Elaphropeza Macquart, 1827

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2014, New Tachydromiinae (Diptera: Empidoidea: Hybotidae) from different types of forests along the Congo river (D. R. of the Congo), Belgian Journal of Entomology 18, pp. 1-34 : 1-34

Genus Elaphropeza Macquart, 1827

REMARKS. Elaphropeza is the second largest genus of Tachydromiinae after Platypalpus and the largest among Drapetini genera. It has a circumtropical distribution and currently includes 212 named species worldwide. In the Afrotropics Elaphropeza remains poorly studied with only 40 known species (excluding the 11 new species described here) ( GROOTAERT & SHAMSHEV, 2013). However, it is evident from the large amount of material from different parts of the Afrotropics which we have seen, but which cannot be treated here, that this group is very diverse in this region and many new species await description. We describe here 11 new species from the D. R. Congo and, thus, we increase the number of Afrotropical species of Elaphropeza to 51. SHAMSHEV & GROOTAERT (2007) arranged all species of Elaphropeza into two informal species groups, namely the E. ephippiata and E. biuncinata groups, keyed below. We follow that subdivision here again.

Updated key to species of Elaphropeza from D. R. Congo

1.

– Proepisternum with long upturned bristle just above fore coxa. Abdominal tergite 3 with numerous squamiform setae ( E. biuncinata ­ group)........................................................................................2 Proepisternum bare just above fore coxa. Abdominal tergite 3 with unmodified setae, lacking squamiform setae [when scattered, slightly flattened setae present on tergite 3 then tergite 4 broadest, E. aseta sp. nov. and E. pachystylus sp. nov.] ( E. ephippiata ­ group)............................ 15 2. Thorax largely yellow to reddish yellow .........................................................................................3 – Thorax entirely black to blackish brown........................................................................................ 10 3. – Hind tibia lacking anterodorsal bristles............................................................................................4 Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle...............................................................................................6 4. – Scutellum with brown mark.................................................................................... E. wetsii sp. nov. Scutellum entirely reddish yellow....................................................................................................5 5.

– Head black though paler around mouth. Antenna with stylus black; postpedicel about 1.5 times as long as wide. Katepisternum and meron entirely yellow. Male: left cercus strap­like, truncate apically, with short setae................................................................ E. baeloi Grootaert & Shamshev Head yellowish with brown mark on occiput. Antenna with stylus white; postpedicel about 3 times longer than wide. Katepisternum and meron brownish on lower part. Male: left cercus narrowed on apical half, pointed, with 4 very long setae on right side ............................. E. albistylus sp. nov.

6. –

Scutellum, postnotum and meron brown ............................................................ E. leponcei sp. nov. At least scutellum yellow.................................................................................................................7 7.

–

Halter yellow. Postnotum brown, meron with brownish markings. Legs with tarsomeres 5 brownish ................................................................................................................. E. dudui sp. nov. Halter brown to black. Different combination of characters ............................................................8 8.

– Scutum with indistinct brownish mark laterally at anterior margin; metapleuron yellowish brown. Male: left cercus branched apically, with strong subapical seta. Halter blackish............................... ........................................................................................................... E. mai Grootaert & Shamshev Scutum uniformly reddish yellow; metapleuron yellow ..................................................................9 9.

–

Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel brownish. Larger, body 2.8 mm. Male: left cercus narrow at base but otherwise strongly broadened .................................. E. verheyeni sp. nov. Antenna brownish yellow. Smaller, body 1.6 mm. Male: left cercus digitiform................................ ....................................................................................................... E. zamba Grootaert & Shamshev

10. Hind femur entirely yellow........................................................ E. angulata Grootaert & Shamshev – Hind femur blackish brown apically..............................................................................................11

11. Hind femur blackish brown on apical 2/3...................................................................................... 12 – Hind femur blackish brown on apical 1/2 ...................................................................................... 13

12. Wing with vein R 2+3 evenly bowed, uniformly sclerotized ......... E. moyindo Grootaert & Shamshev – Wing with vein R 2+3 angulate, pale on middle part .................. E. interrupta Grootaert & Shamshev

13. Wing somewhat deeper infuscate near base of veins R 2+3 and R 4+5, with vein R 2+3 angulate.............

................................................................................................... E. infuscata Grootaert & Shamshev – Wing uniformly finely infuscate, with vein R 2+3 evenly bowed.....................................................14

14. Abdominal tergite 7 broadly deeply concave dorsally, bearing minute posteromarginal setae .......... ................................................................................................... E. excavata Grootaert & Shamshev

– Abdominal tergite 7 subrectangular, bearing moderately long posteromarginal setae. Male: left surstylus furcate............................................................................ E. furcate Grootaert & Shamshev

15. Thorax largely or entirely brown to black (when scutum broadly yellow anteriorly, the species included here, a colour form of E. pulchra sp. nov.)...................................................................... 16 – Thorax yellow to reddish yellow, at most with brownish markings...............................................20

16. Halter entirely yellow .................................................................................................................... 17 – Halter at least with blackish knob ..................................................................................................18

17. Fore tibia brownish......................................................................................... E. ghesquierei Collart – Fore tibia yellow............................................................................................ E. pachystylus sp. nov.

18. Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae. Antenna brownish, postpedicel about 2.5 times as long as wide. Thorax with prothoracic sclerites, anterior corners of scutum, postalar tubercle and katepisternum anteriorly yellow, otherwise dark brown; acrostichals biserial, clearly separated from 1–2­ serial dorsocentrals .................................................................................. E. elasii sp. nov.

– Hind tibia without anterodorsal setae. Different combination of characters ..................................19

19. Postpedicel short, about 2.5 times as long wide. Antenna brownish. Thorax with prothoracic sclerites, anterior corners of scutum and katepisternum anteriorly yellow, otherwise dark brown; acrostichals 2–3­ serial, clearly separated from 1–2­ serial dorsocentrals.............. E. pulchra sp. nov.

– Postpedicel long, about 4.0 times as long as wide. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel brownish. Thorax entirely black; acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum entirely covered with uniform setulae, except 1 pair of long prescutellars ............................ ................................................................................................................................. E. aseta sp. nov.

20. Hind tibia without anterodorsal setae, entirely black. Abdominal tergites lacking squamiform setae ......................................................................................................... E. nuda Grootaert & Shamshev

– Hind tibia with anterodorsal bristle(s), yellow. At least abdominal tergite 4 with squamiform setae .......................................................................................................................................................21

21. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle.............................................................................................22

– Hind tibia with 2–3 anterodorsal bristles .......................................................................................23 [In E. monoseta the number of anterodorsal bristles on the hind tibia varies (1–3 but usually 2) and it is included in both sections of the couplet.]

22. Scutum on each side with brownish subtriangular mark extending from level of anterior notopleural bristle to base of scutellum and narrowly connecting along base of scutellum ............... .................................................................................................. E. monoseta Grootaert & Shamshev

– Scutum entirely yellow ................................................................................... E. asquamata sp. nov.

23. Hind tibia with 3 anterodorsal and 1 dorsal bristles ....................................................................... 24 – Hind tibia with only 2–3 anterodorsal bristles ...............................................................................25

24. Postnotum brownish, metapleuron yellow .............................. E. laudisoitae Grootaert & Shamshev – Postnotum yellow, metapleuron brownish on upper ......................... E. kona Grootaert & Shamshev

25. Thorax entirely yellow...................................................................................................................26 – Thorax with brown markings......................................................................................................... 27

26. Hind tibia with 3 anterodorsal bristles. Halter blackish ................ E. motane Grootaert & Shamshev – Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal bristles. Halter with brown knob and yellow stem.............................

............................................................................................................................... E. plagiata Bezzi

27. Hind tibia with 3 anterodorsal bristles; hind femur yellow. Scutum with brownish mark above wing on each side; scutellum and metapleuron brownish; anepisternum brownish posteriorly ......... .................................................................................................. E. monoseta Grootaert & Shamshev

– Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal bristles ...........................................................................................28

28. Scutum and scutellum uniformly yellow to reddish yellow .......................................................... 29 – Scutum with more or less distinct brownish mark above wing on each side; scutellum yellowish brown to brown..............................................................................................................................30

29. Thoracic pleura with anepisternum on posterior half, anepimeron and metapleuron on upper part brownish ...................................................................................................... E. kinshasensis sp. nov. – Thoracic pleura only with anepimeron brownish......................... E. juakalyi Grootaert & Shamshev

30. Hind femur brownish on apical 1/3. Thoracic pleura almost entirely dark brown, only katepisternum narrowly yellow anteriorly............................................. E. yaekela Grootaert & Shamshev – Hind femur entirely yellow. Thoracic pleura brown marked .........................................................31

31. Metapleuron yellow. Tergite 5 without squamiform setae. Larger, about 4 mm ................................ ...................................................................................................... E. incerta Grootaert & Shamshev

– Metapleuron yellowish brown to brown. Tergite 5 with squamiform setae. Smaller, 2–2.5 mm ....... .......................................................................................................................................................32

32. Thoracic pleura viewed laterally with two broad, dark brown vertical stripes...................................

................................................................................................ E. congoensis Grootaert & Shamshev – Thoracic pleura with different pattern ...................................... E. monoseta Grootaert & Shamshev