Sinopanorpa digitiformis Huang & Hua, 2008

Cai, Li-Jun, Huang, Peng-Ying & Hua, Bao-Zhen, 2008, Sinopanorpa, a new genus of Panorpidae (Mecoptera) from the Oriental China with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 1941 (1), pp. 43-54 : 48-51

Sinopanorpa digitiformis Huang & Hua , sp. nov.

( Figs. 2–3 )

Holotype: male, Hubei: Hongping (31°20'N, 110°22'E), 1600 m, Shennongjia, 28.vi.2007, leg. BZ Hua & JL Tan.

Paratypes: Hubei: 1♂, Shennongding, 2800 m, Shennongjia , 30.vi.2007, leg. BZ Hua, JL Tan ; 1♂, Hongping, Shennongjia , 2.vii.2007, leg. BZ Hua, JL Tan ; 2♀♀, Hongping, Shennongjia , 1.vii.2007, leg. BZ Hua, JL Tan ; same data as holotype ; 1♂ 1♀, Yazikou (31°19'N, 110°22'E), 1850 m, 11.viii.1997, leg. CK Yang.

Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Latin, digitiformis (finger-like), referring to the fingerlike ventral parameres of the male genitalia.

Diagnosis: The new species is very similar to Sinopanorpa tincta (Navas) from Gansu and Shaanxi provinces in general appearance, especially wing patterns and the coloration of body, but distinguishable from the latter by 1) the abdominal segment VI of male markedly tapering towards apex in the distal half, the anterodorsal corner of segment VII with dark hairs; 2) gonostylus smoothly bent outwards, the mesal process located at its basal 1/3, the basal lobe also more basal and petal-like with two acute distal hooks; 3) ventral parameres longer, reaching slightly over the base of the basal lobe of gonostylus; 4) genital plate in female broad and short, only slightly longer than wide, axis extending nearly half its length beyond the plate.

Description. Male ( Fig. 2A ): Head: dark brown. Eyes black; ocellar triangle black; vertex with a dark transverse band and three longitudinal black stripes behind and connected with the band. Rostrum yellowish brown. Labial and maxillary palpi light yellow except the distal half of the apical segment dark yellowish brown. Mandible yellowish brown with outer margin gradually darker towards apex. Maxillae dark grayish yellow. Antennae dark brown, filiform with 44 segments; the first flagellomere the longest, 2.5 times as long as each of the remaining segments.

Thorax: Pronotum dark brown with 12 long setae along anterior margin. Both meso- and metathorax tawny black dorsally, light grey to whitish yellow laterally. Tegula dark, with numerous short black setae. Legs light yellow, each tibia with a pair of yellowish brown apical spurs. A pair of claws dark brown, serrate with 6 teeth.

Wings ( Fig. 2A ): Forewings 17.1–18.0 mm long, 3.5–3.7 mm wide. Forewing Membrane light yellow in colour, markings pale brown; pterostigma prominent, brownish orange; apical band broad, with the inner mesal part slightly concave; pterostigmal band complete, with basal and distal branches equal in width, but the basal part of the two branches quite vague; marginal spot very indistinct, nearly rectangular in shape; basal band almost complete, but very pale in the anterior half and markedly conspicuous in the posterior half from the cell 2M to the posterior margin; basal spot absent; A long seta at base of R; R 2 three-branched; R 3 arising from the centre of pterostigmal band. Hindwing similar to forewing in pattern, but marginal spot and basal band absent. Forewings with 7–9 jugal bristles, and hindwings with 2–3 frenular bristles.

Abdomen: Abdominal segments I–IV (A1–5) blackish brown in terga, greyish brown in sterna, and pale in pleura with spiracles clearly visible. The notal organ in tergum III undeveloped. Segment V paler. A6–8 reddish brown, greatly elongated, without anal horn. A6 twice as long as the fifth segment, with the basal half cylindrical and the distal half conical, tapering towards apex. Along the mid tergum VI a patch of golden hairs present; along the caudo-dorsal margin also present a row of long hairs. A7 shorter than A6, much thinner in basal 1/3 than in distal 2/ 3 in diameter, with a cluster of numerous dark setae on the proximal dorsal swelling corner of the distal part ( Fig. 3A ). A8 as long as A7, but slight constricted at basal 1/5 part. A dark longitudinal line along the spiracle from A4 to the thinner part of A8.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 3B–E ): Genital bulb long elliptic ( Fig. 3B–C ). Epandrium (9th tergum) broad at base, narrowing towards apex with a shallow emargination; a pair of one-segmented cerci protuding subapically from under epandrium ( Fig. 3B ). Hypandrium (9th sternum) very short; hypovalves broad, nearly reaching the apex of gonocoxites, the mesal margin of the distal half bearing numerous barb hairs. The two hypovalves almost parallel to each other, with apex rounded ( Fig. 3C ). Gonocoxite shorter than gonostylus, with two small dark spots where the articulation of gonostylus located. Gonostylus long and slender, only smoothly curved outwards; the mesal tooth more proximal, roughly at the basal 1/3; the basal lobe extremely developed, very prominent, strongly sclerotized at the apical margin, assuming a peculiar shape with a broad setiferous basal process and two sharp distal hooks protruding dorsally and ventrally respectively ( Fig. 3D ). Ventral parameres long and slender, finger-like, pointed at apex, reaching the distal part of the basal lobe of the gonostylus; the basal half smooth and slightly incurved, the distal half roughly parallel to each other but with the apexes slightly divergent; the distal half bearing dense orange spines along their mesal margins, shorter towards the apical part. Dorsal parameres very short and blunt. Penis simple, long triangular in shape ( Fig. 3E ).

Female ( Fig. 2B ): Head dark yellow. Thorax dark brown dorsally, light yellow laterally. Forewings 17.3– 18.2 mm long, 3.6–3.8 mm wide. Wing pattern similar to that of male, but markings more vague, marginal spot absent, basal and distal branches of pterostigmal band seemingly broken at their basal part. In hindwings, markings not distinct, basal band completely absent. Abdominal segments I–IV dark brown in terga, light yellow in sterna; A5–7 yellowish brown dorsally, with a mesal longitudinal thin line; each tergum blackish along the posterior margin; all the sterna light yellow.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 3F–G ): Subgenital plate broad at base, but broadest sub-basally, and gradually narrowing towards apex, with a bluntly rounded apex, the apical part of the plate bearing distinct long setae ( Fig. 3F ). Internal skeleton very broad, only slightly longer than wide for the genital plate, with a pair of stunt posterior arms roughly forming a broad U-shape; the axis long, extending nearly 1/2 of its length beyond the plate ( Fig. 3G ).

Remarks: This species was collected from Shennongjia Mountains, in a small shady valley.

Distribution: China (Hubei Province).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Adults of Sinopanorpa digitiformis sp. nov. A. Male; B. Female.

FIGURE 3. Sinopanorpa digitiformis sp. nov. A–E. Male: A. Abdominal segments IV–VII, lateral view; B. Genital bulb, dorsal view; C. Genital bulb, ventral view; D. Basal lobe of gonostylus, caudal view; E. Part of genital bulb with hypovalves removed, showing penis and ventral parameres, ventral view. F–G. Female: F. Subgenital plate, ventral view; G. Internal skeleton, dorsal view.