Dilar spectabilis, Zhang, Wei, Liu, Xingyue, Aspöck, Horst & Aspöck, Ulrike, 2014

Zhang, Wei, Liu, Xingyue, Aspöck, Horst & Aspöck, Ulrike, 2014, Revision of Chinese Dilaridae (Insecta: Neuroptera) (Part I): Species of the genus Dilar Rambur from northern China, Zootaxa 3753 (1) : -

Dilar spectabilis sp.nov.

( Figs. 4 , 24–29 )

Diagnosis. The males of this species are characterized by the forewings with dark markings mostly expanded and fused with each other and the male gonarcus/ninth gonocoxite complex with strongly incurved ninth gonocoxites and slender, short tenth gonocoxites. The females of this species are characterized by the basal part of bursa copulatrix ovoid, anteriorly strongly narrowed, with posterior half laterally prominent angulately and possessing a pair of sclerotized strips.

Description. Male. Body length 5.0– 6.1 mm; forewing length 7.6–8.2 mm, hindwing length 6.6–7.3 mm.

Head ( Fig. 4 ) dark yellowish brown; with pale yellow setose tubercles, median tubercle slightly larger than posterolateral ones. Compound eyes blackish brown. Antenna with ca. 24 segments, pale yellow, blackish brown on base of each flagellomere, pedicel with brown annular stripes, flagellum unipectinate on most flagellomeres, medial branches much longer than those on both ends, longest branch nearly 3.0 times as long as relevant flagellomere; branch on 1st flagellomere short and dentate, distal seven flagellomeres simple.

Thorax ( Fig. 4 ) yellowish brown; pronotum with anterior margin and posterolateral corners pale yellow, medially with a pair of yellowish ovoid markings; mesonotum mostly dark brown, medially with a pair of oblique yellow stripes, scutellum with posterior half much darker; metanotum similarly patterned with mesonotum, but slightly paler. Legs pale yellowish brown, femora blackish brown at tip. Wings ( Fig. 4 ) dark smoky brown, with numerous broad dark markings. Forewing ~2.3 times as long as wide, densely spotted, with markings on costal area and proximal half much darker; most markings expanded and fused with each other, generally arranging into several arcuate transverse bands, a broad marking present on median nygmata and an immaculate area present distal to median nygmata; 2–4 nygmata present on proximal and median portions, median ones much larger than proximal ones. Hindwing ~2.4 times as long as wide, slightly paler than forewing, with similar marking pattern; one nygma present at middle. Veins pale yellow, crossveins much paler than longitudinal veins. Forewing with trichosors present along wing margin between R and CuA; costal crossveins simple, but occasionally forked; Sc terminally leaving several weak veinlets; Rs with 4–5 main branches; MA fused with R at wing base, proximally with a crossvein connecting to MP; MP with two main branches. Hindwing with trichosors present along wing margin between R and CuA; Rs with 4–5 main branches.

Abdomen pale yellow, pregenital segments dorsally pale yellowish brown. Ninth tergite ( Fig. 24 ) in dorsal view with a shallowly arcuate anterior incision and a deeply V-shaped posterior incision, leaving a pair of subtriangular hemitergites, which are obtuse distally and densely haired; in lateral view broad, with sinuate ventral margin and arcuate posterior margin. Ninth sternite ( Fig. 25 ) obviously shorter than ninth tergite, arcuately convex posteriad. Ectoproct ( Figs. 24, 27 ) in dorsal view nearly trapezoidal, medially with a pair of unguiform projections on dorsal surface, posteroventrally membranous, slightly incised distad, with a pair of bifid unguiform projections and a pair of short, feebly sclerotized, digitiform projections. Gonarcus/ninth gonocoxite complex ( Fig. 24 ) comprising two pairs of long sclerites (i.e. ninth and tenth gonocoxites) and a transversely narrow sclerite (i.e. gonarcus = eleventh gonocoxites); ninth gonocoxite strongly inflated on proximal half, but rather narrowed and incurved posteroventrad, with unguiform tip; tenth gonocoxite slenderly elongate, but slightly shorter than ninth gonocoxite, with spinous tip, proximally connecting to gonarcus, subdistally with a subtriangular lobe connecting to ninth gonocoxite; gonarcus slenderly beam-shaped, laterally connecting to bases of ninth gonocoxites. Hypandrium internum ( Fig. 25 ) narrowly trapezoidal.

