Elaphropeza interrupta Grootaert et Shamshev

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 : 31-32

Elaphropeza interrupta Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov.

( Figs. 39–41 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, 3 labelled: D.R. CONGO, Yaekela , 5 May 2010, swamp forest (reg. 30015, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC2); Holotype / Elaphropeza interrupta / Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov. ( RBINS). PARATYPES: 1 3, Yaekela , 7 May 2010, secondary forest (reg. 30021, leg. P. Grootaert; dissected) ( RBINS).

Diagnosis. Species of E. biuncinata -group; recognised by thorax blackish brown, hind femur brownish on apical two-thirds, tergites 3–5 bearing squamiform setae; wing with vein R2+3 angulate, pale on middle part.

Description. Male. Length: body 1.5 mm, wing 1.4 mm. Occiput entirely black, subshining (including vertex); with brownish setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals short. Anterior ocellars long proclinate and cruciate, posterior ocellars short. Frons shining, above antennae about 2.0 times as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel subtriangular, short, about 2.0 times (2.3 times in holotype) longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, nearly 3.5 times (3.4 times in holotype) longer than postpedicel, about 2.0 times (2.1 times in holotype) as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta hardly prominent.

Thorax entirely blackish brown, largely shining, with yellowish setation. Prothoracic episterna with long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal bristle not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals, 1 short postsutural supra-alar, 1 minute postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair minute); acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum evenly covered with short setae, 1 pair of long prescutellars (nearly as long as notopleurals).

Legs quite robust, almost entirely yellow, hind femur brown on apical two-thirds, tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish yellow. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur thickened, with rows of short anteroventral and similar posteroventral setae, 2 long setae near base, and short subapical seta anteriorly. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur slender, with row of short brown anteroventral and row of similar posteroventral spinules, 1 long pale seta near base and 1 long subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules, lacking prominent setae (except subapicals). Hind femur and tibia thickened. Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 3 short erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia lacking prominent setae; apical projection small, rounded, brownish yellow. Tarsi of all legs unmodified, with unmodified setation.

Wing normally developed, finely infuscate, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins mostly yellowish brown, basal section of M1+2 (including short area beyond crossvein bm-cu), crossvein r-m and vein R2+3 on middle part pale; basal section of vein CuA1 thicker than basal section of vein M1+2. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Costal bristle moderately long, brownish. Costal index: 18/28/18. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 angulate, not sclerotised at bend. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 divergent near wing apex, both slightly bowed. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu slightly oblique. Crossvein r-m somewhat beyond middle of cell bm. Halter blackish.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 represented by very narrow undivided brownish stripe; tergite 2 rather narrow, broadly concave dorsally, with unmodified short setae; tergite 3 broadest, with row of squamiform setae posteriorly; tergites 4 and 5 of subequal shape, both narrow, subtriangular viewed laterally, bearing row of squamiform setae posteriorly; tergites 6 and 7 broad, subrectangular viewed laterally, with unmodified setation, tergite 7 bearing short posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites 3–5 broadly divided medially, sternites 6 and 7 subrectangular, both with longer setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 3–4 and 4–5, of complicated structure. Terminalia ( Figs. 39–41 ) rather large, brownish. Cerci separated; right cercus brown, very narrow, digitiform, considerably shorter than left cercus, with several unmodified setae of different lengths; left cercus dark brown, long, narrow; hypoproct not prominent. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella rather subtriangular, with apical part as ( Fig. 39 ) covered with numerous unmodified setae of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with three minute setae apically. Left surstylus see Fig. 41 . Phallus long. One rod-shaped apodeme.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ interrupta ” refers to the pale (un-sclerotized) bend of vein R2+3.

Distribution. D.R. Congo.

Remarks. In having entirely black thorax the new species could be compared with E. oribiensis and E. sinikorensis as it has been discussed in Remarks to E. angulata sp. nov. Among species described from D.R. Congo E. interrupta sp. nov. is most similar to E. excavata sp. nov. and E. furcata sp. nov. The main differences between these species and E. interrupta sp. nov. have been given in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 39 – 41. Elaphropeza interrupta sp. nov. 39. Right epandrial lamella; 40. Epandrium with cerci; 41. Left surstylus.