Elaphropeza flavida ( Williston, 1896 )

Freitas-Silva, Rafael A. P. & Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2009, Revision of the species of Elaphropeza Macquart, 1827 (Diptera: Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) from Amazon Basin and some remarks about E. ciliatocosta (Bezzi, 1904), Zootaxa 2245, pp. 32-46 : 36-39

Elaphropeza flavida ( Williston, 1896)

( Figs. 5–8 , 17 )

Drapetis flavidus Williston, 1896:308 , Pl. Xi, figs. 86 (antenna), 86a (wing); Smith, 1962: 202. Tachydromia flavida: Coquillett, 1900: 251 .

Drapetis flavida: Wheeler & Melander 1901: 376 .uil..

Tachysta fulvida: Bezzi, 1904b: 144 (lapsus calami - cit. Bezzi, 1909: 398). Drapetis (Drapetis) flavida: Bezzi, 1909: 398 .

Drapetis (Ctenodrapetis) flavida: Melander, 1910: 52 .

Drapetis (Elaphropeza) flavida: Melander, 1918:220 ; 1928: 314 (cat.); Smith, 1967:39.4. Elaphropeza flavida: Yang et al., 2007: 373 (cat.).

Elaphropeza bergonzoi Raffone, 2000: 3 , figs. 1–3; Bergonzo et al. (2004): 707; Yang et al. (2007): 371 (cat.). syn. nov. Tachysta fulvida: Bezzi, 1904 b (err. typogr - cit. Bezzi, 1909: 398).

Drapetis xanthopoda: Williston, 1896: 441 (lapsus calami; cit. Coquillett, 1900: 251, Bezzi, 1909: 398).

Diagnosis. Reddish yellow species. Frons very narrow. Scutum setulose, proepisternum covered with yellow tomentum. Fore femur bearing 3–6 long posteroventral spinule-like bristles in males, very setulose ventrally in females; mid femur with 2–5 prominent anterior bristles on apical half, hind tibia bearing 2 strong anterodorsal bristles. Male right cercus with clavate projection arising under membranous area that connects cerci.

Re-description. Lectotype female (except wing and ovipositor). Body length: 2.4 mm, wing length: 3.2 mm. Occiput subshining black with dense uniform silver tomentum, yellow setation, oral margin dark yellow. Frons shining brown, V-shaped, eyes almost contiguous just above antennae; face tomentose. Two pairs of upward verticals, inner pair longer, outer one as long as postocular setae; ocellars proclinate, anterior pair long, cruciate, posterior seta minute, divergent. Occipitals lacking on vertex. Antenna yellow with yellow setation, arista brownish. Pedicel with circlet of equally minute setulae; postpedicel and basal aristomere 1.1 times longer than scape and pedicel combined; arista normally pubescent, 5.6 times longer than scape and pedicel combined. Palpus yellow, ovate, shorter than proboscis; proboscis yellow.

Thorax shining dark yellow, scutum moderately setose, yellow to reddish yellow setation; pale yellow tomentum on entire scutellum, subscutellum and proepisternum, scattered on posterior half of pleura. Scutum somewhat longer than wide, 4.1 times longer than scutellum. Proepisternum bearing 1 seta on upper part, lacking seta just above fore coxa; postpronotal seta not prominent; 2 notopleural setae (posterior one longer than anterior), 3 supra-alar setae (anterior one longest, posterior one somewhat shorter than anterior); 1 long postalar seta; basal scutellar seta approximately one-third of apical. Acrostichals biserial, almost complete rows; dorsocentrals indistinct from intra-alars, prescutellar seta as long as apical scutellars.

Legs yellow except mid and hind coxae and all tarsomeres 5 dark yellow; yellow setation. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation, except mid coxae yellow tomentose. Femora somewhat thickened, fore and mid tarsomeres 2–5 with numerous short ventral setulae. Fore femur normally long, with rows of antero- and posteroventral bristles (longer on basal half), 1 very long near base, 1 prominent anterior and 1 posterior subapical bristles. Fore tibia setulose near apex, bearing 1 prominent posteroventral subapical bristle. Mid femur with rows of antero- and posteroventral spinule-like bristles, 1 very long bristle near base, and 4 prominent anterior bristles on distal half (subapical included). Mid tibia with short ventral spinules and 1 prominent anterior subapical bristles. Hind femur bearing 4 erect dorsal bristles near base, rows of antero- and posteroventral bristles and 1 long anterior subapical bristle. Hind tibia bearing 2 strong anterodorsal bristles and long, slender and strongly pointed apical projection.

