Thagria quadrimaculata, NIELSON, 2013

NIELSON, M. W., 2013, <strong> New records of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic sea anemones (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Actiniaria and Corallimorpharia) from the Weddell Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, and Scotia Arc </ strong>, Zootaxa 3625 (1), pp. 1-105 : 66-69

Thagria quadrimaculata , sp. nov.

( Plate 2G ; Figs. 109–116 )

Length Male 7.50 mm; female unknown.

External morphology. Moderately long, narrow species. General color black with numerous very small to moderately large ivory to yellow markings; crown black with broad transverse yellow band; eyes brown; pronotum black with numerous very small, ivory to yellow spots below anterior margin, spots coalesced anteriorly along middle; mesonotum black with numerous very small, ivory to yellow spots below anterior margin; forewings black with very small to large ivory to yellow markings, large M-shaped yellow marking on clavus below apex of mesonotum, semi oval yellow marking basad, arc or 4 separate ivory spots mesad of costa, 4 large irregular shaped markings 2 on costa, 2 subapically ( Plate 2G ); face ivory with 4 dark to light brown transverse bands. Head narrower than pronotum, anterior margin obtusely angled; crown broad, much wider than eye width, produced distally about ¼ entire length, lateral margins convergent basally, disk depressed medially; eyes large, elongate ovoid; pronotum short, about as long as crown; mesonotum large, twice as long medially as pronotum; forewings typical; clypeus long, broad, lateral margins slightly excised near middle; clypellus short, inflated in basal half, broader than base of clypeus, constricted in apical half, apex rounded.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral and dorsal views with moderately long, broad caudoventral lobe, caudodorsal margin with moderately long, digitate lobe ( Fig. 109, 110 ); segment X with moderately long, attenuate process ( Figs. 109, 110 ); aedeagus symmetrical, short, not reaching midlength of ventral paraphysis ( Figs. 111, 112 ); ventral paraphysis in dorsal view asymmetrical, long, broad throughout, with large excavation subapically, forming long curved apical process and short, broad, subapical lateral process ( Fig. 111 ), in lateral view with longitudinal fold ( Fig. 112 ); style short, not reaching midlength of ventral paraphysis, attenuated apically ( Figs. 113, 114 ); connective typical; dorsal connective in dorsobasal view broadly U-shape, stem absent ( Fig. 115 ); subgenital plate in ventral view typical, tuft of long microsetae apically, few short microsetae on lateral margins ( Fig. 116 ).

Material examined. Holotype male. VIETNAM, Cuc Phuong , Collecting day, 11-18-VIII-2010, G31.668, Leg. J. Constant & P. Limborg ( IRSNB)

Etymology. The name of this species is descriptive for the 4 distinctive, ivory spots arranged in a longitudinal arc on each forewing.

Remarks. This species is nearest to soosi Nielson in general habitus and male genitalia features and can be distinguished by 4 ivory spots arranged in a longitudinal arc on the forewings (scattered in soosi ), by the distinctive, subapical lateral process on the ventral paraphysis in dorsal view (lacking in soosi ).

Figures

PLATE 2. A–H. Thagria, dorsal habitus. (A) Thagria intorta, sp. nov., holotype; (B) Thagria iuxta, sp. nov., holotype; (C) Thagria lobata, sp. nov., holotype; (D) Thagria longicatilla, sp. nov., holotype; (E) Thagria malenovskyi, sp. nov., holotype; (F) Thagria oldfieldi, sp. nov., holotype; (G) Thagria paraunca, sp. nov., holotype; (H) Thagria quadrimaculata, sp. nov., holotype.

FIGURES 109–116. Thagria quadrimaculata, sp. nov. (109) pygofer and segment X ventral process; (110) pygofer caudodorsal processes and segment X ventral processes, dorsal view; (111) aedeagus and ventral paraphysis, dorsal view; (112) aedeagus and ventral paraphysis, lateral view; (113) connective and style, dorsal view; (114) style, lateral view; (115) dorsal connective, dorsobasal view; (116) subgenital plate, lateral view.