Sisyra nobilia, Yang & Zheng & Liu, 2024

Yang, Ying, Zheng, Yuchen & Liu, Xingyue, 2024, New species of spongillafly genus Sisyra Burmeister, 1839 (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) from China and Laos, Zoological Systematics 49 (2), pp. 129-142 : 133-136

Sisyra nobilia sp. nov. ( Figs 3–5 )

Diagnosis. Basal 13 to 14 flagellomeres yellow, then nine flagellomeres completely black, following 9 to 10 flagellomeres pale, terminal three flagellomeres brown. Wings dark infuscate. Forewing with a longitudinal brown band present between distal half of costal vein and RA, extending to bases of RP branches; a subtriangular dark brown spot present on basal part of ScP and MP. Male sternum 9 well developed, strongly protruding posteriad, nearly as long as gonocoxites 9, ca. 3.5 times as long as wide in lateral view. Gonocoxites 9 straightly directed in dorsal view; proximally separated into a large ventral lobe, distally swollen and ca. two thirds of length of dorsal lobe, covered with some stout bristles.

Description. Male. Body length 2.2–3.4 mm, forewing length 3.2–3.7 mm and width 1.2–1.4 mm, hindwing length 2.9– 3.1 mm and width 1.2–1.3 mm.

Body brown. Head mostly brown, covered with many long setae; anteromedian part of vertex pale brown, frons yellow; compound eyes prominent and black. Scape yellow, densely covered with long, stiff setae, swollen medially, about twice as long as wide; pedicel yellow, slightly longer than flagellomere; flagellum with 34–36 segments, basal 13 to 14 flagellomeres yellow, then nine flagellomeres completely black, following 9 to 10 flagellomeres pale, terminal three flagellomeres brown; each segment covered with many long setae; terminal flagellomere narrow distally. Maxillary and labial palpi brown; maxillary palpus dark brown dorsally; terminal segment of maxillary and labial palpi triangular in lateral view.

Thorax brown, covered with many long setae. Legs slender and yellow, densely covered with long setae, meso- and metacoxae dark brown; distal one third of meso- and metafemora, medial part of meso- and metatibiae brown; tarsomere 1 as long as total length of tarsomeres 2–4; pretarsal claws simple.

Wings dark infuscate; veins mostly dark. Forewing ovoid, distally rounded, costal space broadened basally; trichosors present along distal margin; basal half of costal space immaculate; a longitudinal brown band present along distal half of costal vein and RA, proximally extending to bases of RP branches, with several slender longitudinal brown stripes on subcostal space and second radial cell; a subtriangular dark brown spot present on basal part of ScP and MP; several pale brown longitudinal stripes present between longitudinal veins; pterostigma indistinct; costal space with 10 to 11 crossveins proximad pterostigma; proximal and distal scp–ra crossveins present; RP with three main branches; two ra–rp crossveins present; MA dichotomously branched distally; one rp–ma crossvein present; MP branched into MP1 and MP2, both branches bifurcated or trifurcated; one ma–mp crossvein present; CuA with three to five pectinate and simple branches; three mp–cua crossveins present; CuP and A3 simple, A1 and A2 simple or forked distally; one cua–cup, one cup–a1, one a1–a2 crossvein present. Hindwing ovoid, distally rounded, brownish; trichosors present along distal margin; pterostigma indistinct, brownish; a longitudinal brown band present between distal half of costal vein and RA; costal space with six to eight crossveins proximad pterostigma, dark brown; two scp–ra crossveins present basally and distally; RP with three main branches; one ra– rp crossvein present; MA dichotomously branched distally; MP branched into MP1 and MP2, both branches bifurcated; one ma–mp crossvein present, interrupted centrally by a rounded hyaline spot; CuA with four to six pectinate and simple branches; one mp–cua crossvein present; CuP, A1 and A2 simple; one cua–cup, one cup–a1, one a1–a2 present.

Abdomen brown; pregenital segment with small tergum and larger sternum, covered with many long setae. Tergum 9 rounded, anteroventral margin acutely tapering ventrad, covered with many long setae. Sternum 9 well developed, strongly protruding posteriad, nearly as long as gonocoxites 9, ca. 3.5 times as long as wide in lateral view; anterior margin concaved; a densely setose region present along dorsal portion of sternum 9. Gonocoxites 9 proximally bifurcated into two lobes, dorsal lobe nearly 1.5 times as long as ventral lobe; dorsal lobe broad at base and narrowed on distal half, straightly directed, medially with a tiny process; ventral lobe distally swollen and covered with some stout and curved bristles, apex with a depression. Gonocoxites 11 slightly arched, without any projection; gonostyli 11 paired and large, arched in dorsal view. Ectoprocts covered with long setae, nearly trapezoid in lateral view. Hypandrium internum composed of a pair of broadly subtriangular lobes, V-shaped in dorsal view.

