Costanana xenomorpha sp. nov.

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Figs 10, 12G–H

Diagnosis

Coloration (Fig. 12G) of head and pronotum brown with small black maculae, forewing costal margin with broad light yellow macula on anterior third and large depigmented (white) macula on apical third. Style (Fig. 10K) blade without processes near base or apical portion, ventral margin serrated; apex abruptly curved dorsally. Aedeagus (Fig. 10L–M) without processes near base; apical portion with four pairs of lateral processes and an unpaired subapical process on ventral surface.

Etymology

The new species name comes from the Greek ‘ xeno ’ (‘strange’, ‘unusual’) + ‘ morpha ’ (‘form’, ‘shape’). It refers to the unusual shape of the male genital structures. It also alludes to the fictional extraterrestrial “xenomorphs” from the classic film “Alien”, due to the aedeagus, in posterior view, resembling the creature named “face hugger”.

Material examined

Holotype PERU • ♂; “Peru, Cuzco, Ttio, \ 30.viii.2012, (Light) \ 13º31’69”S 70º53’79”W, \ 2000m / R.R. Cavichioli leg.”, “ DZUP 215490 ”; MUSM.

Description

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Holotype male: total length 9.3 mm.

COLORATION. Dorsal portion of head and thorax light brown (Figs 10A, C, 12G); ventral portion yellow (Figs 8B–C, 12H). Crown (Fig. 10A) with transverse irregular black stripe; pair of rounded black spots behind ocelli, near posterior margin; ocelli red. Pronotum (Fig. 10A) with black irregular maculae and yellow areas near anterior margin; lateral margin yellow. Mesonotum (Fig. 10A) with two pairs of black and two pairs of yellow submedian maculae. Face (Fig. 10B) epistomal suture and apex of clypeus with pair of lateral black maculae. Forewing (Fig. 10D) costal margin with large triangular light yellow macula on anterior fourth and a large rounded depigmented (white) macula at level of outer anteapical cell, remaining portion of costal cell, apical cells, apex of clavus and appendix dark brown; apical portion of clavus yellowish. Legs (Fig. 12H) yellow with apex of tibiae dark brown.

STRUCTURE. Head in dorsal view (Fig. 10A): median length shorter than interocular width; transocular width of head eight tenths humeral width of pronotum; in lateral view (Fig. 10C), with anterior margin thick, with 7–8 carinae. Forewing (Fig. 10D) with inner discal cell not distinctly shorter than outer discal cell; apex rounded. Profemur AV row with 6 setae restricted to basal half and PV row with about 10 setae distributed from base to apex. Protibia PD row with 4 long setae and apical PD 1 seta developed; PV row developed, with 6–7 setae increasing in thickness and length towards apex. Metatibia rows PD, AD, and AV with 23, 13, and 15 macrosetae, respectively. Metatarsomere I apex with 3 platellae. Metatarsomere II apex with 2 apical platellae. Other characteristics as in the generic description.

MALE TERMINALIA. Sternite VIII (Fig. 10E) 1.3× as wide as long; lateral margins straight and parallel at basal fourth and rounded distally; posterolateral angles rounded; posterior margin almost straight, weakly produced medially. Valve (Fig. 10F) 2× as wide as long; posterior margin rounded, weakly emarginated medially. Pygofer (Fig. 10G), in lateral view, 2× as long as maximum height; basodorsal process present but weakly developed; ventral margin broadly rounded; posterodorsal margin excavated; external surface near ventral margin with a few short setae; macrosetae distributed on posterodorsal quadrant; apex produced and rounded, curved inwards, inner surface with short filiform setae and a small dentiform process. Anal tube (segment X) sclerotized, without processes. Subgenital plate (Fig. 10G), in lateral view, not surpassing apex of pygofer; in ventral view (Fig. 10H), 3.1× as long as wide, strongly broadened medially; lateral margins rounded; external margin with minute setae; apex rounded, well sclerotized. Connective (Fig. 10I) T-shaped; arms well produced laterally; stalk narrow, short, one-third as long as maximum width of arms; median keel weakly developed. Style (Fig. 10J), in dorsal view, with outer lobe well developed, rounded; in lateral view (Fig. 10K), blade slender, sinuous; ventral margin serrated; apex abruptly curved dorsally and acute. Aedeagus (Fig. 10L–M) preatrium weakly developed; dorsal apodeme produced dorsally but not laterally, dorsal margin straight; shaft long and slender, almost cylindrical, sigmoid; apical portion with four pairs of processes; two pairs of lateral processes adjacent to each other, directed laterally; long pair almost apical, thicker and longer than preceding ones, directed ventrolaterally; and a short apical claw-like pair directed dorsally; posterior surface with a unpaired subapical process curved ventrally.

Female

Unknown.

Remarks

The male genitalia of C. xenomorpha sp. nov. differ in several aspects from those of the other species of Costanana as in the larger size of body (Fig. 12G–H); the shape of the sternite VIII, not tapered apically (Fig. 10E); the pygofer with apex curved inwards, bearing a spiniform process (Fig. 10G); the anal tube well sclerotized (Fig. 10G); the subgenital plate broadened subapically, well sclerotized distally, and lacking filiform setae (Fig. 10H); and the connective T-shaped with arms long (Fig. 10I). The shape of the subgenital plate and style is most similar to that of C. dunda . The new species can easily be recognized by the apex of the aedeagus with four pairs of lateral processes and a single subapical process on the ventral surface (Fig. 10M).