Tipula (Vestiplex) maoxianensis, Starkevich & Men & Saldaitis, 2019

Starkevich, Pavel, Men, Qiu-Lei & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2019, Four new crane fly species of subgenus Tipula (Vestiplex) (Diptera, Tipulidae) from China, Zootaxa 4679 (1), pp. 69-86 : 74-77

Tipula (Vestiplex) maoxianensis sp. nov.

( Figs 9–17 )

Holotype: Male , China, N. Sichuan, 20 km N. Maoxian, elev. 1820 m, N31°46.310’, E103°42.898’, 20.v.2017, A. Saldaitis leg., genitalia slide No. PS 0413m ( NRC).

Paratypes: 3 males, topotypic, wing slide No. PS 0414m ( NRC) .

Diagnosis. A medium-sized crane fly with brownish-gray thorax, yellowish-brown abdomen and yellowishbrown wing, spotted within translucent areas. Antenna, reaching the fifth abdominal segment if bent backward. Tergite 9 in the shape of a narrowed concave saucer, with main body light brown, medially with pale area, posterior margin of tergal saucer deeply emarginated, medially strongly sclerotized, anterior portion of tergal saucer raised into sclerotised border, medially interrupted by pale area. Gonocoxite in the shape of a large triangular plate, apex with black tooth. Inner gonostylus in the shape of a large plate, middorsal edge with blackened plate, upper beak sclerotised and rounded, lower beak sclerotised and swollen, both beaks separated by deep notch.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 9 ), male (N=4). General body coloration brownish-gray. Body length 11.5–12.5 mm, wing length 13.5–14.5 mm.

Head. Brownish-gray, vertex and occiput gray pruinose, with dark brown median line. Rostrum brownishgray, nasus gray, very short. Antenna 12-segmented, reaching the fifth abdominal segment if bent backward. Scape brown, more than three times as long as pedicel, expanded apically. Pedicel brown, very short. Flagellum with first flagellomere cylindrical, entirely brown, subequal in length to second flagellomere, with subsequent flagellomeres changing to brownish-black, lighter at apex and enlarged basally, gradually shorter towards apex, basal enlargement with abundant black verticils, distinctly shorter than length of corresponding flagellomeres. Palpus black.

Thorax. Brownish-gray. Pronotum dark brown, gray pruinose. Mesonotal prescutum brown, gray pruinose with four darker indistinct longitudinal stripes. Median pair narrowly divided by brown line. Thoracic dorsum nearly bare, with very scarce short and light setae only between median and lateral stripes. Scutum dark brown, gray pruinose with two darkened spots. Scutellum and mediotergite brown, gray pruinose, with latter bearing black line medially. Pleuron dark brown, thinly dusted with gray. Leg slender, coxa brown, thinly dusted with gray, trochanter, femur and tibia brown with dark brown tips, tarsal segments dark brown. Tarsal claw simple without tooth. Wing ( Fig. 10 ) yellowish-brown, wing cells marbled with darker spots: faint brown marks at origin of Rs and at stigmal area, with diffuse brown patches at distal and middle area of bm, with latter extended along Cu. Discal cell narrow, elongated, petiole of cell m 1 distinctly shorter than discal cell, cell m 1 more than three times as long as petiole. Halter with stem yellowish, knob dark brown.

Abdomen. Abdominal segments 1–3 yellowish-brown, gradually darker starting from segment 4. Dorsal median stripe interrupted at caudal margins of segments. Lateral stripe narrow.

Hypopygium. Yellowish-brown. Tergite 9 in the shape of narrowed concave saucer ( Fig. 12 ). The main body of tergal saucer light brown, medially with pale area, posterior margin of tergal saucer deeply emarginated, medially strongly sclerotised; lateral angles of tergal saucer obtuse; anterior portion of tergal saucer raised into sclerotised border medially broadly interrupted by pale area. Gonocoxite in the shape of a large triangular plate, apex with black tooth ( Figs 11, 14 ). Outer gonostylus flattened, widest at the middle with apex obtuse ( Fig. 15 ). Inner gonostylus in the shape of large plate, middorsal edge with blackened plate, upper beak sclerotised and rounded, lower beak sclerotised and swollen, both beaks separated by deep notch ( Fig. 16 ). Adminiculum in shape of triangular groove, broad at base and gradually narrowed to apex in dorsal view, gonapophyses short and wrinkled, adminicular rods long ( Figs 13, 17 ). Sternite 9 with two small blackened sclerites ( Fig. 13 ).

