Dilar austroindicus, Li & Aspöck & Aspöck & Liu, 2020

Li, Di, Aspöck, Horst, Aspöck, Ulrike & Liu, Xingyue, 2020, A review of the pleasing lacewing genus Dilar Rambur (Neuroptera, Dilaridae) from South Asia, Zootaxa 4743 (2), pp. 200-216 : 202-203

Dilar austroindicus sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 8–11 )

Diagnosis. The new species is characterized by the forewings with numerous pale brown markings, arranged as several inconspicuous transverse stripes; the male genital sclerites with gonocoxite 9 incurved, elongated and narrowed on distal half, with anteromedially directed swollen tip, and the gonocoxite 10 with inner margin medially nearly right-angled.

Description. Male. Body length 3.1 mm; forewing length 6.3 mm, hindwing length 5.8 mm.

Head generally brown, with yellowish brown setose tubercles. Vertex brown. Frons yellowish brown, medially with a dark brown rounded marking. Compound eyes blackish brown. Antenna pale brown, flagellum pectinate on most flagellomeres, medial branches much longer than those on both ends, longest branch nearly 3.0 times as long as corresponding flagellomere, distal seven flagellomeres simple.

Thorax yellow, pro- and mesonotum yellowish brown. Legs yellow, femora dark brown at tip. Wings hyaline, slightly pale yellow. Forewing 2.3 times as long as wide, with numerous pale brown markings, arranged as several inconspicuous transverse stripes; longitudinal veins pale yellow, interrupted by numerous brown spots; crossveins pale yellow. Hindwing 2.0 times as long as wide, almost immaculate.

Abdomen yellow. Tergum 9 in dorsal view with an arcuate anterior incision, a nearly U-shaped posterior incision, leaving a pair of broad hemitergites, which are obtuse distally and densely haired. Sternum 9 ( Fig. 9 ) subtrapezoidal, membranous, only half of the length of tergum 9. Ectoproct subtriangular ( Figs 8–9, 11 ), in dorsal view with an arcuate anterior incision, posteroventrally with a pair of nearly semicircular and flattened projections ( Fig. 9 ); posterodorsally with a pair of bifurcate unguiform projections ( Fig. 8 ). Gonocoxite 9 ( Fig. 8 ) broadly inflated on proximal half, incurved, elongated and narrowed on distal half, forming an anteromedially directed projection which is slightly swollen at tip. Gonocoxite 10 ( Fig. 9 ) almost as long as gonocoxite 9, obtuse and incurved proximally, inflated medially, with inner margin nearly right-angled in ventral view, distally with incurved and slenderly elongated apex. Fused gonocoxites 11 ( Fig. 8 ) nearly W-shaped, laterally connecting to proximal half of gonocoxites 9 and gonocoxites 10. Hypandrium internum absent.

Female. Unknown.

Materials examined. Holotype ♂, India, Tamil Nadu, Alagar Hills, 21km. N[orth]. Madurai , 28.IX.1985, C. W. & L. B. O’Brien (CASC).

Distribution. India (Tamil Nadu).

Etymology. The specific epithet “ austroindicus ” refers to the distribution of this new species, restricted to southern India.

Remarks. Dilar anstroindicus sp. nov. appears to be closely related to D. biprojectus sp. nov. and D. truncatus sp. nov. in having similar male complexes of the gonocoxites 9, 10 and 11, with the inflated gonocoxite 9 distally or subdistally forming a projection directed medially ( Figs 8 , 12 , 31 ), the gonocoxite 10 inflated on proximal half and falcate on distal half ( Figs 9 , 13 , 32 ), and the fused gonocoxites 11 anteriorly convex at middle ( Figs 8 , 12 , 31 ). However, D. austroindicus sp. nov. can be distinguished from the two latter species by the gonocoxite 9 distally forming an anteromedially directed projection, which is swollen at tip ( Fig. 8 ) and by the gonocoxite 10 with its inner margin medially nearly right-angled ( Fig. 9 ). In D. biprojectus sp. nov., the male gonocoxite 9 subdistally and distally forms two short projections, one directed posteriorly and the other anteromedially ( Fig. 12 ). In D. truncatus sp. nov., the male gonocoxite 9 distally is truncate and subdistally forms a short medially directed projection ( Fig. 31 ). The two latter species have arcuate inner margins on the male gonocoxite 10 ( Figs. 13 , 32 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dilar austroindicus sp. nov., male holotype, habitus. Scale bar: 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 8–11. Dilar austroindicus sp. nov., male holotype. 8. genitalia, dorsal view; 9. genitalia, ventral view; 10. genitalia, lateral view; 11. ectoproct, caudal view. e: ectoproct; gx9: gonocoxite 9; gx10: gonocoxite 10; gx11: fused gonocoxites 11; S9: sternum 9; T9: tergum 9. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 12–15. Dilar biprojectus sp. nov., male holotype. 12. genitalia, dorsal view; 13. genitalia, ventral view; 14. genitalia, lateral view; 15. ectoproct, caudal view. e: ectoproct; gx9: gonocoxite 9; gx10: gonocoxite 10; gx11: fused gonocoxites 11; hi: hypandrium internum; S9: sternum 9; T9: tergum 9. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 31–34. Dilar truncatus sp. nov., male holotype. 31. genitalia, dorsal view; 32. genitalia, ventral view; 33. genitalia, lateral view; 34. ectoproct, caudal view. e: ectoproct; gx9: gonocoxite 9; gx10: gonocoxite 10; gx11: fused gonocoxites 11; S9: sternum 9; T9: tergum 9. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.