Elaphropeza leponcei, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2014

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

Elaphropeza leponcei sp. nov.

( Figs 18–20)

ETYMOLOGY. This species is dedicated to Dr. Ir. Maurice Leponce (RBINS) long­time friend and great companion in several expeditions.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype, ♂: D. R. CONGO, Kinshasa, 3 June 2012 (Park, Hotel Invest Presse), (reg. 32001, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC28) ( RBINS). Mid leg in tray Congo 2 at E3 with barcode AB42405541was extracted for DNA and a COI barcode is available at GenBank.

DIAGNOSIS. Species of E. biuncinata group. Thorax yellow but scutellum, postnotum and meron brown. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle. Halter yellow.

DESCRIPTION.

Male. Occiput entirely black, densely pollinose (including vertex); with yellowish brown to yellow setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals short. Anterior ocellars long proclinate and cruciate, posterior ocellars short. Frons shining, rather 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, 2.0 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, 4.0 times longer than postpedicel, 2.2 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis yellow, labrum brown apically. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered dark setulae, subapical seta thin, moderately long.

Thorax almost entirely reddish yellow, scutellum, postnotum and meron (= hypopleuron) brown; longer setae brownish. Prothoracic episterna with long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 long notopleurals, 1 short postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair long, cruciate; lateral pair very short); acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum entirely covered with uniform setulae, 1 pair of long prescutellars (nearly as long as notopleurals).

Legs quite robust, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish. Coxae and trochanters with ordinary setae. Fore femur thickened, with rows of minute anteroventral and somewhat longer posteroventral setae, 2 long setae near base, and short subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent setae (except circlet of subapicals). Mid femur slender, with row of very short yellowish anteroventrals, row of stronger and longer posteroventrals, 1 long dark seta near base and 1 short subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur and tibia somewhat thickened. Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 3 short erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta; apical projection rather large, truncate, brownish yellow. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, finely uniformly infuscate. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Costal seta moderately long, brownish. Costal index: 25/24/21. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm­cu. R 1 of uniform thickness throughout. Vein R 2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, both slightly bowed. Crossvein bm­cu oblique. Crossvein r­m near middle of cell bm. Halter yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 represented by very small narrow lateral stripes; tergite 2 broadly concave anteriorly, with unmodified short setae, subtriangular viewed laterally; tergites 3–7 subrectangular; tergite 3 broadest, tergites 4–5 rather narrow, of subequal width; tergites 3–5 brown, with squamiform setae; tergites 6 and 7 brownish yellow, with unmodified setation; tergite 7 with short posteromarginal setae. Sternites 3–4 divided medially. Gland­like structures present between tergites 3–4 (ampoule­like) and 4–5 (plate­like). Terminalia ( Figs 18–20) rather small, largely brown, right epandrial lamella at base and left epandrial lamella yellow. Cerci separated. Right cercus very narrow, rather long, with ordinary setae. Left cercus long strap­shaped with truncate tip, right corner pointed, with ordinary setae. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella elongate ovate, covered with numerous ordinary setae. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 1 long and 2 short setae apically; left surstylus rather subtriangular, moderately large, with 2 long submarginal setae on dorsal part and several shorter setae along ventral margin closer to base. One rod­shaped apodeme.

Length (mm). Body 1.9, wing 1.5.

Female unknown.

COMPARISON. In having the hind tibia with an anterodorsal bristle and yellow halter the new species is similar to E. dudui sp. nov. described above. However, in E. leponcei sp. nov. the scutellum is yellow (cf. brown in E. dudui sp. nov.).

DISTRIBUTION. D. R. Congo.