Chirodisca eximia (Stål, 1859)

(Figs 9–11, 24–50)

Caliscelis eximia Stål, 1859: 323 (sp. n.).

Caliscelis eximia: Singh-Pruthi, 1925: 217, pl. 27, fig. 229 (description).

Caliscelis eximia: Menon & Parshad 1960: 141, Pl. I, figs 1–7, Pl. II, figs 1–6 (description).

Caliscelis eximia: Linnavuori 1973:120 (record).

Caliscelis dreyfus Fernando, 1957: 15, syn. fide Gnezdilov & Bourgoin 2009: 12.

Caliscelis macbridei Fernando, 1960: 126, Pl. 3, figs 12, 13, syn. n.

Chirodisca eximia: Gnezdilov & Bourgoin 2009: 12 (comb. n.).

Type material examined (MNB). [Sri Lanka]: ♂, lectotype, “4956” (printed), “Type” (red, printed), “Ceylon. Nietn.” (handwritten in ink), “ Caliscelis eximia . Stål.” (handwritten in ink), “Mus. Berol.” (printed) ; 1♂, paralectotype, “Type” (red, printed), “Cat. No. 4956” (handwritten in ink), “Ceylon Nietner” (handwritten in ink), “ Caliscelis eximia Stål ” (handwritten in ink), “Mus. Berol.” (printed); 1♀, paralectotype, “Type” (red, printed), “Cat. No. 4956” (handwritten in ink), “Ceylon Nietner” (handwritten in ink), “ Caliscelis eximia Stål ” (handwritten in ink), “Mus. Berol.” (printed).

Other material examined: Sri-Lanka: 2♂, 2♀, 25 km NNO Jnginia-galla, 20–30.III.1973, G. & M. Köhler leg. (SMNS); 1♀, Puttalam, Horn leg. (ZSM); 1♀, Matala, Horn leg. (SDEI). India: 1♂, Uttar Pradesh, Shiwalik Kette, S. Seite, 600 m., 13 km SW Dehra Dun, 20.VIII.1985, J. Schulze leg. (MNB); 1♂, Bangalore, Lalbagh, 5.VI.1976, B. Mallik leg. (SNSD). Pakistan: 1♀, Punjab, Taxila, Badal Pur Stupa, 530 m, 33.7874º N 72.8639º E, 28.V.2007, K. Schönitzer leg. (ZSM). Ethiopia: 1♂, Sodere, 18.XI.1980, “Demeter No. 508” (HNHM); 1♂, Oromia, Abijata Shala Nat. Park, St 5, 7º28´55.5´´ N 38º39´47.8´´ E, 16.IX.2012, yellow pan trap, A. Pauly & J.L. Boeve leg. (RBINS). Chad: 2♀, Tibesti, Enneri Tao, 1–3.IV.1953, K. Guichard leg. (MNHN) .

Emended description. Male. Structure. Metope long and narrow, almost twice as long as wide between the eyes; lateral margins slightly concave anterior to eyes; upper margin trapezoidally concave (Figs 25, 34). Metopoclypeal suture strongly convex (Fig. 34). Rostrum with short 3 rd segment, 0.3 times as long as second one, cylindrical, not tapering apically (Fig. 29). Coryphe and metope joined at right angle in lateral view (Figs 24, 28). Coryphe transverse, twice as wide between the eyes as long medially, with weak median carina running from its posterior margin to middle; anterior and lateral margins keel-shaped (Fig. 30). Pedicel with short process and sensory organs (Fig. 29, 32). Pronotum with median carina (Fig. 33). Paranotal lobes of pronotum elongate and rounded (Fig. 35). Mesonotum longer than pronotum. Fore wings reaching middle of abdominal tergite IV (Fig. 24). Venation obscure: R 2, furcating at middle; M 2, furcating apically (Fig. 36). Fore femora and tibiae strongly flattened, foliate (Fig. 37). Middle femora and tibiae slightly flattened. Abdominal sternite III with turned up medially hind margin (shaded on the figure); abdominal sternites IV–VII with strongly acutely angularly concave hind margins (Fig. 31).

Male. Coloration. General coloration of head and body brownish pale yellow (Figs 24, 25, 28). Paranotal lobes of pronotum black in their lower portions. Fore wings black, from their costal margins to anterior branch of radius. Episternae and epimerae and fore and middle coxae black. Fore trochanters, femora and tibiae dark brown to black. Middle femora yellowish brown, with two wide dark brown bands. Middle tibiae and hind femora and tibiae yellowish brown, with dense dark brown spots. Tarsi yellowish brown, with apices of third tarsomeres and claws dark brown. Tips of leg spines black. Abdomen with wide lateral black stripes enlarged from laterotergite III to the middle of sternite VII. Sternite III light yellow. Sternites IV–VII light yellow between black lateral stripes. Pygofer dark brown to black in its lower part and brown-yellow above.

Male genitalia structure. As given for genus (Figs 42–50). Anal tube almost as long as wide, slightly narrowing apically (Figs 42, 48).

Female. Structure. Pedicel with short process and sensory organs (Fig. 39). Fore wing venation obscure: R 2, M 2. Middle femora and tibiae slightly flattened. Abdominal sternite III with posterior margin deeply concave; abdominal sternites IV–VI with posterior margins strongly acute, angularly concave. Sternite VII with posterior margin convex, bearing median concavity. Gonoplacs flat. Anal tube nearly round, with short anal column (Fig. 41).

Female. Coloration. General coloration of head and body brownish pale yellow with dark brown spots (Figs 26, 27). Fore wings with sparse spots. Each fore femur with large dark brown spot near to its apex outside (Fig. 38). Apices of third tarsomeres of fore and middle tarsi, third metatarsomeres, and claws dark brown. Tips of leg spines black.

Total length. Males— 2.5–3.5 mm. Females—3.2–4.0 mm.

Ecology. In Delhi (India) the species is more abundant since April to August (Menon & Parshad 1960).

Note. The species was described from the specimens, at least male and female, deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin (Germany) (Stål 1859). Recently, a male from this type series was designated as the lectotype (Gnezdilov 2016). Caliscelis macbridei described by Fernando (1960) from two females (according to the drawings provided) from Ruhunu National Park in Sri-Lanka is placed in synonymy under Chirodisca eximia on the basis of examination of original description and the drawings (Fernando 1960, Pl. 3, figs 12, 13) where the female is shown in dorsal and frontal views, with characteristic transverse coryphe, foliate fore femora and tibiae and slightly foliate middle femora and tibiae.