Neochauliodes nepalensis, Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2010

Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2010, Revision of the fishfly genus Neochauliodes van der Weele (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) from India and adjacent regions of South Asia, Zootaxa 2692, pp. 33-50 : 39-40

Neochauliodes nepalensis sp. nov.

( Figures 3 , 18–22 )

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the forewings having numerous, distinct small spots in the costal cellules, those in the proximal cellules being much darker and more abundant. Males can be also distinguished by the ventrally broadened ninth tergum, by the tenth tergum being angulately produced posteromesally, and by the male tenth sternum with the lateral arms fused to the median plate without protrusions.

Male. Body length 16–33 mm; forewing length 31–37 mm, hindwing length 27–32 mm.

Head dark, with clypeus yellowish brown anteriorly ( Fig. 3 ). Compound eyes brown, ocelli yellowish brown, medially margined black. Antennae black. Mouthparts yellowish brown, mandible tips reddish brown.

Thorax blackish brown, meso- and metanotum slightly paler medially. Legs brown to dark with short, dense yellowish setae; femora yellowish brown to brown; tarsal claws reddish brown. Wings ( Fig. 3 ) hyaline with brownish markings; pterostigmatic area short and pale yellow. Forewing marked by numerous small brown spots that are much darker in proximal costal cellules; medially with a narrow hyaline area between R1 and Rs; costal area with a long and a short brown stripe flanking pterostigmatic area. Hindwing mostly immaculate, distally with several brown spots along Rs and a narrow brown stripe along first branch of Rs; costal area with similar brown stripes to that on forewings. Veins yellowish brown. Rs six to seven-branched, smoothly directed and slightly curved posteriad; three crossveins between R1 and Rs.

Abdomen brown. Ninth tergum ( Figs 18, 20 ) broadened ventrally in lateral view, producing a sinuate posterior margin. Tenth tergum ( Figs 20 ) in lateral view subquadrate, with posterodorsal and posteroventral corners slightly produced, its posterior margin nearly truncate; dorsally, lobes of tenth tergum rounded posteromedially and bearing rows of brush-like setae. Tenth sternum ( Figs 19 ) strongly sclerotized, its lateral arms appearing nearly semicircular, and fused with median plate without protrusions, bearing a few short setae; median plate subtriangular with rounded tip in ventral view, lateral portions slightly elevated ventrad and anteriorly produced, leaving a pair of subtriangular lobes; median plate in lateral view with posterior half strongly narrowed and curved dorsad.

Female. Body length 30–37 mm; forewing length 40–41 mm, hindwing length 33–35 mm.

Eighth sternum ( Figs 21–22 ) subtrapezoidal in lateral view, with roundly convex posterior margin in ventral view. Tenth tergum ( Fig. 21 ) short and stout, posterodorsal corners feebly prominent in lateral view. Ninth gonocoxite ( Fig. 21 ) slightly shorter than tenth tergum, subtriangular.

Type material. Holotype male, “ NEPAL, Ganesh Himal, valley of Mailung Khola, 1150 m, 85°04'E, 28°05'N, 22.V.1995, Gy. Fábián” ( HNHM). Paratypes: 1Ψ, same as holotype ( HNHM); 1ɗ4Ψ, “ NEPAL, valley of Trisuli river, ca 20 km NE Trisuli, 900 m, 85°12'E, 28°03'N, 22.V.1995, Gy. Fábián” ( HNHM); 1ɗ, “ NEPAL [no precise locality], 26.V.1990 ” (HC).

Distribution. Nepal (Bagmati).

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ nepalensis ’ refers to the type locality.

Remarks. The new species is the single representative of the subfamily Chauliodinae in Nepal and appears to be endemic to it. This species appears closely related to N. indicus . See remarks under N. indicus for detailed comparison between these two species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Habitus images of Neochauliodes spp. 1. N. fletcheri Kimmins, holotype male; 2. N. indicus (van der Weele), paralectotype male; 3. N. nepalensis sp. nov., holotype male; 4. N. obscurus van der Weele, holotype female; 5. N. simplex (Walker), lectotype male; 6. N. subfasciatus (Westwood), lectotype male; 7. N. truncatus Kimmins, holotype male. Scale bars = 5.0 mm.

FIGURES 18 – 22. Neochauliodes nepalensis sp. nov. 18. Male genitalia, dorsal view; 19. Male genitalia, ventral view; 20. Male genitalia, lateral view; 21. Female genitalia, lateral view; 22. Female eighth sternum, ventral view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.