Protohermes yangi, Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2007

Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2007, Systematics of the Protohermes costalis species-group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), Zootaxa 1439, pp. 1-46 : 41-43

Protohermes yangi sp. nov.

( Figs. 22 , 135–141 )

Diagnosis. Head with two blackish markings on each side of vertex; pronotum bivittate black; wings grayish brown with distinct whitish markings; male ninth sternum with deep V-shaped posterior incision; male tenth tergum strongly and roundly produced distolaterally.

Body length 31–34 mm (male) and 35–40 mm (female); forewing length 37–40 mm (male) and 38–45 mm (female), hindwing length 33–35 mm (male) and 35–41 mm (female).

Head ( Fig. 135 ) yellowish brown without post-ocular spine; vertex with two blackish markings on each side, lateral marking band-like, medial marking punctuate. Compound eyes grayish brown; ocelli yellow, darkly margined medially. Antennae black, scapes and pedicel brown with tip and basal half pale yellow. Mouthparts yellowish brown; distal three joints of maxillary palpus and distal three joints of labial palpus brown, mandible with distal half dark. Occiput yellowish brown with one pair of blackish markings on lateral sides.

Prothorax ( Fig. 135 ) yellowish brown; pronotum with one blackish vitta on each side, vittae sometimes narrowed medially. Meso- and metathorax pale brown, and mesonotum dorsally with pale yellow center. Thoracic pilosity yellow, much longer on meso- and metathorax. Legs pale yellow to brown with dense yellowish short setae; wide apical portion of tibiae and tarsi black; tarsal claws reddish brown. Forewings ( Fig. 22 ) grayish brown, with 1 subtriangular whitish marking at base, 2 large and 5–6 small whitish markings at middle and 1 extremely enlarged round whitish marking on apical 1/3; costal cellules with distinct brownish stripes. Hindwings pale brown with basal half mostly hyaline, with 1 round whitish marking on apical 1/3. Veins yellowish brown, except veins on apical half pale brown. Rs 8 to 10-branched, last branch bifurcate or trifurcate; 9–11 crossveins between R1 and Rs; M1+2 6 to 7-branched, M3+4 2 to 3-branched; 1A 3-branched.

Abdomen dark with yellowish short setae. Male ninth tergum ( Fig. 136 ) subquadrate, with trapezoidal anterior margin and shallowly incised posterior margin. Ninth sternum ( Fig. 137 ) broad with straight lateral margin; posterior margin with deep V-shaped incision, forming two large triangular processes; central portion inflated. Ninth gonostylus ( Fig. 138 ) unguiform and strongly curved dorsomedially. Tenth tergum ( Figs. 136– 137 ) short and subcylindrical, ventrally with one feebly developed tufted tubercle at posteromedial corner; posterolateral corner distinctly and roundly produced; tip densely setose and sometimes slightly incised. Tenth sternum ( Fig. 139 ) arched, anteriorly with one subtriangular median process; posterior incision small and Vshaped; lateral lobes digitiform and slightly incurved. Female eighth sternum ( Figs. 140–141 ) strongly sclerotized and subtriangular in lateral view, posterior margin elevated without incision, forming a pair of triangular processes; ninth segment ( Fig. 140 ) laterally inflated forming a pair of small suboval sac-like lobes; ninth gonocoxite valvate and membranous with one digitiform process at tip; tenth tergum short, with posterior margin medially incised, leaving one subtriangular upper and one round lower lobe.

Type materials. Holotype ɗ, VIETNAM: Mt. Pia Oac, 14.V.1998, F. Hayashi ( CAU). Paratypes: 3 ɗ, CHINA: Guangxi, Tianlin, Langping, 1300 m, 2.VI.2002, Jianwen Liu ( CAU); 2 ɗ, CHINA: Guangxi, Tianlin, Langping, 1300 m, 1.VI.2002, Jianwen Liu ( CAU); ɗ, CHINA: Guangxi, Linaoshan, 1400 m, 28.V.2002, Jianwen Liu ( CAU); ɗ, CHINA: Guangxi, Linaoshan, 1400 m, 28.V.2002, Guofang Jiang ( CAU); ɗ, CHINA: Guangxi, Tianlin, Laoshan Forestry Center, 1400 m, 5.VI.2002, Guofang Jiang ( CAU); ɗ Ψ, CHINA: Gaungxi, Tianlin, Yaojiawan, 1200–1400 m, 1.VI.2002, Xiujuan Yang (HBU); Ψ, CHINA, Guangxi, Tian-e, Buliuhe, 6.VIII.2002, Ding Yang ( CAU); Ψ, CHINA: Guizhou, Pingtang, Yenanzhou ( CAU).

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ yangi ’ refers to the famous entomologist Prof. Chikun Yang, who passed away in 2006, for his great contributions to the systematics of the Chinese Megaloptera .

Distribution. China (Guangxi, Guizhou); Vietnam (Mt. Pia Oac).

Remarks. This new species might have a close affinity with P. hunanensis and P. fujianensis due to the similar wing pattern with extremely enlarged round whitish marking on the apical 1/3 of both wings. However, the male ninth sternum of the new species bears a deep V-shaped posterior incision. Alternatively, the posterior incision of the male ninth sternum is trapezoidal in both P. hunanensis and P. fujianensis . The new species also somewhat resembles P. triangulatus in having the similar V-shaped posterior incision of the male ninth sternum, but it can be distinguished by the male tenth tergum ventrally with feebly developed tubercle. In P. triangulatus , the ventral tubercle is well developed.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 23. Habitus of the species in the P. costalis group. 16. P. niger Yang & Yang (Holotype), male. 17. P. o r i - entalis sp. nov. (Holotype), male. 18. P. similis Yang & Yang (Holotype), male. 19. P. s i n e n s i s Yang & Yang (Holotype), male. 20. P. stigmosus sp. nov. (Holotype), male. 21. P. triangulatus sp. nov. (Holotype), male. 22. P. y a n g i sp. nov. (Holotype), male. 23. P. yunnanensis Yang & Yang (Holotype), male. Scale bars = 5 mm.

FIGURES 135 – 141. Protohermes yangi, sp. nov. 135. Male head and pronotum, dorsal view. 136. Male genitalia, dorsal view. 137. Male genitalia, ventral view. 138. Male ninth gonostylus, caudal view. 139. Male tenth sternum, ventral view. 140. Female genitalia, lateral view. 141. Female eighth sternum, ventral view. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.