Austrochrysa lihongyui, Ma & Yang & Liu, 2020

Ma, Yunlong, Yang, Xingke & Liu, Xingyue, 2020, The green lacewing genus Austrochrysa Esben-Petersen, 1928 (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from China, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4822 (1), pp. 101-112 : 103-107

Austrochrysa lihongyui sp. nov.

( Figs 3–4 , 7 )

Material examined. Holotype ♂, China, Xizang, Mêdog (ẕk), Miri vill., 810 m, 2018.VII.27, Li Hongyu ( CAU) . Paratype 1♂, China, Xizang, Mêdog (ẕk), Miri vill., 810 m, 2018.VII.27, Li Hongyu ( CAU) .

Diagnosis. Head immaculate ( Fig. 3A ). Pronotum with median spots projected ( Fig. 3B ). Pretarsal claw ( Fig. 3E ) with basal dilation more than half length of claw hook, lateral outer margin strongly rounded. Forewing with most outer gradates black ( Fig. 3C ). Abdomen with reddish markings on terga 2–6, and marking on tergum 6 much larger. Sterna 8+9 about 2.5 times as long as wide ( Fig. 4B ). Apical invagination of sterna 8+9 deep. Tignum narrow ( Fig. 4D ); gonarcus very narrow ( Fig. 4C ); entoprocessus rounded, not curved inward apically ( Fig. 4C ).

Description. Measurements: Head width 1.30–1.50 mm; ratio of head width/eye width = 2.50–2.55; prothorax 0.95–1.00 mm long and 0.90–1.10 mm wide. Forewing 13.00–15.00 mm long, 4.50 mm wide; 12–13 radial cells; 5 Banksian cells (b cells), 4 lower Banksian cells (b’ cells); 6 inner gradates, 8 outer gradates. Hind wing 12.00–14.00 mm long, 3.50–4.00 mm wide; 11–12 radial cells; 4 Banksian cells (b cell), 4–5 lower Banksian cell (b’ cells); 5 inner gradates, 7 outer gradates.

Head ( Fig. 1A ): Vertex and frons pale green, immaculate; gena and tentorial unmarked; scape unmarked; clypeus and labrum unmarked; maxillary palp and labial palp pale green.

Thorax ( Fig. 1B ): Almost pale green. Pronotum with median oval spots projected. Pretarsal claw ( Fig. 3E ) with basal dilation more than half length of claw hook, lateral outer margin strongly rounded.

Wings ( Figs 1C, 1D ): Forewing moderately narrow, hyaline. Radial crossvein at junction with R, the first and median radial crossveins and most outer gradates black; first intramedian cell long and narrow, ovate; gradates in two rows; inner gradates pale green; hind wing narrow, more acutely tapering apically than forewing, hyaline; veins pale green; gradates in two rows.

Abdomen pale green, with yellowish markings on terga 2–6, marking on sternum 6 much larger. Abdominal setae white, microsetae dense, and long setae sparse.

Male ( Fig. 2 ): T9+ectoprocts short, about half as tergum 8; callus cerci oval, about twice as long as wide. Sterna 8+9 fused, moderately narrow, about 2.5 times as long as wide, with line of fusion not demarcated; lateral margin slightly tapered, posterior margin strongly invaginated. Tignum present, projected medially; gonarcus very narrow, about 2/3 length of mediuncus; entoprocessus rounded and not curved inward apically; mediuncus trilobed, with lateral lobe strongly curved in lateral view, about 2/3 length of ventral median lobe.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to the collector of the two type specimens, Mr. Hongyu Li, a master student of China Agricultural University.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Remarks. The new species is different from A. abnormis abnormis (Albarda, 1881) by the apex of male sterna 8+9 almost reaching the apex of tergum 9+ectoprocts (it exceeds the apex of tergum 9+ectoprocts in A. abnormis abnormis ) and A. abnormis javanensis (van der Weele, 1909) by black markings on median radial crossveins (green in A. abnormis javanensis ). It is distinguished from A. hexasticha (Gerstaecker, 1893) and A. leucoptera (Esben-Petersen, 1926) by the presence of medio-lateral spots on pronotum (absent in A. hexasticha ). It differs from A. loriana ( Navás, 1929) by the radial crossveins merely oblique medially (almost all are oblique in A. loriana ), from A. samoana Esben-Petersen, 1928 by the presence of two series of gradate crossveins (three gradate series are present in A. samoana ) and the presence of abdominal marking (absent in A. samoana ), and from A. apoana ( Banks, 1937) by the green second cubital cell (black in A. apoana ). Regarding A. tropica , the new species differs from it by the following characters: moderately narrow sterna 8+9 (length about 2.5 times as long as wide in A. lihongyui sp. nov. versus twice as long as wide in A. tropica ), pretarsal claw with basal dilation more than half length of claw hook (about half as long as claw hook in A. tropica ) and lateral outer margin strongly rounded (moderately rounded in A. tropica ), narrow tignum (broad in A. tropica ), narrower gonarcus (relatively broader in A. tropica ), rounded apex of entoprocessus (not rounded in A. tropica ), and the slightly shorter lateral lobe compared to median ventral lobe (much shorter in A. tropica ).

