Nousera gibba Navás, 1923

Hassan, Muhammad Asghar & Liu, Xingyue, 2021, Taxonomic notes on owlflies from Pakistan (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae Ascalaphinae), Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 401-452 : 421-422

Nousera gibba Navás, 1923

Nousera gibba Navás, 1923: 5 . Type locality: Unknown.

Diagnosis. The species is similar to N. herczigi in general morphology but can be distinguished by the presence of ochre brown pterostigma with light brown shades on the proximal region and by the yellow prescutum with a pair of distinct brownish spots on the anterolateral margins.

Measurement (♀ n=2). Forewing length: 30.0–31.0 mm, width 7.2–7.5 mm; hind wing length: 26.0–27.0 mm, width 5.5–5.6 mm; abdominal length: 22.5 mm; body length: 30.0 mm.

Re-description. Female ( Figs 10A–B ). Head ( Fig. 11I ). Postorbital sclerite greyish yellow. Occiput brownish yellow. Vertex brownish, with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae. Mesal and lateral plates brownish yellow. Frons brownish, with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae. Anterior orbital sclerite brownish. Lateral margins of paraocular band brownish yellow. Clypeus brownish yellow, slightly brownish at lateral margins, with distal row of black setae, proximally with short greyish yellow setae. Labrum brownish yellow, with feebly curved brownish yellow setae. Mandibles brownish yellow, with dark brown apex. Maxillary and labial palpi brownish yellow, with short black setae. Posterior genal triangle brownish yellow. Antennal toruli brownish, arise more or less dorsally from the longitudinal transverse furrows of eyes.Antennae brownish yellow; scape and pedicel with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae. Club pyriform, brownish yellow, except slightly dark brown at base, with verticils.

Thorax ( Fig. 11A ). Dorsal cervical plates dark brown, with long pale brown setae; cervical sclerite yellow. Pronotum narrow, both margins flexed upward, dark brown, with a broad median yellow stripe, covered with mixed dark brown and greyish yellow setae at lateral margins, anterior and posterior margins with greyish yellow setae. Mesonotum dark brown; prescutum yellow, with a pair of distinct brownish spots at anterolateral margins, covered with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae; scutum dark brown, with a median brownish yellow stripe, an indistinct brownish spot at submedian and above wing base, covered with black setae; scutellum dark brown, proximal 1/4 with a transverse yellow stripe, subdistal margin with a greyish yellow transverse stripe, covered with black setae. Metanotum dark brown, with indistinct yellow markings at lateral margins, covered with mixed long brown and greyish yellow setae. Pleuron dark brown with yellow markings, covered with greyish yellow setae, except proximal half on mesopleuron with brown setae ( Fig. 11D ).

Legs ( Fig. 11D ). Foreleg. Coxae dark brown, with brownish yellow setae. Trochanter brownish yellow, with greyish yellow setae. Femur dark brown, with short greyish yellow setae at proximal 2/3 on dorsal margin, with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae on ventral margin. Tibia dark brown, yellow at base, with mixed short and long black setae, a narrow yellow fasica at dorsomedially; tibial spurs equal to length of Ta1–Ta3. Tarsomeres dark brown, with short black setae; Ta1–Ta4 subequal in length; Ta5 as long as combined length of Ta1–Ta4. Mid leg. Coxae dark brown with greyish yellow and long brown setae. Trochanter similar to foreleg. Femur dark brown, slightly brownish yellow at anterodorsally, with mixed long black and greyish yellow setae. Tibia dark brown, yellow at base, covered with short and long black setae, a narrow yellow fasica at submedian and subdistal margins, connected at dorsal margin; tibial spurs equal to length of Ta1–Ta3. Tarsomeres similar to foreleg. Hind leg. Coxae dark brown with greyish yellow and long brown setae. Trochanter brownish yellow, with short greyish yellow setae. Femur dark brown, setae similar to mid leg, a complete brownish yellow stripe on posterolateral margin. Tibia similar to mid leg. Tibial spurs equal to length of Ta1–Ta2. Tarsomere similar to mid leg. Tibial spurs and pretarsal claws dark brown.

Wings ( Figs 10A–B ). Membrane transparent, veins brownish, with sparse short black setae. Pterostigma wider than long, rhomboid-shaped, ochre brownish, proximal portion light brown, with 2–4 dark brown crossveins; apical area beyond Sc+R with three rows of cells but on edges with only two rows of cells. Forewing longer than hind wing. Presectoral area with six crossveins. Rs with seven major forks. Hind wing. Presectoral area with 4–5 crossveins. Rs with seven major forks.

Abdomen shorter than hind wing in female. Tergum evenly dark brown. T1 greyish yellow, split dorsally, with long brown setae, and long greyish yellow setae at lateral margin. Acrotergite brownish. T2 with long black setae. T3–T8 dark brown, with indistinct irregular brownish spots, with short black setae. Sternum dark brown, except a pair of yellow spots at middle half on S2; S1, S2, and proximal 1/4 of S3 with greyish yellow setae; S4–S8 with short black setae.

Female genitalia ( Figs 11J–K ). Brownish yellow. Tergum 8 (T8) subquadrate, posterodorsal margin slightly produced, with short black setae; tergum 9 (T9) quadrate, with short black setae; ectoprocts (epr) quadrate, with long black setae; anterior gonapophyses (ga) long, thumb-like, brownish, with long black setae; lateral gonapophyses (gl) rounded in lateral view, brownish, with black setae; linguella slightly chitinized with rather short brown setae.

Material examined. PAKISTAN. Islamabad Capital Territory: 2♀, 19.vii.2007, Malaise Trap, PMNH ( C# 46542 , 46561 ), leg. Khurram / Fida ( PMNH) .

Distribution. Pakistan (New country record); China (Yunnan), Thailand (Sakon Nakhon), Laos (North Laos, Luang Namtha), Malaysia, Vietnam? ( New 2003; Michel 2005; Ábrahám & Mészáros 2006; Wang et al. 2018).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Nousera gibba Navás. Female. A–B. Dorsal habitus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 11. Nousera gibba Navás. Female. A. Head and thorax, dorsal view; B. Antenna. C. Proximal margin of abdomen, dorsal view; D. Lateral view; E–F. Pterostigma of female right fore and hind wing; G–H. Same, male; I. Head, anterior view; J. Female genitalia, lateral view; K. Same, ventral view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (D); 2.0 mm (A); 1.0 mm (I); 0.5 mm (J–K).