Comparative material examined: T. (V.) aestiva : Holotype, male, China, Qinghai, south shore of Kuku-nor lake, VIII.1901 (Kozlov); paratype, female, topotypic; paratype, male, Sogon-Gomba, I-chu river, up to Yangtze river , VII.1900 (Kozlov); paratype, male, shore of Orin-nor lake , Huang-he Basin , V-VI.1901 (Kozlov) ( ZIN); T. (V.) longitudinalis : 1 male, 2 females, Mongolia, Chövsgöl aimak, N von Somon Chatgal am SW Rand des Sees Chövsgöl nuur, 1650 m, Exp. Dr. Z. KASZAB, Mannheims det. 1969, 18.VII.1968 ( HNHM); 15 males, 1 female, Khentii Aimag, Tsenkhermandal Soum, spring headwaters Tsenkher Gol, 29 km North of Tsenkhermandal, N47.92564, E109.16114, elev. 1589 m, 23.VII.2011 ( ANSP); T. (V.) opilionimorpha : Lectotype, male, China, Qinghai, valley of river Dzagyn-gol, 1–6.VII.1900 (Kozlov); paralectotypes, 1 male, 1 female, topotypic ( ZIN); T. (V.) virgatula : 3 males, Mongolia, Ubruchangaj aimak, Changaj Gebirge , 21 km O von somon Narijnteel , 2080 m, Exp. Dr. Z. KASZAB, 1964, 27.VI.1964 ( HNHM); 5 females, Bajanchongor aimak, Changaj Gebirge, Ulaan colon, 18 km S vom Pass Egijn davaa, 2300 m, Exp. Dr. Z. KASZAB, 21.VI.1966 ( HNHM); 13 males, Bayankhongor Aimag, Erdenesogt Soum, Shargaljuut Gol, 10 km NE of Shargaljuut Rashaan Hot Spring, jct Ugalzyn Gol, N46.35902, E101.27559, elev. 2186 m, 4.VII.2011 ( ANSP) .

Biology and distribution. Four males were collected during a single rainy night on 20 May, 2017 in a remote part of west China, Sichuan Province near the Maoxian. The new species was collected at an altitude of 1800 meters in a valley sparsely covered by mixed forests dominated by deciduous trees and bushes ( Fig. 37 ).

Discussion. The new species is most similar to T. (V.) aestiva but differs by details of tergite 9. Tipula (V.) maoxianensis sp. nov. has tergite 9 with lateral corners rounded, while T. (V.) aestiva lateral corners obtuse and distinctly blackened. They can also be separated by antenna reaching the fifth abdominal segment in T. (V.) maoxianensis sp. nov. while antenna reach the base of the abdomen in T. (V.) aestiva .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun ‘ maoxian ’ with Latin suffix ‘ ensis ’, referring to the type locality of the new species.

Tipula (Vestiplex) divisotergata species group

The divisotergata species group was proposed by Savchenko (1964) based on the shape of the male gonocoxite and tergite 9. A list of species belonging to the divisotergata group is revised and the following species are recognized in China: T. (V.) adungensis Alexander, 1963 , T. (V.) divisotergata Alexander, 1932 , T. (V.) nokonis Alexander, 1928 , T. (V.) rongtoensis Alexander, 1963 , T. (V.) subapterogyne Alexander, 1920 , T. (V.) verecunda Alexander, 1924 and T. (V.) zayulensis Alexander, 1963 . The divisotergata species group belongs to the part of T. ( Vestiplex ) whose males are characterized by tergite 9 divided by a pale membrane. In this part males of the divisotergata species group can be easily recognized by simple unarmed gonocoxite, inner gonostylus has lower beak with roundly swollen area and usually well-developed dorsal lobe of appendage of sternite 9. Ventral lobes of tergite 9 appear as small narrow sclerotised plates in T. (V.) verecunda , T. (V.) adungensis , T. (V.) zayulensis , as bilobed foot-shaped structures in T. (V.) divisotergata or as pale rods in T. (V.) rongtoensis ( Alexander 1932, 1963).

Figures

FIGURE 37. Type locality of Tipula (Vestiplex) borthi sp. nov. and T. (Vestiplex) maoxianensis sp. nov. China, N. Sichuan, 20 km. N. Maoxian, N31°46.310’, E103°42.898’, altitude 1820 m.

FIGURES 9–10. Tipula (Vestiplex) maoxianensis sp. nov. 9: adult male, general view of paratype; 10: wing, paratype.

FIGURES 11–17. Hypopygium of male Tipula (Vestiplex) maoxianensis sp. nov. 11: hypopygium, lateral view; 12: hypopygium, dorsal view; 13: hypopygium, ventral view; 14: gonocoxite, lateral view; 15: left outer gonostylus; 16: left inner gonostylus, lateral view; 17: adminiculum, lateral view. Abbreviations: adm, adminiculum; admr, adminicular rod; gcx, gonocoxite; gph, gonapophysis; ig, inner gonostylus; og, outer gonostylus; st9, sternite 9; t9, tergite 9.