Lachesilla vellimalai, Ramesh & Babu & Subramanian & Neri, 2021

Ramesh, Gurusamy, Babu, Rajappa, Subramanian, Kumarapuram A. & Neri, García Aldrete Alfonso, 2021, A new species of Lachesilla in species group pedicularia (Psocodea: ‘ Psocoptera’ Lachesillidae) and a new record of L. aethiopica (Enderlein) from India, Zootaxa 5027 (2), pp. 282-289 : 284-287

Lachesilla vellimalai n. sp.

( Figures 2−17 )

Diagnosis. Belonging in species group pedicularia ( García Aldrete 1974) . Male: Clunium with a short and stout apophysis, projected over the area of the epiproct, with posterior border deeply obtusely concave; epiproct not lobed, with a posteriorly directed, small slender apophysis in the middle; distal ends of claspers straight, distally rounded. Female: Subgenital plate broad, rounded, slightly excavated in the posterior margin, with three mesal macrosetae and sparse shorter setae. Gonopophyses stout, approximately straight, apically rounded, well sclerotized on lateral margin, ninth sternum broad, with anterior and posterior areas unpigmented, anterior border concave, spermapore large, bordered by a hyaline ring. Differing from the species with one clunial apophysis in that the apophysis is short, deeply obtusely concave distally, also, the male epiproct has one median, posterior process, while in all the neotropical species the male epiproct has two variously shaped posterior processes, except for the Peruvian Lachesilla macropudenda García Aldrete , in which the male epiproct is bilobed, with a small posterior rounded process in the middle.

Description. Male. Color (in 70% ethanol). Head dark brown, frontal suture brown, compound eyes black, ocelli hyaline, with dark brown centripetal crescents, genae brown, scape and pedicel light brown, flagellomeres light brown, maxillary palps creamy yellow, postclypeus with longitudinal lines dark brown. Thorax dark brown, coxae brown and rest of the leg creamy yellow. Membrane of the forewings brownish, veins brown, hindwings pale brown. Abdomen creamy yellow with the apices of abdominal terga brown, preclunial ring brown, epiproct creamy yellow, paraprocts brown ( Figs 2−3 ).

Morphology. Head: vertex slightly concave, above the level of the upper border of the compound eyes; shaggy hairs on vertex, median epicranial suture distinct, frontal suture indistinct or marked with whitish brown ( Fig. 4 ), lacinial tips bifid ( Fig. 5 ). Forewing veins Rs and M fused for a length, pterostigma long, wider distally. Areola postica wide, moderately tall, rounded apically ( Fig. 6 ). Hindwing veins Rs-M fused for a distance ( Fig. 7 ). Pretarsal claws with one subapical tooth, pulvillus slender. Hypandrium membranous, laterally joined to claspers, these sclerotized, slightly wider proximally, distal ends pointed, widely separated, with long setae. Phallosome apodemes short, slender, V-shaped, each arm ending in a round elliptic membranous area ( Fig. 8 ). Clunium with short, stout apophysis, with posterior border deeply concave. Epiproct trapeziform, with a field of setae toward posterior margin; a posteriorly directed, small slender apophysis in the middle. Paraprocts of two well sclerotized pieces; a basal one with 9 trichobothria on the sensory fields, the distal one with a short hook-like prong mesally, with a small seta distally ( Fig. 9 ).

Measurements. (in μm, paratype measurements in parenthesis). FW: 1483 (1316), HW: 1147 (995), F:311 (269), T:558 (392), t1:174 (109), t2:73 (71), ctt1:13 (7), Mx4:78 (84), f1: (185), f2: (159), f3: (149), f4: (120), f5: (91), f6: (79), f7: (73), f8: (72), f9: (72), f10: (69), f11: (90), IO: 278 (303), D: 120 (115), d: 79 (87), IO/D: 2.3 (2.6), PO: 0.65 (0.75).

