Platypalpus saffradi, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2014

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2014, New species of Platypalpus (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, European Journal of Taxonomy 103, pp. 1-20 : 13-15

Platypalpus saffradi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3DFF850A-3BF1-4855-8109-CD7C5BC60696

Figs 28–31

Diagnosis

A medium-sized yellow species of the minutus -group with thorax and legs yellow, but all coxae white; abdomen with tergites 1-5 brownish. No postpronotal (= humeral) seta present. One pair of vertical bristles. Scape and pedicel black; postpedicel brown, 2.5 times as long as broad; stylus brown. Mid tibia with long, but blunt apical spur.

Etymology

The word ‘saffradi’ means yellow in Swahili language and it refers to the yellow body colour of the new species.

Type material

Holotype

♀, DR Congo, Yangambi , 26 May 2013, primary mixed forest MIX4 (reg. 33007, leg P. Grootaert; MS name Plat 6).

Paratype

1 ♀, DR Congo, 4 Jun. 2013, mixed primary forest MIX3, sweeping (0°47’12.80” N 24°31’24.85” E; reg. 33040; leg. P. Grootaert) ( RBINS), mid leg extracted for DNA in tube with position code AB42406119.

Description

Female

LENGTH. Body 2.8 mm; wing 2.8 mm.

HEAD. Entirely black. Occiput densely greyish pollinose; with 1 pair of long black verticals. Ocellar tubercle greyish pollinose, with 2 black, very short anterior and 2 minute posterior setae. Frons narrow, parallel-sided, above antennae nearly 1.5 times as broad as anterior ocellus, greyish pollinose. Face very narrow, on middle narrower than anterior ocellus, somewhat broader below antennae and on lower part, greyish pollinose, clypeus subshining. Antenna ( Fig. 30 ) with scape and pedicel black, postpedicel and stylus brownish; postpedicel conical, 3 times as long as wide; stylus 1.5 times as long as postpedicel. Proboscis brownish yellow, rather long, somewhat shorter than head is high. Palpus ( Fig. 29 ) yellow, small, ovate, with scattered pale setulae.

THORAX. ( Figs 29, 30 ). Almost entirely reddish yellow, only metanotum brownish yellow; posterior spiracle brownish; postpronotal lobe, scutum behind postpronotal lobe, notopleuron and scutellum with some tomentosity; otherwise scutum shining, entire pleuron subshining; bristles brown. Postpronotal lobe elongate ovate, with several minute setulae. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals (anterior seta very short, posterior seta moderately long), 1–2 moderately long postalars and 4 scutellars (apical pair long and cruciate, lateral pair very short); additionally, notopleuron with several setulae; acrostichals short, arranged in 2 narrow irregular rows, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals arranged in 1–2 rows, nearly as long as acrostichals, 2 prescutellars somewhat longer.

LEGS. Almost entirely yellow, only last tarsomere brownish yellow. Coxae and trochanters almost white, with ordinary yellowish to brownish yellow setae of different lengths. Fore femur thickened; with uniformly very short anteroventral and posteroventral setae. Fore tibia slender, clothed with ordinary setulae somewhat longer dorsally. Mid femur ( Fig. 31 ) very thickened, long; with double row of black ventral spinules and row of long, yellow posteroventral setae, longest near middle as long as femur is wide. Mid tibia bearing a row of black ventral spinules; with long blunt-tipped apical spur bearing short seta. Hind femur slender, with short anteroventral setae. Hind tibia slender, clothed with ordinary setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

WING. Finely, uniformly infuscate, with brownish veins. One moderately long costal seta. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 parallel just before meeting wing margin. Crossveins m-cu and r-m narrowly separated; cell bm longer and distinctly broader than cell br; Vein CuA 2 recurrent, somewhat sinuate. Anal vein distinct in apical part and evanescent in basal part. Calypter darkened, with brown setae. Halter darkened.

ABDOMEN. With tergites 1–5 brownish, tergites 6–8 brownish yellow, subshining, covered with short brownish setae; sternites yellowish to brownish yellow, sternite 8 darker; with scattered short setae; cercus slender, brown.

Male

Unknown.

Comparison

In the key of Smith (1969), P. saffradi sp. nov. runs to P. eshowensis Smith, 1969 described from Zululand ( South Africa). In the latter species the frons is wider (2.5 times ocellar width), face below antenna about 1.5 times ocellus and there is a distinct fine humeral seta. In P. saffradi sp. nov. the frons is narrower (only 1.5 times the width of anterior ocellus), face is almost linear and there is no distinct humeral seta. Platypalpus eshowensis has a long sharp apical spur on mid tibia, while it is long, but blunt in P. saffradi sp. nov. with a black bristle at tip. Finally the apical two tarsomeres of all legs are darkened while in P. saffradi sp. nov. only the apical half of the apical tarsomere is brownish.

Platypalpus saffradi sp. nov. is provisionally placed in the minutus -group because of the presence of a well-developed postpronotal lobe lacking however a distinct postpronotal seta. Mesonotum is polished and mid tibia bears a long apical spur.

Distribution

DR Congo.

Figures

Figs 28–31. Platypalpus saffradi sp. nov., holotype ♀. 28. Habitus, dorsal view. 29. Head and thorax, lateral view. 30. Head and thorax, dorsal view. 31. Mid leg, anterior view.