Elaphropeza limosa, Published, 2007

SHAMSHEV, IGOR V. & GROOTAERT, PATRICK, 2007, Revision of the genus Elaphropeza Macquart (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Oriental Region, with a special attention to the fauna of Singapore, Zootaxa 1488 (1), pp. 1-164 : 78-81

Elaphropeza limosa sp. nov.

( Figs. 121–124 )

Diagnosis. Thorax entirely brownish; antenna brown, postpedicel about 4.0 times longer than wide, style longer than postpedicel; acrostichals and dorsocentrals multiserial; hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle; halter with black knob.

Description. Male. Body length 2.0– 2.2 mm, wing length 1.7–1.8 mm. Head black, occiput subshining, mostly with dark brown setation. Eye with hind margin slightly concave. Anterior ocellars long, proclinate; posterior ocellars short. Two pairs of inclinate verticals (inner ones longer). Frons shining. Antenna ( Fig. 121 ) wholly brown. Pedicel with circlet of equally minute setulae. Postpedicel nearly 4.0 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, nearly 1.5 times longer than postpedicel and 1.2–1.3 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus brownish yellow, small, rounded; with scattered dark setulae (1 subapical longer).

Thorax entirely brownish, shining, with brown bristles. Proepisternum lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 1 short upturned bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleural, 1 shorter postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellar (inner ones very long, cruciate; outer ones very short) bristles. Acrostichals and dorsocentrals multiserial, uniform (except 2 long prescutellars), extending to base of scutellum.

Legs almost entirely brownish yellow; coxae and basal part of all femora (especially of fore and mid femora) paler in varying extent, hind femur and tibia usually somewhat darker. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur rather slender, with hardly prominent rows of antero- and posteroventral bristles and 1 long bristle near base. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with 2 rows of brownish, spinule-like, short, ventral bristles, 1 longer bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with 2 rows of hardly prominent ventral spinules, lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur somewhat constricted in middle, with 1 row of short antero- and posteroventral bristles (the latter sitting on small tubercles in basal part) and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia somewhat thickened, bearing 1 long anterodorsal bristle near middle; apical projection small, pointed, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Hind tarsomere 1 somewhat thickened.

Wing normally developed, distinctly brownish infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins yellowish brown. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle rather long, brown. Costal index: 35/27/29/16. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, both straight. Vein CuA1 not quite reaching wing margin. Crossvein bm-cu somewhat oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter with dark knob and pale stem.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 almost entirely pale yellow, only very small brownish space bearing few minute setulae present on each side. Tergites 2 and 3 represented by 2 large subtriangular brownish spaces broadly separated along midline, with unmodified setae longer posteriorly. Tergite 4 broad, darker, with numerous squamiform setae. Tergite 5 very narrow, bearing squamiform setae. Tergites 6–7 unmodified, both bearing short lateral marginal setae directed downwards, additionally, tergite 7 with long posteromarginal bristles. Pleural area of segment 5 with rounded space of sclerotisation. Sternites 1–3 with small brownish spaces and scattered minute setulae. Sternites 4–7 normally sclerotised, with numerous longer setae; sternites 6 and 7 with lateral marginal setae directed upwards; sternite 8 with several long erect setae. Gland-like structures present between tergites 4 and 5, including 2 large subglobular sclerites hidden by tergite 4.

Terminalia ( Figs. 122–124 ) dark brown, rather elongate. Cerci fused, forming single, digitiform, moderately long lobe covered with numerous very short bristles. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella elongate oval, with several very long bristles apically. Right surstylus hardly prominent, rather subtriangular, with few short bristles. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 2 short bristles apically. Left surstylus with upper lobe large, rather rhombic, with numerous very long bristles. Hypandrium with 1 spinelike and 1 very short bristles. Phallus very short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Body length 1.9–2.2 mm, wing length 1.6–1.7 mm. Abdominal segment 5 lacking pleural sclerotisation, segments 6 and 7 lacking lateral marginal setae. Otherwise as in male. Segment 8 elongate, very narrow, with sclerites separated; sternite 8 folded apically. Cercus elongate, brown.

Material examined: Holotype male labelled: SINGAPORE: Sungei Buloh , 6 July 2005, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 25199, leg. PG, E-08).

Paratypes: 2 ♂♂, SINGAPORE, Lim Chu Kang , 9 December 2002, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 22056, leg. PG) ; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 27 November 2003, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 23091, leg. PG) ; 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Sungei Buloh , 27 November 2003, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 23090, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Sungei Buloh , 28 March 2005, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 25037, leg. PG) ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 22 April 2005, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 25076, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Sungei Buloh , 22 April 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25078, leg. PG) ; 2 ♀♀, Sungei Buloh , 11 May 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25159, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 1 June 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25165, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 22 June 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25171, leg. PG) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Sungei Buloh , 6 July 2005, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 25199, leg. PG) ; 3 ♀♀, Sungei Buloh , 19 August 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25303, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 26 August 2005, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 25321, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 7 September 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25337, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Sungei Buloh , 7 September 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25336, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 16 September 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25355, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 14 October 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25394, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 3 December 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25440, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Sungei Buloh , 23 December 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25471, leg. PG) .

Derivatio nominis. The name limosa (Lat. mud) refers to its occurrence in mangrove.

Distribution. Singapore. Mangrove.

Singapore: This is a common species that is only found in mangrove. The species is erratically present throughout the year with a small peak of activity from the end of August until the mid of September. A sex ratio of 1.8/1 indicates that females have a different activity than males, or that more females are present.

Remarks. The relationships of E. limosa sp. nov. are unclear beyond inclusion within the monophyletic lineage of the E. ephippiata species group sharing completely fused cerci (see “Discussion” for details).

Figures

FIGURES 121–124. Elaphropeza limosa sp. nov. 121. antenna. 122. epandrium with cerci. 123. right epandrial lamella. 124. left surstylus.