Wesmaelius (Kimminsia) nanacamilpa Marquez & Contreras

Marquez-Lopez, Yesenia & Contreras-Ramos, Atilano, 2019, A new species of Wesmaelius Krueger from Mexico, with a key to the New World species of the subgenus Kimminsia Killington (Neuroptera, Hemerobiidae), ZooKeys 841, pp. 61-70 : 63-65

Wesmaelius (Kimminsia) nanacamilpa Marquez & Contreras sp. n. Figs 1, 2

Material examined.

Holotype: Male; MEXICO: Tlaxcala, Nanacamilpa de Mariano Arista, Comunidad San Felipe Hidalgo, Bosque Mágico de Piedra Canteada, Santuario de la Luciérnaga, 19°27'22.3"N, 98°36'02.0"W, 2839 m, 03.vi.2016, Marquez, Contreras, Ramírez, Mayorga, Luna, luz blanca, bosque de Abies [alcohol, genitalia dissected] (CNIN). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 1 female [alcohol, genitalia dissected] (CNIN), 1 female [alcohol, dissected] (NMNH); same data as holotype but 2855 m, 02.vi.2017, Marquez, Contreras, Ramírez, Luna, mercury vapor light, 1 male [alcohol, undissected] (NMNH).

Diagnosis.

Head mostly dark brown (Fig. 1A), vertex yellowish with small brown spots (Fig. 1B); outer side of scape brown (Fig. 1A); colour pattern of pronotum a mid-longitudinal discontinuous line with adjacent small irregular spots (Fig. 1B); dark brown band running laterally along pronotum, mesothorax and extending towards the basal third of forewing (Fig. 1A, C). Male ectoproct with pecten strongly sclerotized (Fig. 2A, B); parameres diverging, distally with a narrow V-shape, styliform sclerites directed basally (Fig. 2E); gonarcus with short entoprocessus (Fig. 2C, D), lateral lobe broad (Fig. 2D); female lateral gonapophyses separate from ectoproct and ovoid (Fig. 2G), subgenital plate with large lateral lobe and central plate with broad basal incision (Fig. 2H), spermathecal duct moderately coiled (Fig. 2G).

Description.

Dimensions . Forewing length 9.2-9.5 mm, width 3.5-3.6 mm male (n = 2), length 9.6 mm, width 4.0 mm female (n = 2). Body colour pattern. Yellowish brown, with portions of head and thorax dark brown; wings patterned; abdomen yellowish, dark brown beyond fourth segment.

Head. Mostly dark brown. Vertex pale yellow with dark brown spots, two pale brown lines between antennae and two pale brown lines behind eyes (Fig. 1B); frons dark brow nearly black, clypeus reddish brown with transverse row of conspicuous setae on posterior margin (Fig. 1A); labrum reddish brown, gena and postorbital region dark brown, nearly black; male antennae 73-75-segmented (n = 2), female 73-segmented (n =1), scape yellowish, laterally brown, pedicel yellowish, flagellomeres yellowish with narrow brown ring at base (Fig. 1A); eyes black with metallic luster (Fig. 1A).

Thorax. Contrasting yellowish brown with dark brown. Pronotum yellowish with two discontinuous mid-longitudinal lines with adjacent small irregular spots (Fig. 1B); dark brown band running along pronotum, mesothorax and extending towards the basal third of forewing (Fig. 1A, C); mesonotum yellowish, small dark brown spots forming a pattern (Fig. 1B); frontal side of mesothorax blackish brown (Fig. 1A). Legs mostly yellowish brown, anterior side of forefemur and midcoxa brown, hind legs mostly yellowish.

Wings. Forewing narrowly oval; patterned with pale brown maculation; pterostigma pinkish, undefined; costal area narrow, wider at basal third; gradate series equally distanced; dark brown, nearly black irregular band along anal and cubital proximal third of wing; irregular elongate maculation at medial-cubital area in middle of wing (Fig. 1C). Hind wing broadly oval, mostly hyaline, without maculation except portions of costal and anal areas; patch of setae at base, before costal vein (Fig. 1D).

Abdomen. Mostly pale brown, dark brown beyond fourth segment, particularly dorsally.

Male genitalia. Ninth tergum narrow dorsally, broad basally, concave at upper posterior margin in lateral view (Fig. 2A, B); ectoproct subrectangular, with a prominent posterodorsal lobe, ventral lobe short with sclerotized teeth, 12 or 13 trichobothria (Fig. 2A, B). Gonarcus rounded, with mediuncus sharp, spine-like in dorsal view, short in lateral view (Fig. 2C, D); arcus with anterior projection subtriangular; lateral lobes convex in dorsal view (Fig. 2C), amply subquadrate in lateral view (Fig. 2D), proximal corners sharp (Fig. 2C); entoprocessus short, far from mediuncus (Fig. 2C, D). Parameres bar-like, diverging distally with a narrow V-shape, tips sclerotized with small teeth, base slender, strongly sclerotized, styliform sclerites directed basally (Fig. 2E, F).

Female genitalia. Gonapophyses laterales separate from ectoproct, ovoid, less sclerotized at proximal side; ectoproct short, subrectangular, bearing 12-14 trichobothria (Fig. 2G); subgenital plate with central plate incised apically, conspicuously incised at base, internal margins of basal incision serrate; lateral lobes narrowly lanceolate, longer than central plate (Fig. 2H); spermatheca with sclerotized duct moderately coiled (Fig. 2G).

Variation.

Females were slightly larger than males, also females had a stronger colour pattern than males.

Etymology.

Named after Nanacamilpa, the municipality of Tlaxcala State where the specimens were collected, meaning 'field of mushrooms’ in Nahuatl.

Ecology.

Specimens were attracted to white light (domestic light bulb) and mercury vapour light in an Abies religiosa (Sacred Fir) forest, during the rainy season (early June). Specimens of Wesmaelius are generally captured in conifer forests, maintaining their activity at low temperatures with small population sizes ( Klimaszewski and Kevan 1987b; Monserrat 1998, 2015).