Griphophanes furcatulus, Grootaert, Patrick & Meuffels, Henk, 2012

Grootaert, Patrick & Meuffels, Henk, 2012, New Griphophanes Grootaert & Meuffels (Diptera, Dolichopodidae, Peloropeodinae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 3478, pp. 570-580 : 571-572

Griphophanes furcatulus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3 , 13 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE 3: MALAYSIA, Endau-Rompin N.P. (2°32'N, 103°24'E; alt. 34 m), stream banks, Sungei 1 in front of visitor centre, tributary Endau river, 13.VII.2001 (reg. 21070, M4, leg. P. Grootaert).

Etymology. The name furcatulus refers to the resemblance with the species G. f u rc a t u s, but furcatulus is smaller than furcatus hence the apophix - ulus.

Diagnosis. No acrostichals. Legs dark brown, with base of femora pale yellow. Mid femur with a row of thin, apically bent pv, all nearly as long as greatest depth of femur. Hind femur ventrally bare. Cerci yellow, long, tapering to their tips, not bent, bearing a black, haired branch near their bases.

Description. Male. Body length 1.8 mm; wing length 1.5 mm. Head. Eyes separated near middle of face for almost width of second antennal segment. Clypeus very small, slightly protruding. Palpus brown, with small, black apical bristle. Rostrum paler brown. Occiput black. Postoculars all black. Antenna dark brown. No distinct dorsal bristle on second antennal segment. Third segment slightly broader than long. Thorax. Mesoscutum and scutellum greenish black, feebly shining. Pleura paler than mesoscutum. No acr. 5 long dc. 1 short black propleural bristle. Legs. Brown, but base of mid and hind femora yellow. Claws on all legs well developed, symmetrical. Fore leg. Coxa anteriorly with short, dark hairs; at apex a few short and weak bristles. Trochanter bare. Femur and tibia without bristles. Mid leg. Coxa anteriorly with few, very short hairs; exteriorly a long bristle. Femur ventrally in apical two-thirds with row of 5–6 black bristles, with curved tip; bristles as long as width of femur; anterior preapical bristle not distinct. Tibia slightly longer than femur; ventrally with 2 bristles with a curved tip (one in basal third and one in apical third), 1 ad and 1 pd at basal fourth; 1 ad and 1 pd near middle and 1 long ventral apical. Hind leg. Coxa with 1 long, black exterior bristle. Trochanter 1 long dorsal. Femur without ventrals and weak preapical. Tibia slightly longer than femur; 2 ad and 2 pd; 1 long, dorsal pre-apical bristle present. Small black denticle present under posteroventral comb. Wing. Brownish tinged. Apical part of Cu 1.5X as long as tp. Halters black. Squamae pale brown, with black border, and 6 long black cilia. Abdomen. Blackish brown above, feebly shining; sterna brownish. Hairs on terga minute, black; hind marginal bristles on first tergum very long; those on following segments shorter. Hypopygium ( Figs. 1–3 ) brownish black, very large. Epandrial lobe pronounced ( Fig. 1 ) with pair of apical epandrial bristles and more basal epandrial bristle on tubercle ( Fig. 2 ). Cerci long, brownish, bifurcate, inner branch small, completely covered with microtrichia; outer branch larger, dorsally covered with microtrichia, laterally broad and without microtrichia. Apex ciliated ( Fig. 3 ). Hypandrium bifurcated, asymmetrical. Female. Unknown.

Remarks. Griphophanes furcatulus is the only Southeast Asian species lacking acrostichal bristles. Hence it can be easily recognised. Remarkable is also that the exterior bristle on mid and hind coxae are equally well developed in this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Griphophanes furcatulus sp. nov. male 1. postabdomen; 2. ventral view of genital capsule; 3. dorsal view of cerci. Scale 0 1. mm.

FIGURES 11 – 14. Griphophanes males: 11. gravicaudatus (Grootaert & Meuffels) habitus (scale 0.5 mm); 12. obscurus sp. nov. abdomen (scale 0.1 mm); 13. furcatulus sp. nov. habitus (scale 0.5 mm); 14. furcatus sp. nov. postabdomen (scale 0.1 mm).