Female. Morphology mostly similar to male. Body length 1.8–2.7 mm, forewing length 3.7–3.9 mm and width 1.4– 1.6 mm, hindwing length 3.2–3.6 mm and width 1.2–1.4 mm. Abdomen brown; pregenital segment with small tergum and large sternum, covered with many long setae. Tergum 8 covered with many short setae; dorsally separated. Gonapophyses 8 fused with a small sclerite, posteriorly concaved, nearly 3.5 times as long as wide. Tergum 9 covered with short setae, nearly 1.5 times as long as wide, dorsal margin medially concaved, ventral margin rounded. Gonoxoxites 9 covered with short setae, nearly three times as long as wide, slightly curved distally. Ectoprocts densely covered with long setae; posteroventrally rounded and tapering, caudal margin concaved anteriorly, posteromedially concaved to its 2/3 length; callus cerci with 4–5 trichobothria.

Type material. Holotype ♂, China: Guangxi, Chongzuo, Daxin, Detian , Detian Waterfall , 22°85′N, 106°72′E, 5 June 2021, Xingyue Liu leg. ( CAU) . Paratypes. 1♂ 3♀, China: Guangxi, Chongzuo, Daxin, Detian , Detian Waterfall , 22°85′N, 106°72′E, 5 June 2021, Xingyue Liu leg. ( CAU) ; 3♂ 2♀, China: Guangxi, Chongzuo, Ningming, Longrui Wild Station of Nonggang National Nature Reserve (110 m), 22°13′N, 107°02′E, 6 June 2021, Yan Lai, Ying Yang leg. ( CAU) ; 2♂, China: Guangxi, Guilin, Yanshan , 25°07′N, 110°31′E, 18 May 1984, Fasheng Li leg. ( CAU) ; 2♂, China: Guangxi, Chongzuo, Ningming , 22°43′N, 106°64′E, 19 May 1984, Fasheng Li leg. ( CAU) ; 1♂, China: Guangxi, Chongzuo, Ningming , 22°43′N, 106°64′E, 19 May 1984, Fasheng Li leg. ( CAU) ; 1♂, China: Guangxi, Guilin, Yanshan , 25°04′N, 110°18′E, 29 May 1963, Chikun Yang leg. ( CAU) ; 3♂ 2♀, China: Hainan, Ledong, Jianfengling National Forest Park, Yulingu (640 m), 18°44′N, 108°56′E, 11 May 2022, Yuchen Zheng leg. ( CAU) ; 1♂ 5♀, China: Hainan, Ledong, Jianfengling National Forest Park, Yulingu (640 m), 18°44′N, 108°56′E, 11 May 2022, Ying Yang leg. ( CAU) ; 2♂ 9♀, China: Hainan, Ledong, Jianfengling National Forest Park, Yulingu (640 m), 18°44′N, 108°56′E, 12 May 2022, Yuchen Zheng leg. ( CAU) ; 5♂ 8♀, China: Hainan, Ledong, Jianfengling National Forest Park, Yulingu (640 m), 18°44′N, 108°56′E, 12 May 2022, Ying Yang leg. ( CAU) .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ nobilia ” refers to the highly specialized male gonocoxites 9 in the new species.

Distribution. China (Guangxi, Hainan).

Figures

Figure 3. Sisyra nobilia sp. nov., A, E, I–J. Holotype, male, China (Guangxi). B, F. Paratype, female, China (Guangxi). C, G. Paratype, male, China (Hainan); D, H. Paratype, female, China (Hainan). A–D. Habitus, lateral view. E–H. Head, ventral view (left) and dorsal view (right). I–J. Fore- and hindwing. Scale bars=1.0 mm.

Figure 4. Sisyra nobilia sp. nov. A–B. Male genitalia, lateral view. C–D. Male genitalia, dorsal view. E–F. Male genitalia, caudal view. G–H. Female genitalia, lateral view. Scale bars =0.1 mm.

Figure 5. Sisyra nobilia sp. nov. Living adult photo in Yulingu, Jianfengling National Forest Park, Ledong, Hainan, China (photo by Yuchen Zheng).