Female. Body length 6.0– 6.7 mm; forewing length 10.6–11.8 mm, hindwing length 9.2–10.7 mm.

Seventh sternite ( Fig. 28 ) in lateral view subquadrate, in ventral view subquadrate, with nearly truncate posterior margin. Eighth abdominal segment ventrally without subgenitale. Bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 28 ) with colleterial gland tubular and elongate, strongly sinuate medially; basal part of bursa copulatrix ( Figs. 28–29 ) ovoid in lateral view, with apex strongly narrowed, which is obvious in ventral view, posterior half laterally prominent angulately, and with a pair of sclerotized strips; bursal accessory gland not observed. Ectoproct ( Fig. 28 ) rather small, ovoid.

Type materials. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Ningxia Autonomous Region, Mt. Liupanshan, Xiaonanchuan [35°29′N, 106°20′E], 2040m, 27.VII.2012, Yang Zhao ( CAU). Paratypes 1♀, CHINA: Ningxia Autonomous Region, Mt. Liupanshan, Erlonghe [35°29′N, 106°20′E], 29.VII.2012, Yang Zhao ( CAU); 1♂, CHINA: Gansu Province, Pingliang, Mt. Kongdongshan [34°54'N, 108°30'E], 29.VII.1992, Fasheng Li ( CAU); 1♀, CHINA: Gansu Province, Dangchang, [34°02'N, 104°23'E], 15.VII.1980, Renjian Luo ( CAU); 1♂, CHINA: Shaanxi Province, Mt. Taibaishan, Dadian [33°59′N, 107°39′E], 26.VII.1956, Yao Zhou ( CAU); 1♂, CHINA: Shaanxi Province, Mt. Taibaishan, Haopingsi [33°59′N, 107°39′E], 20.VII.1956, Yao Zhou ( CAU); 1♀, CHINA: Shaanxi Province, Mt. Taibaishan, Zhongshansi [33°59′N, 107°39′E], 1500m, 17.VII.1982, Jingruo Zhou & Lan Liu ( CAU); 1♂, CHINA: Shaanxi Province, Foping, Longcaoping [33°16′N, 109°41′E], 16.VII.1985, Fasheng Li ( CAU); 1♂, CHINA: Henan Province, Luanchuan, Longyuwan [33°47′N, 111°36′E], 12.VII.1996, Ji-en Xu ( CAU).

Distribution. China (Gansu, Henan, Ningxia, Shaanxi).

Etymology. The specific epithet “ spectabilis ” refers to the remarkable appearance (i.e. dark wings with largely expanded brown markings) of the new species. It is an adjective in the nominative masculine singular.

Remarks. This species can be distinguished from the other Dilar species from northern China by the dark wings with largely expanded markings on the forewings and by the male gonarcus/ninth gonocoxite complex with ninth gonocoxite longer than tenth gonocoxite. In the other four Dilar species from northern China, the wings are transparent with rather small and isolated dark markings, and the male gonarcus/ninth gonocoxite complex has the ninth gonocoxite shorter than tenth gonocoxite.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Adults of Dilar spp. 1. D. hastatus sp. nov., male holotype; 2. D. septentrionalis Navás, male; 3. D. sinicus Nakahara, male; 4. D. spectabilis sp. nov., male holotype; 5. D. taibaishanus sp. nov., male holotype. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 29. Dilar spectabilis sp. nov. 24. Male genitalia, dorsal view; 25. Male genitalia, ventral view; 26. Male genitalia, lateral view; 27. Male ectoproct, caudal view. 28. Female genitalia, lateral view; 29. Female genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.