Suhpalacsa fuscimarginata Wang et Sun

Wang, Xinli, Sun, Mingxia & Liang, Aiping, 2008, New species of the owl-fly genus Suhpalacsa Lefèbvre from China (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae), Zootaxa 1808, pp. 53-60 : 55-56

Suhpalacsa fuscimarginata Wang et Sun sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 , 11–12 , 15–16)

Male: Body length 45mm; abdomen length 33mm; forewing length 39mm; hindwing length 31mm; antennae length 24mm.

Female: Body length 45–48mm; abdomen length 24mm; forewing length 37–39mm; hindwing length 37– 39mm; antennae length 23–24mm.

Colouration. Head: Brown with yellow clypeus and labrum; mandible red-brown with black apex; maxillary and labial palpi brown. Antenna pale brown and clubbed apex black; eyes black, with red-brown stripe.

Thorax: Notum yellow with two black or brown stripes medially, sometimes the two stripes almost united. In lateral view the prothorax is dark; mesothorax and metathorax upper side of pleuron yellow and lower side of pleuron black. Fore leg with femora and tibia brown, tarsi dark brown; middle and hindlegs brown, tibiae dark brown; spurs and claws red brown. Wings hyaline; Sc and R1 with crossveins brown; costal area infuscate, pterostigma and almost entire apical area brown. Abdomen: Red-brown with a black margin on each segment, brown laterally.

Vestiture. Head with dense, long grey-yellow hairs especially on vertex and between antennae; thorax with sparse, long hairs; abdomen with sparse, shorter hairs.

Venation. Apical area of forewings and hindwings with cells in three rows; 5–6 rows cells in cubital area of forewings, 4–5 rows cells in cubital area of hindwings.

Male genitalia. Ectoprocts finger-like in ventral view. Gonarcus and parameres united, parameres with a row spines, pelta present.

Female genitalia. Ventrovalvae long and narrow, with long black hairs. Distivalvae elliptical with black hairs; interdens and linguella inconspicuous.

Holotype male, CHINA: Mengla longmen, Yunnan Prov., 900m, 2005. V.19, Bai Xiaoshuan (CAU- N 200391).

Paratypes. CHINA: female, Mengla yaoqu, Yunnan Prov. 850m, 2005. V.11, Bai Xiaoshuan (CAU- N 200390); female, Mengla longmen, Yunnan Prov. 2005. V.18, Liu Xingyue (CAU-N 200397); female, Mengla yaoqu, Yunnan Prov. 2005. V.6, Liu Xingyue (CAU-N 200399); female, Mengla longmen, Yunnan Prov. 2005. V.20, Liu Xingyue, (CAU-N 200398); female, Mengla yaoqu, Yunnan Prov. 2005. V.11, Liu Xingyue (CAU-N 200400).

Distribution: China: Yunnan

Remarks. This new species is similar to Suhpalacsa jianfanglingana , but is much larger, and the colour in the costal area and apical area is darker than that of S. jianfanglingana . In S. jianfanglingana the notum is without distinct markings, and the hindwings have 2–3 rows of cells in apical area and 3–4 rows of cells in cubital area. Suhpalasca fuscimarginata sp. nov. is also similar to S. princeps ( Gerstaecker, 1893) in body and wing colour. In S. princeps the cubital area of the forewing has 4–5 rows of cells, while the hindwing has three rows of cells in the cubital area and two rows of cells in apical area.

Etymology. fuscus L. brown; marginatus L. margin, border; referring to the brown anterior edge of the wing.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Suhpalacsa fuscimarginata Wang et Sun sp. nov., 1. forewing and hindwing; 2. male habitus; 3. head, anterior view; 4. thorax, lateral view; 5. thorax, dorsal view.

FIGURES 11 – 14. Male terminalia. Suhpalacsa fuscimarginata Wang et Sun sp. nov.: 11. lateral view; 12. ventral view; 13 – 14. Suhpalacsa fumiala Wang et Sun sp. nov.: 13. lateral view; 14. ventral view. FIGURES. 15 – 16. Female terminalia. Suhpalacsa fuscimarginata Wang et Sun sp. nov., 15. lateral view; 16. ventral view.