Panorpidium acusicaudum, Tian & Ren & Gu, 2022

Tian, He, Ren, Dong & Gu, Jun-Jie, 2022, Two new species of Elcaninae (Orthoptera, Elcanidae) recorded from the Early Cretaceous China, Zootaxa 5128 (4), pp. 589-596 : 591-592

Panorpidium acusicaudum sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7256D24D-2CFF-4080-A42F-45E3797C8BDC

Diagnosis. Forewing medium size, CP short, reaching anterior margin basal of the fusion point of CuPaα and M+CuA, ScA and ScP with numerous branches, R forking into RA and RP after ScP reaching anterior margin, MP originating after ScA reaching anterior margin, CuPa much longer than CuPaα.

Material. Holotype, CNU-ORT-LB2011041P/C , female.

Etymology. From the latin ‘ acus ’ for needle and ‘ cauda ’ for tail, refers to its needle-like ovipositor.

Horizon and locality. Yixian Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Huangbanjigou Village, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China.

Description. A well-preserved female, the body medium size, head poorly preserved and abdomen vertically compressed.

Head. Hypognathous, antennae filiform and slender, with more than 150 segments, flagellum much longer, flagellomere nearly rectangular, labrum approximates trapezoid.

Thorax. Pronotum saddle-shaped, post margin not prolongated. Prothorax and mesothorax legs long and slender, pro- and mesotarsus both with 3 tarsomeres, basitarsomere longest, second tarsomere very small, distalmost tarsomere long and equal with basitarsomere. Metafemur much strong, upper side and outer surface of it with irregular dark spots; hind knee robust; metatibia long and slender, dorsum with three leaf-like spurs in distal half; distal of metatibia saved an apical spur; metatarsus with 3 tarsomeres, basitarsomere longest, ventral with two rows of tiny spines, second tarsomere very small, distalmost tarsomere long but about 1/2 length of the basitarsomere, claws well-developed.

Abdomen. Abdomen short, about half the length of the wing. Ovipositor needle-like, elongated and sharply pointed, its length more than three times as long as pronotum; upper and lower vavulae almost of similar size, the surface of the vavulae smooth. Cerci conical, slender and unsegmented.

Wings. Forewing large size, Costa area relatively narrow, CP short, reaching anterior margin before the fusion point of CuPaα and M+CuA, with numerous branchlets; ScA reaching anterior margin before origin of MP, with 6 branches distally reaching anterior margin; area between ScA and CP narrower than that of anterior and CP; ScP ending in anterior margin before R forking into RA and RP, several short branches basally connecting with ScA and numerous branches distally reaching anterior margin; stem R long and distinctly strong, branched into RA and RP near the mid-length of wing; area between R and ScP relatively broad; RA ending in anterior margin close to apex and producing numerous oblique branches; RP with 7 or 8 comb-like branches, most of them reaching posterior margin, several distal terminals reaching anterior margin; most cross-veins between the branches of RP simple and straight, some cross-veins between distal terminals dichotomic; area between RA and RP narrow; M forking into MA and MP between terminals of ScA and ScP; MA branching into MA1 and MA2 at the level of the end of ScP; MA1 with 2 branches, the first branch of it fused with RP; MP simple, reaching posterior margin at about 2/3 distal of forewing base; CuA+CuPaα simple, originating before the end of ScA and ending in posterior margin beyond mid-length of wing; CuPaβ, CuPb and AA1 fused with each other at about 1/3rd of wing length, basal of the ending of ScP; CuPa straight and long, more than three times as long as CuPaα, area between CuPb and AA1 relatively narrow, AA1 straight and strong; area between AA1 and posterior margin filled with irregularly reticulate veins. Area between RA and anterior margin, and that of CuPaβ, CuPb and AA1 are colored, one round dark spots located at the area of RP and MA1. Hindwing incomplete and strongly overlapped, basal part obscure; venation similar to that of forewing, RA with numerous branches ending in anterior margin; RP with 4–6 comb-like branches; MA and MP simple and long; CuA+CuPa straight, curved backward to the posterior at its terminal; other branches of CuP and anal veins are confounded because of fold and overlap, anals broad and with straight veins, covered by reticular transverse veins.

Measurement. The estimated length of the body approximately 17 mm (from head to the end of abdomen). Left antennae preserved 55.2 mm long, right antennae preserved 18.3 mm long. Pronotum 2.6 mm long. Left Prothorax leg: profemur preserved 6.5 mm long and 0.9 mm wide, protibia preserved 5.5 mm long, basitarsomere 1.9 mm long, second tarsomere 0.3 mm long, distalmost tarsomere 1.6 mm long. Right Prothorax leg: profemur preserved 6.9 mm long and 0.9 mm wide, protibia preserved 6.4 mm long, basitarsomere 1.9 mm long, second tarsomere 0.3 mm long, distalmost tarsomere 1.7 mm long. Left mesothorax leg: mesotibia preserved 4.4 mm long, basitarsomere 1.7 mm long, second tarsomere 0.4 mm long, distalmost tarsomere 1.6 mm long. Right metathorax leg: metafemur 13.1 mm long, metatibia 11.6 mm long, ds2 preserved 3.0 mm long, apical spur 1.4 mm long, basitarsomere 3.3 mm long, distalmost tarsomere 1.4 mm long. Ovipositor 11.1 mm long. Left forewing 25.6 mm long and 5.0 mm wide (the maximum width), recognizable part of left hindwing preserved 18.6 mm long and 6.3 mm wide.

Remarks. This new species can be assigned to Elcaninae by its relatively narrow area between RA and RP, and CuPaβ, CuPb, and AA1 fused with each other. It falls in Panorpidium Westwood, 1854 because of the following characters: few branched ScA; three longitudinal branches between basal part of RP and CuA+CuPaα; and CuPaβ, CuPb and AA1 fused with each other distally ( Fig. 2C–D ). The new species can be distinguished from P. parvum , P. bimaculatum and P. spica by the large size of body and wings, shorter CP with fewer branches, straight and longer CuPa and different pattern of coloration. It differs from P. tessellatum , P. proximum , P. sibiricum , P. yixianensis in CP with fewer branches, wider area between ScP and R, few branches of RP and different pattern of coloration.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Panorpidium acusicaudum sp. nov., holotype, CNU-ORT-LB2011041P/C.A and B. Photo and interpretive drawing of habitus, C. Interpretive drawing of left forewing, D. Interpretive drawing of right forewing, E. Interpretive drawing of left hindwing, F. Interpretive drawing of right hindwing, G. Details of left middle leg, H. Details of left metatibia and metatarsus, I. Details of left fore leg, J. Details of the end of abdomen and ovipositor. Scale bar for A and B = 10 mm, C-H and J = 2 mm, I = 1 mm.