Sinopanorpa shennongjiaica, Hua & Gao & Xing, 2023

Hua, Yuan, Gao, Kai & Xing, Lianxi, 2023, Taxonomic review of the genus Sinopanorpa Cai & Hua, 2008 (Mecoptera, Panorpidae) with descriptions of two new species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 70 (2), pp. 283-290 : 283

Sinopanorpa shennongjiaica sp. nov.

Figs 4 , 5

Type specimens.

Holotype ♂ (NWAU), China, Hubei Province, Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Tianyan (31°42'58"N, 110°21'35"E; 1800 m), 1 July 2018, leg. Kai Gao & Yu-Ru Yang. Paratypes: 1♂ 2♀ (NWAU), China, same data as for the holotype; 2♀ (NWAU), China, Hubei Province, Shennongjia , Dalongtan (31°29'39"N, 110°18'10"E; 2200 m), 3 July 2018, leg. Kai Gao & Yu-Ru Yang; 8♂ 6♀ (NWAU), China, Hubei Province, Shennongjia , Jiuhuping (31°30'32"N, 110°20'57"E; 1850 m), 3 July 2018, leg. Kai Gao & Yu-Ru Yang; 2♀ (NWAU), China, Hubei Province, Shennongjia , Jiuhuping (31°30'32"N, 110°20'57"E; 2200 m), 4 July 2018, leg. Kai Gao & Yu-Ru Yang; 6♂ 6♀ (NWAU), China, Hubei Province, Shennongjia , Jiuhuping (31°30'32"N, 110°20'57"E, 1900 m), 18 July 2019, leg. Kai Gao.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be differentiated from its congeners by the following characters: 1) vertex with ocellar triangle black, but without transverse band; 2) male tergum VI and female terga VI-IV orange; 3) ventral parameres of male greatly elongated, extending distinctly over median tooth of gonostylus to apical forth; 4) gonostylus with basal lobe well-developed and split into two separate acute elongate hooks; and 5) female subgenital plate with X-shaped ridge over whole length, and medigynium with slender axis non-expanded anteriorly.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Shennongjia , by using the adjective form of the locality name with the fuffix - ica.

Description.

Male (Fig. 4A ). Head yellowish brown; eyes dark; ocellar triangle black; vertex and frons yellowish brown. Antennae darkish brown, filiform with 44-45 segments. Rostrum, labrum, and maxillae light brown; mandibles reddish brown with tips dark brown; maxillary palp light yellow except apical part dark brown.

Thorax blackish brown dorsally, pale yellow or yellowish brown laterally. Pronotum with 12 setae along anterior margin. Legs yellow, except joints from tibia to claws dark brown to black, claws serrate with six teeth.

Forewing length 15.32-16.34 mm, width 3.78-3.94 mm. Forewing membrane deeply yellow, with markings faint grayish brown; pterostigma prominent, orange. Apical band broad; pterostigmal band prominent, with complete basal and distal branches equal in width; marginal spot absent or elongate, extending from R1 to R2+3; basal band complete, broad; basal spot absent. R2 3-branched. Hindwings similar to forewings, but marginal spot and basal band absent (Fig. 4A ).

Terga I-IV blackish brown, A5 yellowish brown; A6 orange reddish brown, A7-A9 yellowish brown. Sterna I-V pale yellow, pleura pale with dark longitudinal stripes. Notal organ on posterior margin of T3 less-developed. A6 subcylindrical, at least two times as long as A5, with a cluster of hairs on mid protuberance of tergum, without anal horns. A7 prominently thinner for basal 1/3, then suddenly swollen dorsad for distal 2/3, with a cluster of short hairs along anterodorsal corner of distal part (Fig. 4E ).

Genital bulb rounded (Fig. 5A-C ). Epandrium (tergum IX) broad at base, gradually narrowing towards apex, with apex shallowly emarginated; a pair of cerci protruding subapically from under epandrium (Fig. 5C ). Hypandrium (sternum IX) with basal stalk very short; hypovalves broad, split from base of hypandrium, extending to apex of gonocoxite, almost parallel, bearing long setae on inner margin of distal half (Fig. 5A ). Gonocoxites yellowish brown, with two black spots at apex. Gonostylus elongate, curved outwards, almost as long as gonocoxite, with one pointed mesal tooth and two prominent acute basal lobes (Fig. 5E ). Ventral parameres greatly elongate, extending distinctly over median tooth to distal forth of gonostlylus, without distinct spines along inner margins, with apices slightly convergent. Aedeagus black (Fig. 5B ).

Female. Forewing length 16.64-17.12 mm, width 3.94-4.10 mm. Wings generally similar to those of male, but marginal spot present (Fig. 4B ). Terga I-III black, corresponding sterna pale; T4 reddish brown, with lateral margins black; T5-T9 reddish brown.

Subgenital plate narrow, with an X-shaped ridge (Fig. 5D ). Medigynium broad, nearly rectangular from above; main plate two times as long as wider, with a pair of posterior arms in U-shape. Axis elongate, slender, extending half its length beyond main plate, not expanded at anterior end (Fig. 5F, G ).

Distribution.

China (Hubei Province).

Habitat.

This species is distributed in the Shennongjia Mountains. In the type locality, all specimens were captured on herbaceous groundcover, with elevations ranging from 1800 to 2200 m. Suitable microhabitats are moist and cool valleys during the imaginal flight period.

Figures

Figure 4. Sinopanorpa shennongjiaica sp. nov. A. Male adult, dorsal view; B. Female adult, dorsal view; C. Male head, frontal view; D. Male head and thorax, dorsal view; E. Male abdomen, lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm (A, B); 1 mm (C-E). pr, pronotum. ms, mesonotum. mt, metanotum.

Figure 5. Sinopanorpa shennongjiaica sp. nov. A. Male genitalia, ventral view; B. Male genitalia, with hypovalves removed, ventral view; C. Male genitalia, dorsal view; D. Female terminalia, ventral view; E. Male gonostylus, dorsal view; F, G. Female medigynium, ventral and dorsal views. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. ax, axis. bp, basal process. ce, cercus. ep, epandrium. gcx, gonocoxite. gs, gonostylus. hv, hypovalve. mp, main plate. pa, posterior arm. pm, paramere. sgp, subgenital plate.