Coniopteryx (Coniopteryx) corniculata, Sziráki, György, 2020

Sziráki, György, 2020, A Contribution To Knowledge Of The Genus Coniopteryx (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) In Madagascar, With Descriptions Of 18 New Species, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 66 (3), pp. 203-246 : 211-213

Coniopteryx (Coniopteryx) corniculata sp. n.

( Figs 18–23)

Examined material – Holotype: male, Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park, Vahiporara at broken bridge, 21°13’34” S, 47°22’11”, 1100 m a.s.l., 14–21. I. 2002, mountain rain forest, Malaise trap, leg.: HH; deposited in the collection of CAS; CASTYPE number: 20013. Paratypes: 4 males, Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park, Belle Vue at Talatakely, 21°15’59” S, 47°25’13” E, 1200 m a.s.l., 16. X – 8. XI. 2001, secondary tropical forest, Malaise trap, leg.: HH; 1 male, same data but 8–15. XI. 2001; 1 male, same data but 28. I – 4. II. 2002; 1 male, same data but 12–19. II. 2002; 3 males, same data, but 31. III – 7. IV. 2002; 1 male, Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park, Jirama Water Works, 21°14’55” S, 47°27’08” E, 690 m a.s.l., 22–28. XI. 2001, near to the river, Malaise trap, leg. HH; 1 male, Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park, radio tower at forest edge, 21°15’03” S, 47°24’26” E, 1130 m a.s.l., 16. X – 8. XI. 2001, mixed tropical forest, Malaise trap, leg.: HH; 3 males, same data but 14–21. I. 2002; 2 males, same data but 12–19. II. 2002; 1 male, same data but 31. III – 9. IV. 2002; 1 male, same data but 28. XI – 6. XII. 2002; 1 male, Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park, Vahiporara at broken bridge, 21°13’34” S, 47°22’11”, 1100 m a.s.l., 28. XI – 6. XII. 2001, mountain rain forest, Malaise trap, leg.: HH; 1 male, 21–28. I. 2002; 1 male, same data but 28. I – 4. II. 2002; 1 male, same data but 19–26. II. 2002; 2 males, same data but 25. VII – 3. VIII. 2002. Majority of paratypes are deposited in the collection of CAS, while 3 paratype specimens are housed in HNHM.

Description: Length of the body 1.4–1.7 mm. Head capsule and palpi light brown. Sutures on the head dark brown, with black parts. Anterior edge of vertex with a prominent, laterally flattened projection between the antennae. Eyes large, black. Antennae medium brown, 0.9–1.0 mm, 26–28 segmented. Scape nearly as wide as long, or slightly longer than wide. Pedicel in most cases 1.2 times longer than wide, basal flagellar segments 1.5–2 times, median ones 1.3–2 times as wide as long. Pedicel has a rather small, while the first flagellar segment a larger outgrowth subapically, with rather short setae ( Fig. 18). The other setae of flagellum moderately long. Ordinary hairs situated in two sparse rings on flagellar segments. Some scale-like hairs are scattered on the pedicel, and in a rather thin whorl apically on the flagellar segments.

Thorax light brown, with dark or medium brown shoulder spots. Sutures and apodemes medium or dark brown, with blackish parts. Legs light brown. Length of the fore wing 1.6–2.0 mm, of hind wing 1.4–1.6 mm. Longitudinal veins light brown, wing membrane brownish. Pregenital part of abdomen pale ochreous.

Male terminalia ( Figs 19–23) medium or dark brown, strongly sclerotized. Hypandrium somewhat longer than high in lateral view. Processus terminalis short, with hyaline apical part, and in ventral view rounded tips. Median incision wide, U-shaped. Processus lateralis strong, very long, and directed caudally. Its setae rather short, with normal (no especially prominent) bases. On the other hand, there is a strong seta (or two setae) at the base of this sclerite. The inner surface of processes laterales are connected by some slightly sclerotized structure. Anterior apodeme of hypandrium blackish, rather narrow, but slightly widened medially. Gonarcus with widened basal part, and without distinct caudal projection. Stylus forked; its outer branch narrow, pointed, and turned fowards rather sharply, while the inner branch wide. The bridge between the two inner branches well sclerotized and connected to the distal part of paramere with a strip detectable in caudal view. Besides, above the parameres there is a slightly sclerotized distal belt between the two inner branches of styli. (Not detectable in lateral view.) Paramere strong, with a minute processus ventralis. Processus apicalis large; its ventro-caudal angle obtuse. Penis sclerite consists of two moderately chitinized, slightly bent rods, supported by some membraneous structure.

Remarks: Coniopteryx (C.) corniculata sp. n. belongs to the Coniopteryx lobifrons group sensu SZIRÁKI (2005), and – because of the similar structure of the large part of hypandrium – resembles somewhat to Coniopteryx (C.) malgasensis Sziráki, 2015 .

The main distinctive features of the new species are:

− apical whorl of scale-like hairs on flagellar segments thin;

− processus lateralis of hypandrium strong and very long;

− bases of the setae on processus lateralis normal (not prominent especially);

− ventro-caudal angle of processus apicalis obtuse;

− bridge between the two inner branches of stylus connected to the distal part of paramere;

− there is a slightly sclerotized distal belt above the parameres.

Etymology: The new species named after the shape of the male teminalia in ventral or dorsal view (corniculum = little horn in Latin).