Panorpa bashanicola, Hua, Yuan, Tao, Shi-Heng & Hua, Bao-Zhen, 2018

Hua, Yuan, Tao, Shi-Heng & Hua, Bao-Zhen, 2018, An enigmatic new species of Panorpa Linneaus from the Bashan Mountains (Mecoptera, Panorpidae), ZooKeys 777, pp. 109-118 : 109

Panorpa bashanicola sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Shaanxi: Nangongshan (32°14'N, 109°04'E), 1200-2025 m, Langao County, 24-25 June 2007, BZ Hua and JL Tan. Paratypes: 26♂22♀, same data as holotype; 12♂23♀, Nangongshan, 17-18 Aug. 2010, BZ Hua, J Huang, J Chen, JX Zhang; 40♂62♀, Nangongshan, 17-19 July 2011, BZ Hua, QH Gao, M Wang, B Xu; 24♂63♀, Nangongshan, 17-18 June 2012, BZ Hua, N Ma, B Xu, QH Gao, YY Feng; 2♂, Hubei, Hongping (31°20'N, 110°22'E), Shennongjia, 28 June 2007, BZ Hua and JL Tan.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: vertex black, with two pale longitudinal stripes and four pale rounded spots; vein 1A ending before the origin of Rs; one cross-vein between veins 1A and 2A; meso- and metanotum pale, and the pale color extending to tergum III in a V-shape; male epandrium emarginate distally in a deep U-shape; hypovalves extending to the distal third of gonocoxite, with five stout black setae on the distal portion; paramere simple, S-shaped; a bundle of long hairs between the dorsal and ventral valves of aedeagus; dorsal valves of aedeagus much longer than ventral valves and curved ventrally, with distal portion foot-shaped; female medigynium twice as long as wide, with stout axis extending over one-third its length beyond main plate.

Description of male

(Fig. 2A). Vertex black, with two pale submedian stripes and two eye-shaped speckles on lateral regions. Two suborbicular spots beyond the protuberant area laterally (Fig. 3A). Ocellar triangle black. Compound eyes dark grey. Rostrum uniformly yellowish, mandible dark brown; labial and maxillary palps yellow with distal segments dark brown. Antennae long, filiform, with 39-40 flagellomeres.

Thorax. Pronotum light brown, with 12 black setae along anterior margin; meso- and metanotum pale with both sides grayish yellow. Pleura light grayish yellow. Legs pale yellow, tibia with a pair of apical spurs; tarsi light yellowish brown.

Wings. Forewing length 13.0-13.2 mm, width 2.9-3.1 mm. Wing membrane hyaline, almost without markings. Apical band greatly reduced, only indicated by a narrow dark gray trace at apical region; pterostigma prominent. Vein R2 bifurcate; vein 1A ending before the origin of Rs; one cross-vein between veins 1A and 2A (Fig. 1C). Hindwings similar to forewings (Fig. 2A).

Abdomen. Terga I–V brownish black except for a narrowing pale V-shaped median stripe on terga I–III. Notal organ of tergum III very short, not prominent. Tergum VI without anal horns on posterior margin. Segments VII and VIII elongate and uniformly yellowish brown, with basal half slightly constricted and slightly wider toward apices (Fig. 3B).

Male genitalia. Genital bulb globular, yellowish brown (Fig. 3C, D). Epandrium (tergum IX) broad at base, slightly narrower toward apex, with a deep broad U-shaped emargination distally; epandrial lobes with dense setae. Cercus elongate and expanded apically (Fig. 4A), with five campaniform sensilla on dorsal surface (Fig. 4B). Hypandrium (sternum IX) without basal stalk, completely represented by a pair of parallel hypovalves, reaching two-thirds of gonocoxite (Fig. 3C). Hypovalve with five stout black setae on distal portion and three yellow setae on dorsal side (Fig. 3E). Gonocoxite bearing a cluster of black bristles on inner apex (Fig. 3C). Gonostylus broad in basal half and slender in distal half, with a large median concave area; a cluster of stout black setae basal to the concave region (Fig. 3C). Parameres distinctly twisted in S-shape and bearing short setae along inner margin on distal part (Fig. 3F). Aedeagus weakly sclerotized; dorsal valves slender and curved ventrally, with distal part foot-shaped; ventral valves greatly shortened; a bundle of long hairs between ventral and dorsal valves (Fig. 4C, D). A short broad lateral process from basal part of dorsal valves (Fig. 4C, E).

Description of female.

Head, thorax and abdominal segments I–V similar to those of male (Fig. 2B). Abdominal segments VII and VIII pale yellow, segment IX yellowish brown (Fig. 5A). Cerci black, two-segmented, arising from distal end of abdomen. Wing pattern similar to that of male (Fig. 2B).

Female genitalia. Subgenital plate broad subbasally and narrowing toward apex, with long setae on lateral distal part (Fig. 5A). Medigynium with main plate twice as long as wide and infolded medially. Paired posterior arms forming a broad U-shape emargination. Median axis stout, extending anteriorly over one-third its length beyond main plate (Fig. 5 B–D), with anterior end broadly furcate. Posterior end of axis with sculptured region, with orifice of spermathecal duct at terminal end (Fig. 6 A–C).

Etymology.

The specific epithet, bashanicola , refers to its type locality, Bashan Mountains.

Distribution.

China (Shaanxi and Hubei).

Remarks.

The new species resembles P. chengi Chou, 1981 from the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province in pale nota and brownish body coloration as well as broad hypovalves. It can be readily recognized from the latter by the following characters: 1) vein 1A ending before the origin of Rs; 2) abdominal terga I–III brownish black except for a V-shaped pale median stripe; 3) parameres bearing dense setae along inner margin of distal portion; and 4) dorsal valves of aedeagus slender and foot-shaped in distal portion.