Wing ( Fig. 17 , specimen from Brazil, Alter do Chao) normally developed, uniformly covered with microtrichia, hyaline; veins yellow, yellow setation; C bearing 1 long seta near base (missing in Fig. 17 ), setae on two proximal sections longer and more spaced than on other sections. Costal index: 52/26/40/14; Rs as long as cross-vein bm-cu, R2+3 slightly arched, reaching C in apical one-third, R4+5 somewhat bowed, rather parallel to M near margin; M straight; CuA1 evanescent reaching wing margin; A1 as a fold. Basal medial cell 2.3 times longer and 1.9 times wider than first; cross-vein bm-cu forming acute angle with CuA1; halter yellow.

Abdomen with tergites 1–3 dark yellow; tergite 1 membranous, tergites 2–3 with subtriangular lateral sclerites; tergites 4–7 completely sclerotized; tergite 4 dark brown, broad, with 6 lateral rows of squamiform setae; tergites 5–7 reddish to dark yellow, tergite 5 lacking squamiform setae. Tergites 1–3 and 5–7 with unmodified setation. Tergite 8 ( Fig. 8 , specimen from Puerto Rico, Aguadilla) quite elongate, separated from sternite which presents folded apex, lateral projection dilated apically; sternite 10 as in Fig. 8 . Cercus brownish yellow. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5.

Male (specimen from Brazil, Alter do Chao). Body length 2.3–3.2 mm, wing length 3.2–3.4 mm. Fore femur bearing 3–6 long posteroventral spinule-like bristles. Otherwise similar to female. Terminalia ( Figs. 5– 7 ) brown, elongated, prominent. Cerci ( Fig. 5 ) fused near apex, left cercus longer, bearing some long setae; right cercus slender with several short lateral setae, median projection clavate arising under membranous part connecting cerci. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 6 ) elongated, apical lobe large with short distal median projection; right surstylus not evident; left epandrial lamella partially fused to hypandrium; left surstylus ( Fig. 7 ) suboval with rounded laterobasal projection near base of cercus, bearing several short setae (not represented in figure). Two rod-shaped apodemes, ventral apodeme strong, reaching margin of hypandrium. Hypandrium bearing 2 short setae. Phallus short and slender.

Variations. Female body length: 2.2–3.3 mm, wing length: 2.5–3.3 mm. The majority of the specimens have brown stylus. Some male and female specimens from Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico have a longitudinal, complete or abbreviated, pale to dark brown stripe on scutum. One specimen from Brazil (Taipu) is predominantly reddish, while Ecuadorian and other Brazilian specimens have yellow scutum lacking black marks. Posteroventral spinule-like setae on male fore femur varies from 3 to 6 among specimens and between the legs of the same specimen. Anterior bristles on mid femur vary from 2 to 4 in males and from 2 to 5 in females, but we did not note any geographical link between country of origin and number of bristles. Color of the abdomen, especially membranous parts, varies from white to reddish, according to preservation methods.

Type material examined. Lectotype Ƥ (present designation): S[ain]t Vincent [no collection date, but Smith collected insects in Trinidad, St. Vincent and Windward Islands in 1889-95 - c.f. Papavero, 1973: 439], Windward side, W[est] I[ndies], H.H. Smith [rectangular white label, printed] / Cotype [round yellow and white label, printed] / Drapetis flavida [rectangular white label, hand-written] / W. Indies, 1907-66 [rectangular white label, printed] / Syntype [round blue and white label, printed] / Lectotype Ƥ Elaphropeza flavida det. R.A.P. Freitas-Silva 2009 [rectangular blue label, printed and hand-written] / [NHM]. Lectotype condition: mounted with minute pin; left flagellum and arista, left wing, left hind and right mid legs lost; right wing damaged on C near junction with R1.

Holotype 3 of E. bergonzoi : BRAZIL, Ceara, Lake Cana Brava near Guaramiranga, 28.ix. [19]97, E. Bergonzo & W. Rossi [ INPA]. Paratypes (same data of holotype) [3 3, 2 ƤƤ, INPA].

