Elaphropeza marduoensis, Shamshev & Gilasian, 2025

Shamshev, Igor V. & Gilasian, Ebrahim, 2025, New species and new records of hybotid dance flies (Diptera: Hybotidae: Tachydromiinae) from Iranian mangrove habitats, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 11 (1), pp. 171-182 : 176-177

Elaphropeza marduoensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 3)

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8257C01E-E29F-4A94-B912-7DBDB913BCC8

Type material. Holotype ♂, Iran: Hormozgan Prov., Bandar-e Khamir, Marduo Island , 26°58'33"N, 055°40'25"E, 3 m a.s.l., yellow pan trap, 30.x–2.xi.2021, E. Gilasian ( ZISP) ; Paratypes: 9 ♂♂, same data as holotype ( HMIM, ZISP) .

Etymology. The epithet refers to the type locality of the new species, Marduo Island (Hormozgan Province).

Diagnosis. Small species (wing 1.6–1.7 mm) of the E. ephippiata group; recognised by yellow thorax with scutellum anteriorly and postnotum brown; antennal scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel mostly brown (yellowish at base), postpedicel nearly 3× longer than basal width, stylus slightly longer than postpedicel; legs almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 brown, hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta.

Description. Male ( Fig. 3A). Wing length 1.6–1.7 mm. Head black, pale setose. Occiput greyish pruinose; vertical setae long, inclinate, yellowish (outer pair somewhat shorter). Anterior ocellars long proclinate, posterior ocellars minute. Frons very narrow, slightly broadened towards ocellar triangle; subshiny above antennae, faintly greyish pruinose below ocellar triangle. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel mostly brown (yellowish at base), postpedicel nearly 3× longer than basal width; stylus with short pubescence, rather short, slightly longer than postpedicel (1.3–1.4×). Proboscis yellowish. Palpus pale yellow, small, rounded, silvery pubescent, bearing scattered setulae, subapical seta short.

Thorax. Yellow but scutellum anteriorly (except upper margin) and entire postnotum brown (sometimes mesoscutum with some slight, brownish yellow markings above wings); mostly shiny, prothoracic sclerites, scutellum and postnotum faintly tomentose; strong setae brownish yellow to yellow. Prothoracic episterna lacking long upturned seta just above fore coxa. Postpronotal seta not prominent. Mesonotal setae: rows of acrostichals and dorsocentrals undifferentiated, scutum evenly covered with numerous pale setulae, 1 pair of very long prescutellar setae; 2 notopleurals, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair very long, cruciate; lateral pair very short). Legs robust, almost entirely yellow, only tarsomere 5 brown. Coxae and trochanters with unmodified setae. Fore femur with rows of rather long anteroventral and posteroventral setae (getting somewhat shorter close to apex), 1 long fine seta near the base. Fore tibia lacking prominent setae (except circlet of short subapicals). Mid femur simple, covered with short, strong setae on about basal 1/3 ventrally, bearing almost complete row of similar but slightly longer posteroventral setae, 1 long fine seta near base and 1 long, strong, brownish yellow subapical seta anteriorly. Mid tibia simple; with incomplete rows (absent close to base) of black, anteroventral and less distinct posteroventral spinules, lacking ventral, subapical, black claw-like spine and prominent setae (except short subapicals). Hind femur with short anteroventrals and 4 erect dorsal setae near base. Hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal, moderately long, brownish yellow setae close to middle; apical projection small, rounded. Tarsi of all legs unmodified; hind basitarsus with slightly longer, stronger brownish setulae anteroventrally.Wing normally developed, hyaline, covered with uniform microtrichia; veins mostly yellowish brown, basal section of M 1, crossveins bm-cu and r-m pale. Costal vein with moderately long, uniform setulae along anterior margin; basal costal seta present, moderately long, brownish yellow. Costal index (proportions of distances between humeral crossvein and R 1 / R 1 and R 2+3 / R 2+3 and R 4+5, respectively): 1.8/1.8/1. Vein R 2+3 gently curved. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 slightly divergent near wing margin, both straight. Vein M 4 not quite reaching wing margin. Vein CuA+CuP present as short fold. Crossvein bm-m perpendicular, crossvein r-m before middle of cell bm. Squama yellow, with long, brownish yellow setae. Halter pale yellow.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale yellow; tergites 2–3 brownish yellow, narrow, subtriangular viewed laterally, divided mid-dorsally, with unmodified setae; tergite 4 dark brown, shiny, broadest, with numerous short fine setae and squamiform setae laterally; tergite 5 very narrow, undivided, brownish, with squamiform setae; tergites 6–7 brownish, broader than tergite 5, undivided, with long posteromarginal setae; tergite 8 unmodified. Sternites yellowish, with scattered setulae, sternite 8 with moderately long posteromarginal setae. Gland-like structure present between tergites 4–5. Hypopygium ( Figs 3B–D) moderately large, brownish right epandrial lamella somewhat paler at the base. Epandrium completely divided ( Fig. 3B). Right epandrial lamella subtriangular ( Fig. 3C), covered with numerous, long simple setae. Left epandrial lamella fused to hypandrium, with 7–8 long setae apically; left surstylus represented by two separated sclerites (lobes); upper lobe (close to cerci) small, subtriangular, with 2 long apical setae; lower lobe elongate, moderately broad, sinuate, with short, pointed projection near base dorsally ( Fig. 3D), mostly covered with short, fine setae, dorsal projection with stronger setae; subepandrial lobe slender. Cerci narrowly fused ( Fig. 3B); right cercus short, very narrower than left cercus, with ordinary setae of different lengths; left cercus moderately long, apical portion digitiform, bearing several long, fine setae. Phallus short. Two rod-shaped apodemes.

