Elaphropeza congoensis, Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2013

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 : 38-40

Elaphropeza congoensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 51–53 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, 3 labelled: D.R. CONGO, Yaekela , 7 May 2010, secondary forest (reg. 30020, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC4); Holotype / Elaphropeza congoensis / Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov. ( RBINS). PARATYPES: D.R. CONGO: 2 3, 3 Ƥ, Yaekela , 2 May 2010, marsh land (reg. 30007, leg. P. Grootaert); 2 Ƥ, Yaekela , 5 May 2010, swamp forest (reg. 30015, leg. P. Grootaert); 1 Ƥ, Yaekela , 5 May 2010, around pools in forest (reg. 30017, leg. P. Grootaert); 4 3, 11 Ƥ, Yaekela , 7 May 2010, secondary forest (reg. 30020, leg. P. Grootaert) + one 3 specimen in tray Congo at AB31515384 extracted for DNA, COI and 18s sequences available at genbank; 1 3, 2 Ƥ, Kona , 13 May 2010, primary swamp forest (reg. 30038, leg. P. Grootaert) + one 3 specimen in tray Congo at AB31516109 extracted for DNA, COI and 18s sequences available at genbank.

Diagnosis. Species of E. ephippiata -group; recognised by yellow thorax, scutum with small brownish subtriangular spot near notopleural area, scutellum, metanotum and metapleuron brown, katepisternum almost entirely brownish; hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal bristles.

Description. Length: body 2.0– 2.3 mm, wing 2.0– 2.1 mm. Male. Occiput entirely black, largely shining; with yellowish setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals small. Anterior ocellars long proclinate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons shining, very narrow, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel and stylus brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel subtriangular, short, nearly 2.5 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, very long, 3.5–4.0 times longer than postpedicel, about 2.5 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, silvery pubescent, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta hardly prominent.

Thorax largely yellow, shining, with yellowish setation; scutum with small brownish subtriangular spot near notopleural area, scutellum, metanotum and metapleuron brown, katepisternum almost entirely brownish (narrowly yellow anteriorly and posteriorly), meron entirely brown, anepimeron brownish yellow anteriorly and brownish posteriorly, anepisternum almost entirely brown (narrowly yellow anteriorly) [viewed laterally, thorax with broad stripe], spiracles brownish. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa, with minute setulae on upper part. Postpronotal seta hardly prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals (posterior longer), 1 short postsutural supra-alar, 1 minute postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute); acrostichals short, arranged in 2 broad rows, rather scattered, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals arranged in 3 irregular rows on anterior half of scutum, uniserial posteriorly, as long as acrostichals, 1 prescutellar pair very long.

Legs long, slender, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur slightly thickened, with hardly prominent rows of anteroventral and posteroventral setulae and long seta near base, no subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with row of minute anteroventral and row of longer posteroventral spinules, 1 long seta near base and 1 long subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules, including 1 thicker subapical, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur with hardly prominent anteroventrals and 3 erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 2 black anterodorsal setae (sometimes 3); apical projection small, rounded, brownish. Tarsi of all legs unmodified, with unmodified setation.

Wing normally developed, finely infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins mostly yellowish brown, basal section of M1+2 and crossvein bm-cu pale; basal section of vein CuA1 thicker than basal section of vein M1+2. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Costal bristle long, brown. Costal index: 46/21/40. Vein Rs nearly as long as crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, both straight. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu slightly oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter blackish.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale yellow; tergites 2–3 brownish, subtriangular viewed laterally, divided medially, with scattered unmodified setae; tergite 4 dark brown, broadest, with squamiform setae; tergite 5 narrow, undivided, with squamiform setae; tergite 6 nearly as wide as tergite 5, divided, with minute unmodified setae; tergite 7 broad, undivided, with long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites 1–3 yellowish, sternites 4–8 yellowish brown, subrectangular, with scattered minute setulae, sternite 8 with long posteromarginal setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5, ampoule-like. Terminalia ( Figs. 51–53 ) rather small, brownish. Cerci separated; right cercus very narrow, weakly sclerotised, digitiform, longer than left cercus, with several unmodified setae of different lengths; left cercus unbranched, short, elongate oval, with several unmodified setae of different lengths; hypoproct prominent, digitiform. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 51 ) subrectangular, somewhat attenuated apically, covered with numerous unmodified setae of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 4 moderately long setae apically. Left surstylus ( Fig. 53 ) large, broadly ovate, with small dorsal subbasal projection bearing 4 strong setae, otherwise with short unmodified setae. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Abdominal gland-like structure not ampoule-like, appearing as narrow, brown structure. Tergite 5 with intermixed unmodified and slightly flattened setae, divided. Segment 8 with separated tergite and sternite. Cercus brownish. Otherwise as in male.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the country of origin D.R. Congo.

Distribution. D.R. Congo.

Remarks. Elaphropeza congoensis sp. nov. is most similar to E. yaekela sp. nov. The main differences between these species have been noted in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 51 – 53. Elaphropeza congoensis sp. nov. 51. Right epandrial lamella; 52. Epandrium with cerci; 53. Left surstylus.