Ceraeochrysa pittieri Sosa and Freitas, 2010

Sosa, Francisco & Freitas, Sergio De, 2010, New Neotropical species of Ceraeochrysa Adams (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), Zootaxa 2562 (1), pp. 57-65 : 61

Ceraeochrysa pittieri Sosa and Freitas , sp. nov.

(Figs. 4, 5, 6, 19–26).

Description. Holotype. Male. Measurements. Head: width 1.3 mm; Pronotum: length 0.6 mm, width 0.9 mm. Forewing: length 12.0 mm, width 4.3 mm, length/width ratio = 2.8. Hindwing: length 10.7 mm, width 3.4 mm, length/width ratio = 3.2.

Head: Front, clypeus, gena and labrum pale green; maxillary and labial palpi yellow; vertex greenish yellow; scape and pedicel with two stripes, one lateral and the other dorsal, both of which reach the base of the scape (Fig. 4), flagellum pale, covered with black bristles.

Thorax: Pronotum greenish yellow, with a discontinuous red lateral stripe on each side (Fig. 5); cervical sclerite pigmented; meso- and metanota green; pleura pale green; legs pale green with yellow tarsi. Wing venation mostly green, gradate series with dark edges. Forewing: longitudinal veins green; Crossveins: costal crossveins 6–12, Rs + Ma, radial crossveins 1–8, crossvein m 1 –m 2, Psm –Psc 1–6, and series of gradates black; 4 inner gradates, 4th very close to the external one; 6 outer gradates, first 4 shaded. Hindwing with longitudinal veins and crossveins green; 3 inner and 5 outer gradates (Fig. 6).

Abdomen: Green. Apodeme of tergite 9 + ectoproct with ventral projection into the bottom half of the margin ( Fig. 19–20 ); apical membrane with microcristae. Male genitalia: Gonarcus curved, angled; lateral arms wide, rounded at base, narrow and sharp at apex; vestigial gonocornua located at the lateral sides of the gonarcus; arcessus dorsally striated, ending in a sharp point without lateral lobes; gonosaccus with long and scarce lateral gonosetae; vestigial gonocristae ( Figs. 21–25 ). Elongated gonapsis, flattened, lightly bifurcated at the apex, covered with microcristae ( Fig. 26 ).

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality “Parque Nacional Henri Pittier/ Rancho Grande” which carries the name of the illustrious Swiss naturalist Henri François Pittier.

Discussion. Ceraeochrysa pittieri sp. nov., is related to the “ cincta ” group of species, which are characterized by having a ventral prolongation of tergite 9 + ectoproct. Ceraeochrysa pittieri sp. nov., is similar to C. cincta (Schneider) and C. arioles (Banks) . The three species have two red stripes on the scape, and pale flagellum. However, Ceraeochrysa pittieri sp. nov., presents the lateral stripe of the pronotum as discontinuous, differing from C. cincta in which it is continuous. C. arioles , on the other hand, may be differentiated because the dorsal stripe of the scape is projected beyond the outer margin of the antennal cavity. At the level of the genitalia, the three species present notable differences. In Ceraeochrysa pitieri sp. nov., the apex of the arcessus is not laterally lobulated, in C. cincta the arcessus is square-shaped, and in C. arioles the apex of the sternite 8 + 9 is dorsally curved.

Material examinated. Holotype, male: VENEZUELA. Aragua: Maracay, Parque Nacional Henri Pittier / Rancho Grande (10° 20' N – 67° 41' W, 1100 m), 20 II 2008, F. Sosa, F. Díaz & R. Zúñiga ( UCOB).

Geographical distribution. VENEZUELA.

Figures

FIGURES 19–26. Male genitalia of Ceraeochrysa pittieri sp. nov. 19, 20—Sternite 9 + ectoproct. 21, 22—Gonarcus in dorsal view. 23, 24—Gonarcus in lateral view. 25—Gonarcus in frontal view. 26—Gonapsis in lateral and dorsal view. ar = arcessus; go = gonarcus; la = lateral arm.