Eosembia lamunae, Poolprasert, Pisit, Sitthicharoenchai, Duangkhae, Lekprayoon, Chariya & Butcher, Buntika Areekul, 2011

Poolprasert, Pisit, Sitthicharoenchai, Duangkhae, Lekprayoon, Chariya & Butcher, Buntika Areekul, 2011, Two remarkable new species of webspinners in the genus Eosembia Ross, 2007 (Embioptera: Oligotomidae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 2967, pp. 1-11 : 3-8

Eosembia lamunae sp. n.

( Figs. 1 , 2)

Diagnosis. The male of E. lamunae can be readily distinguished from congeners by the left paraproct (LPPT), which caudally is a sharp hook directed leftwards, and by the basal segment of the left cercus, which is club-like, slightly dilated distally but not lobed. The females can be easily recognized by the cervical sclerite, prothorax and all legs being bright orange throughout.

Material examined. Holotype male (CUMZ-EMB-Oli.2010.115), 2 male paratypes, 2 female paratypes (CUMZ-EMB-Oli.2010.116-119), Thailand, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thap Sakae District, dry evergreen forest, 11°37.564’N 099°36.867’E, 61 m, 17.III.2009, collected by P. Poolprasert.

Distribution. This species is known only from Thap Sakae District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand.

Etymology. This species is named after the late Lamun Poolprasert, mother of the senior author.

Description. Alate male ( Fig. 1 A) (n = 3, mean (range)): Head width × length 1.2 (1.1–1.2) × 1.6 (1.5–1.6) mm, body length 13.5 (13.2–14.1) mm, width 1.9 (1.8–1.9) mm, forewing 9.2 (9.1–9.2) mm, hindwing 8.3 (8.2– 8.3) mm. Head capsule darkish brown, longer than broad, sides caudally convergent. Eyes entirely dark. Anterior margin of labrum blackish brown and equally rounded. Submentum trapezoidal with shallow medial concave anterior margin (Fig. 2A), blackish. Mandible dark and slender. Antennae long, dark throughout, 29-segmented. Prothorax bright orange. Meso- and metathorax dorsally darkish brown and slightly paler ventrally. All legs bright orange throughout from coxae to femurs, except for a darker color on tibiae and tarsi. Wings dark brown. Hind basitarsus with two papillae (Fig. 2D). Abdomen dark brown throughout with darker terminalia. Terminalia with 10L broader than 10R. Process 10LP becoming yellowish distally, broad, spatulate with a sharp outer-apical angle; 10 RP long, lengthy membranous inner margin, gradually arced rightward with a small outer hook at the apex. Hypandrium (H) broad basally, gradually narrowing caudally, forming a broad process of H (HP) directed slightly towards left cercus and beneath 10LP. LPPT produced caudally as a sharp hook directed leftwards. Basal segment of LC1 long, slightly dilated distally but not lobed.

Apterous female ( Fig. 1 B) (n = 2, mean (range)): Head width × length 1.3 (1.2, 1.4) × 1.8 (1.7, 1.9) mm, body length 17.9 (17.5, 18.3) mm, width 2.3 (2.3, 2.4) mm. Head capsule blackish brown, convex, longer than broad. Eyes dark. Antennae 25-segmented with white tips. Prothorax bright orange, cream-white intersegmental banding anterior and posterior to mesoscutum. Meso- and metathoracic sclerites dark brown. Forelegs concolorous with pronotum except for bright brown basitarsi. Middle and hind legs entirely bright orange throughout. Hind basitarsus with two papillae. Abdomen dark throughout with cream-white striped lateral plates. Ninth sternum medially inset in the body with three inner lobes at the base (Fig. 2E). Tenth sternum symmetrically divided longitudinally into two lateral plates. Cerci entirely brown.

Remarks. The new species was collected during the dry season (March) in a dry evergreen forest. Colonies occur on the surface of lichen-covered rocks. The silk gallery is large and conspicuous ( Fig. 1 C).

FIGURE 2. Important characters of Eosembia lamunae sp. n. (A) Head of male, (B) Terminalia (dorsal) of male, (C) Terminalia (ventral) of male, (D) Hind tarsus of male and (E) Sternites of female. Abbreviations: 8 = eighth abdominal sternite; 9 = ninth abdominal sternite; 10L and 10R = left and right hemitergites of the tenth segment; 10LP and 10 RP = left and right tergal processes; EP = epiproct (segment 11); H = hypandrium (sternite 9); HP = hypandrium process; LPPT = left paraproct; LC1 and LC2 = first and second segments of the left cercus; RC1 and RC2 = first and second segments of the right cercus.

FIGURE 4. Important characters of Eosembia paradorni sp. n. (A) Head of male, (B) Terminalia (dorsal) of male, (C) Terminalia (ventral) of male, (D) Hind tarsus of male and (E) Sternites of female. Abbreviations: 8 = eighth abdominal sternite; 9 = ninth abdominal sternite; 10L and 10R = left and right hemitergites of the tenth segment; 10LP and 10 RP = left and right tergal processes; EP = epiproct (segment 11); H = hypandrium (sternite 9); HP = hypandrium process; LPPT = left paraproct; LC1 and LC2 = first and second segments of the left cercus; RC1 and RC2 = first and second segments of the right cercus.

FIGURE 5. Left cercus (LC1) and left and right tergal processes (10LP and 10 RP) of the webspinner genus Eosembia (A–O). Abbreviations: LC1 = first segment of the left cercus; 10LP and 10 RP = left and right tergal processes; LPPT = left paraproct. Figures are drawn based on figures by Kapur & Kripalani (1957), Lu (1990), Poolprasert & Edgerly (2011) and Ross (1978, 2007).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Light micrographs of Eosembia lamunae sp. n. (A) male, (B) female and (C) silk gallery.