Elaphropeza luanae, Published, 2007

SHAMSHEV, IGOR V. & GROOTAERT, PATRICK, 2007, Revision of the genus Elaphropeza Macquart (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Oriental Region, with a special attention to the fauna of Singapore, Zootaxa 1488 (1), pp. 1-164 : 41-43

Elaphropeza luanae sp. nov.

( Figs. 53–56 )

Diagnosis. Occiput black, postpedicel nearly 2.0 times longer than wide, style about 4.5 times longer than postpedicel; thorax yellow with brownish markings; legs yellow, hind tibia with 1 black curved subapical anteroventral bristle; abdominal tergites 3–5 with squamiform setae.

Description. Male. Body length 2.1–2.3 mm, wing length 1.7–1.8 mm. Occiput black (sometimes yellowish near mouth-opening), subshining, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Anterior ocellars long, procli- nate; posterior ocellars minute. Inner verticals long, outer ones hardly prominent. Frons subshining. Antenna ( Fig. 53 ) brownish yellow. Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel about 2.0 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, about 4.5 times longer than postpedicel and nearly 2.5 times longer than scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded; with scattered brownish yellow setulae, bearing 1 longer and darker subapical seta.

Thorax almost entirely yellow, shining, with brownish bristles; sternopleuron and hypopleuron with brownish patch in lower part, metanotum brownish yellow posteriorly, metapleuron brownish yellow in upper part. Prothoracic episterna with 1 long upturned bristle just above fore coxa and 1 short bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle minute. Mesonotum with 2 notopleural, 1 very short postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellar (inner ones very long, cruciate; outer ones very short) bristles. Acrostichals and dorsocentrals multiserial, uniform (except for 1 pair of long prescutellars), extending to base of scutellum.

Legs wholly yellow, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore and hind femora and tibiae somewhat thickened. Fore femur with rows of short antero- and posteroventral bristles and 2 longer bristles near base. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles. Mid femur with 2 rows of spinule-like, short, ventral bristles (becoming shorter in apical part of femur), 1 long thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with 1 row of black ventral spinules in apical part, lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur bearing 1 row of short anteroventrals and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia with 1 black curved subapical anteroventral bristle; apical projection small, rounded, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, finely uniformly infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins yellowish to brownish yellow. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle long, brownish. Costal index: 27/36/24/11. Vein Rs longer than crossvein bm-cu. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, vein M1+2 somewhat bowed in apical part. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 as fold. Crossvein bm-cu oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter darkened.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 almost entirely pale yellow. Tergite 2 concave on anterior margin. Tergite 3 broadest. Tergite 4 laterally as broad as tergite 2. Tergite 5 very narrow. Tergites 3–5 with squamiform setae. Tergite 6 and 7 of subequal width, paler than preceding tergites, tergite 6 lacking prominent posteromarginal bristles, tergite 7 with long posteromarginal bristles. Sternites 3–5 divided. Gland-like structures present between tergites 3–4 and 4–5.

Terminalia ( Figs. 54–56 ) large, brownish yellow, surstyli brown. Cerci separated; left cercus unbranched, rather short, broadened at apex and curved toward right epandrial lamella, with several moderately long bristles, lacking spines; right cercus short, narrow, with few moderately long bristles, lacking spines. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella with numerous long bristles. Right surstylus strongly prominent, as in Fig. 55 , with short bristles only. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 3 long and few short bristles apically. Left surstylus with upper lobe large, subglobular, with long marginal bristles. Hypandrium with 2 long bristles. Phallus very long, double spiral. One rod-shaped apodeme.

Female. Body length 2.1 mm, wing length 1.7 mm. Mid tibia lacking spinules. Abdominal segment 8 short, broad, strongly sclerotised, brownish yellow, with sclerites fused antero-laterally; sternite 8 not folded apically. Cercus yellow. Otherwise as in male.

Material examined: Holotype male labelled: SINGAPORE, Seletar , 2 November 2005, swamp forest, sweeping (reg. 25410, leg. PG, E-27).

Paratypes: 2 ♂♂, SINGAPORE, Chek Jawa , 21 September 2005, mangrove, sweeping (reg. 25356, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Nee Soon , 24 March 2005, swamp forest, Mal 3 (reg. 25030, leg. PG) ; 1 ♀, Nee Soon , 7 September 2005, swamp forest, Mal 2 (reg. 25332, leg. PG) .

Derivatio nominis. The species is named after Dr. Luan Keng of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research.

Distribution and bionomics. Singapore. Swamp forest and mangrove.

Singapore. This is a rare species that was only recorded four times (total of 4 males and 1 female). Every time it was recorded it was in very wet conditions .

Remarks. Elaphropeza luanae sp. nov. apparently belongs to a monophyletic lineage of Elaphropeza sharing curved subapical bristles on the hind tibia. Within this lineage the new species is closely related to E. spiralis sp. nov., E. yangi sp. nov., E. murphyi sp. nov., E. flavicaput sp. nov. and E. monacantha sp. nov. based on having a very long phallus coiled in a peculiar double spiral. Otherwise, the relationships of E. luanae sp. nov. have not been resolved. The main distinguishing features of E. luanae sp. nov. are indicated in the diagnosis given above and in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 53–56. Elaphropeza luanae sp. nov. 53. antenna. 54. epandrium with cerci. 55. right surstylus. 56. left surstylus.