Female. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. The new species belongs to the E. ephippiata group of species ( Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007). Elaphropeza marduoensis sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from all known Palaearctic species of Elaphropeza primarily by the presence of a single anterodorsal seta on the hind tibia (versus 2 anterodorsal setae) ( Chvála, 1971). In having one anterodorsal seta on the hind tibia, the new species could be compared with E. ralloi Raffone, 1991 described from Sudan ( Raffone, 1991). However, E. marduoensis sp. nov. differs from E. ralloi primarily by longer postpedicel (nearly 3× longer than basal width versus 2× longer than basal in E. ralloi ) and mostly brown scutellum. The new species is closely related to a complex of Oriental species sharing fused cerci ( Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007). Within the key to the Oriental species of Elaphropeza , the new species would run to E. riatanae Shamshev & Grootaert , which is amongst the dominant species in the mangroves of Singapore ( Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012). Both species have very similar male terminalia. However, E. riatanae has longer postpedicel (nearly 5× longer than basal width) and brown fore tibiae and tarsi. In addition, E. marduoensis sp. nov. resembles E. ubinensis Shamshev & Grootaert and E. feminata Shamshev & Grootaert ( Shamshev & Grootaert, 2007; Grootaert & Shamshev, 2012). The new species differs from E. ubinensis primarily by shorter postpedicel (3× longer than basal width versus 4.5× in E. ubinensis ) and partly brown scutellum (entirely yellow in E. ubinensis ). Elaphropeza feminata (recorded herein from mangroves of Iran, see below) is very similar to the new species. However, E. marduoensis sp. nov. differs from E. feminata by partly yellow scutellum, undifferentiated acrostichal and dorsocentral setae, lack of a ventral, subapical, claw-like mid tibial spine in the male and simple female postabdomen. In E. feminata , the scutellum is entirely black; acrostichal and dorsocentral setae are arranged in rows, the former are 4–2- serial, the latter are 3–1-serial (from anterior margin of mesoscutum towards scutellum); the mid tibia of the male bears a subapical, claw-like, black spine; the female has a curiously modified postabdomen.

Distribution. Iran (Hormozgan Province).