Osmylus xiaohongae Zheng, Li, Wang and Liu, 2025

Li, Zechuan, Zheng, Yuchen, Wang, Yongjie & Liu, Xingyue, 2025, A revision of the Osmylus hyalinatus species group (Neuroptera: Osmylidae), with description of seven new species, Journal of Natural History 59 (13 - 16), pp. 849-893 : 882-884

Osmylus xiaohongae Zheng, Li, Wang and Liu sp. n.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

( Figures 1 , 11 , 14G, O )

Diagnosis

Head yellow; vertex anteriorly with a pale yellowish transversal band (faded in holotype). Pronotum pale yellow, lateral part dark brown with a pair of black spots. Fore wing gradate series area to apex with some transversely arranged dots. Hind wing without marking. Male tergum 9 with a narrowed triangular process, 1.1–1.3 times as long as width in lateral view; gonocoxites 9 with two pairs of tubercles, posterior pair larger than anterior pair, subtriangular in lateral view; in ventral view, posterior pair fused as a V-shaped structure; gonocoxites 10 hook-like, slightly curved anteriorly, then curved sharply; ectoproct nearly trapezoid. Female sternum 7 without processes; anterior branch of tergum 9 subtriangular in ventral view; gonocoxite 9 fused as a rhomboic structure in ventral view, distal margin truncate.

Description

Head width 2.3 mm; fore wing length 25.2 mm; hind wing length 21.9 mm.

Head. ( Figure 11C ) Yellow, faded in holotype. Vertex convex, anteriorly with a pale yellowish transversal band, hairless. Ocelli distinct, with yellowish-brown setae. Antennae mostly black; scape basally yellow; flagellum filiform. Frons yellow. Clypeus yellow, lateral margin with a pair of dark dots, covered with some brown setae; with long setae on the base. Labrum pale brown. Mandible basally brown, distally dark brown. Maxillary and labial palpi yellowish brown.

Thorax. ( Figure 11B ) Pronotum as long as wide, pale yellow, lateral part dark brown with a pair of black spots, covered with many pale brownish setae. Meso- and metanotum brown and pale brown with some dark brown markings, covered with many dark and pale setae.

Legs. Long and slender, yellow, covered with short setae. Tibia nearly twice as long as femur; tarsomere 1 relatively longer, nearly as long as entire length of tarsomeres 2–4; pretarsal claws curved. Metatibia longer than that of fore- and midlegs.

Wings. Ovoid, hyaline, with dense setae. Pterostigma dark brown alternating with pale. Fore wing gradate series area to apex with some transversely arranged dots; costal space broad basally, subcostal veinlets basally connected by some short oblique crossveins; RP with 12–13 branches; crossveins among RP branches numerous, irregularly spaced; two distinct gradate series present; CuP with some crossveins; A1 and A2, with pectinate branches and crossveins. Hind wing without marking; subcostal veinlets without interlinked crossvein.

Abdomen. Dark brown, covered with yellowish brown setae. Male genitalia ( Figure 11D, E ): Tergum 8 long; callus cerci relatively large and ovoid. Tergum 9 with a narrowed triangular process, 1.1–1.3 times as long as width. Gonocoxites 9 slightly sclerotised distally, with two pairs of tubercles, posterior pair larger than anterior pair, subtriangular in lateral view; in ventral view, the posterior pair fused as a V-shaped structure. Gonocoxites 10 ( Figure 14G ) hook-like, slightly curved anteriorly, then curved sharply. Ectoproct nearly trapezoid. Female genitalia ( Figures 11F, G ): Tergum 9 branched ventrad; anterior branch small digitiform in lateral view, subtriangular in ventral view. Gonocoxite 9 fused as a rhomboic structure in ventral view, distal margin truncate. Ectoproct nearly trapezoid in lateral view. Spermatheca relatively ovoid ( Figure 14O ).

Type material

Holotype ♂, CHINA: Fujian, Quanzhou, Dehua County [德化县], Shuikou Town [水口镇], Mt. Shiniushan [石牛山], Geyao [格腰], 1100 m, 16 April 2020, leg. Yuchen Zheng ( CAU) . Paratypes: 2♂ 1♀, same as holotype ( CAU).

Distribution

China ( Fujian).

Etymology

This new species is named in honour of Mrs Xiaohong Ye (叶晓红), the mother of the author Yuchen Zheng, in recognition of her great support for Yuchen Zheng’s interest and research in entomology since his childhood.

Remarks

Although this species is similar to O. zheanus , it can be distinguished by its pale yellow pronotum with a pair of lateral black spots, the minute anterior pair of tubercles on male gonocoxites 9, and the absence of processes on female sternum 7. In O. zheanus , the pronotum has central and lateral brown markings, the anterior pair of tubercles on male gonocoxites 9 is relatively large, and the female sternum 7 has three processes.

Figures

Figure 1. Living adults and their type localities.A. Osmylus gaoligongensis Zheng,Li, Wang and Liu sp. n., living adult. B. Type locality of O. gaoligongensis sp. n., Pianma (Yunnan). C. O. xiaohongae Zheng, Li, Wang and Liu sp. n., living adult.D. Type locality of O. xiaohongae sp. n., Dehua (Fujian).E. Microhabitat of O. xiaohongae sp. n. from its type locality. F. O. flaviantennatus Li, Zheng, Wang and Liu sp. n., living adult. G. Type locality of O. flaviantennatus sp. n., Zhangmu (Xizang). Photos by Yuchen Zheng.

Figure 11. Osmylus xiaohongae Zheng, Li, Wang and Liu sp. n. A. habitus; B. head and thorax, dorsal view; C. head; D. male genitalia, lateral view; E. male genitalia, ventral view; F. female genitalia, lateral view; G. female genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars: A = 10.0 mm; B = 2.0 mm; C = 1.0 mm; D–G = 0.5 mm.

Figure 14. Male gonocoxites 10 and female spermatheca. A, J. O. atomatus; B, K. O. decoratus; C, L. O. flaviantennatus sp. n.; D, M. O. gaoligongensis sp. n.; E. O. verticalis sp. n.; N. O. trituberatus sp. n.; F. O. wenii sp. n.; G, O. O. xiaohongae sp. n.; H, P. O. qinlinganus sp. n.; I, Q. O. zheanus.