Caribesialis Ardila-Camacho, Martins & Contreras-Ramos, 2021

Ardila-Camacho, Adrian, Rivera-Gasperín, Sara Lariza, Martins, Caleb Califre & Contreras-Ramos, Atilano, 2021, A reappraisal of the taxonomy of Neotropical Sialidae (Insecta: Megaloptera): with the description of a new genus from Cuba, European Journal of Taxonomy 782, pp. 21-54 : 24

Caribesialis Ardila-Camacho, Martins & Contreras-Ramos gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D535251C-108D-42AF-90FF-56BE2142C760

Figs 1–6

Type and only species

Sialis bifasciata Hagen 1861: 188 .

Diagnosis

Caribesialis gen. nov. is distinguished from other Sialidae genera by the presence of elongated, tubular and digitiform gonostyli 9. Similar structures are also present only in Sialis nevadensis Davis, 1903 , but in this species these sclerites are short and unguiform. The presence of gonocoxites 10 forming a tiara-shaped sclerite with prominent median hook-shaped process is a unique character of this genus. The gonocoxites 10 are also present in some species of Sialis Latreille, 1802 and Austrosialis Tillyard, 1919 ; nevertheless, in these genera they are present as one or a pair of small sclerites. Another autapomorphy of the new genus is the structure of the gonocoxites 11, which form a barshaped sclerite fused to the inner region of the ectoproct. Species of Stenosialis Tillyard, 1919 and Sialis navasi Liu et al., 2009 also have this structure fused to the ectoproct; nevertheless, in Stenosialis the gonocoxites 11 are fused only with the ventral region of the ectoproct, while in S. navasi the gonocoxites 11 are completely fused with the ectoproct. The new genus has a median, short and straight, caudally projected bifid process (interpreted as gonostyli 11), whose base is fused forming a Y-shaped structure. In other genera of Sialidae , this structure is generally separated into two parts, and when their bases are fused (e.g., Sialis nigripes Pictet, 1865 and Sialis infumata Newman, 1838 ) they are elongated and projected posteroventrad or posterodorsad, instead of caudally.

Etymology

The generic epithet is a combination of – caribe – in allusion to the native aboriginal people that inhabited a great part of northern South America and the Lesser Antilles, and – Sialis – the type genus of the family Sialidae .

Remarks

Caribesialis gen. nov. belongs to the Sialis lineage ( Liu et al. 2015a), which includes the new genus, the extant genera Protosialis and Sialis , and the fossil genus Proindosialis Nel, 1988 . The new genus is closely related to Protosialis , sharing several characters of wings and female genitalia. Nevertheless, the presence of gonostyli 9, gonocoxites 10 as a tiara-like sclerite and gonocoxites 11 as a bar-like sclerite fused to the inner region of the ectoproct in the new genus clearly separates this group from Protosialis , which lacks gonostyli 9 and gonocoxites 10, and gonocoxites 11 are not fused with the ectoproct. The presence of welldeveloped gonostyli 9 in the new genus is an uncommon character within Sialidae , as it is absent in most of the species. Boudinot (2018) argued that the gonocoxite 9 of S. nevadensis is divided into two parts, one ventral and one dorsal, the later fused with the tergite 9. In the new genus, the gonostylus 9 is articulated to the dorsal part of the gonocoxite 9 (in the sense of Boudinot (2018)), a condition observed in Corydalidae . According to Liu et al. (2015a), a projection on the tergite 9 is present in Indosialis Lestage, 1927 , Haplosialis afra (Navás, 1936) , and the extinct Ilyobius herrlingi (Wichard, 2002) , which should not be misinterpreted as homologous with the gonostyli 9 expressed in the new taxa described herein.

Figures

Fig. 1. Caribesialis bifasciata (Hagen, 1861) comb. nov., dorsal habitus. A. Male. B. Female.

Fig. 2. Caribesialis bifasciata (Hagen, 1861) comb. nov. A. Head, dorso-frontal view. B. Head, frontal view. C. Fore- (above) and hindwing (below).

Fig.3.Caribesialisbifasciata (Hagen, 1861)comb.nov.,malegenitalia.A. Lateralview.B.Morphological interpretation of genital sclerites in A. C. Laterocaudal view. D. Morphological interpretation of genital sclerites in C.

Fig. 4.Caribesialis bifasciata(Hagen, 1861)comb.nov.,malegenitalia.A.Ventralview.B.Morphological interpretation of genital sclerites in A. C. Dorsal view. D. Morphological interpretation of genital sclerites in C.

Fig.5. Caribesialis bifasciata(Hagen, 1861)comb.nov.,male genitalia.A.Caudal view.B. Morphological interpretation of genital sclerites in A.

Fig. 6. Caribesialis bifasciata (Hagen, 1861) comb. nov., female genitalia. A. Lateral view. B. Morphological interpretation of genital sclerites inA.C. Ventral view.D. Morphological interpretation of genital sclerites in C.