Titanochrysa trespuntensis Sosa & Freitas

Sosa, Francisco & Freitas, Sergio De, 2012, A new genus of Neotropical Chrysopini (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), Zootaxa 3351, pp. 1-14 : 13-17

Titanochrysa trespuntensis Sosa & Freitas nov. sp

Holotype male, Minas Gerais. Tres Pontas [21o25’S / 45o30’W, 900 m], 10.i.2009, Ferreira C. S Leg. Deposited in the Museum of Zoology, Universidade de São Paulo ( MZUSP) São Paulo, Brazil. Measurements. Head: width 1.1 mm. Pronotum: length 0.5 mm, width 0.8 mm. Forewing: length 10.1 mm, width 3.6 mm, length/width ratio = 2.8:1. Four inner, six outer gradates. Hindwing: length 9.3 mm, width 2.8 mm, length/width ratio = 3.3:1. Four inner, four outer gradates.

Diagnosis. Adults yellowish green, with broad, dark red, longitudinal stripe laterally. Fore- and hindwings without shading on surrounding membrane, gradate veins in parallel series. S8+9 with a protuberance on the apical margin. Microtholi present on S2–8. Mandibles symmetrical.

Description. Head. Vertex smooth, yellowish; occiput without marks ( Fig. 13 A); scape pale green, with dark red, longitudinal line laterally not reaching antennal base; pedicel pale green with dorsal black spot laterally; flagellum pale, covered with back bristles, slightly shorter than forewing ( Fig. 13 B); frons white; gena black; clypeus white, tinged with black laterally; maxillary, labial palpi black ( Fig. 13 C). Mandibles both with prominent basal tooth ( Fig. 17 D).

FIGURE 14. Titanochrysa trespuntensis Sosa & Freitas sp. nov. Wings. A = anal veins; bsx = basal subcostal crossvein; c.a = costal area; cx = costal crossvein; ig = inner gradates; im = intramedian cell; og = outer gradates; m-cu2 = second medialcubital crossvein; r-m1 = first radial crossvein; Rs = radial sector.

Thorax. Pale green, with yellow, longitudinal band dorsally; pronotum wider than long, with dark red, longitudinal stripe laterally. Meso- and metanota with red-wine line dorsolaterally ( Fig. 13 A). Pleura, sternal areas, legs pale green. Wings (Fig. 14): forewing, hindwing densely covered with black microtrichia apically. Forewing with longitudinal veins dark green; crossveins dark at intersections with longitudinal veins, not infuscate; costal crossveins, radial crossveins, basal subcostal crossvein, inner gradates, outer gradates, m–cu2, 1A, 2A black. Outer, inner gradates in parallel series, slightly convergent apically. First radial crossvein originating after origin of radial sector, extending approximately to apex of intramedian cell; intramedian cell ovate. Hindwing with longitudinal veins green, black intersections with crossveins; costal crossveins, inner and outer gradates black.

Abdomen. Yellowish green dorsally, green laterally, with dark red spots laterally on each tergite. Male terminalia ( Fig. 15 A): T9+ect elongate basally, tapering at basal margin, covered by stalked setae; dorsal apodeme simple, reaching callus cerci. Sternite S8+9 with a protuberance on the apical margin ( Fig. 15 B), numerous setae stemming from thickened bases, ventral apodeme elongate. Male genitalia: gonarcus truncated in dorsal view ( Fig. 15 C), slender in lateral view; lateral apodemes shaped like inverted comma, anterior extremity with truncated apex ( Fig. 15 D); arcessus short, broad, decurved, trifurcate apically, with field of short setae beneath, dorsal rods parallel, ( Fig. 15 C, D); gonosaccus with sparse, thin, scattered gonosetae ( Fig. 15 D). Gonapsis expanded anteriorly, with short, acute projection laterally, wide with round, expanded margin apically ( Fig. 15 F). Hypandrium internum V-shaped ( Fig. 15 G). Female terminalia: S7 ca. 2.0 times longer than wide, densely covered with medium-sized setae; T9+ect with dorsal, ventral margins round; callus cerci round, with ca. 24 trichobothria ( Fig. 16 A). Female genitalia: spermatheca ( Fig. 16 B–D) pillbox-shaped, spermathecal duct elongate; velum curved laterally; ventral impression shallow. Subgenitale cordate, with elongate medial notch ( Fig. 16 E–F).

