Elaphropeza lineola de Meijere, 1911

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 : 127-128

Elaphropeza lineola de Meijere, 1911

Elaphropeza lineola de Meijere, 1911: 331 (female).

Re-description. Female. Wing length 2.0 mm. Head with occiput black, subshining, finely greyish pollinose. Anterior ocellars long, proclinate; posterior ocellars short. Inner verticals long, outer ones short. Antenna brown. Pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae. Postpedicel 2.5 times longer than wide. Style normally pubescent, brown, 4.3 times longer than postpedicel and 2.7 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Gena not produced below eye. Palpus small, yellow.

Thorax yellow, with distinct markings, shining, with yellow to brownish yellow bristles; scutum with median vitta disappearing before prescutellar depression and elongate oval spot on each side, scutellum in middle and metapleuron in upper part brown. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned bristle just above fore coxa, with short bristle in upper part. Postpronotal bristle moderately long. Mesonotum with 2 notopleural, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellar (inner ones very long, cruciate; outer ones very short) bristles. Acrostichal bristles 2-serial, lacking on prescutellar depression; dorsocentrals 1-serial, extending to base of scutellum, prescutellar pair long.

Legs long, slender, entirely yellow, with yellow to brownish yellow setation. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setation. Fore femur with rows of short antero- and posteroventral bristles and 2 longer bristles near base. Fore tibia lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Mid femur with 2 rows of spinule-like, short, ventral bristles (becoming shorter in apical part of femur), 1 long thin bristle near base and 1 anterior subapical bristle. Mid tibia with black ventral spinules in apical part, lacking prominent bristles (except subapicals). Hind femur bearing 1 row of short anteroventrals and 3–4 erect dorsal bristles near base. Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal bristles in middle part; apical projection hardly prominent, rounded, clothed in dense brownish setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

Wing normally developed, hyaline, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins yellowish to brownish yellow. Costal vein with moderately long setulae along anterior margin. Basal costal bristle moderately long, brownish. Costal index: 72/21/61/14. Vein Rs longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R2+3 smoothly arched. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, slightly bowed. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 present as fold. Crossvein bm-cu almost transverse. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter yellow.

Abdomen shrunken in apical half but tergites 1–3 and 6–7 are apparently paler. Tergites 4 and 5 dark brown, both with squamiform setae. Segment 8 and cercus brownish.

Male. Unknown.

Type material examined. Holotype female labelled: [red label] Elaphropeza / lineola / de Meijere, 1911 / ZMAN type DIPT.0484.1; Elaphropeza / lineola [hand-written] / det. de Meijere / Type [hand-written]; Java V.1909 / Salatiga / Doct. v. Leeuwen ( ZMAN).

De Meijere (1911) described this species from a single female that is deposited in the ZMAN. Currently, the holotype is in good condition .

Distribution. Indonesia (Java).

Remarks. The relationships of E. lineola are unclear beyond inclusion within the E. ephippiata species group. Elaphropeza lineola is very similar to E. scutellaris (as indicated in the key). The latter species appears to be quite variable and the distinguishing characters between these species should be checked when fresh materials (especially for E. lineola ) becomes available.