Berotha chouioi Yang & Liu, 2002

Li, Di, Aspöck, Horst, Aspöck, Ulrike & Liu, Xingyue, 2018, A review of the beaded lacewings (Neuroptera: Berothidae) from China, Zootaxa 4500 (2), pp. 235-257 : 240-242

Berotha chouioi Yang & Liu, 2002

( Figs. 5–6 , 19–23 , 35–37 )

Berotha chouioi Yang & Liu, 2002: 284 . Type locality: China (Hainan: Nada ).

Diagnosis. The species is characterized by the male sternum 8 posteriorly with a median digitiform processus directed posteroventrad, the largely paired male sternum 9 with one to four little teeth on each lateral lobe, the ventral portion of gonocoxites 9 in lateral view nearly right-angled and the presence of large bristle-bow of complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses and gonostyli 10 (= paramere-mediuncus complex).

Description. Male. Body length 6.0–7.0 mm; forewing length 9.2–10.5 mm, hindwing length 8.0–10.0 mm.

Head generally yellow with blackish brown spots; setae yellow dorsally but dark brown on frons and clypeus. Compound eyes blackish brown. Antennae pale yellow with yellowish setae; setae on scape and pedicel longer than those of flagellum, yellow dorsally, dark brown ventrally; scape long and thick, length-width ratio approximately 5:1.

Prothorax generally pale yellow with blackish brown setae ventrally. Meso- and metathorax slightly paler than prothorax dorsally; pro- and mesonotum with blackish brown spots. Legs pale yellow with brown setae, tibia and tarsus with blackish brown spots. Forewing falcate on apex, slightly smoky brown, slightly darker along distal margin and crossveins; pterostigma narrowly elongate, reddish brown, with hyaline parts at middle. Longitudinal veins pale yellow, interrupted by many brownish spots, darker on branching points of longitudinal veins; crossveins brown. Hindwing slightly paler than forewing, immaculate; longitudinal veins pale brown, crossveins dark brown.

Abdomen yellow with blackish brown spots and black brown setae; each pregenital segment darker on posterior margin.

Male genitalia. Sternum 8 posteriorly with a median digitiform processus directed posteroventrad. Tergum 9 + ectoprocts in lateral view nearly shell-shaped. Trichobothria reduced. Sternum 9 largely paired, with subtriangular lateral lobes, which are connected by a sclerotized bar, apex of lateral lobes with one to four little teeth. Gonocoxites 9 paired, with hook-like apex. Complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses and gonostyli 10 (= paramere-mediuncus complex) forming a basal sclerite and a long bow formed by 7–8 long bundled bristles, reaching to segment 7 anteriorly and ending as a bundle of free bristles terminally. Fused gonocoxites 11 (= gonarcus) arched, reaching to segment 8. Hypandrium internum large, subtriangular.

Female. Body length 7.8 mm; forewing length 11.8 mm, hindwing length 10.5 mm.

Female genitalia. Sternum 7 mostly reduced. Gonocoxites 7 present as paired domed sclerites, bearing long setae. Gonapophyses 7 as a pair of smooth sclerite discs. Gonocoxites 8 in ventral view narrow, ribbon-shaped, strongly sclerotized, with paired membranous processus directed anteroventrad, nearly semicircular. Gonapophyses 8 (= pudiculum) forming a tiny arc-shaped sclerite in ventral view. Tergum 9 + ectoprocts slightly shorter than tergum 8, ventrally slightly tapering and bearing long setae. Gonocoxites 9 paired, club-shaped, bearing long setae; hypocaudae almost 5 times as long as basal part of gonocoxites 9 in ventral view. Bursacopulatrix-spermatheca complex comprising a small but strongly sclerotized globular element, and a basal coil with lumens of different width, ending as broad bursa.

Materials examined. 1♂, China: Hainan, Mt. Limushan [19°26.772'N, 109°78.684'E], 3.IV.2013, Wang & Jiang ( CAU) ; 1♂, 1♀, China: Hainan, Mt. Diaoluoshan [18°79.376'N, 109°87.094'E], 700 m, 09.V.2011, Wenxuan Bi ( CAU) ; 1♂, China: Hainan, Mt. Diaoluoshan [18°79.376'N, 109°87.094'E], 900 m, 30.V.2007, Jingxian Liu ( CAU) ; 1♀, China: Hainan, Jianfengling [18°71.495'N, 108°87.511'E], 26.II.1982, Chikun Zhang ( CAU) .

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Remarks. This species appears to be closely related to B. spetana from Taiwan in having similar male sternum 8 posteriorly with a median digitiform processus, the largely paired male sternum 9 with little teeth on each lateral lobe, the complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses and gonostyli 10 forming a large bristle-bow, reaching to segment 7 anteriorly and the female fused gonocoxites 8 in ventral view narrow and ribbon-shaped, with paired membranous semicircular processus directed anteroventrad, but it can be distinguished from the latter species by the male gonocoxites 9 ventral portion in lateral view nearly right-angled, the processus of sternum 8 in ventral view extremely short and the female tergum 9 + ectoprocts in lateral view tapering ventrally. In B. spetana the male gonocoxites 9 ventral portion in lateral view nearly arcuately convex, the processus of sternum 8 distinct and the female tergum 9 + ectoprocts in lateral view nearly square.

It is notable that the number of little teeth on lateral lobes of male sternum 9 is variable among conspecific individuals. Of the three specimens we examined, the left lateral lobe of male sternum 9 bears one, two or four teeth, while the right lateral lobe bears three, three or four teeth ( Figs. 35–37 ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Berotha chouioi Yang& Liu, male, habitus photo. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 6. Berotha chouioi Yang& Liu, female, habitus photo. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 35. Berotha chouioi Yang & Liu, male, sternum 9, lobes with one (left) and three (right) little teeth.

FIGURE 36. Berotha chouioi Yang & Liu, male, sternum 9, lobes with two (left) and three (right) little teeth.

FIGURE 37. Berotha chouioi Yang & Liu, male, sternum 9, lobes with four and four little teeth.

FIGURES 19–23. Berotha chouioi Yang & Liu. 19. Male genitalia, lateral view; 20. Male genitalia, ventral view; 21. Female genitalia, lateral view; 22. Female genitalia, ventral view; 23. Female complex of bursa copulatrix and spermatheca, lateral view. b: bursa copulatrix; e: ectoproct; gp7: gonapophysis 7; gx7: gonocoxite 7; gp8: gonapophysis 8; gx8: gonocoxite 8; gx9: gonocoxite 9; gx10: complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses and gonostyli 10 (= paramere-mediuncus complex); gx11: gonocoxite 11 (= gonarcus); hc: hypocauda; hi: hypandrium internum; r: spermatheca; S7–9: sternum 7–9; T7–9: tergum 7–9. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Figs. 19–22); 0.2 mm (Fig. 23).