Paramesodes dirensis sp. nov.

Figs 1-8

Description.

Length: male 5.2-6.1 mm, female 6.1-6.4 mm. Coloration: pale, with brown markings (Fig. 1). Crown with broad, black, transverse submarginal band between eyes (Fig. 1). Face pale yellow, with brown, transverse striations on clypeus (Fig. 2). Pronotum with medial dark brown longitudinal marking as well as three brown longitudinal markings on each side (Fig. 1). Scutellum with median, longitudinal, dark brown markings and pale brown lateral markings (Fig. 1). Forewings with variable brown markings; veins prominent and white (Fig. 1). Legs pale, with brown markings.

Male genitalia: pygofer lobe broad basally, narrowing apically, forming a rounded-oval apex, with long, yellowish-brown spines extending beyond apical margin, a large process arising near medial dorsal margin and straight apically, surpassing pygofer lobe, without any bend (Figs 3, 4). Subgenital plates triangulate; macrosetae uniseriate laterally (Fig. 5). Valve triangular (Fig. 5). Style as in Figure 5. Connective fused to aedeagus, with arms closely appressed distally (Figs 6, 7). Aedeagus tubular, tapering apically, recurved in lateral view, constricted preapically in ventral view; gonopore apical (Figs 6, 7).

Female. Same in appearance as male. Seventh sternum with lateral margins not extended, posterior margin with median projection, rounded (Fig. 8).

Materials examined.

Holotype ♂, Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Upper Dir, 35°9'55.89"N, 72°2'48.54"E, 1840 m, 24.07.2019, Hassan Naveed leg., sweep net . Paratypes 8♂, 5♀, same data as holotype .

Etymology.

This species is named after type locality, the Upper Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Remarks.

Paramesodes dirensis sp. nov. is similar to its congeners in general appearance, but it differs from those species in the combination of male genitalia features, i.e., the pygofer is oval posteriorly with a relatively straight process distally and the aedeagal shaft is distally recurved in lateral view and constricted preapically in ventral view. In the Wilson’s (1983) key, the new species runs to couplet 7 along with P. lineaticollis .