Bankisus sparsus sp. n.

Zhan, Qingbin & Wang, Xinli, 2012, First record of the genus Bankisus Navas, 1912 in China, with the description of a new species (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae), ZooKeys 204, pp. 41-46 : 43-44

Bankisus sparsus sp. n. Figure 1

Diagnosis.

Pronotum yellowish, longer than broad. Wings hyaline with many brown marks, forewing with three presectoral crossveins before origin of Rs, about eight to ten branches of Rs; several discontinuous spots in subcostal area. In hindwing Rs arises before CuA fork, one presectoral crossvein before origin of Rs. Long slender legs, tibial spurs absent. Female terminalia: posterior gonapophysis developed with dense long brown setae; anterior gonapophysis short with dense long brown setae. Lateral gonapophysis developed with dense digging setae.

Material examined.

Holotype, ♀, China, Guangxi Province, Xiangzhou (23°58.6'N, 109°42.3'E). IX-1980, Fashen Li leg. (CAU-N100208); Paratype, sex unknown (abdomen missing), Guangxi Province, Ningming, 180m, (22°07.2'N; 107°04.6'E). 24-V-1984, Fashen Li leg. (CAU-N100209)

The type specimens examined are deposited in the Insect Collections of China Agricultural University (ICCAU), Beijing, China.

Head (Fig. 2): clypeus yellowish; labrum, maxillary and labial palpi yellow; compound eye dark with several black spots, antenna clavate, scape black; vertex inflated, dark with brown spots. Thorax: pronotum yellowish with several long setae, longer than broad; mesothorax and metathorax black with sparse white long setae. Wings (Fig. 3): hyaline with many brown marks, with several disconnected spots in subcostal area in forewing, Rs arises before CuA fork, three presectoral crossveins and one spot before origin of Rs, about eight branches to Rs, sixteen cross-veins and five spots from origin of Rs to hypostigmatic cell; large brown spot in stigma area; anterior Banksian line discernible and without posterior Banksian lines; ten cross-veins in prefork area. 2A and 3A in the forewings run parallel to each other; a brown oblique stripe in rhegma area and anastomosis of CuA and CuP+1A; hindwing costal area is narrow, Rs arises before CuA fork, one presectoral crossvein before origin of Rs, about eight branches to Rs; anterior Banksian line discernible and without posterior Banksian line; a round spot proximal to hypostigmatic area. Legs (Fig. 4): long and slender, yellow with black spots and dense setae; claws bent back, sometimes straight. Foreleg: femur yellow brown with white and black bristles, distal part dark; tibia yellowish with dense setae. Tarsus yellow brown except the distal part dark; the first tarsomere long, the fifth slightly shorter; claws bent back; midleg with slightly expanded tibia and claws sometimes straight; hindleg similar to foreleg. Abdomen: shorter than hindwing, with yellow and black alternate banding. Female terminalia (Fig. 5-6): ectoproct narrow with dense long setae;anterior gonapophysis short with dense long brown setae; posterior gonapophysis developed with dense long brown setae; lateral gonapophysis with dense digging setae.

Distribution.

China (Guangxi Province).

Remarks.

Bankisus sparsus sp.n. is similar to Bankisus maculosus in appearance; however, it can be separated by following characters: forewing with several disconnected spots in subcostal area ( Bankisus maculosus : without several disconnected spots in subcostal area.); hindwing without spots except two spots at both side of hypostigmatic cell ( Bankisus maculosus : hindwing with several big spots at apical area).

Etymology.

The species name is derived from the Latin sparsus, sprinkle; referring to the small spots in forewings.