Trichoscelia gorgonensis Ardila-Camacho

Ardila-Camacho, Adrian & García, Alexander, 2015, Mantidflies of Colombia (Neuroptera, Mantispidae), Zootaxa 3937 (3), pp. 401-455 : 424-427

Trichoscelia gorgonensis Ardila-Camacho , n. sp.

( Figs. 11 , 12 a‒g, 13a‒d, 25, Map 2)

Type material. Holotype, ♂, Colombia: Cauca: NNP Gorgona, Mirador, 02°57’50,7’’N – 78°10’37.8’’W, 65 m, 24~ 25.V.2011, F. Sarria & J. Mendivil, white LED light trap, 18h00~6h00 [forewing length, 5.9 mm; hindwing length, 5.0 mm] (MUSENUV). Paratypes: Colombia: Cauca: NNP Gorgona, Acueducto, 02°57’44,2’’N – 78°10’46.5’’W, 136 m, 24~ 25.V.2011, F. Sarria & S. Valdéz, white LED light trap, 18h00~6h00 (1 ♀‒MUSENUV); NNP Gorgona, Playa Yundigua, 02°58’13.5’’N – 78°10’21.3’’W, 56 m, 28.V.2011, J. Mendivil, manual capture (2 ♀, 1 ♂ ‒MSENUV).

Holotype condition: good, pinned, wings spread, abdomen dissected and stored in glycerin in a microvial pinned beneath the specimen.

Diagnosis. As all other species of the genus, T. gorgonensis , n. sp. is characterized by a mottled body pattern, but it is distinguished by a mixture of bright yellow and brown, wing coloration with numerous yellow spots in the posterior margin and pigmentation of pterostigma distinctive; AP, AA, CuP and CuA of both wings predominantly yellow with the membrane between these yellow; forefemur completely yellow. Sternite IX with a rounded posteromedial lobe. Gonocoxites slightly widened towards the apex, three apical and two preapical spines, subequal in size.

Description. Based on five specimens, two males and three females, pinned.

Head. Mandibles yellow, changing to light brown apically; maxillary and labial palpi brown, all palpomeres covered with dark setae. Clypeus yellow with diffuse dark pigmentation, labrum yellow with a dark brown spot in the middle, both covered with brown setae. Frons with a dark transverse stripe ( Fig. 12 g). Scape yellow, changing to brown apically, pedicel brown, flagellum with 40 articles dark brown, all covered with dark brown setae. Vertex with a longitudinal stripe, which extends from near of antennal sockets to occiput ( Fig. 11 ).

Thorax. Pronotum with brown longitudinal stripe, extending laterally at the anterior margin ( Fig. 11 ). Sclerites of meso and metanotum dark brown in the middle, yellow on the periphery ( Fig. 12 f). Pteropleura yellow with brown spots ( Fig. 12 e).

Legs. Foreleg with coxa brown pigmented at base and apex, trochanter yellow, femur entirely yellow ( Figs. 12 c); tibia yellow with diffuse dark brown pigmentation ( Figs. 12 c, d). First tarsomere yellow, apically changing to orange, other tarsomeres yellow with brown setae ( Fig. 12 c). Midleg with coxa brown, the hindcoxa with diffuse brown pigmentation, trochanter and femur yellow. Tibia of midleg orange; hindtibia brown at basal half. Tarsomeres brown, tarsal claws brown.

Wings. Forewing length 5.9‒7.8 mm; venation alternating black and yellow, except CuA, Cup, AA and AP that are predominantly yellow, the membrane between these yellow ( Fig. 12 a). Costal field with six or seven crossveins. Apex beyond to the pterostigma with two yellow spots; posterior wing margin with four or five yellow spots. Pterostigma laterally black, yellow in the middle. Two veins arising from the 1RA cell and two or three from 2RA; Rs with seven gradate crossveins. Hindwing similar to forewing, length 5.0‒5.6 mm; pterostigma with yellow spot at distal half ( Fig. 12 b). Posterior wing margin with three yellow spots ( Fig. 12 b). Costal field with three or four crossveins. Two veins arising from 1RA cell and one from 2RA; Rs with five gradate crossveins.

Abdomen. Tergites mostly yellow ( Fig. 11 ); tergites I‒VII medially with longitidunal brown stripe. Tergite I‒IV with posterior margin brown; tergite III with a brown subtriangular spot. Tergites VII‒IX yellow. Ectoproct yellow, covered with long yellow setae. Segments II‒VII with pleural membrane brown. Sternites predominantly yellow.

Male genitalia. Ectoproct elliptical in lateral view ( Fig. 13 b); sternite IX subtriangular in ventral view, anterolaterally rounded, posterior border with pronounced medial lobe, covered with yellow or light brown setae ( Fig. 13 a), apex reaching to the level of posterior border of the ectoprocts in lateral view ( Fig. 13 b). Gonocoxites straight in lateral view, posteroventrally directed and uniformly widened, three apical and two preapical spines ( Figs. 13 c). Gonarcus with the lateral lobes straight, median lobe rounded, anterodorsally directed ( Fig. 13 b). Pseudopenis extending to the level of the anterior edge of segment VII in ventral view, strongly coiled in lateral view, with base sinuous, apex protruding from abdomen.

Female. Similar to male, usually larger (forewing length, 7.8 mm; hindwing length, 5.6 mm), two or three veins arising from 2RA cell in the forewing; two veins arising from 1RA cell and one from 2RA in the hindwing; five or six gradate crossveins in the hindwing. Abdomen may has a diffuse brown pigmentation; gonocoxites and ectoprocts dark brown or yellow in some specimens. Sternite VII mostly yellow, densely covered with dark brown setae; sternite VIII reduced. Gonocoxites arched, as long as the last two abdominal segments together ( Fig. 13 d); spermatheca long and strongly coiled.

Distribution. Cauca, NNP Gorgona.

Adult flight period. All specimens were collected during May.

Etymology. Named after the collection locality, Gorgona Natural Park, located 35 Km west of the Colombian Pacific coast.

Remarks. Trichoscelia gorgonensis , n. sp. has a body color pattern similar to T. egella Westwood , however the coloration of the wings and pterostigma significantly differs. The male genitalia of T. egella illustrated by Penny (1982b) show the gonocoxites straighter, slender at apex and not protruding from the abdomen, in addition, have one larger preapical spine externally directed and four apical ones irregular in size. Moreover, the pseudopenis shape is distinct and the gonarcus is more slender.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Trichoscelia gorgonensis: female habitus, dorsal. Photo by: Francisco López Machado, Universidad del Valle, Cali.

FIGURE 12. Trichoscelia gorgonensis: a, forewing; b, hindwing; c, forefemur, outer surface; d, forefemur, inner surface; e, pteropleura; f, pteronotum; g, head, frontal.

FIGURE 13. Trichoscelia gorgonensis: a, male genitalia, ventral; b, male genitalia, lateral; c, apex of gonocoxite, lateral; d, female terminalia, lateral. Scale bars, 0.1 mm.