Theopropus xishiae Wu & Liu sp. nov.

Figs 2B; 3B; 5B, E; 6B; 7B; 8B, E; 9A, D; 10B, D; 12; 13D; 14B, D

Material examined.

6♂, 1♀, 1♀ juv.. Holotype. China • 1♂; Tibet, Medog, Beibeng; 29°14'58.14"N, 95°10'31.55"E; 960 m; 12-VII-2013; Chao Wu leg.; IZCAS. Paratypes. China • 1♀; Tibet, Medog, Beibeng; 29°14'58.14"N, 95°10'31.55"E; 960 m; 12-VII-2013; Chao Wu leg.; IZCAS . • 2♂; Tibet, Medog, Dexing cun; 29°19'36.48"N, 95°16'59.82"E; 770 m; 15-VII-2013; Chao Wu leg.; IZCAS . • 2♂; Tibet, Medog, Jiangxin cun; 29°13'02.90"N, 95°08'05.61"E; 1200 m; 20-VII-2014; Chao Wu leg.; CWC . • 1♂; Tibet, Medog, Beibeng; 29°14'21.52"N, 95°12'00.21"E; 1320 m; 24-VII-2019; Chao Wu leg.; CJZ . • 1♀ juv.; Tibet, Medog, Beibeng; 1000 m; VII-2010; Wen-Xuan Bi leg.; IZCAS .

Description.

Male. Large-sized species for Theopropus . Body size much larger than in other congeners.

Head: Compound eyes oval, anteriorly protruding, with rounded top. Vertical process conical, extending about as high as the imaginary line between the apexes of the eyes; lower frons narrow, with arched dorsal margin and raised lateral margins (Fig. 5B). Antennae filiform, shorter than body length.

Pronotum (Fig. 6B): Wide. Lateral pronotal expansion very wide; lateral margins bearing small, sparsely arranged spines. Black band on each lateral margin of metazone disconnected in middle. Ratio of pronotum length to supracoxal dilatation width about 1.39-14.2.

Prothoracic legs (Fig. 8B): Coxa bearing 6-7 small dorsal spines, femora with 15 anteroventral spines, tibia with 15 anteroventral and 18 posteroventral spines.

Meso- and metathoracic legs: Long, robust; a subapical posteroventral lobe on mid and hind femora, narrow, long. Base half of tibia swollen.

Forewings: Long, narrow, opaque. Discoidal area possessing a large subbasal white spot with blurry black edges; the two black lateral borders of the wide white band in middle of the discoidal area arched, the anterior margin of the frontal one directing proximad, of the caudal one directing distad (Fig. 13D). Anal area long, narrow, hyaline.

Hindwings (Fig. 2B): Hyaline.

Abdomen: Long, narrow, with very small lobes. Subgenital plate short, wide, more or less asymmetrical, with styli.

External genitalia (Fig. 10B, D): Simplified. Similar to those of congeners. Left phallomere wide with inconspicuous secondary distal process (spd); phalloid apophysis (afa) short; posterior process of left phallomere (paa) digitiform.

Female. Large-sized, robust. Body size largest among known Theopropus species.

Head (Fig. 5E): Similar to male, but vertex extending beyond apex of eyes.

Pronotum (Fig. 7B): Wide. Lateral pronotal expansion very wide. Lateral margins bearing small, sparsely arranged spines. Black band on each lateral margin of metazone disconnected in middle. Ratio of pronotum length to supracoxal dilatation width about 1.08.

Prothoracic legs (Fig. 8E): Coxa bearing 7-8 small dorsal spines; femora with 16 anteroventral spines; tibia with 16 anteroventral and 19 posteroventral spines. Two black horizontal bands present on ventral side of tibia, but absent in femora. No black spots observed near tibial spur.

Meso- and metathoracic legs: Long, robust. The subbasal posteroventral lobe on femur wide, disc-shaped (Fig. 9D); base half of tibia swollen.

Forewings (Fig. 3B): Wide, fusiform, opaque. The large white subbasal spot of the discoidal area with black edges; frontal one of the two black lateral margins of the wide white band in the middle of discoidal area arc-shaped, pointing proximad, and hind one approximately straight. Anal area long, narrow, hyaline.

Hindwings (Fig. 3B): Wide, opaque, except for margin.

Abdomen (Fig. 9A): Broad, nearly round. Lateral margins of 4th-7th abdominal tergite with significantly expanded lobes.

Coloration.

Yellowish green, with white spots and bands. Antennae black. Band on each lateral margin of metazone black. Two horizontal ventral bands on prothoracic femora and tibia black in males (Fig. 8B), which is absent on femora in females (Fig. 8E). Forewings yellowish green, costal area white; the large spot in base of discoidal area white, with black hind edge; the wide band in middle of discoidal area white, with black lateral margins; anal area orange in males and white in females. Hindwings hyaline, with red-brownish veins in males, ivory in females. Abdomen yellowish white; lateral margins of 3th-5th abdomen tergite with green plaques, and 6th-7th mostly white in females.

Measurements

(length in mm, holotype in parentheses). Body (head to wings): male 33.0-33.7 (33.7), female 52.45; body (vertex to abdomen end): male 27.2-28.1, female 49.1; pronotum: male 6.3-6.4 (6.4), female 13.4; fore coxae: male 6.6-6.7 (6.7), female 13.6; fore femora: male 7.4-7.5 (7.5), female15.5; fore tibiae: male 5.3-5.4 (5.4), female 11.4; middle femora: male 6.8-6.9 (6.9), female 11.1; hind femora: male 8.0-8.1 (8.1), female 13.6; forewing: male 25.0-25.2 (25.2), female 35.1; hindwing: male 22.0-22.2 (22.2), female 29.8.

Differential diagnosis.

The new species most resembles Theopropus sinecus . It is distinguished by the larger body size, wider pronotum, and fewer femoral and tibial spines than those of its congener. Concerning the males, the two black lateral borders of the wide white band in the middle of discoidal area are pointing in opposite directions in T. xishiae sp. nov. (Fig. 13D), however, are parallel in T. sinecus (Fig. 13B). The structure of the female’s abdomen is also different from that of its congeners (Fig. 9A): lateral margins of 4th-7th abdominal tergites each bear a distinctly expanded lobe; abdomen yellowish white, lateral margins of 3th-5th abdomen tergite with green plaques; 6th-7th completely white.

This beautiful species is distributed in the southern Himalayas, which is the northernmost and westernmost record for Theopropus .

Distribution.

China: Tibet, Medog. Expected to also occur in N India.

Etymology.

The new species was named after Xi Shi who was born in The Spring-Autumn Period, the top of the four beautiful women in ancient China, the beauty representative in Chinese culture.