Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva ( Hua and Cai, 2009 ) Ma & Hua, 2011

Ma, Na & Hua, Bao-zhen, 2011, Furcatopanorpa, a new genus of Panorpidae (Mecoptera) from China, Journal of Natural History 45 (35 - 36), pp. 2247-2257 : 2251-2256

Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva ( Hua and Cai, 2009) , comb. nov.

Panorpa longihypovalva Hua and Cai, 2009: 546 , figs 1–17 (Type locality: Liping, Nanzheng, Shaanxi, China); Ma et al., 2009: 411, fig. 9.

Redescription

Hua and Cai (2009) made a detailed description and illustrations of this species. A brief note on the biology and larval description was also provided. At rest the adults hold their wings roof-like over the abdomen ( Figure 1 ), quite different from other panorpids, which usually hold their wings flat in a V-shape over the abdomen at rest. Here we add a picture of adult habitus and a picture of wing venation ( Figure 7 ) and some scanning electron micrographs of the male and female genitalia ( Figures 3–6 , 8 ). Some minor corrections were made for the male and female genitalia based on these micrographs.

Male genitalia. The genital bulb is long elliptic ( Figure 3 ), and black except for the pale hypovalvae ( Figure 2 ). Epandrium (ninth tergum) broad at base, and narrower towards apex with a shallow emargination distally ( Figure 8D ). A pair of cerci extrude subapically from either side of the epandrium. The hypandrium (ninth sternum) is composed of a very short stalk and a pair of pale coloured hypovalvae, which are markedly broadened at the three-fifths and then taper toward apex; distal two-fifths bear seven or eight thick bristles along inner margin ( Figure 3 ). Hypovalvae are peculiar for their extraordinary length, extending well beyond apex of gonocoxites and reaching the middle of gonostylus ( Figure 3 ); distal part of hypovalva is delicate and slightly wrinkled ( Figure 8C ). Gonocoxites are elongated, nearly three times as long as the gonostylus, with a mesal flange on the inner side. Flange may serve as a pivot to the dorsal paramere. Gonostylus is broad at the basal two-thirds, but markedly thinner and in-curved at distal third with a pointed tip, possessing a large wedge-shaped basal lobe covered with uniform long setae; mesal process has a large concavity surrounded by a serrate ventral margin ( Figure 8A,B ). Each paramere has a long basal pedicel, which branches into a slender S-shaped ventral paramere and an abnormally welldeveloped dorsal paramere. Distal half of ventral paramere is twisted in the distal part, which is hirsute and concealed behind ventral lobe of dorsal paramere ( Figure 3 ); the dorsal parameres are complicated in structure, each consisting of a mesally curved ventral lobe, a large broad stout distal lobe, and a slender elongate dorsal branch ( Figure 4 ). Mesal aedeagus composed of paired ventral valves and dorsal valves, both of which are mostly fused mesally and keep separate distally ( Figure 4 ). The so-called dorsal valves in Hua and Cai (2009: figs 15, 16) are not proper. In scanning electron micrographs, they are confirmed as part of the dorsal parameres, which are renamed as dorsal branches in this paper ( Figure 4 ).

Female genitalia. Subgenital plate is broad at base, tapering towards apex with a deep V-shaped emargination ( Figure 5B ). Genital plate is complicated ( Figure 6 ); main plate is broad and curved dorsad on either side into two broad dorsal lobes. Posterior arms are formed from the extension of the dorsad-twisting main plate, and furnished with sparse microtrichia along inner edge. Axis is well-developed, extending anteriorly beyond the main plate slightly less than half its length. At posterior end of axis, the whole sculpturing part protrudes beyond the main plate ( Figure 6 ), with tapering scales around and a very small opening of the spermathecal duct at its terminal end ( Figure 5A ). More peculiarly, axis is bifurcated posteriorly beyond the sculpturing region, with opening of spermathecal duct located far away from branching point. On sculpturing region a distal michrotrichia occurs on each of the scales ( Figure 5A ). This character is unique among panorpids examined.

Distribution

China (Shaanxi, Gansu and Hebei Provinces) .

Figures

Figure 1. Male adult of Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva; photograph by B.Z. Hua at Taibai Co., Shaanxi on 29 August 2008.

Figure 2. Abdomen of the male adult, lateral view. cer, cercus; gcx, gonocoxite; gs, gonostylus; hv, hypovalva; s, spiracle (modified from Hua and Cai 2009).

Figure 3. Scanning electron micrograph of the male genitalia of Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva, ventral view, asterisk indicating the sex pheromone gland. dp, dorsal paramere; gcx, gonocoxite; gs, gonostylus; hv, hypovalva; hyp, hypandrium; vp, ventral paramere; vv, ventral valve of aedeagus. Scale bar 500 µm.

Figure 4. Scanning electron micrographs of the aedeagal complex of Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva. (A) Ventro-posterior view; (B) dorsal view. db, dorsal branch of dorsal paramere; dl, distal lobe of dorsal paramere; dp, dorsal paramere; dv, dorsal valve of aedeagus; vl, ventral lobe of dorsal paramere; vv, ventral valve of aedeagus. Scale bars 100 µm.

Figure 5. Scanning electron micrographs of the genitalia of the female Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva. (A) Magnification of the asterisk-marked region of Figure 6, showing the sculpturing part and spermathecal orifice; (B) subgenital plate of the female, ventral view, with the lateral sides slightly curved dorsad. spo, spermathecal orifice. Scale bars: A, 50 µm; B, 200 µm.

Figure 6. Scanning electron micrograph of the genital plate of female Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva, ventral view. ax, axis; mp, main plate; spo, spermathecal orifice. Scale bar 200 µm.

Figure 7. Right wings of male Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva. Scale bar 2 mm.

Figure 8. Scanning electron micrographs of the male genitalia of Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva. (A) Gonostylus, ventral view; (B) same, dorsal view; (C) distal part of hypovalva; (D) distal part of epandrium. cer, cercus; gcx, gonocoxite; gs, gonostylus. Scale bars: A, B, D, 100 µm; C, 20 µm.