Austrochrysa lihongyui sp. nov. appears to be most closely related to A. angusta sp. nov. in having relatively narrow sterna 8+9, narrow tignum, and similar mediuncus with lateral lobe slightly shorter than median ventral lobe, but it can be distinguished from the latter species by the projected median spots on pronotum (not projected in A. angusta sp. nov.), pretarsal claw with lateral outer margin strongly rounded (almost straight in A. angusta sp. nov.), the broader sterna (about 2.5 times as long as wide in A. lihongyui sp. nov. versus 3 times as long as wide in A. angusta sp. nov.), the strongly curved ventral median lobe (moderately curved in A. angusta sp. nov.), and the broad entoprocessus (relatively narrow in A. angusta sp. nov.).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Yunchrysopa tropica Yang & Wang (Yunnan, Jinghong, holotype, male). A. Head, frontal view; B. Thorax, dorsal view; C. Forewing; D. Hind wing; E. Line drawing of hind pretarsal claw. Veins (black lettering): C Costa; Sc Subcosta; R Radius; Rs Radial sector; Psc Pseudocubitus; Psm Pseudomedia. Cells (red lettering): b1, b5 first, fifth upper Banksian cells; b’1, b’4 first, fourth lower Banksian cells; r1, r10, r11 first, tenth, eleventh radial cell. L length of wing; W (max) maximum width of wing.

FIGURE 2. Yunchrysopa tropica Yang & Wang (Yunnan, Jinghong, holotype, male), male abdomen. A. Segment A7-terminus, lateral view; B. Segment A7-terminus, ventral view; C. Gonarcal complex, lateral view; D. Tignum, dorsal view; E. Mediuncus, ventral view. cc callus cerci; ent entoprocessus; gcr gonocristae; gsac gonosaccus; gon gonarcus; mu mediuncus; S8 sternum 8; T8 tergum 8; T9+e tergum 9+ectoprocts.

FIGURE 3. Austrochrysa lihongyui sp. nov. (Xizang, Mêdog, Miri vill., holotype, male). A. Head, frontal view; B. Thorax, dorsal view; C. Forewing; D. Hind wing; E. Line drawing of hind pretarsal claw.

FIGURE 4. Austrochrysa lihongyui sp. nov. (Xizang, Mêdog, Miri vill., holotype, male), male abdomen.A. Terminal segments, lateral view; B. Terminal segments, ventral view; C. Gonarcal complex, dorsal view; D. Tignum, dorsal view; E. Mediuncus, ventral view. cc callus cerci; ent entoprocessus; gcr gonocristae; gsac gonosaccus; gon gonarcus; mu mediuncus; S8 sternum 8; T8 tergum 8; T9+e tergum 9+ectoprocts.

FIGURE 7. Known distribution of Austrochrysa Esben-Petersen, 1928 species from China. Austrochrysa tropica (Yang & Wang) (black triangle); Austrochrysa lihongyui sp. nov. (black circle); Austrochrysa angusta sp. nov. (black square).