Coniopteryx (Coniopteryx) auricularia, Sziráki, György, 2020

Sziráki, György, 2020, A Contribution To Knowledge Of The Genus Coniopteryx (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) In Madagascar, With Descriptions Of 18 New Species, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 66 (3), pp. 203-246 : 206-208

Coniopteryx (Coniopteryx) auricularia sp.n.

( Figs 7–12)

Examined matreial – Holotype: male, Madagascar, Antananarivo Province, 3km NE of Andranomay, 11.5 km SSE of Anjororobe, 18°28’24” S, 47°57’36” E, 1300 m a.s.l., mountain rainforest, 5–13. XII. 2000, Malaise trap, leg.: F, G et al.; deposited in collection of CAS; CASTYPE number: 20011. Paratype: 1 male, same data as holotype; deposited in HNHM .

Description: Length of the body 1.2–1.6 mm. Coloration of the investigated specimens surely has been lost because of the insufficient preservation; the whole body, antennae, palpi and legs pale ochreous. Anterior edge of vertex with a prominent, laterally flattened projection. Eyes rather small, black. Antennae ( Fig. 7) 1.1 mm, 29 segmented. Scape as long as wide, pedicel slightly longer than wide. Flagellar segments (without the outgrowth of the first one) about 1.7 times wider than long. Pedicel without any outgrowth, but has a group of several stout setae. First flagellar segment has a bulky outgrowth, with rather short setae. The long ordinary hairs are arranged sparsely on scape and in two rather irregular rings in apical half of pedicel and flagellar segments. Scale-like hairs long, situated on considerable part of pedicel and in a broad apical whorl on flagellar segments.

Legs and thorax pale ochreous, thoracal sutures and apodemes and the shoulder spots light brown. Length of the fore wing 1.8–2.0 mm, of hind wing 1.2–1.3 mm. Wing membrane hyaline. Pregenital part of abdomen pale ochreous.

Male terminalia as Figs 8–12. Hypandrium 1.5 times higher than long in lateral view. Processus terminalis rather narrow, with a rounded caudal ending and without median incision. A well sclerotized inner structure is connected to the dorsal surface of hypandrium. This structure consists of a sharp crest and a medially narrow anterior part, with two large prominent, ear-shaped lobes. The dorso-caudally directed processus lateralis rather large, with moderately long setae. Anterior apodeme of hypandrium evenly narrow. Besides, a membraneous structure is visible between the processes laterales and processus terminalis. Gonarcus moderately sclerotized, with thin ventral apodeme. Stylus forked; its outer branch long, and curved almost entirely forwards. Inner branch of stylus is a simple, moderately broad belt. No ventral bridge between the two inner branches. Paramere rather long, slightly bent, tapering anteriorly in lateral view, straight and slightly clubbed in ventral view. Processus apicalis moderately large, with an ending curved upwards, pointed in lateral view, and it has a dorsal broadening subapically. Processus ventralis of paramere seems to be absent. Penis sclerite consists of two moderately long, acute and slightly bent rods. Caudally and laterally of penis there is a slightly chitinized, in ventral view elongated, u-shaped additional sclerite.

Remarks: Coniopteryx (C.) auricularia sp. n. belongs to the Coniopteryx lobifrons group sensu SZIRÁKI (2005). Because of the narrow processus terminalis, the shape of the processus lateralis, presence of an additional sclerrite around the penis and the long outer branch of the stylus it is close to Coniopteryx (C.) angusticauda Sziráki, 2015 .

sclerite, ventral view. Abbreviations: as = additional sclerite, dis = dorsal inner structure of hypandrum. Scales: 0.04 mm

The main distinctive features of the new species are:

− the broad apical whorl of the scale-like hairs on the flagellar segments of antennae;

− the bulky setose outgrowth on the first flagellar segment;

− processus terminalis of hypandrium rounded caudally, without median incision;

− processus ventralis of paramere absent or indistinct;

− posterior part of the inner structure connected to the dorsal surface of the hypandrium is a single crest, while the anterior part of this structure has two large, prominent lateral lobes.

It is worth to mention that C. (C.) auricularia allied also to C. (C.) spinicauda (its description see below in present paper), but the rounded ending of the processus terminalis, the prominent lateral lobes of the inner structure connected to the dorsal surface of hypandrium, the absence of a distinct subapical lobe in the processus apicalis of paramere and the presence of the additional sclerite around the penis clearly separate the two species.

Etymology: The new species is named after the ear-shaped lateral lobes of the inner structure connected to the dorsal surface of the hypandrium.