Tipula (Sivatipula) similis Men, 2016

Men, Qiu-Lei, Xue, Guo-Xi & Yang, Xue-Meng, 2016, Two new species of subgenusSivatipula from China (Diptera: Tipulidae: Tipula), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 805-811 : 809-810

Tipula (Sivatipula) similis Men , sp. nov.

( Figs 17–28 )

Type locality. China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Dayaoshan National Nature Reserve, Lianhuashan Mountain, 24°09′N, 110°07′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ China: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jinxiu County, Dayaoshan National Nature Reserve , Lianhuashan Mountain , 14. V. 2016, Guoxi Xue coll. / HOLOTYPE [red] male, Tipula (Sivatipula) similis sp. nov. Men det., 2016’. PARATYPE: 1J, same data as the holotype except from the collector being Qiulei Men. Paratype bears the following label: ‘ PARATYPE [yellow] male, Tipula (Sivatipula) similis sp. nov. Men det., 2016’.

Diagnosis. General colouration orange-yellow; antenna distinctly longer than body; prescutum orange-yellow with three light brown stripes; wing pale brown with a dark brown stigma; abdomen orange with segments six and seven black; hypopygium orange, tergite nine with two finger-like processes medially, ventrolateral portions of tergite nine projected into two lobes, densely covered with black setae, outer gonostylus curved squarely.

Description. Male. Length: body 17.4–17.6 mm (not including antenna, n = 2), wing 21.2–21.4 mm (n = 2), antenna 22.0– 22.1 mm (n = 2).

Head stramineous. Rostrum light brown with a light brown nasus. Vertex without marking ( Fig. 17 ). Eye black. Antenna: 12-segmented, distinctly longer than body; scape light yellow, expanded apically; pedicel light yellow; flagellomeres light brown, subequal in length, with abundant black verticils. Palpus light brown.

Thorax with pronotum entirely orange-yellow ( Fig. 18 ). Prescutum stramineous with three light brown stripes ( Fig. 18 ). Scutum, scutellum and postnotum orange-yellow. Pleuron entirely bright yellow with a black spot ( Fig. 20 ). Legs slender, coxae and trochanters stramineous, femora stramineous with light brown tip, tibiae and tarsi light brown. Haltere with stem yellow, knob brown. Wing pale brown, cell sc darker than ground color, stigma dark brown. Rs relatively short, subequal to R 3 in length, petiole of cell m 1 slightly longer than m-m, slightly shorter than the length of discal cell ( Fig. 19 ).

Abdomen bright yellow on basal two segments, gradually changing to light brown on following segments, segments six and seven almost entirely black ( Fig. 21 ). Hypopygium broad, compressed in lateral view ( Fig. 22 ). Tergite nine shallowly emarginated at posterior margin, two finger-like processes arising from the median region, apically provided with many black setae on dorsal side ( Figs 23–24 ); lateral sides of tergite nine with numerous long hairy setae ( Figs 23–24 ); ventrolateral portions of tergite nine projecting into two lobes, densely covered with black setae ( Figs 23–24 ). Sternite nine broader than tergite nine, median region of sternite nine protruding into a membranous extension ( Figs 22–23 ). Outer gonostylus narrow, flattened, apical one-third curved squarely and gradually narrowed to end, many black setae densely covered on inner side in lateral view ( Figs 25–26 ). Inner gonostylus flattened, narrowed basally, terminating into a small, horn-shaped process ( Figs 25–26 ).

Semen pump with compressor apodeme V-shaped, the arm expanding apically ( Figs 27–28 ). Posterior immovable apodeme with one arm, gradually narrowing towards apex and curved cephalad in lateral view, the arm deeply grooved in dorsal view ( Fig. 27 ). Anterior immovable apodeme flattened. Aedeagus elongated, tubular, acute apically ( Fig. 27 ).

Differential diagnosis. We compared the new species with all known congeneric species, based on published descriptions and illustrations, and found that it is most similar to T. (S.) biprocessa, another species recorded from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, by the color of body and the structures of hypopygium. It can be easily distinguished from the latter by the shallowly emarginated posterior margin of tergite nine, which bears two finger-like processes covered with many black setae as illustrated in Figures 23–24 (posterior margin of tergite nine rounded, with two finger-like processes lacking black setae in T. (S.) biprocessa as figured in XUE & MEN (2016: Fig. 18 )). There is also a noticeable difference in the shape of outer gonostylus, which is curved squarely on apical one-third in new species, but bent obtusely on apical two-fifths in T. (S.) biprocessa.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin adjective similis (- is, - e), meaning similar, emphasizing the morphological similarity of the new species and its relatives.

Distribution. China (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region).

Figures

Figs 17–28. Tipula (Sivatipula) similis Men, sp. nov. 17 – head, dorsal view; 18 – thorax, dorsal view; 19 – wing; 20 – thorax, lateral view; 21 – abdomen and hypopygium, lateral view; 22–23– hypopygium, lateral view; 24 – hypopygium, dorsal view; 25– inner gonostylus and outer gonostylus, inner view; 26 – inner gonostylus and outer gonostylus, outer view; 27 – semen pump, lateral view; 28 – compressor apodeme, dorsal view.