Female. Color. Head: dark brown, frontal suture brown, compound eyes black, ocelli hyaline, with brown centripetal crescents, genae brown, antennae brown. Thorax dark brown. Legs: Coxae brown, rest of the leg whitish brown. Abdomen same as in the male. Subgenital plate brown, gonopophyses brown, ninth sternum with brown slanting band. Epiproct pale brown with whitish central area, paraprocts pale brown with pale hind margin area.

Morphology. Head: vertex slightly concave mesally, shaggy hairs on vertex ( Fig. 10 ). Thoracic lobes distinct. Wings as in the male ( Figs 11–12 ). Subgenital plate broad, rounded ( Fig. 13 ). Gonopophyses stout, distally rounded, well sclerotized on lateral margin, bearing 7−8 setae, ninth sternum broad, both anterior and posterior areas unpigmented, anterior border concave, spermapore large, bordered by a hyaline ring ( Fig. 14 ). Paraprocts elongate with setae as illustrated, sensory fields with nine trichobothria. Epiproct trapeziform, with field of setae distally, as illustrated ( Fig. 15 ).

Measurements. (in μm). FW: 1528, HW: 1159, F:297, T:537, t1:199, t2:69, ctt1:14, Mx4:73, IO: 275, D: 111, d: 61, IO/D: 2.47, PO: 0.54.

Variation. Right forewing in one male paratype, from Vellimalai, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary without M3 and areola postica with a crossvein from apex to wing margin ( Fig. 16 ). Right forewing in one female paratype, from Muthukulivayal , Upper Kodayar, Kalakkad- Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve without M3 and areola postica long and shallow ( Fig. 17 ) .

Specimens studied. Holotype male. INDIA. Tamil Nadu, Theni District, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghamalai Range , Vellimalai , Moola Vaigai river , near Antipoaching Camp ; 9°34’6.46’’ N: 77°24’ 7.96’’ E, 773 m., 22.ii.2019; R. Babu . Paratypes. 1 male, 4 females, same data as the holotype . 3 males, Tamil Nadu, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Mundanthurai Range , Karaiyar , 8°39’2.74’’ N: 77°18’34.78’’ E, 285 m ., 17.viii.2019, R. Babu . 1 male, 2 females, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Kalakkad- Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Upper Kodayar Range , Muthukulivayal , 8°30’23.85’’ N: 77°21’39.73’’ E, 1346 m ., 23. viii. 2019, R. Babu . 2 males, Kerala, Wayanad District, Periya Reserve Forest, Periya Range , Chandanthoodu , 11°50’21.39’’ N: 75°48’25.73’’ E, 842 m ., 14. ii. 2021, K.A. Subramanian & G. Ramesh.

Holotype (Reg. No. SRC/ZSI/I/PSO/66), 6 male paratypes, and 5 female paratypes (Reg. No. SRC/ZSI/I/ PSO/67-74) deposited in the National Zoological Collections of Southern Regional Centre , Zoological Survey of India, Chennai . Paratypes of both sexes will be deposited at the Central Entomological Laboratory , Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the type locality in Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Theni District, Tamil Nadu.

Figures

FIGURES 2–9. Lachesilla vellimalai n. sp. Male. 2. Side view. 3. Side view of abdomen. 4. Front view of head. 5. Right lacinia. 6. Forewing. 7. Hindwing. 8. Phallosome and claspers. 9. Clunium, paraprocts and epiproct.

FIGURES 10–15. Lachesilla vellimalai n. sp. Female. 10. Front view of head. 11. Forewing. 12. Hindwing. 13. Subgenital plate. 14. Gonapophyses and ninth sternum. 15. Epiproct and right paraproct.

FIGURES 16–17. Wing venation in paratypes of Lachesilla vellimalai n. sp. 16. Right forewing, male from Vellimalai, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. 17. Right forewing, female from Muthukulivayal, Kalakkad- Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.