Elaphropeza temasek, 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 : 59-61

Elaphropeza temasek sp. nov.

( Figs. 85–88 )

Diagnosis. Rather large species with entirely black thorax; postpedicel 4.0–4.5 times longer than wide, antenna wholly brown; acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles few in number; legs almost entirely brownish yellow, mid and hind tibiae lacking anterodorsal bristles; tergites 4 and 5 with squamiform setae.

Description. Male. Body length 2.2–2.3 mm, wing length 2.0– 2.1 mm. Head black, occiput shining, with pale setation. Eye with posterior margin very slightly concave. Anterior ocellars rather short, proclinate; posterior ocellars minute. One pair of inclinate verticals. Frons shining. Antenna ( Fig. 85 ) wholly brown. Pedicel with circlet of equally minute setulae. Postpedicel 4.0–4.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, nearly 1.5 times longer than postpedicel and as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Pro- boscis brownish yellow. Palpus pale yellow, large, rounded; with scattered yellow setulae, including 1 longer subapical.

Thorax entirely black, largely shining, with yellow to brownish yellow (larger bristles) setation; scutum on prescutellar depression, in anterior part laterally and narrowly along margin (including notopleural depression), scutellum, metanotum and metapleuron tomentose. Proepisternum lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with 1 short bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle minute. Mesonotum with 1 very short presutural supra-alar, 2 notopleural (posterior one longer), 1 short postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellar (apical ones very long, cruciate; lateral ones very short) bristles. Acrostichals and dorsocentrals convergent, mostly of subequal length (except for 1 pair of long prescutellar dorsocentrals), hardly separated; the former 2-serial, numerous, lacking on prescutellar depression; the latter irregularly 2-serial, with additional setulae in anterior part.

Legs almost entirely brownish yellow, femora somewhat paler in basal part (especially hind femur), tarsomeres 2–3 of all legs darker. Fore femur somewhat thickened, with rows of hardly prominent antero- and posteroventral bristles and 1 long bristle near base. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur slender, with 2 rows of brownish yellow, spinule-like, short, ventral bristles, 1 long yellow thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with 1 row of black ventral spinules along the whole length. Hind femur slender, bearing 1 row of short anteroventrals and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia somewhat thickened, with ordinary inconspicuous setation; apical projection small, covered with dense brown setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, finely uniformly brownish infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins largely brownish. Costal vein with short setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle short, brownish yellow. Costal index: 58/27/44/14. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, both straight. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Crossvein bm-cu somewhat oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Halter yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 entirely pale yellow. Tergites 2 and 3 largely pale yellow, with small brownish space on each side; bearing dorsal, black, minute setulae sitting on brown dots. Tergite 4 broad, dark brown, with squamiform setae laterally. Tergite 5 concolorous with tergite 4, narrow, with squamiform setae laterally. Tergite 6 narrowly divided along midline, with unmodified setae; Tergite 7 unmodified, with moderately long posteromarginal bristles. Sternites narrow, brownish, bearing scattered inconspicuous setation. Gland-like structures present between tergites 4 and 5.

Terminalia ( Figs 86–88 ) dark brown, small. Left and right cercus unbranched, digitiform, short, covered with bristles of different lengths, lacking spines. Subepandrial lobe prolonged. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella subrectangular, covered with numerous bristles of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 4 long bristles apically. Left surstylus with upper lobe large, subrectangular, with numerous bristles of different lengths. Hypandrium with 3 bristles. Phallus very short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined: Holotype male labelled: SINGAPORE, Sungei Buloh , 11 May 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25159, leg. PG, E-01).

Paratypes: SINGAPORE: 1 ♂, Sungei Buloh , 18 May 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25162, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Sungei Buloh , 7 September 2005, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 25336, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Sungei Buloh , 3 December 2005, mangrove, Mal 2 (reg. 25440, leg. PG) ; 1 ♂, Sungei Buloh , 4 January 2006, mangrove, Mal 1 (reg. 26007, leg. PG) .

Derivatio nominis. The word temasek means city by the sea, being the ancient name for Singapore.

Distribution. Singapore. Mangrove species.

Singapore: Elaphropeza temasek sp. nov. is exclusively observed in the mangrove of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It is rare (5 records only) and only known from the male sex. It is active throughout the year and due to its rarity no peak activity is observed.

Remarks. In having a prolonged subepandrial lobe E. temasek sp. nov. is likely to be closely related to E. bezzii sp. nov. and E. ephippiata .

Figures

FIGURES 85–88. Elaphropeza temasek sp. nov. 85. antenna. 86. epandrium with cerci. 87. right epandrial lamella. 88. left surstylus.