Inocellia nigra, Liu, Xingyue, Aspöck, Horst, Zhang, Weiwei & Aspöck, Ulrike, 2012

Liu, Xingyue, Aspöck, Horst, Zhang, Weiwei & Aspöck, Ulrike, 2012, New species of the snakefly genus Inocellia Schneider, 1843 (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae) from Yunnan, China, Zootaxa 3298, pp. 43-52 : 45-46

Inocellia nigra sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 – 2 , 8 – 11 )

Diagnosis. The appearance of the species is conspicuously characterized by black elements including head, thorax, wing venation, legs, and abdomen. The male is characterized in the genitalia by the short gonocoxite 9 with a rather short and cone-like stylus, the sub-quadrate gonarcus (fused gonocoxites 11) with ventromedial protrusion, and the endophallus with only one pair of tufts with bristles on dorsal surface.

Description. Male. Body length 7.7 – 8.3 mm; forewing length 6.7 – 7.7 mm, hindwing length 5.6 – 6.6 mm.

Head ( Fig. 1 ) sub-quadrate, black throughout. Antennal sclerite (torulus) and antennae blackish brown. Mouthparts black, mandibles with distal half reddish-brown.

Thorax black throughout. Legs ( Fig. 2 ) blackish brown with brownish setae; coxae, trochanters, and bases of femora yellow. Wings ( Fig. 1 ) hyaline, pterostigma blackish brown, veins blackish brown. Anterior branch of Rs with one forked vein and one simple vein running to wing margin.

Abdomen blackish brown; tergum of each pregenital segment medially with a small yellow spot, sternum of each pregenital segment with posterior yellow margin. Genital segments entirely blackish brown. Gonocoxite 9 ( Figs. 8–10 ) dome-like, nearly semicircular, much wider than long; distal portion of inner side with a rather short stylus, median portion of the stylus slightly prominent dorsally, with numerous bristles. Pseudostylus (basal part of gonapophysis 9) ( Fig. 9 ) paired and foliate. Fused parameres (complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses, and gonostyli 10) ( Figs. 9–11 ) small, proximal portion flattened, expanded, subtrapezoidal and concave ventrad, distal projection curved dorsad. Gonarcus (fused gonocoxites 11) ( Figs. 9–11 ) shield-like, with dorsal margin feebly produced posteriorly; in caudal view subquadrate, with ventromedial portion produced into a subtriangular lobe. Endophallus ( Figs. 9–10 ) short, distal portion medially with a pair of bristle tufts directed dorsad. Ectoproct ( Fig. 8 ) subtrapezoidal with rounded posterodorsal corner in lateral view. Hypandrium internum small, lobes narrow.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype 3, CHINA: “Yunnan, Baoshan, along the road from Wayao to Laoyingshan [ca. 25°26ʹN, 99°15ʹE, 1800 m], 12.V.2009, Liang Ding” ( CAU). Paratype 13, CHINA: “Yunnan, Gaoligong mts., 25.22N, 98.49E, 1500 – 2500 m, 17-24.V. 1995, Vít Kubáň ( HUAC).

Distribution. The new species is currently known only from the southern part of the Gaoligongshan Range.

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘nigra’ refers to the predominately blackish coloration including head, thorax, wing venation, legs and abdomen. It is an adjective in the feminine nominative case from Latin niger, -a, -um = black.

Remarks. The new species belongs to the Inocellia crassicornis group and appears to be closely related to I. crassicornis by having a tiny stylus near the posterior margin of the inner side of male gonocoxite 9, however, it is distinguished from I. crassicornis in appearance by the dark legs. In I. crassicornis as well as the other Inocellia species, the legs are generally yellow. Considering the male genitalia, the new species differs from I. crassicornis by the subquadrate gonarcus in caudal view and the endophallus with only one pair of tufts. In I. crassicornis the gonarcus is subtrapezoidal in caudal view, and the endophallus has two pairs of tufts of bristles on both dorsal and ventral surfaces.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus images of Inocellia spp. 1. I. nigra sp. nov., holotype male; 2. Same, lateral view; 3. I. yunnanica sp. nov., holotype male; 4. Same, paratype female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 8 – 11. Inocellia nigra sp. nov. 8. Male genital segments, lateral view; 9. Male genital segments, caudal view; 10. Male genital segments showing internal structures, lateral view; 11. Fused parameres (complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses, and gonostyli 10), dorsal view. e: ectoproct; ep: endophallus; g: gonarcus (fused gonocoxites 11); gx 9: gonocoxite 9; p: fused parameres; ps: pseudostylus (basal parts of gonapophyses 9); s: stylus or stylus-like process (gonostylus 9); S 8, 9: sternite 8 and 9; T 8, 9: tergite 8 and 9. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.