Protohermes acutatus, Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2007

Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2007, Systematics of the Protohermes costalis species-group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), Zootaxa 1439, pp. 1-46 : 13-15

Protohermes acutatus sp. nov.

( Figs. 6 , 24–30 )

Diagnosis. Head with two brownish or blackish markings on each side of vertex; pronotum with two blackish markings on each side; male tenth sternum with well developed V-shaped posterior incision, leaving two acutely angled, triangular distal processes.

Body length 30–32 mm (male) and 43–45 mm (female); forewing length 41–42 mm (male) and 48–50 mm (female), hindwing length 37–38 mm (male) and 43–45 mm (female).

Head ( Fig. 24 ) yellowish brown, without post-ocular spine; vertex with two brownish or blackish markings on each side, lateral marking long, cuneiform, medial marking punctuate, sometimes markings indistinct. Compound eyes brown; ocelli yellowish brown, darkly margined medially. Antennae black, with scapes and pedicel yellowish brown. Mouthparts yellowish brown; maxillary palpus and labial palpus dark brown, mandible with distal half black.

Prothorax ( Fig. 24 ) yellowish brown; pronotum with two blackish markings on each side. Meso- and metathorax pale yellow to yellowish brown, each dorsally with one pair of brownish markings laterally. Thoracic pilosity yellow, much longer on meso- and metathorax. Legs yellow, with dense, yellowish, short setae; tibiae black apically; tarsal claws reddish brown. Forewings ( Fig. 6 ) pale brown, with 1 large yellowish marking at base, 3–4 yellowish markings at middle, and 1 extremely small white spot on apical 1/3; costal cellules with indistinct brownish stripes. Hindwings paler than forewings, with 1 extremely small white spot on apical 1/3. Veins dark, except veins in yellowish markings pale yellow. Rs 9 to10-branched, last branch trifurcate; 9–10 crossveins between R1 and Rs; M1+2 6 to7-branched, M3+4 2 to 4-branched; 1A 3-branched.

Abdomen brown with yellowish short setae. Male ninth tergum ( Fig. 25 ) subquadrate, with trapezoidal anterior margin and shallowly incised posterior margin. Ninth sternum ( Fig. 26 ) broad; posterior margin with deep trapezoidal incision, forming two acutely angled, triangular distal processes; central portion inflated. Ninth gonostylus ( Fig. 27 ) unguiform and slightly curved inwards and dorsad. Tenth tergum ( Figs. 25–26 ) short and subcylindrical, ventrally with one well developed tufted tubercle at posteromedial corner; posterolateral corner slightly and acutely produced; tip slightly incised and densely setose. Tenth sternum ( Fig. 28 ) arched, anteriorly distinctly elevated at middle, posterior incision well developed and V-shaped, forming two acutely angled triangular processes; lateral lobes elongated and digitiform, distally slightly incurved. Female eighth sternum ( Fig. 29–30 ) strongly sclerotized and subtriangular in lateral view; apical margin distinctly elevated with arcuate median incision, forming pair of obtuse processes; ninth segment ( Fig. 29 ) laterally inflated in one pair of large subquadrate sac-like lobes; ninth gonocoxite valvate and membranous with one digitiform process at tip; tenth tergum short, with posterior margin medially incised, leaving one subtriangular upper and one round lower lobe.

Type materials. Holotype ɗ, CHINA: Chongqing, Wanxian, Wangerbao, 1200 m, 27.V.1994, Wenzhu Li ( IZCAS). Paratypes 3 ɗ Ψ, CHINA: Chongqing, Wanxian, Wangerbao, 1200 m, 28.V.1994, Wenzhu Li ( IZCAS); ɗ, CHINA: Chongqing, Changshou, Nanmuyuan, 450 m, 9.VI.1994, Youwei Zhang ( IZCAS); ɗ, CHINA: Chongqing, Changshou, Nanmuyuan, 450 m, 9.VI.1994, Wenzhu Li ( IZCAS); 2 Ψ, CHINA: Chongqing, Fengdu, Shiping, 610 m, 2.VI.1994, Youwei Zhang ( IZCAS); Ψ, CHINA: Chongqing, Fengdu, Shiping, 610 m, 3.VI.1994, Youwei Zhang ( IZCAS); ɗ, CHINA: Shannxi, Langao, Minzhu, 4.VII.2003, Caixia Yuan & Yushuang Liu (HBU).

Distribution. China (Chongqing, Shannxi).

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ acutatus ’ refers to the acutely angled apical processes of the male tenth sternum.

Remarks. The new species appears to be closely related to P. s i m i l i s in having a similar pattern of markings on the head and prothorax, while it is distinguished by the pattern of markings on the wings and the structure of the male genitalia. In P. acutatus , the yellowish round markings on the apical 1/3 of the forewings are absent, instead having an extremely small white spot, and the posterior incision of the male tenth sternum is distinct, forming a pair of acutely angled posterior processes. In P. s i m i l i s, the round yellowish markings are distinct on the apical 1/3 of the forewings, and the posterior incision of the male tenth sternum is extremely small.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 15. Habitus of the species in the P. costalis group. 6. P. acutatus sp. nov. (Holotype), male. 7. P. arunachalensis Ghosh, male. 8. P. basiflavus Yang (Holotype), male. 9. P. basimaculatus sp. nov. (Holotype), male. 10. P. c o s t a l i s (Walker), male. 11. P. disjunctus sp. nov. (Holotype), male. 12. P. fujianensis Yang & Yang (Holotype), male. 13. P. gutianensis Yang & Yang (Holotype), male. 14. P. hunanensis Yang & Yang (Holotype), male. 15. P. lii sp. nov. (Holotype), male. Scale bars = 5 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 30. Protohermes acutatus, sp. nov. 24. Male head and pronotum, dorsal view. 25. Male genitalia, dorsal view. 26. Male genitalia, ventral view. 27. Male ninth gonostylus, caudal view. 28. Male tenth sternum, ventral view. 29. Female genitalia, lateral view. 30. Female eighth sternum, ventral view. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.