Terrobittacus xiphicus Tan and Hua, 2009

Tan, Jiangli & Hua, Baozhen, 2009, Terrobittacus, a new genus of the Chinese Bittacidae (Mecoptera) with descriptions of two new species, Journal of Natural History 43 (47 - 48), pp. 2937-2954 : 2949-2952

Terrobittacus xiphicus Tan and Hua , sp. nov.

( Figures 8 , 9 )

Diagnosis

The new species is similar to T. implicatus (Huang and Hua) in appearance, but differs by the upper branch of proctiger slender, sabre-shaped (cf: like rostrum of a parrot). It can be separated from its congeners by the meso- and metascutellum glittering black (cf: pale brown).

Etymology

The new species is derived from the Greek, xiphos (straight sword), referring to the upper branch of the male proctiger being sabre-shaped.

Description

Body yellowish brown with shining reddish tinge; 12 mm long. Forewing length 15.0 mm, width 3.5 mm; hindwing length 13.1 mm, width 3.1 mm.

Head. Vertex reddish brown; clypeus, rostrum, maxillary and labial palps amber; the fifth and fourth segments of maxillary palp about equal length. Compound eyes black. Ocelli large, ocellar triangle glittering black, this black area extending laterally to the inner margin of eye, and ventrally to the dorsal margin of antennal sockets. Antennae 5.4 mm long; scape and pedicel moniliform, yellowish brown; flagellum filiform, slightly darker, ciliated, segmented inconspicuously after the 12th flagellomere.

Thorax. Pronotum unevenly black. Mesonotum black at anterior half, glittering black on lateral hillock parts; slightly paler at mid and posterior portions; scutellum unevenly black. Metanotum yellowish brown, scutellum black. Meso- and metapleura unevenly yellowish brown to dark brown, coxae and mera light brown. Legs pale brown, with sparse short black setae; femora and tibiae with dark apices; tarsomere IV with one spine on each side.

Wings ( Figure 8 ). Forewing hyaline with faint yellowish tinge, no distinct markings; pterostigma conspicuous dark brown; four small faint brown flecks each at ORs, FRs, OM and subdistal CuP; very narrow, pale brown clouding dispersed along most apical cross-veins arranged roughly in two lines along cross-veins 1s and 2s; Pcv one; Sc slightly beyond level of FRs; Scv slightly before FRs; Cuv before level of FM; Av absent; 1A terminating before level of midpoint of FM and OM. Hindwing similar to forewing, but Sc ending before level of midpoint of ORs and FRs, Scv slightly beyond ORs.

Abdomen of male. Terga II–IV and anterior part of tergum V reddish brown, each with narrow black antecosta; posterior part of terga V–VIII darkish brown ( Figure 8 ); tergum VIII emarginate posteriorly in V-shape ( Figure 9B ). Epandrial appendage reddish brown, prominently shorter than half length of gonocoxites, roughly rectangular, twice as long as height; dorsal apical angle rounded, with inner surface thickened into hillock bearing numerous small black spines; ventral margin slightly produced ventrad into large denticulate process ( Figure 9A,B ). Dorsal part of tergum X completely absent; a pale yellow narrow lateral plate extending posteroventrad and then curved dorsad around base of cercus ( Figure 9A ). Upper branch of proctiger rather slender, strongly sclerotized laterally, protruding between bases of epandrial appendages; apex acute, smoothly curved caudad, sabre-shaped; lower branch of proctiger very short, broad basally and tapering toward apex ( Figure 9A,C ). Cerci rather short, about one-quarter length of gonocoxites, acute apically ( Figure 9A ). Gonocoxites reddish brown, relatively large, posteroventrally rounded and furnished with numerous hairs ( Figure 9D ). Gonostylus short, broad basally, curved mesally with apex bluntly rounded, bearing numerous brown setae ( Figure 9A,D ). Aedeagus slender, with two small acute lobes; penisfilum coiled into three circles ( Figure 9D ).

Type specimen

Holotype: male, China: Guizhou: Mount Fanjingshan (altitude 950–1750 m), 9 August 2006, coll. Caixia Gao, preserved at the Entomological Museum, China Agricultural University, Beijing ( CAU).

Figures

Figure 8. Terrobittacus xiphicus, sp. nov., holotype male.

Figure 9. Male genitalia of Terrobittacus xiphicus, sp. nov. (A) Terminalia, lateral view; (B) epandrial appendage, dorsal view; (C) upper branch of proctiger, ventral view; (D) genitalia, caudal view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.