Plega sonorae Ardila, Cancino, Acevedo & Contreras, 2019

Ardila-Camacho, Adrian, Cancino-López, Rodolfo J., Acevedo, Fernando & Contreras-Ramos, Atilano, 2019, Four new species of Plega Navás, 1928 (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from Mexico, Zootaxa 4612 (3), pp. 351-372 : 357-360

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4612.3.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FAC1C8CA-A39D-4E88-9863-69958E938540
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F48793-FFE8-081B-FF36-FF4AFF707B52
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Plega sonorae Ardila, Cancino, Acevedo & Contreras
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Plega sonorae Ardila, Cancino, Acevedo & Contreras , sp. n.

Figs. 4–6 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , 13b View FIGURE 13

Material examined. Type material. Holotype ♂: Mexico: Sonora, Rosario de Tesocapo, 11 Km E Carretera a La Estrella , 27°49’57” N, 109°15’10” W, 482 m, 3-V-2005, L. Cervantes, M. Schwartz, 1♂ [pinned, genitalia dis- sected] ( CNIN). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: Sonora, Rosario de Tesocapo, 11 Km E Carretera a La Estrella , 27°49’57” N, 109°15’10” W, 482 m, 3-V-2005, L. Cervantes and M. Schwartz, 1♂ [pinned] ( CNIN) GoogleMaps ; San Javier, 29 Km SE Tecoripa and 3 Km SW Rancho Las Peñitas , 28º32’21.7”N, 109º41’31.5”W, 645 m, 24-IV-2004, S. Zaragoza, F. Noguera, E. Ramirez, E. Gonzalez, 1♂ [alcohol] ( CNIN) GoogleMaps ; San Javier, 24.4 Km at the SE of Tecoripa, Rancho Lo de Campa, 2 Km S. El Cajón , 28º32’13.2” N, 109º44’37.7” W, 483 m, 18-VIII-2004, S. Zaragoza, F. Noguera, E. Ramirez, E. Gonzalez, 2♂ [pinned] ( CNIN) GoogleMaps ; San Javier, 36.6 Km SE Tecoripa La Barranca , 28º34’40.1” N, 109º39’54.3” W, 562 m, 19- VII-2004, S. Zaragoza, F. Noguera, E. Ramirez, E. Gonzalez, 1♂ [alcohol] ( CNIN) GoogleMaps ; same data but 16-VIII-2004, S. Zaragoza, F. Noguera, E. Ramirez, E. Gonzalez, 1♂ [alcohol] ( CNIN) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. This species is included within the P. signata group due to the discoidal basal flagellomeres on the antennae. Plega sonorae sp. n. has three or four apical spines, unlike other species of the P. signata group ( P. banksi : seven, P. fumosa : eight, P. dactylota : 7–15). P. signata and P. duckei share the same range of processes of the gonocoxite 9 with P. sonorae sp. n., but they differ in the disposition of these processes. The gonocoxite 9 is elongated and sinuous, basally slightly wider, with apical spines of different size; the male ectoproct is ovoid in lateral view, ventrally it has a rounded lobe, with an arched and concave sclerotized inner zone; the gonarcus median lobe has two differentiated parts with a semicircular window between these parts.

Description. Body length: 9.2–10.9 mm. Forewing length: 8.2–10.9 mm. Hind wing length: 6.8–7.4 mm.

General coloration: pale with brown areas.

Head. Irregular dark brown pattern in a pale background. Antennae surrounded by a dark area, that extends to the occiput creating a V-shaped mark on coronal suture; antenna with scape brown and paler laterally, pedicel and flagellum brown; 46–52 antennomeres, basal ones wider than long ( Fig. 5a View FIGURE 5 ); clypeus brown; labrum pale brown; mandibles amber; maxillary palpi brown and labial palpi pale brown.

Thorax. Pronotum mostly dark brown, with pale anterolateral spots, pale posterior corners, and a diffused, longitudinal, median pale stripe; three rows of thick uneven setae on transverse outgrowths ( Fig. 5a View FIGURE 5 ); pterothorax with dark brown mesonotum, and thick black setae; dark brown metanotum with an anterior pale area on metascutum; pleural region dark brown with paler areas, with few stout dark setae and scattered slender pale setae.

Legs. Foreleg with coxa brown to dark brown, trochanter pale with dark spot in ventral view; forefemur with outer side pale with a wide transverse band on basal half, and irregular dark areas on distal half ( Fig. 5b View FIGURE 5 ); inner side dark brown ( Fig. 5b View FIGURE 5 ); spines brown with apex and basal area dark; tibia dashed with pale and brown. Middle leg dashed with pale and brown. Hind leg with brown femur and tibia pale, brown basally.

Wings. Forewing hyaline with most of the crossveins dark brown; pterostigma dark brown, pale at middle; longitudinal veins dashed with dark and pale brown ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ); wing margin dashed; 12–14 crossveins on costal field, posterior to humeral vein; three or four longitudinal veins arising from each anterior radial cell; five gradate crossveins on RP; hind wing with veins paler than forewing, wing margin dashed; 6–8 costal crossveins; 3–4 veins arising from rarp1 cell, one or no one longitudinal vein arising from rarp2 cell; 3–4 gradate crossveins on RP.

Abdomen. Mostly brown.

Male genitalia. Tergite 9 narrower dorsally; ectoproct ovoid in lateral view ( Fig. 5c View FIGURE 5 ), concave on ventral margin, with long scattered setae; ventrally with a rounded lobe, with a more sclerotized inner zone, which is arched and concave ( Fig. 5d View FIGURE 5 ); sternite 9 semi-triangular in ventral view ( Fig. 5d View FIGURE 5 ), pointed in lateral view, sparsely setose; pseudopenis elongated, flattened at the base, coiled ( Fig. 6a View FIGURE 6 ); a pair of hypomeres elongated and thin; the base of pseudopennis and distal half of mediuncus protected by a dorsal semimembranous dome ( Fig. 6a View FIGURE 6 ), ventrally connected to hypomeres; gonarcus median lobe with two differentiated parts: dorsal one expanded and bent dorsad ( Fig. 6a View FIGURE 6 ), ventral part with an arched and narrower projection with bilobed apex ( Fig. 6c View FIGURE 6 ), posteroventrally slightly produced, between these parts a semicircular central window is present ( Fig. 6b View FIGURE 6 ); gonocoxite 9 elongated and sinuous ( Fig. 6c View FIGURE 6 ), slightly wider at base, with three or four subparallel apical spines of different sizes ( Figs. 6 View FIGURE 6 , 13b View FIGURE 13 ).

Remarks. This species was cited as Plega sp. 2 by Reynoso-Velasco & Contreras-Ramos (2008, 2009, 2010).

Geographical distribution. Mexico: Sonora (Rosario de Tesocapo and San Javier).

Etymology. This species is named after the Mexican state of Sonora, where the type series was collected.

Biological notes. This species was found in a tropical dry forest, in an altitudinal range of 450– 645 m. Adult records are from April, May, July, and August, which correspond to the end of the dry season and during rainy season.