Syneches xui, Yang & Grootaert, 2004

Yang, Ding & Grootaert, Patrick, 2004, Revision Of The Species Of Syneches From Guangdong (Diptera: Empidoidea: Hybotinae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52 (2), pp. 347-350 : 349-350

Syneches xui , new species

( Figs. 5, 6 )

Material examined. – Holotype - male, Guangdong: Ruyuan, Nanling National Nature Reserve , 26 Mar.2003, coll. Ding Yang ( CAU).

Paratypes – 3 males, same data as holotype ( CAU, ZRC) .

Diagnosis. – Palpus brownish-yellow. Antenna black. Wing gray. Femora yellow with extreme bases brown. Hind femur with nearly three rows of spine-like bristles. Hairs on abdomen mostly long and pale.

Description. – Male – Body length 6.0- 6.7 mm, wing length 6.0- 6.2 mm.

Head black with gray pollen. Eyes contiguous on frons for a long distance, dark brown with enlarged upper facets dark yellow. Hairs and bristles on head black; ocellar tubercle distinct, with 2 long oc and 2 posterior hairs. Antenna black; scape without hairs; pedicel with circlet of subapical hairs; first flagellomere nearly quadrate with 2 dorsal hairs; arista black, short pubescent except tip thin and bare. Proboscis brownish; palpus brownish-yellow with 6-7 long ventral hairs.

Thorax black with gray pollen. Hairs and bristles on thorax black; h absent, 2 short strong npl subequal in length, mesonotum with short hairs except mid-posterior area with long hairs and with one transverse row of 3 prescutellar bristles, 1 long psa; scutellum with long marginal hairs (of which 6 hairs are bristle-like). Legs yellow; coxae and trochanters black; femora with extreme bases brown; tarsomere 5 black. Hairs and bristles on legs black. Fore femur 1.1 times as wide as mid femur; hind femur 1.4-1.5 times as wide as mid femur, with nearly three rows of short spinelike av which are shorter than 1/2 of thickness of hind femur. Fore tibia apically with 2 d. Mid tibia with 3-4 ad and nearly two rows of long posterior hairs, apically with 3-4 long bristles including 1 long brownish-yellow pv. Hind tibia with 1 strong ad at basal 1/3 and 6-7 brownish- yellow pd, apically with 5 bristles (of which 2 pd are long and brownish-yellow). Wing gray; stigma long and dark brown; veins dark brown, R 4+5 and M 1 convergent apically. Squama brownish with pale hairs. Halter brown.

Abdomen curved downward, black with gray pollen. Hairs on abdomen mostly long and pale. Male genitalia ( Figs. 5, 6 ): tergal lobe narrowing toward tip in lateral view, with outer apical margin distinctly incised and forming acute upper and lower apical corners; hypandrium with weak subapical lateral spine, and its apical margin weakly incised medially with 2 weak spines on each side; aedeagus rounded apically, with curved subapical lateral process.

Female. – Unknown.

Distribution. – China (Guangdong).

Etymology. – The species is named after Prof. Zaifu Xu.

Remarks. – The new species is peculiar, and can be easily separated from other known species of the genus from China by the hind femur with nearly three rows of short spine-like bristles.

Figures

Figs. 5, 6. Syneches xui, new species (male). 5. genitalia, lateral view; 6. hypandrium and aedeagus, ventral view.