Thinophilus superbus, Grootaert, 2018

Grootaert, Patrick, 2018, Revision of the genus Thinophilus Wahlberg (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Singapore and adjacent regions: A long term study with a prudent reconciliation of a genetic to a classic morphological approach, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 66, pp. 413-473 : 461-464

Thinophilus superbus sp. nov.

(Figs. 51–53)

Material examined. Holotype male, SINGAPORE, Semakau Island , SMN1, mangrove, 3 April 2012 (reg. 29159, Ma0090) . Paratypes: 1 male, Semakau, SMN1, mangrove, 6 September 2012 (reg. 29443, Ma1404); 1 male, Semakau new, SMN1, mangrove, 10 January 2013 (reg. 29677, Ma2334); 2 males, SMN1, mangrove, 7 February 2013 (reg. 29729, Ma3328); 2 males, 6 females, SMN1, mangrove, 14 February 2013 (reg. 29742, Ma3362); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 21 February 2013 (reg. 29755, Ma3382); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 7 March 2013 (reg. 29782, Ma3429); 2 males, 3 females, SMN1, mangrove, 14 March 2013 (reg. 29796, Ma3444); 1 male, 1 female, Semakau new, SMN1, mangrove, 28 March 2013 (reg. 29824, Ma3465); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 18 April 2013 (reg. 29866, Ma4101); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 25 April 2013 (reg. 29890, Ma4039); 3 females, Fig. 51. Thinophilus superbus sp. nov. male habitus.

SMN1, mangrove, 9 May 2013 (reg. 29907, Ma4180); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 23 May 2013 (reg. 29933, Ma4198); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 13 June 2013 (reg. 29972, Ma4244, Mal.); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 25 July 2013 (reg. 30050, Ma5054); 1 male, SMN1, mangrove, 1 August 2013 (reg. 30066, Ma5072); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 7 August 2013 (reg. 30076, Ma5677); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 15 August 2013 (reg. 30089, Ma5088); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 26 September 2013 (reg. 30167, Ma5499); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 10 October 2013 (reg. 30193, Ma6190); 1 male, SMN1, mangrove, 7 February 2014 (reg. 30414, Ma8219); 2 females, SMN1, mangrove, 20 February 2014 (reg. 30440, Ma8228); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 6 March 2014 (reg. 30466, Ma8244); 1 female, SMN1, mangrove, 20 March 2014 (reg. 30492, Ma8265); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 19 April 2012 (reg. 29184, Ma0345); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 7 June 2012 (reg. 29275, Ma1029); 1 male, SMN2, mangrove, 2 August 2012 (reg. 29379, Ma1254); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 16 August 2012 (reg. 29405, Ma1260); 1 male, 2 females, SMN2, mangrove, 23 August 2012 (reg. 29418, Ma1269); 2 females, SMN2, mangrove, 6 September 2012 (reg. 29444, Ma1424); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 20 September 2012 (reg. 29470, Ma1321); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 27- Sep-2012 (reg. 29489, Ma1308); 1 male, SMN2, mangrove, 4 October 2012 (reg. 29496, Ma2632); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 17 January 2013 (reg. 29691, Ma2376); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 14 February 2013 (reg. 29743, Ma3491); 1 female, SMN2, mangrove, 21 February 2013 (reg. 29756, Ma3256); 1 male, SMN2, mangrove, 14 March 2013 (reg. 29797, Ma3569); 1 male, SMN3, mangrove, 24 May 2012 (reg. 29250, Ma0230); 1 male, SMN3, mangrove, 27-Sep- 2012 (reg. 29484, Ma1392); 1 female, SMN3, mangrove, 20 December 2012 (reg. 29640, Ma2009); 1 male, SMN3, mangrove, 21 February 2013 (reg. 29757, Ma3933); 1 female, SMN3, mangrove, 28 February 2013 (reg. 29770, Ma3222); 1 female, SMN3, mangrove, 28 February 2013 (reg. 29770, Ma3552); 1 female, SMN3, mangrove, 19 December 2013 (reg. 30325, Ma7785); 1 male, SMN3, mangrove, 26 December 2013 (reg. 30338, Ma7800); 2 females, SMN3, mangrove, 13 February 2014 (reg. 30429, Ma8387); 1 male, Semakau old, SMO3, mangrove, 4 October 2012 (reg. 29500, Ma2830).

Etymology. The name superbus refers to the beautiful and elegant posture of this species.

