Elaphropeza incerta, Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2013

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2013, The flies of the family Hybotidae (Diptera, Empidoidea) collected during the Boyekoli Ebale Congo 2010 Expedition in Democratic Republic of Congo, Zootaxa 3603 (1), pp. 1-61 : 41

Elaphropeza incerta sp. nov.

Material examined: HOLOTYPE, Ƥ labelled: D.R. CONGO, Yaekela , 7 May 2010, secondary forest (reg. 30020, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC16); Holotype / Elaphropeza incerta / Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov. Hind leg of this female in tray Congo at AB31516101 extracted for DNA, COI sequence available at genbank ( RBINS).

Diagnosis. Species of E. ephippiata -group; thorax yellow, scutum with brownish subtriangular spot above wing on each side, scutellum and metanotum brown; legs yellow, hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal bristles; halter blackish; only abdominal tergite 4 with squamiform setae.

Female. Wing 2.8 mm. Occiput black; inner verticals and anterior ocellars long. Frons dull, above antennae about as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with brownish yellow basal segments, postpedicel and stylus brownish; postpedicel subtriangular, short, 2.2 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, 4.0 times longer than postpedicel. Proboscis yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta short, thin.

Thorax yellow, with brown setation; scutum with brownish subtriangular spot above wing on each side, scutellum and metanotum brown. Pleura yellow, border with coxae narrowly brown; metapleuron yellow. Acrostichals arranged in 2 broad rows; dorsocentrals 1–2-serial, 1 pair of prescutellars long.

Legs almost uniformly yellow, only apical tarsomeres brownish yellow. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules. Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae.

Wing uniformly finely infuscate. Costal index: 63/35/44. Vein R2+3 almost straight, uniformly sclerotised. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 somewhat divergent near wing apex, both slightly bowed. Crossvein bm-cu oblique. Crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Halter blackish.

Abdominal tergite 4 with numerous squamiform setae; tergite 5 without squamiform setae, apart of some weakly flattened setae; gland-like structure between tergites 4–5. Cercus yellowish brown.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ incerta ” refers to male specimens being unknown. Distribution. D.R. Congo.

Remarks. Among species described from D.R. Congo E. incerta sp. nov. is most similar to E. monoseta sp. nov. The main differences between these species have been noted in the key. Also, the new species could be compared with E. secunda Smith, 1969 known from South Africa, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. However, E. incerta sp. nov. primarily differs from E. secunda in having a black halter.