Brevistoma raksasiae Zheng, Ni & Liu, 2025

Zheng, Yuchen, Ni, Ziyang, Aspöck, Ulrike, Aspöck, Horst, Badano, Davide, Nel, André & Liu, Xingyue, 2025, A hidden treasure along Silk Roads: An unexpected new species of spoon-winged lacewings from Xinjiang, China, and a revision of the genus Brevistoma Tjeder, 1967 (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae), Zootaxa 5566 (1), pp. 97-118 : 109-112

Brevistoma raksasiae Zheng, Ni & Liu sp. nov.

ƁNJ短ǝȕü

( Figs 3 ; 8 ; 9 ; 11G–H )

Diagnosis. Vertex slightly raised. Male antenna nearly half as long as forewing; female antenna nearly 1/3 length of forewing; flagellomeres of both male and female longer than wide. Maxillary palpus plate-like. Pronotum pale yellow without marking. Mesonotum laterally with a pair of pale brown stripes. Forewing basal mediocubital crossveins each suffused an indistinct brown spot. Hind wing basal half of c-sc and m-av crossveins each suffuse an indistinct brown spot; distal part of hind wing with two dark brown markings. Male posterior gonocoxites 9 trapezoid falcate and truncate externally, internal projection of posterior gonocoxites 9 protruded internally toward gonocoxites 11 in lateral view; gonostyli 11 slender in lateral view.

Description. Size. Head width 2.12–2.52 mm; forewing length 19.12–21.88 mm; hind wing length 42.76–45.47 mm.

Head. Vertex slightly raised, pale yellow without marking. Male antenna nearly half as long as forewing length; female antenna nearly 1/3 length of forewing. Scape and pedicel pale yellow; flagellum brown, covered with many short-tapered setae. Each flagellomere wider than long in male, but longer than wide in female ( Figs 11G–H ). Frons pale yellow; male frons wider than long, female frons longer than wide. Male clypeus wider than long, female clypeus as long as wide. Labrum truncated on distal margin. Maxillary palpus plate-like. Labial palpus slender. Cardo and stipe pale yellow. Mandible pale yellow, elongate. Rostrum nearly as long as half of head width ( Figs 8E–G ).

Thorax. Mostly pale yellow. Pronotum pale yellow, covered with some short pale setae. Mesoprescutum pale yellow, medially pale brown, covered with some short pale setae; mesonotum laterally with a pair of pale brown stripes; mesoscutellum pale yellow, anteromedially indistinct yellowish brown. Metanotum extremely short. Meso- and metapleurae generally pale yellow ( Fig. 8E ).

Legs. Slender, generally pale yellow. Tibial spur weakly developed. Tarsomeres 2–4 with some stout setae ventrally; pretarsal claws dark brown, slightly curved ( Fig. 8D ).

Wings. Forewing mostly hyaline, apex rounded; subcostal area and pterostigma pale yellow; basal mediocubital crossveins each suffused an indistinct brown spot; costal crossvein not forked; 11–12 presectoral crossveins present; RP with five branches; 3A closed to forewing margin. Hind wing slender, ribbon-like, nearly twice as long as forewing; basal half of c-sc and m-av crossveins each suffused an indistinct brown spot; distal dilation weakly developed; distal part of hind wing with two dark brown markings; pterostigma brown ( Figs 3 ; 8A–C ).

Abdomen. Generally pale yellow (some specimens decay and turn black after death), nearly 1.2 times as long as head-thoracic length. Lateral margin slightly dark. Male genitalia. Sternum 9 nearly twice as long as ectoproct, rectangular in ventral view, covered with some slender setae ( Fig. 8H ). Anterior gonocoxites 9 short, nearly as long as gonostyli 11 in lateral view, V-shaped in ventral view; posterior gonocoxites 9 long triangular in caudal view, trapezoid falcate and truncate externally, internal projection of posterior gonocoxites 9 transverse inward protruded in lateral view; gonocoxites 11 thick arched, medially with some short setae; gonostyli 11 swollen, as a pair of wide lingulate processes, slender and upward in lateral view ( Figs 8L–P ). Ectoproct subtriangular in lateral view ( Fig. 8I ). Female genitalia. Gonocoxites 9 long ovoid, medial part slightly concaved in lateral view, covered with some short setae. Ectoproct rounded on distal margin, covered with some short setae ( Figs 8J–K ).

