Protohermes guangxiensis Yang & Yang, 1986

Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2008, The Protohermes guangxiensis species-group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 1851, pp. 29-42 : 32-35

Protohermes guangxiensis Yang & Yang, 1986

( Figs. 2 , 13–19 )

Protohermes guangxiensis Yang & Yang, 1986: 88 .

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by three pairs of black marks on its yellow head and by two pairs of pronotal vittae that are nearly fused at midlength. The male 10th tergite is suboval in caudal view, with a long and slightly incurved ventral process.

Male. Body length 35–38 mm (n=10); forewing length 40–43 mm, hindwing length 41–43 mm.

Head yellowish-brown, vertex with three pairs of black marks on posterolateral margins, anterior mark large subquadrate, posterolateral mark subtriangular, posteromedial mark suboval; postocular spine absent. Occiput with pair of black marks on lateral margins. Compound eyes pale yellowish-brown; ocelli yellow, medially margined black, sometimes with a small black spot before median ocellus. Antenna black with scape and pedicel yellowish-brown. Mouthparts pale yellow; mandibles with distal half black; distal three segments of maxillary and labial palpi blackish-brown.

Thorax yellowish-brown; pronotum with two pairs of wide black vittae near lateral margins, anterior and posterior pairs somewhat connected at midlength; meso- and metanota laterally with pair of brown marks. Thorax with pilous yellow setae that is much longer on the meso- and metathorax than on the prothorax. Legs dark except for coxae, trochanters, and bases of tibiae pale yellow, with yellowish short dense setae; tibiae and tarsi nearly black; tarsal claws reddish-brown. Wings pale greyish-brown with several yellowish marks. Forewings with numerous brownish stripes on costal cellules; proximally with an irregular mark, medially with several suboval marks mainly along Cu1, and with a round mark at distal 1/3. Hindwing paler than forewing, immaculate on proximal half, with two or three marks at middle and a round mark at distal 1/3. Veins pale brown except for yellowish veins on yellowish marks and anal areas. Rs 9 to 10-branched, last branch bifurcate; 10–12 crossveins between R1 and Rs; M1+2 6 to 7-branched, M3+4 2 to 3-branched; 1A 3-branched.

Abdomen brown. Ninth tergum ( Fig. 14 ) much wider than long with oblique lateral margins, deeply incised on anteriorly, truncate to slightly produced posteriorly; internal inflection V–shaped; posterolateral portions strongly produced and slenderly clavate. Ninth sternum ( Fig. 15 ) short; posterior margin with a wide, shallow incision, forming two broad subtriangular processes posterolaterally. Ninth gonostylus ( Fig. 15 ) elongate unguiform with apex curved medially. Tenth tergite ( Fig. 14 ) subcylindrical, short, about 0.5 times as long as 9th tergite, with posterolateral corner slightly produced and tip slightly incised, in caudal view ( Fig. 16 ) suboval with ventral process long digitiformed, slightly curved medially, and bearing short, dense setae. Tenth sternum ( Fig. 17 ) arched; dorsomedial process well developed, a truncate pyramid; lateral lobe slender digitiform with tip slightly curved medially.

Female. Body length 47–54 mm (n=5); forewing length 47–50 mm, hindwing length 36–42 mm.

Eighth abdominal segment ( Figs. 18–19 ) laterally well sclerotized and distinctly inflated, covering spiracles and posterolateral portions of 8th sternum; 8th sternum well sclerotized, subtriangular in lateral view, in ventral view posterior margin with a pair of thick, digitiform, medial processes. Ninth abdominal segment with anterior margin of tergum laterally arcuately elevated, and ventrally with an oval sclerite. Ninth gonocoxite valvate and membranous, posterior portion subtriangular, ventrally slightly incised, with a small digitiform process at tip. Tenth tergite short with posterior margin incised, leaving subtriangular dorsal and semicircular ventral lobes.

Material examined. Holotype ɗ, CHINA: Guangxi Province, Jinxiu County, Dayaoshan, 24.1333°N, 110.1833°E, 13/ 15.V.1982, Fasheng Li ( CAU). Paratypes: 2 Ψ, same data as holotype ( CAU); 1 Ψ, CHINA: Guangxi Province, Jinxiu County, Dayaoshan, 13.V.1982, Xinli Wang ( CAU); 1 ɗ 1 Ψ, CHINA: Guangxi Province, Longsheng County, Tianpingshan, 22.5333°N, 112.4667°E, 4.VI.1963, Chikun Yang ( CAU). 1 ɗ, CHINA: Guangxi Province, Rongshui County, Wangdong, Weilinjiang, 25.0667°N, 109.2167°E, 5.VIII.2003, Guofang Jiang ( CAU); 1 ɗ, CHINA: Chongqing City, Jinyunshan, 29.5833°N, 106.5500°E, 13.VI.1994, Youwei Zhang ( IZCAS); 6 ɗ 1 Ψ, CHINA: Guangdong Province, Ruyuan County, Nanling, 23.3333°N, 115.3833°E, 9/ 18.VII.2005, Jingxian Liu ( CAU).

Distribution. China (Chongqing City, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Province).

Remarks. This species appears to be closely related to P. zhuae in having the similar dark legs, but it can be separated from P. zhuae by the paired prothoracic marks being almost fused and by the male 10th tergite with the ventral process feebly curved medially. In P. zhuae , the prothoracic marks are distinctly separated, and the ventral lobe of the male 10th tergite is strongly curved medially in P. zhuae .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Habitus images of the species of the P. guangxiensis group. 1. P. furcatus sp. nov. (holotype), male; 2. P. guangxiensis Yang & Yang (holotype), male; 3. P. impunctatus sp. nov. (holotype), male; 4. P. piaoacanus sp. nov. (holotype), male; 5. P. zhuae sp. nov. (holotype), male.

FIGURES 13 – 19. Protohermes guangxiensis Yang & Yang. 13. Male head and prothorax, dorsal view; 14. Male genitalia, dorsal view; 15. Male genitalia, ventral view; 16. Male 10 th tergite, caudal view; 17. Male 10 th sternum, ventral view; 18. Female genitalia, lateral view; 19. Female genialia, ventral view. Pdm: dorsomedial process. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.