Protohermes impunctatus, Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2008

Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2008, The Protohermes guangxiensis species-group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 1851, pp. 29-42 : 36

Protohermes impunctatus sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 20–24 )

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by its immaculate, yellowish head. Additionally, it has two pair of prothoracic marks, the anterior pair being slightly longer than the posterior one. The male 10th tergite is nearly rounded in caudal view, with a short, blunt ventral process.

Male. Body length 30 mm (n=1); forewing length 43 mm, hindwing length 39 mm.

Head yellowish-brown, immaculate; postocular spine absent. Compound eyes greyish-brown; ocelli yellow, medially margined brown. Antenna blackish-brown with scape and pedicel yellowish-brown. Mouthparts yellowish-brown; mandibles with distal half blackish-brown; maxillary and labial palpi with distal one or two segments dark.

Thorax yellowish-brown; pronotum with two pairs of black vittae near lateral margins, anterior pair slightly longer than posterior pair; mesonotum laterally with pair of brown marks. Thorax with pilous yellow setae that are much longer on meso– and metathorax than on prothorax. Legs yellow, with yellowish short dense setae; fore and mid legs with tips of tibiae and entire tarsi pale brown; hind legs with tips of 1st tarsomere and entire 2nd to 4th tarsomeres brown; tarsal claws reddish-brown. Wings pale greyish-brown, with several yellowish marks. Forewing with numerous brownish stripes on costal cellules; basally with an irregular mark; medially with many irregular marks on almost all crossveins, transversely arranged into three lines; and with a large round mark at distal 1/3. Hindwing much paler than forewing, with an indistinct round mark at distal 1/3. Veins pale yellow, slightly darker at wing tips. Rs 9–branched, last branch bifurcate; 6–9 crossveins between R1 and Rs; M1+2 4 to 6-branched, M3+4 2-branched; 1A 3-branched.

Abdomen yellowish-brown, laterally much darker. Ninth tergum ( Fig. 21 ) much wider than long with oblique lateral margins, arcuately incised anteriorly, slightly produced posteriorly; internal inflection V– shaped; posterolateral portions strongly produced and slenderly clavate. Ninth sternum ( Fig. 22 ) short; posterior margin with a rather wide trapezoidal incision, forming two broad subtriangular posterior processes produced laterally. Ninth gonostylus ( Fig. 22 ) elongate unguiform with apex curved medially. Tenth tergite ( Fig. 21 ) subcylindrical, short, about 0.5 times as long as 9th tergum, with posterolateral corner strongly produced, and with tip slightly incised; tip ( Fig. 23 ) in caudal view broad and subtriangular, with a short blunt ventral process directed medially and bearing short dense setae. Tenth sternum ( Fig. 24 ) arched; dorsomedial process well developed, subtriangular; ventromedial process present; lateral lobe short, proximally rather thick, with tip strongly narrowed and curved medially.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ɗ, MYANMAR: Karan Province, Dawna Range, Sud–qst, 16.4667°N, 98.3333°E, 25.XI.1997 ( CAU).

Distribution. Myanmar (Karan Province).

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ impunctatus ’ refers to the immaculate head of the new species.

Remarks. The new species appears to be closely related to P. piaoacanus in having the similar pale legs and the structure of the male 10th tergite, but it can be easily separated from P. piaoacanus by the immaculate head and the feebly developed ventral process of the male 10th tegum. In P. piaoacanus , the head possesses four pairs of black marks, and the ventral process of the male 10th tergite is much longer.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Habitus images of the species of the P. guangxiensis group. 1. P. furcatus sp. nov. (holotype), male; 2. P. guangxiensis Yang & Yang (holotype), male; 3. P. impunctatus sp. nov. (holotype), male; 4. P. piaoacanus sp. nov. (holotype), male; 5. P. zhuae sp. nov. (holotype), male.

FIGURES 20 – 24. Protohermes impunctatus sp. nov. 20. Male head and prothorax, dorsal view; 21. Male genitalia, dorsal view; 22. Male genitalia, ventral view; 23. Male 10 th tergite, caudal view; 24. Male 10 th sternum, ventral view. Pvm: ventromedial process. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.