Griphophanes congoensis, Ya, Igor, 2010

Ya, Igor, 2010, Discovery of Griphophanes Grootaert & Meuffels and Nepalomyia Hollis in the Afrotropical Region with a key to Afrotropical genera of Peloropeodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), Zootaxa 2668, pp. 1-20 : 2-5

Griphophanes congoensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1−8 )

Diagnosis. Having biseriate acrostichals and 6 dorsocentrals, the new species is related to Griphophanes garambaensis sp. nov., differing from the latter in the apical part of wing vein CuA1 is 1.5 times longer than dm-cu and short male segment 7 (see below). Griphophanes congoensis has setose abdominal segments 6 and 8 and glabrous segment 7 (all these are setose in G. gravicaudatus and all segments are devoid of setae in G. garambaensis ).

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3, [ DR Congo:] Congo Belge, P.N.G. [Parc National de la Garamba], Miss. H. De Saeger, Mt Moyo, 29.VII.1952, H. De Saeger, 3844 [ RMCA].

Etymology. The species is named for the country of origin.

Description. Male: Head: Frons and face with black ground colour; frons brownish pollinose; face whitish pollinose. One vertical seta at upper corner of frons; one hair-like postvertical seta positioned behind vertical seta; ocellar setae broken; two short fine postocellars; postocular setae all blackish, slightly increasing in length downward. Eyes haired. Face under antennae 1.5 times as wide as height of postpedicel, slightly narrowing towards clypeus. Antenna black, slightly longer than head height. Scape small, vase-like; pedicel larger, globular, with ring of short setulae and 1-2 elongate apicodorsal setae; postpedicel triangular, as long as high at base, densely setose; stylus middorsal, 3 times as long as main segments of antenna combined, pubescent, with short thick segment 1 and filiform segment 2. Ratio of lengths of scape to pedicel to postpedicel to stylomere 1 to stylomere: 2, 2/3/ 5/3/40. Palpus and proboscis small, blackish-brown, palpus oval, with black seta and dark pubescence.

Thorax: Bluish-black, grey pollinose, with dark bristles (mostly broken); mesonotum flattened posteriorly. Six (2 presutural and 4 postsutural) dorsocentrals, with 6th seta shifted towards lateral margin; short acrostichals in two irregular rows; scutellum with one pair of strong setae and one pair of lateral setae (broken). Upper propleuron without setae; proepisternum with 1 strong seta. Legs: Blackish brown with knees light brown. All tarsi simple, with segment 5 flattened dorso-ventrally, with well developed pulvilli and claws. Fore and mid coxae with dark anterior and apical setae; hind coxa with 1 dark seta at middle. Fore leg without strong setae; fore femur ventrally, fore tibia dorsally and ventrally, fore tarsus dorsally and laterally with rows of elongate setulae, nearly as long as diameter of corresponding podomeres. Length ratio of fore tibia to tarsus (segments from first to fifth): 45/20/9 /7/5/8. Mid femur simple, bearing 1 strong but short anterior subapical bristle and 2 rows of ventral setulae, half as long as width of femur; mid tibia simple, with 1 anterodorsal and 1 posterodorsal setae at basal third and 3 apical setae; no ventral setae; mid tarsus simple; segments 1–4 each with short apical spinules; segments 4–5 with elongate setulae. Length ratio of mid tibia to tarsus (segments from first to fifth): 63/ 26/13/9 /6/7. Hind femur with 1 anterior subapical bristle (broken), with elongate dorsal setulae in basal half; hind tibia simple, with dorsal row of 8 short setae and with strong subapical dorsal bristle, as long as hind basitarsus; hind basitarsus with 1 short apicoventral seta, with very small basal tooth posteriorly. Length ratio of hind tibia to tarsus (segments from first to fifth): 68/18/ 17/11/7 /8. Wing: Greyish except hyaline posterior basal corner, veins brown. Costa simple, with simple costal setulae reaching R2+3. Ratio of part of costa between R2+3 and R4+5 to that between R4+5 and M1+2: 18/15. R2+3 and R4+5 slightly divergent towards wing apex; R4+5 and M1+2 slightly convex anteriorly, parallel in distal half. Ratio of apical to basal part of M1+2: 80/55. Ratio of dm-cu to apical part of CuA1: 16/25. Anal vein distinct, not reaching wing margin; anal lobe well developed. Lower calypter small, brown, with black setae. Halter knob yellow.

Abdomen: Black, cylindrical, 1/4 longer than thorax, with black setulae and marginal setae, longish on tergum 1; tergum 6 setose; sterna invisible; sterna 5 and 6 weakly sclerotized. Segment 7 glabrous, as long as tergum 6, with tergum and sternum distinct; segment 8 black, large, setose, with ventral inverted “Y” shaped sclerotized corner; hypopygium black, with brown cercus; epandrium ovoid, asymmetrical, longer than high, convex ventrally in middle, somewhat expanding distad; foramen lateral, positioned in basal half of epandrium; hypandrium fused with epandrium at base with strongly sclerotized ring, long, cylindrical, with large hook distally; phallus thin and long, concealed within hypandrium; epandrial lobes asymmetrical; left lobe strongly projected distad, flat, bearing strong apicoventral seta and small pedunculate dorsal seta; right epandrial lobe divided into two strong unequal hooks directed inside, with 1 seta on distal hook, with 1 pedunculate seta before and behind the lobe; surstylus symmetrical, adjacent to cerci, with dorsal arm half as long as hooked ventral one, finger-like, with strong dorsal seta andfew minute hairs at apex; ventral arm of surstylus angular at middle, pointed apically, with 1 strong middorsal seta, few minute hairs at apex and very short but thick apical seta; cercus small, rounded, much shorter than surstylus, regularly covered with long setae and microscopic pubescence.

Measurements (mm): Body length 2.4, antenna length 0.7, wing length 2.5, wing width 1.0, hypopygium length 0.5. Female. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Griphophanes congoensis sp. nov.