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Xinjiang, Turpan, Toksun County [E克LJ县], Minuf Taklamakan Karez [KMDzDz克®克坎儿&], – 60 m, 10.VIII.2024, Ziyang Ni, Xingyu Yu, Kaixuan Jia & Xinyu Cheng ( IZCAS) . Paratypes: 1♂ 2♀, same information as holotype ( IZCAS) ; 2♂ 2♀, CHINA: Xinjiang, Turpan, Gaochang District [¼ Ȑ区], Aydingkol ancient village [ĭ丁¾古村], – 131 m, 8.VIII.2024, Ziyang Ni, Xingyu Yu, Kaixuan Jia & Xinyu Cheng ( IZCAS) .

Distribution. China (Xinjiang).

Etymology. This new species is named after a fictional character “The Princess of Iron Fan (Rm公主)” (also known as “Râkṣasî”) from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, in reference to the deeply association of the character with the Mt. Huoyanshan (meaning “Flaming Mountain”), a mountain connected to the Turpan Basin, near to the type locality of the new species. In the novel, Râkṣasî can use her magical “Iron Fan” to control the scorching and divine fire of the Flaming Mountains.

Ecology. This new species was found in the northern side of the Turpan Basin, near Mt. Huoyanshan ( Fig. 9 ). Its distribution nearly reaches the northernmost limit of Nemopteridae . However, its type locality is a well-known warm region in Central Asia with a continental desert climate. Summers can reach some of the highest temperatures in China, while winters remain relatively warm, rarely drops below 0°C. All specimens were collected by UV light.

Remarks. This new species can be easily distinguished from other Brevistoma species by the presence of the brown spots on the basal forewing mediocubital crossveins and the basal half of c-sc and m-av crossveins on the hind wing. This is the first record of Brevistoma from Central Asia, as it was previously known only from the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Habitus of B. raksasiae Zheng, Ni & Liu sp. nov., from Turpan (China). A: Male, holotype. B: Female, paratype.

FIGURE 8. Brevistoma raksasiae Zheng, Ni & Liu sp. nov., types. A: Part of habitus, male, holotype. B: Distal hind wing, male, holotype. C: Distal hind wing, female, paratype. D: Head and thorax, lateral view, male, paratype. E: Head and thorax, dorsal view, male, holotype. F: Head, frontal view, male, holotype. F: Head, frontal view, female, paratype. Male terminalia: H. Lateral view. I. Ventral view. Female terminalia: J. Lateral view. K. Ventral view. Male genitalia: L. Caudal view. M. Ventral view. N. Cephalic view. O. Lateral view. P. dorsal view.

FIGURE 9. Brevistoma raksasiae Zheng, Ni & Liu sp. nov., living adult and its habitats. A: Toksun County, type locality. B: Gaochang District. C: Living adult, female. D: Living adult, male, attracted by light trap. Photo by Zi-Yang Ni.

FIGURE 11. Antennae of Brevistoma spp.A. B. bardii (Navás, 1914), male, from Ghardaia (Algeria). B. B. bardii, female, from Tunisia. C. B. bourboni (Navás, 1931) stat. rev., male, lectotype. D. B. gallagheri Hölzel, 1999, male, holotype. E. B. hackeri Hölzel, 1999, male, holotype. F: B. hackeri, female, paratype. G. B. raksasiae Zheng, Ni & Liu sp. nov., holotype, male. H. B. raksasiae sp. nov., paratype, female. I. Brevistoma sp., female, from Sudan.