Santocellus helene, Tauber, 2025

Tauber, Catherine A., 2025, Two new species in the green lacewing genus Santocellus (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae, Leucochrysini), ZooKeys 1226, pp. 195-215 : 195-215

Santocellus helene sp. nov.

Figs 3 b , 7 , 8 b, d, f , 9 , 10 e , 11 e , 12 e

Etymology of name.

The species is named in honor of Hélène Legrand, wife of Jean Legrand (see Dedication above). The species name is her given name in apposition (restrictive) to the masculine genus name.

Type specimen.

(sex and figures; verbatim label data [specimen location]) Holotype • Male (Figs 3 b , 7 – 9 ) – (1) Bolivia / Cochabamba / Alto Palmar , XI- 60 – (2) Bought / F. H. Walz – (3) Phillip A. Adams / Collection / 1998 bequest to / Calif. Acad. Sci. – (4) Gonzaga n. sp.; – (5) Photos 4-23 - 79 [ CAS]. No other specimens .

Description (based only on male holotype).

Adult. Medium-sized. Head (Fig. 7 a – d ): 1.81 mm wide (dorsum, including eyes); ratio of head width to eye width = 1.94: 1; sutures not visible. Vertex raised, with small posterior fold. Antenna 23.6 mm long (~ 1.2 times length of forewing); scapes prominent, approximately as long as broad (0.17–0.18 mm). Pedicel round, tubular, not modified. Torulus relatively large, extending well below mid-eye level. Frons short to moderate length, with pale setae, lower margin scalloped upward above clypeus (below toruli). Tentorial pits distinct, round, raised. Gena 0.21 mm long; ratio of genal length to distance between tentorial pits = 0.47: 1. Clypeus quadrate, except dorsal margin broadly curved upward below frons, distal margin relatively straight, pale mesally; surface rounded, slightly raised mesally, with sparse, amber setae of medium length. Labrum tapering anteriorly, with bilobed frontal margin, distinct cleft between lobes moderately deep, lateral margins tapering, long setae basally, shorter setae distally. Labium with submentum slender, rounded ventrally, with round, slightly bulbous tip. Coloration: Scapes with frontal surface pale, mesal tip with dark mark extending onto mesal base of pedicel; pedicel tan throughout; flagellum largely pale, with basal three segments, distal segments dark brown to black. Lateral margins of vertex with pair of dark brown, curvy longitudinal bands, forming cream-colored circular spot centrally, each band with pale spot adjacent to circular spot, thus forming transverse row of three round cream-colored spots. Frons heavily marked with dark brown to reddish black distally, with broad, dark brown, scalloped band along margin above clypeus, laterally extending almost to mesal margins of eyes, mesally extending very short distance between scapes; area below scapes cream-colored, without markings. Clypeus with slender stripe across midsection, not reaching lateral margins; labrum with slight brownish tinge mesally. Clypeus with dark brown marks laterally, blending into dark distal marks on gena. Venter of head pale, pair of small brown spots near base of mentum and eyes; distal three maxillary palpomeres dark brown to black, basal two probably pale; distal labial palpomere black, basal two pale.

Thorax (Fig. 7 a, b, e ): Prothorax approximately two times wider than long: 0.64 mm long, 0.31 mm wide; ratio of length to width = 0.48: 1. Surface with fine, golden setae, most short, some long to very long. Legs slender, with short to medium length, robust, setae, few long setae; tips of tarsi smooth, shiny (black) dorsally, with pair of smooth, small, swellings at terminus (Fig. 7 e ). Tarsal claw moderately long, narrow, base without dilation but with small mesal spur, two pairs of very long setae distally. Coloration: [Note: cream- or tan-colored areas described here probably green in life.] Three thoracic segments mostly dark brown; pronotum with margins dark brown to black, center cream-colored, mottled with ~ six large dark brown to black patches; venter, pleural region cream to light tan. Mesonotum, metanotum with paired cream and dark brown patches interspersed in roundish pattern. Legs pale, mostly unmarked, with setae mostly golden, few longer setae pale; surface of terminal segment (including base of tarsal claws and pair of small terminal swellings) shiny, black (Fig. 7 e ). Tarsal claw moderately long, narrow, with small spur; base slightly enlarged, without distinct dilation.

