Elaphropeza gohae, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor V., 2012, The fast-running flies (Diptera, Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) of Singapore and adjacent regions, European Journal of Taxonomy 5, pp. 1-162 : 93-95

Elaphropeza gohae sp. nov.

Figs 140-143

Diagnosis

Antennal stylus 1.5 times as long as postpedicel; acrostichals 4-serial anteriorly, lacking on prescutellar depression; metanotum yellow. Male: right epandrial lamella conical, without black spines; fore tibia with black subapical spine-like seta anteriorly.

Description

Male LENGTH. Body 2.1-2.3, wing 1.9-2.0 mm.

OCCIPUT. Black. Anterior ocellars long, proclinate and cruciate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals long, outer verticals somewhat shorter. Antenna ( Fig. 140 ) with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel brownish in apical part and yellowish basally (extend of yellow variable, but no more than half of postpedicel). Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel nearly 4.0 times longer than wide. Stylus normally pubescent, brown, about 1.5 times as long as postpedicel and nearly 1.5 times shorter than scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded.

THORAX. Entirely yellow. Prothoracic episternum lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 1 very short seta in upper part. Postpronotal bristle not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 equally long notopleurals, 1 somewhat shorter postsutural supra-alar, 1 long postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute). Acrostichals arranged in 4 irregular rows anteriorly but 2-serial posteriorly, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals arranged in 2-3 irregular rows anteriorly, becoming 1-serial toward scutellum, 2 prescutellar pairs long (posterior pair longer, nearly as long as apical scutellars).

LEGS. Almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs black. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur somewhat thickened, with rows of short anteroventral and posteroventral bristles, 2 longer pale setae near base. Fore tibia with subapical black spine-like seta anteriorly, otherwise lacking prominent bristles. Mid femur with rows of spinule-like, short ventral setae. Mid tibia with hardly prominent ventral spinules, bearing subapical, black claw-like spine, lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur with row of short anteroventral setae and about 4 short, erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia bearing 1 anterodorsal bristle, with slightly prominent, rounded apical projection. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

WING. Uniformly finely infuscate. Basal costal bristle moderately long, brownish yellow. Costal index: 45/28/22/14. R 4+5 and M 1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, both straight. Crossvein bmcu transverse. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Calypter brownish yellow, with several long concolorous setae. Halter pale yellow.

ABDOMEN. Tergite 1 entirely pale yellow. Tergites 2 and 3 brownish, of subequal width in dorsal view, deeply concave anteriorly and divided along midline; with unmodified setation. Tergite 4 broadest, dark brown, subshining, with slightly flattened setae. Tergite 5 very narrow, concolorous with tergite 4, bearing squamiform setae. Tergites 6 and 7 brownish yellow, with moderately long posteromarginal setae. Segment 8 with several short unmodified setae.

TERMINALIA. Rather large, left surstylus brownish, right epandrial lamella yellowish brown apically and yellow basally ( Figs 141-143 ). Cerci almost entirely fused; right cercus short, slightly prominent,

with several short setae, lacking spines; left cercus ( Fig. 142 ) longer than right cercus, digitiform, with additional lobe internally, bearing several setae of different lengths, lacking spines. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella conical, broadly rounded apically, covered with numerous moderately long setae longer along ventral margin, lacking spines. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 1 moderately long seta apically. Left surstylus ( Fig. 143 ) with upper lobe large, broadly ovate, with scattered setulae on outer face but bearing some moderately long setae on inner face and several short strong setae near base dorsally. Hypandrium with 2 long setae apically. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes present.

Female

Similar to male but fore and mid tibiae with unmodified setation. Abdominal segments 6 and 7 with minute setulae; segment 8 unmodified, brownish, with scattered short setae. Cercus narrow, brownish.

Material examined

Holotype ♂ SINGAPORE: Semakau (SMK03), 3 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29142, leg. P.G.; in ZRC).

Paratypes

SINGAPORE: 1 ♂, Semakau (SMK02), 3 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29141, leg. P.G.); 4 ♀♀, Semakau (SMK03), 3 June 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29142, leg. P.G.); 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, Semakau (SMK05), 13 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29068, leg. P.G.); 1 ♂, Semakau (SMK02), 20 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29088, leg. P.G.); 2 ♂♂, Semakau (SMK05), 20 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29091, leg. P.G.); 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Semakau (SMK05), 27 May 2009, mangrove, Mal. (reg. 29119, leg. P.G.).

Etymology

The species is dedicated to Ms. Linda Goh responsible for the cell Marine biology at the National Biodiversity Centre at NParks. She also helped with great enthusiasm during fieldwork.

Distribution

Singapore.

Habitat and seasonal occurrence

This species occurs in mangroves, with collection records from May and June.

Remarks

The new species belongs to a difficult complex of species that also includes two species listed above, E. malayensis and E. furca . The main differences between these species are given in the key.

Figures

Figs 140-143. Elaphropeza gohae sp. nov., ♂. 140. postpedicel and stylus of antenna, lateral view. 141. right epandrial lamella and cerci, lateral view. 142. epandrium with cerci, dorsal view. 143. left surstylus, lateral view.