Diagnosis. A large species of the spinatus -group with very long slender legs. Antenna completely yellow with an apical arista somewhat sunken in the tip of the postpedicel. No lower postoculars present. Propleura with a black spine-like bristle. All legs in male adorned with femora swollen at base. Mid leg with tarsomere 3 flattened. Hind tibia with a very long black dorsal preapical hair-like bristle as long as tibia is long; hind tarsomere 2 with 3 very long black dorsal bristles near middle. Legs in female not adorned.

Male. (Fig. 51) Body 5.4 mm; wing 4.6 mm.

Fig. 52. Thinophilus superbus sp. nov., male. A, Surstyli ventrally; B, Epandrium and cercus laterally; C, Cerci dorsally. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Head. Frons and face with shining dark metallic green ground colour. Frons slightly concave. Face narrower than width of third antennal segment. Clypeus, sharply delineated from epistoma, protruding. Palpus large, yellow with minute black hairs only near tip. 2 very long, diverging ocellars, more than twice as long as the three antennal segments together; 2 very short, verticals; 2 distinct postverticals. Postoculars black and uniseriate above (5–6), lacking below. Antenna (Fig. 51) completely yellow with an apical arista somewhat sunken in the tip of the postpedicel. Second segment with 2 tiny black dorsal bristles. Arista apical, 3 times as long as antenna, black; basal aristal segment short, brown; apical segment very shortly pubescent. Proboscis elongate, with yellow labella.

Legs yellow but all coxae entirely black.

Fore leg. Coxa with only minute bristles, except for the apicals. Fore femur spindle shaped in basal half, with a tiny black ventral bristle at base. Tibia a little twisted with long posteroventral bristles in apical half and 2 long anteroventral bristles on apical quarter; a row of about 5 spine-like posteroventral bristles on basal third, as long as tibia is wide. Tarsomere 1 longer than following 4 tarsomeres, in basal half with a row of long posteroventral bristles.

Wing long, brown tinged with yellowish brown veins (Fig. 51). Squama white dorsally with a few long pale brown cilia. Haltere white.

Abdomen with a shining green metallic ground-colour. Tergites with short black bristles. Sternite 4 with a bundle of long bristles at sides. Terminalia (Fig. 52). Cerci pale brownish, dorsally fused forming a plate. Phallus rather short. Surstylus with 3 ventral bristles near middle (Fig. 52A, B).

Female. Resembling the slender long legged male, but all femora much slender and only faintly swollen at base. Legs lacking ornamentations. It shares also the presence of a black spine-like propleural bristle.

Remarks. This slender long-legged species with is long snout is quite remarkable in that the male has a very long apical dorsal bristle on the hind tibia and a spine-like black propleural bristle.

Fig. 53. Thinophilus superbus sp. nov.: Phenology during a 2-year survey (MIP).

Mid leg. Coxa with a fine exterior black bristle. Femur strongly club shaped with basal third as wide as base of fore femur, with a bundle of at least 5 white bristle on the basal swelling that are nearly twice as long as femur is wide (not visible on image Fig. 51); apical third of femur very narrow. Tibia 1.5 times as long as mid femur, in apical third with a row of long posteroventral bristles, those near apex of tibia longest with straggling tips. Tarsomere 1 a little shorter than following 4 tarsomeres. Apical half of tarsomere 2 with some longer dorsal bristles. Tarsomere 3 completely flattened with dorsal margin seamed with a double row of strong curved dorsal bristles while ventral margin is seamed with short rather spine like bristles, leaving the anterior and posterior surfaces almost bare except for a single row of fine bristles.

Hind leg. Hind coxa with a long black exterior bristle. Femur spindle shaped in basal half, apical half very narrow. On basal half with a double row of black ventral bristle half as long as femur is wide, the row becomes a single row on the slender part of the femur, the most apical 3 bristles are longer than the femur is wide. a strong preapical anteroventral bristle is present. Hind tibia shorter than hind femur, with a tiny black dorsal bristle on apical third and a very long black dorsal preapical hair-like bristle as long as tibia is long; hind tarsomere 2 with 3 very long black dorsal bristles near middle. Tarsomere 3 somewhat twisted and with a row of long dorsal bristles. The row continues on tarsomeres 4 and 5.

Thorax shining metallic green in ground-colour. 5 rather short dc, becoming longer towards scutellum, the prescutellar is the longest. The row of dc is preceded by 3 minute hairs. Lower propleurals short black but with a conspicuous spine-like bristle anteriorly.

Distribution. Singapore, southern Thailand (Samoh, in litteris).

Bionomics. Thinophilus superbus sp. nov. is only found in front mangroves.

Phenology. Thinophilus superbus sp. nov. is present throughout the year in rather low numbers. However there is a peak of activity in August-September and second peak in February.