 Mar.2005 (25026, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 560) ; 5 males, Sime forest , 1 Apr.2005 (25041, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 637) ; 1 male, Sime forest , 15 Apr.2005, sweeping (25061, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 717) ; 1 male, Sime forest , 8 Apr.2005 (25053, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 736) ; 1 male, Sime forest , 1 Jul.2005 Mal. 1 (25189, coll. P. Grootaert, Si 1061) .

Diagnosis. – A small species without acrostichal bristles. Wing without stigma. Third antennal segment elongated, triangular, almost 1.5 times as long as high. Mid femur with 4 to 5 short ventral spine-like bristles.

Description. – Male. Body length: 1.63 mm; wing length: 1.63 mm.

Head. Frons and face with shining dark metallic green ground-colour. Eyes almost touching on face. Palpus small, black, with a small, black apical bristle. Rostrum brown. Occiput blackish green. Chaetotaxy as usual; no postocellars. Postoculars uniseriate, short, black. Antenna (Fig. 25) brown; third segment pointed triangular, 1.5 times as long as wide. Arista slightly more than twice as long as antenna, shortly pubescent.

Thorax. Mesoscutum dark brown, paler at sides, but darker toward tip; scutellum blackish. Pleurae largely brown; insertion of wing yellowish. Chaetotaxy as usual, but no acr. Legs and coxae yellow, but apical 1/4 of hind femora, and tarsi brown, hind tarsi darkest. Fore leg. Coxa anteriorly with very short black hairs, that become longer towards apex of coxa. Femur without bristles. Tibia slightly shorter than femur, without bristles or serration. First tarsal segment without a basal, ventral spinule. Length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.56: 0.42: 0.19: 0.07: 0.06: 0.06: 0.08.

Mid leg. Coxa anteriorly with very short brown hairs. Femur (Fig. 26) ventrally with about 4-5 short spine-like bristles being 3/4 of width of femur; a weak preapical pv, and a yet thinner preapical av. Tibia with 2 ad, 1 pd. Length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.65: 0.58: 0.22: 0.14: 0.09: 0.07: 0.08.

Hind leg. Coxa with a thin, black exterior bristle. Femur with a small preapical av, and some of the hairs of the anteroventral row near tip very slightly lengthened. Tibia about as long as femur; with 2-3 short dorsal bristles; 1 very short and weak ventral bristle. Length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.70: 0.64: 0.11: 0.19: 0.11: 0.08: 0.08.

Wing greyish brown tinged, with dark brown veins. No stigma and costa between r1 and r2+3 not darkened. r4+5 and m1+2 very parallel. Apical part of cu, 1.5 times as long as tp. Halter white. Squama brown, with a black border, and 5 long black cilia.

Abdomen dorsally dark brown, with a feeble greenish gloss. Sterna brown. Hairs and hindmarginal bristles on terga short, black. Hypopygium (Fig. 27) brown, with tips of surstyli black.

Female unknown.

Etymology. – The name spinulosus refers to the 4-5 short spine-like bristles on the mid femur.

Discussion. – The short spine-like bristles on the mid femur are characteristic. The shape of the third antennal segment is also quite unique.

Distribution and habitat. – Singapore. Riverbanks in rain forest.