Measurements. Male (n=2): Head: width 1.2– 1.2 mm. Pronotum: length 0.5– 0.5 mm, width 0.9– 0.9 mm. Forewing: length 10.7–10.8 mm, width 3.7–3.8 mm, length/width ratio = 2.8–2.9:1. Five inner, five to six outer gradates. Hindwing: length 9.6–9.7 mm, width 2.9–3.0 mm, length/width ratio = 3.2–3.3:1. Four inner, four to five outer gradates. Female (n=2): Head: width 1.– 1.1 mm. Pronotum: length 0.5– 0.5 mm, width 0.9– 0.9 mm. Forewing: length 11.0– 11.3 mm, width 3.9– 3.9 mm, length/width ratio = 2.8–2.9:1. Five inner, five outer gradates. Hindwing: length 9.6 –10.3 mm, width 2.8–3.1 mm, length/width ratio = 3.3–3.4:1. Four to five inner, four to five outer gradates.

Material examined. Allotype Ƥ: Brazil. Minas Gerais. Tres Pontas [21o25’S / 45o30’W, 900 m], 15.xi.2008, Ferreira C. S Leg ( MZUSP); Paratypes: Brazil. Minas Gerais. Tres pontas [21o25’S / 45o30’W, 900 m], 13.ix.2008, 13, 1Ƥ, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 13.ix.2008, 13, 1Ƥ, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC), head clarified, without abdomen; Same, 20.ix.2008, 13, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 4.x.2008, 83, 5ƤƤ, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 18.x.2008, 13, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 25.x.2008, 23, 1Ƥ, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 10.i.2009, 43, 3ƤƤ, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 13.vi.2009, 1Ƥ, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 11.iv.2009, 13, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 25.iv.2009, 13, Ferreira C. S Leg ( SFCC); Same, 8.viii.2009, 13, 1Ƥ ( UCOB); Same, 6.vii.2009, 13, Ferreira C. S Leg ( MIZA); Same, 13.ix.2008, 1Ƥ, Ferreira C. S Leg ( MIZA).

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality “Tres Pontas, Minas Gerais, Brazil ”

Species relationships. Titanochrysa trespuntensis sp. nov. is the only species in the genus with an protuberance on the apical margin of S8+9, wings without black markings on membrane, and wide gonapsis with acute lateral projection. On the male, there are setae beneath the arcessus as in Titanochrysa circumfusa (Burmeister) comb. nov., but T. trespuntensis males do not have X-shaped rods on the arcessus, or striations on the apical surface of the arcessus. Externally, T. trespuntensis resembles some Ungla species, but it can be distinguished from those species because its inner gradates meet the Psm vein and the males have a gonapsis.

Geographical distribution. Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Titanochrysa trespuntensis Sosa & Freitas sp. nov. (Male, Tres pontas, Minas Gerais, Brazil). A) Head and pronotum, dorsal. Note the greenish yellow, dorsal band; the arrow marks the black spot at the base of the antenna; B) Head and pronotum, lateral. Note the black marks on the lateral scape (arrow), pedicel (arrow), gena, lateral clypeus, and maxillary and labial palpi. Also, note the black bristles on the flagellum (arrow); C) Head, frontal.

FIGURE 15. Titanochrysa trespuntensis Sosa & Freitas sp. nov. (Male, Três Pontas, Minas Gerais, Brazil). A) Terminalia, lateral; B) Terminalia, lateral. Note: the apical protuberance on S 8 + 9 (arrow); C) Gonarcal complex, dorsal; D) Gonarcal complex, lateral; E) Gonarcal complex, frontodorsal. Note: the dotted orange line indicates the location of the setae beneath the arcessus. F) Gonapsis, lateral; G) Hypandrium internum, frontal. ap-gs = lateral apodemes of gonarcus; ar = arcessus; d. ap = apodeme of T 9 + ect; l. lb = lateral lobe; gp = gonapsis; gs = gonarcus; gst = gonosetae; S 8 + 9 = fused sternites 8 and 9; v. ap = apodeme of S 8 + 9; T 9 + ect = tergite 9 + ectoproct.

FIGURE 16. Titanochrysa trespuntensis Sosa & Freitas sp. nov. (Female, Três Pontas, Minas Gerais, Brazil). A) Terminalia, lateral; B – C) Spermatheca, lateral; D) Spermatheca, dorsal E) Terminalia, ventral; F) Subgenitale, frontal and lateral. gl = gonapophysis lateralis; S 7 = sternite 7; sg = subgenitale; sp = spermatheca; sp. d = spermathecal duct; T 9 + ect = Tergite 9 + ectoproct; v = velum; v. i = ventral impression.

FIGURE 17. Mandibles. A) Titanochrysa circumfusa (Burmeister) comb. nov.; B) Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa (Penny) comb. nov.; C) Titanochrysa ferreirai Sosa & Freitas sp. nov.; D) Titanochrysa trespuntensis Sosa & Freitas sp. nov.