Thagria lobata, 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 : 60

Thagria lobata , sp. nov.

( Plate2B, Figs. 71–79)

Length. Male 6.50–7.50 mm; female unknown.

External morphology. General color dark brown throughout with numerous small yellow markings, particularly on pronotum and forewings; face light brown with suffused dark brown markings on clypellus ( Plate 2B). Head narrower than pronotum, anterior margin rounded; crown broad, slightly wider than eye width, produce distally about ¼ entire median length, lateral margins convergent basally, disk slightly elevated above eyes; eyes large, semiglobular; pronotum short, about as long medially as length of crown, surface bullated; mesonotum large, about ¼ longer medially than pronotum; forewings typical; clypeus long, broad, lateral margins parallel; clypellus short, broad & inflated in basal half, abruptly narrowed in apical half, apex rounded.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view with long caudoventral lobe, caudodorsal process moderately long, apex globular, setaceous in dorsal view ( Fig. 71, 72); segment X with very long slender ventral process, small spine subbasally ( Fig. 71, 73); aedeagus symmetrical, long, about ¾ as long as ventral paraphysis ( Figs. 74, 75); ventral paraphysis symmetrical, in lateral view curved ventrally in apical ¼, without processes ( Figs. 74, 75); style very long, exceeding apex of ventral paraphysis ( Figs.76, 77): connective typical; dorsal connective in dorsobasal view broadly U-shape, rami attached distally to base of segment X ventral process ( Fig. 78); subgenital plate typical with short row of macrosetae on lateral margin, apex with tuft of very fine setae ( Fig. 79).

Material examined. Holotype male, LAOS-N, Phongsaly prov., 21° 41.2’N, 102° 66.8’E., 28 v.–20 vi 2003, PHONGSALY env., 1500 m., Vit Kaban, leg., Entomological expedition, Laos 2003, Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic ( BRNO) . Paratype male, same data as holotype ( MLBM) .

Etymology. The species name is descriptive for the bulbous apex on the caudodorsal process of the pygofer.

Remarks. This species belongs to a unique group in which the ventral paraphysis is broad basally, tapered distally in lateral view, always curved ventrally in apical 1/5 to 1/3 and nearly always lacks processes. Twenty two species are presently known in this group and all occur in the Oriental region. Thagria lobata can be distinguished from cardamomi (Evans) to which it most similar by the apical, bulbous pygofer caudodorsal process and lack of ventral processes on segment X.