Elaphropeza mai 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 : 33-34

Elaphropeza mai Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov.

( Figs. 42–44 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, 3 labelled: D.R. CONGO, Yaekela , 5 May 2010, around pools in forest (reg. 30017, leg. P. Grootaert, MS reference EC18); Holotype / Elaphropeza mai / Grootaert et Shamshev sp. nov. ( RBINS). PARATYPES: D.R. CONGO: 2 3 and 1 Ƥ, same data as holotype; 1 Ƥ, Kona , 15 May 2010, Malaise trap in secondary forest (leg. P. Grootaert) ( RBINS).

Diagnosis. Species of the E. biuncinata -group; thorax yellow but scutum with indistinct brownish spot on anterior corner and metanotum brown; hind femur yellow, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal bristle.

Description. Length: body 1.8 mm, wing 1.8 mm. Male. Occiput entirely black, densely pollinose (including vertex); with brownish yellow to yellow setation; inner verticals long inclinate, outer verticals short. Anterior ocellars long proclinate and cruciate, posterior ocellars short. Frons densely pollinose, above antennae about 2.0 times as broad as anterior ocellus. Antenna with brownish yellow basal segments, postpedicel and stylus brownish; pedicel with circlet of subequally short setulae; postpedicel subtriangular, nearly 3.0 times longer than wide; stylus with short pubescence, long, nearly 2.5 times longer than postpedicel, about 1.5 times as long as scape, pedicel and postpedicel combined. Proboscis brownish yellow. Palpus brownish yellow, small, rounded, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta short, thin.

Thorax largely reddish yellow, longer setae brownish; scutum with indistinct brownish spot on anterior corner on each side; metanotum brown, metapleuron yellowish brown; pleura (especially sutures) faintly brownish tinged with some brownish tinge (in darker specimens scutal spot extending to notopleural area; scutellum somewhat darker than scutum, metapleuron and anepimeron brown, katepisternum and meron with brownish spot on lower part, anepisternum brownish posteriorly). Prothoracic episterna with long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals, 1 short 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, entirely yellow, fore and mid tibiae faintly brownish tinged, hind femur paler basally. 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 very short yellowish anteroventral and row of similar posteroventral spinule-like setae becoming longer basally, 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 somewhat thickened. Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 3 short erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta closer to middle; 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) and crossvein r-m 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: 33/32/24. Vein Rs somewhat longer than crossvein bm-cu. Vein R 2+3 evenly bowed. Veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel near wing apex, both slightly bowed. Vein CuA1 reaching wing margin. Vein A1 lacking. Crossvein bm-cu oblique. Crossvein r-m near middle of cell bm. Halter blackish.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 represented by very narrow dorsally divided brownish stripe; tergite 2 narrow, broadly concave dorsally, with unmodified short setae; tergite 3 broadest, with squamiform setae; tergite 4 somewhat narrower than tergite 3, subrectangular viewed laterally, with squamiform setae; tergite 5 somewhat narrower than tergite 4, subrectangular viewed laterally, with squamiform setae; tergites 6 and 7 of subequal width, nearly as wide as tergite 4, subrectangular viewed laterally, with unmodified setation; tergite 7 with moderately long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites 3 and 4 broadly divided medially. Gland-like structures present between tergites 3–4 and 4–5. Terminalia ( Figs. 42–44 ) rather large, brownish. Cerci separated; right cercus very narrow, digitiform, considerably shorter than left cercus, with several unmodified setae of different lengths; left cercus ( Fig. 43 ) branched with right projection short, bearing 1 strong subapical seta and numerous unmodified setae of different lengths; hypoproct not prominent. Epandrium completely divided. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 42 ) rather subrectangular but pointed apically, covered with numerous unmodified setae of different lengths. Right surstylus not prominent. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with several short setae apically. Left surstylus ( Fig. 44 ) large with unmodified setae of different lengths. Phallus long. One rod-shaped apodeme.

Female. Similar to male but mid tibia lacking ventral spinules; abdominal sternites 3–4 undivided; cercus brown.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ mai ” means water in Lingala language and refers to its presence around pools.

Distribution. D.R. Congo.

Remarks. Elaphropeza mai sp. nov. is most similar to E. zamba sp. nov. The main differences between these species have been given in the key. Elaphropeza antennata Becker, 1909 ( Ethiopia, Cape Verde Is.) has a black scutellum ( Becker 1909, 1910). Elaphropeza angustifacies ( Raffone, 1994) primarily differs from the new species by its yellow halter ( Raffone 1994).

Figures

FIGURES 42 – 44. Elaphropeza mai sp. nov. 42. Right epandrial lamella; 43. Epandrium with cerci; 44. Left surstylus.