Wings (Fig. 3 b ): Forewing (left) 19.4 mm long, 7.2 mm wide (maximum). Costal area moderately tall; tallest costal cell (# 10) 1.7 mm tall, 0.24 times maximum height of wing. First intramedian cell triangular, stout, 1.2 mm wide, ~ 0.6 times width of third median cell. Origin of first radial crossvein ~ 0.32 mm distal to origin of Rs; radial area (between R and Rs) with single row of 14 closed cells; tallest radial cell 2.9 times taller than wide. Three b cells, each full sized, slightly longer than tall; first b cell heavily marked on all sides. Two series of gradates; 8 inner gradates, 9 outer gradates; size of cells bounded by gradates fairly uniform, lengthening slightly distally. Four b’ cells (beneath Psm, after im 2); last b’ cell wider than tall. Three intracubital cells, distal one open; first cubital crossvein located basal to second mediocubital crossvein; icu 1, icu 2 each shorter than icu 3; icu 1 + icu 2 longer than icu 3. Vein 1 A forked. Terminal margin with approximately 5 simple veinlets, 13 forked veinlets.

Hindwing: 17.2 mm long, 5.2 mm wide; 12 radial cells (counted from origin of R, not false origin); t cell absent; first b cell beneath RP relatively small, quadrate, heavily marked. Two series of gradates; 6 inner gradates, 8 outer gradates. Three b cells; 4 b’ cells beyond im 2; 3 intracubital cells, distal one open. Terminal margin with 5 simple basal veinlets, 12 forked basal veinlets. Coloration: Wings hyaline, with bold dark brown markings. Forewing: stigma with large dark-brown spot basally, second smaller dark-brown spot distally; veins pale except in marks; penultimate sections of R, Rs, including R – Rs crossveins dark brown, surrounded by dark brown suffusion; slightly elongate dark brown mark at tip of wing, dark streak across center of wing, through inner gradate veins; dark-brown streak from base of Rs to margin of wing; scattered dark-brown marks along lower basal half of wing edge. Hindwing: stigma with one large dark-brown mark; base of RP, t cell absent; first b cell small, quadrate with dark-brown mark; distal section of cu (on posterior margin of wing) dark brown. Terminal margin with 4 simple veinlets, ~ 14 forked veinlets.

Male abdomen (Figs 8 , 9 , slightly teneral). Segments 1–3 similar in size, proportion to distal segments, only slightly larger than basal segments. Fifth, sixth tergites (T 5, T 6) slightly taller than seventh tergite (T 7). Tergites, sclerites, pleural region with numerous, short to medium length setae, microsetae; spiracles not enlarged; microtholi absent. Abdominal sternites moderately tall (S 6: ratio of length to width = 1.2: 1), with dorsal margins straight, slanting; distal sternites with slightly long, slender setae throughout. Callus cerci almost round to slightly ovate, 0.23– 0.16 mm diameter, with ~ 31 long trichobothria; cupuliform bases of variable size [those within central section larger (~ 0.028 mm) than those on periphery (~ 0.015 mm)]. Dorsum of T 9 + ectoproct rounded distally, fused mesally with very small to no cleft; no midline suture visible; with long setae, densest along distal margin; dorsal apodeme straight, extending along full length of T 9 + ectoproct, above upper side of callus cerci, with large ventral spur extending downward along basal margin of callus cerci to posterodistal margin of ectoproct. S 8 + 9 fused, apparently without suture, tapering to acute apex (lateral view); S 9 slightly darker than S 8; ventral apodeme extending across dorsal surface of S 8 + 9; S 9 spatulate distally, with terminal membrane prominent, attached across full margin of sternite; membrane bearing single, irregular row of large robust gonocristae laterally, smaller, denser gonocristae mesally.

