Ceraeochrysa tacanensis Cancino-Lopez & Contreras-Ramos

Cancino-Lopez, Rodolfo J. & Contreras-Ramos, Atilano, 2019, A new species of Ceraeochrysa Adams (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae), with a key to the species from Mexico, ZooKeys 888, pp. 95-104 : 95

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.888.39064

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:64A28110-F068-4C89-8396-0C23C6A96337

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/271B16C8-0E7C-5BBA-9089-B5B1A34872F5

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Ceraeochrysa tacanensis Cancino-Lopez & Contreras-Ramos
status

sp. nov.

Ceraeochrysa tacanensis Cancino-Lopez & Contreras-Ramos sp. nov. Figures 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3

Material examined

(20 males, 11 females). Holotype (male): MEXICO: Chiapas, Cacahoatán, Ej[ido] Benito Juárez El Plan, 15°05'27.18"N, 92°08'51.06"W, 1479 m, 17.ii.2018, Cancino-López & Luna-Luna, light trap [genitalia dissected] (CNIN). Allotype: MEXICO: Chiapas, Unión Juárez, Cantón Chiquihuites, 15°05'46.26"N, 92°05'56.46"W, 2072 m, 16.iv.2018, Cancino-López & Luna-Luna, light trap [genitalia dissected] (CNIN). Paratypes: MEXICO: Chiapas, Cacahoatán, Ej[ido] Benito Juárez El Plan, 15°05'27.18"N, 92°08'51.06"W, 1479 m, 17.ii.2018, Cancino-López & Luna-Luna, light trap, 1 male, 1 female [genitalia dissected] (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'13.02"N, 92°08'55.2"W, 1430 m, 16.iii.2018, 2 males [one with genitalia dissected] (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'53.28"N, 92°08'29.88"W, 1705 m, 16.iii.2018, Cancino-López, 1 female, entomological net (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'36.48"N, 92°08'43.92"W, 1553 m, 12.viii.2018, 2 males (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'37.74"N, 92°08'43.26"W, 1572 m, 1 male (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'27.18"N, 92°08'51.06"W, 1479 m, 20.ix.2018, Cancino-López & Luna-Luna, 1 female, light trap (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'41.94"N, 92°08'41.52"W, 1577 m, 06.x.2018, Cancino-López, 1 female, entomological net (NMNH); same data but, 15°05'34.98"N, 92°08'45.42"W, 1541 m, 07.xi.2018, 1 female (NMNH); same data but, 15°05'40.98"N, 92°08'40.8"W, 1567 m, 08.xii.2018, 2 males (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'36.54"N, 92°08'43.8"W, 1549 m, 1 male (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'37.44"N, 92°08'43.68"W, 1564 m, 08.i.2019, 1 male (NMNH); same data but, 15°05'35.22"N, 92°08'44.76"W, 1533 m, 1 male (NMNH); same data but, 15°05'45.66"N, 92°08'40.5"W, 1582 m, 10.i.2019, 1 male, 1 female (ECO-TAP-E). MEXICO: Chiapas, Unión Juárez, Cantón Chiquihuites, 15°05'54.42"N, 92°05'57.96"W, 2157 m, 19.ii.2018, Cancino-López & Luna-Luna, 1 male [genitalia dissected], light trap (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'46.26"N, 92°05'56.46"W, 2076 m, 16.iv.2018, 1 male (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'43.74"N, 92°05'57.6"W, 2060 m, 14.v.2018, 3 males (CNIN); same data but, 15°05'43.79"N, 92°05'57.6"W, 2081 m, 10.ix.2018, 1 male, 1 female (NMNH); same data but, 15°05'43.79"N, 92°05'57.6"W, 08.x.2018, 1 male (CNIN); same data but, 15°06'9.06"N, 92°06'18.42"W, 2430 m, 19.xi.2018, Cancino-López, 1 male, entomological net (NMNH); same data but, Almaraz-Hernández, 1 female (NMNH); same data but, 15°05'43.79"N, 92°05'57.6"W, 2081 m, 14.i.2019, Cancino-López & Luna-Luna, 1 male, light trap (CNIN).

Diagnosis.