Additional material. CUBA, [Ciudad de La Habana:] Havana, Baker, [no collection date] [1 3, 3 ƤƤ, USNM]; Jan[uary–] Feb[ruary] 1915, [no collector] [1 3, 2 ƤƤ, USNM]; [Cienfuegos:] Aguada [de] Pas[ajeros], Feb. [19]’15 [no collector name] [1 3, 1 Ƥ, USNM]. [ MEXICO] Yucatan: [no city, no collection date], G.F. Gaumer, [1 3, NHM; 2 ƤƤ, USNM]; [Ve r a C ru z:] Medellin near Vera Cruz, jan[i].1888, H.H. Smith [1 3, NHM]; [Tlalmanalco:] San Rafael, 3[iii].[19]14, Coll. Townsend [1 3, USNM]; Oax [aca:] Tuxtepec [no collection date], from M. Freire, 641 [1 3, 7 ƤƤ, USNM]. HAITI [2 ƤƤ, USNM]. PUERTO RICO, Aguadilla, Jan.1899, Aug. Busck [1 Ƥ, USNM]; Fajardo, Feb.1899, Aug. Busck [2 3, USNM]; Mayaguez, Sep[tember]–Oct[ober].1960, M. Santiago [1 3, USNM]; Sep–Nov[ember].1960, M. Beuchamp [1 Ƥ, USNM]; Cayey, Sep.[–] Nov. 1960 [3 3, 2 ƤƤ, USNM]; Lajas [2 3, USNM]. JAMAICA [1 3, 3 ƤƤ, USNM]. COLOMBIA, Meta: 3 mi [les] W[est of] Villavicencio, 920 m, 11.iii.1955, E.I. Schlinger & E.S. Ross coll. [2 3, CAS]; [Valle del Cauca:] Valle Palmira, CIAT 965 m, 21.vi.1988, Ana Milena de la Cruz, leg. [1 3, 2 ƤƤ, USNM]; [Cali] 40 mi. S[outh of] Cali, Valle 1140 m, 06.iii.1955, E.I. Schlinger & E.S. Ross coll. [1 3, USNM]. ECUADOR [1 3, USNM]. BRAZIL, Para: Alter do Chao, 15–18.ii.1992, J.A. Rafael, varredura [3 3, INPA, 1 3, NHM]; Amazonas: Manaus, AM-010 Km 16, 16.v.1988, Col. R.A. Rocha, Arm[adilha] Luz, R.A. Rocha [1 Ƥ, INPA]; R [io] G [rande do] Norte: Taipu, vii.[1]955, Pe. Pereira [1 Ƥ, MZSP]; E [spirito] S [anto]: Baixo Guandu, ix.1970, P.C.Elias [1 3, MZSP]; x.1970 [1 3, MZSP]; Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro, Gavea, 29.vi. [1]37, H. Souza Lopes [1 3, MNRJ]; Nova Friburgo, 23.iv. [1]937 [2 3, MNRJ]. PERU, [Lima], Lima, Jun[e]–Jul[y.19]13, C.T. Brues [1 3, USNM].

Geographical records. Brazil (Para*, Amazonas*, Ceara*, Rio Grande do Norte, Espirito Santo*, Rio de Janeiro*), Colombia * (Meta, Valle del Cauca), Cuba * (Ciudad de La Habana, Cienfuegos), Ecuador *, Haiti, Jamaica *, Mexico (Yucatan, Vera Cruz, Tlalmanalco*, Oaxaca*, Orizaba+), Peru (Lima*), Puerto Rico, Saint Vincent (Windward side), U.S. A+ (Lousiana).

Discussion. Although Williston (1896) wrote that he based his descriptions on numerous specimens, we found only two females from Saint Vincent, identified by “ syntype ” labels, housed in the NHM. After we examined (head and almost all legs lost) both syntypes we verified they were not conspecific, however the smaller specimen is in bad condition. It was therefore difficult to extract good characters to support a positive identification for male association. This prompted us to select the other female, which presents the same group of characters as the holotype of Elaphropeza bergonzoi Raffone, 2000 , as such: occiput and ocellar triangle uniformly covered with silver tomentum, frons very narrow, mid femur with 2–5 prominent bristles on apical half, female mid tibia bearing ventral spinules (commonly observed only in males) and hind tibia bearing two strong anterodorsal bristles, besides ovipositor characters. Then, this single specimen of Elaphropeza , identified originally by “ syntype ” label, is the unique to contain helpful information to ensure the positive recognition of this species, being the single specimen able to have name-bearing status.

Smith (1962) re-described this species based on a male from Taipu ( Brazil), but he did not revise or illustrated any type-specimen. We illustrate the male terminalia for the first time.

The records of occurrence of E. flavida are without doubt, the largest among Neotropical species, extending from Cuba (Havana) to the Southeast of Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). In this study we expanded the distribution area to Northeast of Brazil and Central Amazonia.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 8. Elaphropeza flavida (Williston, 1896). [5 – 7. 3 from Brazil]. 5. Epandrium with cerci, dorsal view. 6. Right epandrial lamella, lateral view. 7. Left surstylus (short marginal setae omitted), lateral view. 8. [Ƥ from Puerto Rico] Ovipositor, lateral view. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Wings. 16. Elaphropeza biseticauda (Smith, 1963) [3 from Brazil, basal seta not presented]. 17. Elaphropeza flavida (Williston, 1896) [3 from Brazil, basal seta not presented]. 18. Elaphropeza mazaruni (Smith, 1963) [3 from Brazil, basal seta not presented]. 19. Elaphropeza monochaeta (Bezzi, 1909) [lectotype Ƥ]. Scale = 1.0 mm.