Crossopalpus yaekela Grootaert et Shamshev

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2013, The flies of the family Hybotidae (Diptera, Empidoidea) collected during the Boyekoli Ebale Congo 2010 Expedition in Democratic Republic of Congo, Zootaxa 3603 (1), pp. 1-61 : 11-13

Crossopalpus yaekela Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov.

( Figs. 10–12 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, 3 labelled: D.R. CONGO, Oriental Province, Yaekela , 7 May 2010, secondary forest (reg. 30021, leg. P. Grootaert, MS name Cros 2); Holotype / Crossopalpus yaekela / Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov. ( RBINS).

Diagnosis. Antennae yellowish brown, palpi pale yellow; anepisternum (= mesopleuron) and katepisternum (= sternopleuron) narrowly tomentose on upper part; hind femur broadly brownish on middle part, hind tibia lacking bristles; vein M1+2 undulate.

Description. Male. Length: body 1.9 mm, wing 1.7 mm. Occiput entirely black, densely tomentose including ocellar tubercle; with brownish yellow setation; inner verticals moderately long. Posterior ocellars somewhat shorter than verticals, proclinate. Frons tomentose. Antenna yellowish brown; postpedicel conical, 2.0 times long as wide; stylus apical, long, 3.1 times longer than postpedicel. Proboscis yellowish brown. Palpus pale, small, rounded, subapical seta short, thin, brownish.

Thorax black, scutum shining viewed dorsally; anepisternum and katepisternum narrowly tomentose on upper part, otherwise pleura shining; large bristles brownish. Prothoracic episterna with long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals, 1 short postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute); acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum evenly covered with numerous pale setulae, 1 pair of long prescutellars.

Legs quite robust, almost entirely yellow, hind femur broadly brownish on middle. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur with 1 short subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except 2 rather short subapicals). Mid femur with 1 long subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia lacking prominent bristles (except 2 rather short subapicals). Hind femur with 2 moderately long anteroventrals subapically and some short erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia lacking prominent setae; apical projection rather small, rounded. Tarsi of all legs unmodified, with unmodified setation, basitarsi with stronger setulae ventrally.

Wing normally developed, hyaline. Costal bristle long, brown. Costal index: 38/15/34. Vein R2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 somewhat convergent near wing apex, R4+5 slightly bowed, M1+2 undulate. Crossvein bm-cu oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale, tergites 2–8 well sclerotised; tergites 2–6 of subequal width, tergite 7 somewhat narrower; tergites 3–4 with squamiform setae; tergites 5–7 with unmodified setae; tergite 7 with short posteromarginal setae. Sternites well sclerotised, sternite 2 divided, sternites 3–7 undivided, sternites 3–4 with shallow median excision posteriorly; covered with minute setulae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 3–4 and 4–5. Terminalia ( Figs. 10–12 ) rather large, brownish. Cerci separated; right cercus very narrow, short, with several unmodified setae of different lengths; left cercus very large, rather trapezoid, with numerous unmodified setae of different lengths. Epandrium completely divided. Right surstylus represented by 2 sclerites hardly separated basally ( Fig. 10 ), with short unmodified setae. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 1 short seta apically. Left surstylus represented by 2 digitiform sclerites ( Fig. 12 ), with numerous unmodified setae. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality Yaekela . The name is used here as a noun.

Distribution. D.R. Congo.

Remarks. The new species can be recognized by the following modification to the key of Raffone (1994).

5 Legs almost entirely yellow, at most last tarsomere darkened.................................................. 6 – Legs yellowish brown or partly brown................................................................... 7 6 Hind tibia without prominent bristles.......................................................... C. nyaka Smith – Hind tibia with strong anteroventral bristle............................................... S. montalentii Raffone 7 Antennae completely yellowish brown. Thorax almost entirely shining, only anepisternum (= mesopleuron) and katepisternum

(= sternopleuron) narrowly tomentose on upper part. Hind femur broadly brownish on middle, otherwise legs yellow.......

..................................................................................... C. yaekela sp. nov. – Antennae with scape and pedicel yellow and postpedicel brown.............................................. 7a 7a Thorax mainly light grey tomentose, mesonotum with two narrow black median lines from front of thorax to level of wing

bases and black lateral patch above each wing base, katepisternum and meron (= hypopleuron) with polished spot. Legs

brownish with coxae, fore and mid femora more yellowish but hind femur and tibia blackish......... C. tomentosus (Smith) – Thorax (including pleurae) mainly shining black. Legs yellowish-brown, somewhat variable, usually rather darker on hind

tarsi................................................................................. C. basalis (Collin)

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 12. Crossopalpus yaekela Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov. 10. Right surstylus; 11. Epandrium with cerci; 12. Left surstylus.