This species has marks on the pronotum (a discontinuous red lateral stripe) and on the meso- and metanota (two anterior reddish black spots on each) ( Fig. 1B View Figure 1 ) and on the abdominal tergites (orange to dark-brown lateral elongate marks) ( Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ); forewing has the posterior branches of the cubital vein swollen, darkened and edged with dark on the membrane; last tarsal segments are darkened ( Fig. 1A View Figure 1 ). The gonosaccus basally bears gonosetae ( Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ); the arcessus is very long, narrow, straight, with curved apical point ( Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ); the gonapsis is elongate, its basal section extends internally from the base of gonosaccus and is slightly upturned, terminating anteriorly in a smoothly rounded apex ( Fig. 3E View Figure 3 ), the distal section extends externally and terminates dorsally with microteeth ( Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ); a membranous sac between apices of gonapsis and sternite 9 bears a field of well-developed gonocristae ( Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ).

Description.

Measurements, mean (range) (n = 20). Male. Head: width 1.3 mm (1.2-1.4 mm). Pronotum: length 0.85 mm (0.7-1 mm), width 0.6 mm (0.4-0.8 mm). Forewing: length 11.7 mm (10-13.4 mm); 4-6 inner and 5-7 outer gradate veins. Hindwing: length 10.2 mm (8.8-11.6 mm); 3-5 inner and 4-6 outer gradate veins. Female (n = 11). Head: width 1.2 mm (1.1-1.3 mm). Pronotum: length 10 mm (0.9-1.1 mm), width 0.95 mm (0.9-1 mm). Forewing: length 12.4 mm (11.9-12.9 mm); 5-6 inner and 7 outer gradate veins. Hindwing: length 13.5 mm (10.2-11.9 mm); five or six inner and six or seven outer gradate veins.

Head. Front mainly pale (rarely with one brown, irregular transverse-stripe), vertex, clypeus, labrum, gena, maxillary, and labial palpi pale ( Fig. 1C View Figure 1 ). Scape pale with lateral red stripe and pedicel pale with posterior-lateral red spot; flagellum pale, with 85-90 flagellomeres (n = 31).

Thorax. Pronotum greenish with a discontinuous red lateral stripe on each side and a medial, longitudinal yellow band; meso- and metanota greenish, each with a medial, longitudinal yellow band and two anterior reddish-black spots ( Fig. 1A View Figure 1 ), and sometimes with two posterior red or orange spots; pleura pale green. Legs: pale green with yellow tarsi, except one or two dark-brown apical tarsomeres ( Fig. 1C View Figure 1 ). Forewings: venation mostly green, but some crossveins dark; dark markings at apex of 1A, posterior cubitus, and Cua-Cup crossveins form a distinct chevron-shaped mark ( Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ); four to six inner and five to seven outer gradate veins. Hindwing: venation green, with apical section of radius dark; three to five inner and four to six outer gradate veins, all green.

Abdomen. Green, with dorsal, longitudinal yellow band; tergites with orange to dark-brown lateral elongate marks at posterior margin ( Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ). Male apodeme slightly sclerotized and thin, without ventral lobe ( Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ).

Male genitalia. Gonarcus thick with wide and elongate lateral plates ( Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ); entoprocessus elongate, with evenly tapering tips ( Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ); gonocornus lacking. Arcessus very long, narrow, straight, with downward curved apical point ( Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ). Gonosaccus basally with gonosetae ( Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ). Gonapsis elongate, extending from base of gonosaccus, slightly upturned, terminating internally in a smoothly rounded apex ( Fig. 3E View Figure 3 ), with sclerotized microteeth on dorsal side ( Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ); membranous sac between apices of gonapsis and sternite 9 with a field of well-developed gonocristae ( Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ).

Female. Similar to holotype. Female genitalia. Female subgenitalia as wide as long, with rounded apex and narrow medial notch ( Fig. 3G View Figure 3 ); spermatheca well sclerotized, with vela broad basally and strongly arched apically; spermathecal duct slightly sinuous before entering oviduct; ventral impression conspicuous ( Fig. 3F View Figure 3 ).

Variation.

Lateral stripes of pronotum are variable, for instance whether they are continuous or interrupted ( Fig. 2A, B View Figure 2 ), thickened or narrow ( Fig. 2C, D View Figure 2 ), pale or dark red ( Fig. 2E, F View Figure 2 ); also, dorsolateral marks of the abdomen are generally orange, but may be reddish brown.

Etymology.

This species is named after the Tacaná Volcano, located in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, where the specimens were collected.

Ecology.

This species is presently known from cloud forest (1,430-1,705 m a.s.l.) and mixed oak-cloud forest (2,060-2,430 m a.s.l), and with similar collecting techniques and collecting effort, it was not found at lower (661-1,393 m a.s.l.) or higher (2,884-3,246 m a.s.l) elevation collecting sites. Specimens were found on Alinus sp., Quercus sp., and Saurauia sp., and were collected from February through May, August through December 2018, and January 2019.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Neuroptera

Family

Chrysopidae

Genus

Ceraeochrysa