Male genitalia. Tignum, gonapsis, parameres, quadrate hood, pseudopenis, spinellae absent. Gonarcus broad, with gonarcal bridge bearing pair of elongate gonocornua fused laterally forming dome-like plate above mediuncus. Gonarcal arms large, rounded, expanded slightly forward. Mediuncus elongate, in two sections: basal section extending from below gonarcal bridge, with pair of elongate, rod-like internal apodemes covered dorsally by heavy subanal membrane; distal section of mediuncus extending distally from basal section at acute angle, with pair of flange-like arms lateral to mesal beak; gonosaccus beneath mediuncus, stiff, flat laterally, with few gonosetae.

Female abdomen and genitalia. Unknown.

Variation.

Unknown.

Known distribution.

South America. Bolivia (Cochabamba).

Figures

Figure 3. Wings of two new Santocellus species a S. legrandi sp. nov., holotype, male, Nicaragua, Río San Juan, Bartola (CAS); forewing length, 18.7 mm b S. helene, sp. nov., holotype, male, Bolivia, Cochabamba (CAS); forewing length, 19.4 mm. Arrows highlight interspecific differences in markings.

Figure 7. Head and thoracic region of Santocellus helene sp. nov., holotype, male, Bolivia, Cochabamba, Alto Palmar (CAS) a upper body (head, thorax) dorsal b head, prothorax, lateral c head, frontal d head, ventral e tarsus (dorsum) and tarsal claw (lateral). Width across head (including eyes) 1.82 mm.

Figure 8. Side-by-side comparisons of male external abdominal features a, c, e Santocellus legrandi sp. nov., holotype, Nicaragua, Río San Juan, Bartola (CAS) b, d, f Santocellus helene sp. nov., holotype, Bolivia, Cochabamba, Alto Palmar (CAS) a, b abdominal segments A 6 - terminus, lateral c, d terminus of S 8 + 9, with terminal membrane bearing distinctive patches of gonocristae e, f callus cerci.

Figure 9. Gonarcal complex of Santocellus helene sp. nov., holotype, Bolivia, Cochabamba, Alto Palmar (CAS) a posterolateral b lateral c frontolateral d posteroventral e dorsal. Abbreviations: gc gonocornu (fused mesally, forming rounded plate); gsac gonosaccus; gst gonosetae; g. ap. gonarcal apodeme, dorsal view; g. br. gonarcal bridge; mu-d mediuncus, dorsal view; mu-f mediuncus, frontal view; rod internal mediuncal apodemes.

Figure 10. Side-by-side comparison of head and body (dorsum) of currently known Santocellus species a S. atlanticis, male; Brasil, Rio Grande do Sul b S. riodoce, female; Brasil, Espírito Santo c S. risi, male; Madre de Dios, Peru d S. legrandi sp. nov., male; Nicaragua, Río San Juan, Bartola e S. helene sp. nov., male; Bolivia, Cochabamba f sketch of thoracic sclerites (from Séméria 1976).

Figure 11. Side-by-side comparison of the head (frontal) of currently known Santocellus species a S. atlanticis, male; Brasil, Rio Grande do Sul b S. riodoce, female; Brasil, Espírito Santo c S. risi, male; Peru, Madre de Dios d S. legrandi sp. nov., male; Nicaragua, Río San Juan, Bartola e S. helene sp. nov., male; Bolivia, Cochabamba.

Figure 12. Side-by-side comparison of the wings of currently known Santocellus species a S. atlanticis, male; Brasil, Rio Grande do Sul b S. riodoce female; Brasil, Espírito Santo c S. risi, male; Peru, Madre de Dios d S. legrandi sp. nov., male; Nicaragua, Río San Juan, Bartola e Santocellus helene sp. nov., male; Bolivia, Cochabamba. The numbers on the right of each image indicate the maximum length of the forewing recorded for that species.