Spilosmylus tephrodestigma, Badano, Davide & Winterton, Shaun L., 2017

Badano, Davide & Winterton, Shaun L., 2017, New Philippine species of Spilosmylus Kolbe (Neuroptera, Osmylidae), ZooKeys 712, pp. 29-42 : 31-33

Spilosmylus tephrodestigma sp. n. Figs 1B, 2B

Material examined.

Holotype. Pinned, abdomen damaged by booklice, genitalia missing. PHILIPPINES, North Luzon, Barlig, Mountain Province, July 2014, 1 ex, local collector, [gender indeterminate] (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien).

Diagnosis.

Medium sized osmylid with pale body; meso- and metathorax with large brown markings; both wings with small intermittent dark dashes on Sc and R; forewing membrane with well contrasted dark grey spots in the radial and medial area; base of the anal area with a well distinct dark marking; embossed spot present; hind wing membrane hyaline (Fig. 1B).

Description.

Dimensions. Forewing length: 21.43 mm, width: 7.14; hind wing length: 19.05 mm, width: 5.87 mm.

Head. Uniformly pale ochre. Vertex, frons and clypeus pale. Labrum, gena and palpi pale. Antenna uniformly pale ochre (Fig. 1B).

Thorax. Predominantly pale ochre. Pronotum distinctly longer than wide, with brown lateral margins; mesonotum with dark brown dots on the posterior portion of the mesoscutum; metanotum with dark brown markings on the metascutum converging apically on the prescutum (Fig. 1B). Legs. Pale.

Wings. Forewing relatively broad with a slightly pointed apex, membrane hyaline with isolated markings and shades (Fig. 2B). Venation of the costal area mostly pale, longitudinal veins predominantly yellowish, crossveins mostly brown. Costal area progressively narrowing toward the apex, with brownish shades toward the pterostigma. Pterostigma light brown, lighter medially. Sc and R yellowish, with 4 parallel black dashes. Subcostal area yellowish with dark streaks paralleling the dark dashes on Sc and R. Forewing medial fork originating basally to the first branch of Rs. Forewing membrane with a diagnostic pattern composed by: a dark grey marking between the origin of the third and fourth branches of Rs, and a series of three dark grey markings forming a stripe extending between the second branch of Rs and MP (Fig. 2B). Gradates with isolated dark spots. Basal cubital and anal crossveins blackish. Anal area with a characteristic curved dark marking at middle length between the wing base and the embossed spot (Fig. 2B). Posterior margin of the wing shaded. Hind wing relatively broad, with hyaline membrane. Venation predominantly yellowish. Posterior margin shaded.

Abdomen. Tergites and sternites uniformly pale ochre. Tip of the abdomen not preserved.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a compound Latinized noun of Greek derivation from τεφρῶδες, tephrodes, meaning “coal” and στίγμα, stigma, meaning “spot”, thus "ashy spot" referring to the grey spots on the forewing.

Comments.

Spilosmylus tephrodestigma sp. n. is a more typical species of Spilosmylus , displaying a conspicuous embossed spot on the posterior margin of the forewing, which is an autapomorphic character of many species in the genus ( Wang et al. 2011). Spilosmylus tephrodestigma sp. n. is also easily recognizable from other congeners thanks to the highly characteristic wing pattern composed by a series of dark grey spots forming a linear pattern in the radial area of forewing. Spilosmylus tephrodestigma sp. n. is similar to S. inquinatus and it might be closely related to the latter, but it is easily set apart thanks to the wing pattern and the presence of dark brown markings on the meso- and metathorax. Spilosmylus tephrodestigma sp. n. also lacks the amber shadings typical of S. inquinatus and S. formosus . The discovery of the genitalia of the new species is necessary to clarify its affinities within the genus.