Ankylopteryx (A.) diffluens, Ma & Liu, 2021

Ma, Yunlong & Liu, Xingyue, 2021, Two new species of the green lacewing subgenus Ankylopteryx Brauer, 1864 (s. str.) (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) from China, Zootaxa 4941 (3), pp. 425-433 : 426

Ankylopteryx (A.) diffluens sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–2 )

Diagnosis. Frons with U-shaped reddish marking below toruli (antennal socket, medially on frons, membranous articulation point of frons and antennae), not contiguous with clypeal markings; gena with a long brownish narrow stripe; clypeal markings contiguous with labial markings anteriorly; maxillary palp pale green; labial palp with palpomere 3 black apically. Mesoscutum and metascutum laterally with brownish markings; protibia and mesotibia with median markings. Male entoprocessus sinuous medially and projected outwards.

Description. Measurements: head width 1.00 mm; ratio of head width/eye width 1.40–1.60; prothorax 0.60– 0.70 mm long and 0.60–0.80 mm wide. Forewing 11.90–13.00 mm long, 5.00–6.00 mm wide; 11 radial cells; 3 Banksian cells (b cells), 2 lower Banksian cells (b’ cells); 6–7 inner gradates, 7–8 outer gradates. Hind wing 11.00– 12.40 mm long, 3.40–3.70 mm wide; 7–8 radial cells; 3 Banksian cells (b cells), 2 lower Banksian cell (b’ cells); 5–6 inner gradates, 3–4 outer gradates.

Head with vertex creamy yellow, immaculate; frons creamy yellow, with U-shaped reddish stripes below toruli; gena with a long and narrow brownish stripe; tentorial pits with brownish margins; scape and pedicel with reddish stripe; clypeus with brownish arcuate markings contiguous with labial markings posteriorly; maxillary palp pale green; labial palp with palpomere 3 black apically.

Prothorax almost pale green, with broad brownish lateral stripe, with white long setae; Mesoscutum, metascutum laterally with brownish markings, with sparse white long setae. Legs pale green, tarsomere 5, pretarsal claws dark brown; protibia with brownish median marking; mesotibia with smaller brownish median marking.

Forewing broad, slightly tapering apically, hyaline; pterostigma brownish, extending over four crossveins; setae almost whitish; veins mostly pale green; many brownish markings present on costal crossveins near wing margin, base of radial sector (Rs), most radial crossveins except the third and fourth ones, inner gradates, crossveins between Pseudomedia (Psm) and Pseudocubitus (Psc), distal cubital cell (dcc), terminals of marginal veins; veins at junctions with wing margin, radial crossveins at junctions with R brownish; radial sector (Rs) sinuate; distal cubital cell (dcc) closed. Hind wing narrow, more acutely tapered apically than forewing, hyaline; pterostigma extending over two crossveins; most radial crossveins except first, second and third ones, gradate series, most crossveins between Pseudomedia (Psm) and Pseudocubitus (Psc), cubitus anterior (CuA), and terminals of marginal veins brownish; radial sector (Rs) sinuate.

Abdomen pale green, markings not discernible (abdomen black in dried specimens). Abdominal setae white, microsetae dense, long setae sparse.

Male. Tergum 9+ectoprocts almost as long as tergum 8, with dorsal invagination shallow, dorsal and posterior margins almost straight; callus cerci round, trichobothria densely arranged. Sterna 8+9 fused, as long as wide, with line of fusion not demarcated; dorsal margin curved in lateral view, posterior margin rounded. Gonarcus broadened at apex of lateral arms; entoprocessus attached at about basal third of gonarcus, about 2/3 length of gonarcus, sinuous outwards medially, fused into an arch over pseudopenis; pseudopenis slightly longer than entoprocessus, broadened subapically, distinctly curved, pointed apically; gonosaccus with sparse setae.

Female. External characters same as male. Sternum 7 slightly convex posteromedially, setose posteriorly. Subgenitale and spermatheca with spermathecal duct present; subgenitale bilobed apically; spermatheca round, as wide as long; spermathecal duct coiled, about three times as long as spermatheca.

Type material. Holotype Ƌ, China, Yunnan, Xishuangbanna (OiḎDzṁ), Menglun ( AEÙ), No. 55 Experimental site, 780 m, 101°25′E 21°41′N, 2019.IV.25, Li Hongyu ( CAU) . Paratype 1♀, same data as holotype ( CAU) .

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The name “ diffluens ” comes from Latin verb, “difflluo” (stem “difflu”), meaning to flow away, dissolve; referring to the spectacular wing marking patterns with dispersed (diffluent) brownish markings.

Remarks. This new species is similar to Ankylopteryx octopunctata candida (Fabricius, 1798) in having a short and wide first intramedian cell, but it differs from the latter species by the reddish U-shaped markings below the toruli (black stripes in A. octopunctata candida ), narrow markings on gena (genal stripes wide in A. octopunctata candida ), wing marking patterns (distinct in A. diffluens sp. nov. versus indistinct in A. octopunctata candida ), and the entoprocessus sinuous outwards medially (not sinuous in A. octopunctata candida ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ankylopteryx (A.) diffluens sp. nov. (holotype, male). A. Habitus (scale bar = 5.0 mm); B. Head, frontal view (scale bar = 0.5 mm); C. Head and thorax, dorsal view (scale bar = 1.0 mm); D. Head and prothorax, lateral view (scale bar = 1.0 mm).

FIGURE 2. Ankylopteryx (A.) diffluens sp. nov. (A–D: holotype, male; E–I: paratype, female), abdomen. A. Segment A7- terminus, lateral view; B. Segment A7-terminus, ventral view; C. Gonarcal complex, lateral view; D. Gonarcal complex, dorsal view; E. Segment A7-terminus, lateral view; F. Callus cerci; G. Segment A7-terminus, ventral view; H. Spermatheca; I. Subgenitale. cc callus cerci; ent entoprocessus; g.l. gonaphophyses lateralis; gsac gonosaccus gon gonarcus; pp pseudopenis; S7 sternum 7; S8 sternum 8; sg subgenitale; sm spermatheca; t.s. transverse sclerite; T7 tergum 7; T8 tergum 8; T9+e tergum 9+ectoprocts.