Inocellia occidentalis, Liu & Lyu & Aspöck & Aspöck, 2018

Liu, Xingyue, Lyu, Yanan, Aspöck, Horst & Aspöck, Ulrike, 2018, Discovery of a new species of Inocelliidae (Insecta: Raphidioptera) in an altitude of nearly 3500 m in China, Zootaxa 4471 (3), pp. 585-589 : 586-588

Inocellia occidentalis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–7 )

Diagnosis. The species is characterized in the male by the fused gonocoxites 11 (gonarcus) medially with a pair of digitiform projections, the feebly developed gonostylus 9, and the reduction of bristles on endophallus.

Description. Male. Forewing length 8.2 mm.

Head subquadrate, black, clypeus reddish brown, vertex with a pair of indistinct yellowish brown vittae medially and broad yellowish brown markings laterally. Antennal sclerite (torulus) pale yellowish brown; antenna pale brown, but scape, pedicel and proximal four flagellomeres yellow. Mouthparts blackish brown except for maxillary palps pale yellowish brown.

Thorax blackish brown; anterior margin of pronotum yellow; meso- and metanota each with a tiny yellowish marking on scutellum, metanotum anteromedially also yellow. Legs yellow with yellowish setae. Wings hyaline, pterostigma and veins brown. RP with one forked vein and one simple vein running to wing margin. MA distally bifurcated.

Abdomen blackish brown, venter slightly paler; each pregenital segment with a narrow yellowish transverse marking on posterior margins of tergum and sternum. Gonocoxite 9 shell-like, suboval, much wider than long, distally feebly curved inward; gonostylus 9 present on subdistal portion of inner side, small tubercle-form, with a few stiff bristles. A tuft of bristles present close to and anteriad gonostylus 9. Basal parts of gonapophyses 9 (pseudostyli) paired and foliate. Complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses, and gonostyli 10 small, proximal portion flattened and divided into a pair of lobes, distal projection curved dorsad with tip slightly notched. Fused gonocoxites 11 (gonarcus) shield-like, in caudal view dorsal margin laterally produced dorsad, ventral margin arcuately convex, median portion with a pair of slender and digitiform projections. Endophallus short, with only two bristles on dorsal surface. Ectoproct ovoid in lateral view. Hypandrium internum small, lobes narrow.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Sichuan Prov., Daofu, Gechang, Gechang , Zewola [30°50.191′N, 101°16.872′E], 3438 m, 24.VI.2016, Yejie Lin ( CAU).

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ occidentalis ’ refers to the distribution of the new species in western China. It is an adjective in the nominative feminine singular.

Remarks. The new species belongs to the I. crassicornis group based on the male gonocoxite 9, which is much wider than long. The new species appears to be closely related to Inocellia digitiformis Liu, H. Aspöck, Yang & U. Aspöck, 2010 in having similar male gonocoxites 11 (gonarcus) with a pair of digitiform projections. However, the new species can be distinguished from I. digitiformis by the feebly developed male gonostylus 9 [male gonostylus 9 is digitiform, distally with bristles in I. digitiformis ], the shape of male fused gonocoxites 11 [arcuately convex in I. occidentalis sp. nov. but distinctly produced in I. digitiformis ], the position of projections on fused gonocoxites 11 [present on median portion in I. occidentalis sp. nov. but near dorsal margin in I. digitiformis ], and the reduction of bristles on male endophallus [endophallus with two pairs of bristle tufts in I. digitiformis ].

Figures

FIGURES 1. Habitus image of Inocellia occidentalis sp. nov., holotype male. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 2–7. Inocellia occidentalis sp. nov., holotype male. 2. Male genital segments, lateral view; 3. Male genital segments, caudal view; 4. Male genital segments showing internal structures, lateral view; 5. Fused gonocoxites 11 (gonarcus), dorsal view; 6. Complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses, and gonostyli 10 (fused parameres), dorsal view; 7. Hypandrium internum, ventral view. e: ectoproct; ep: endophallus; gst9: gonostylus 9; gx9: gonocoxite 9; gx10: complex of fused gonocoxites, gonapophyses, and gonostyli 10 (fused parameres); gx11: fused gonocoxites 11 (gonarcus); ps: pseudostylus (basal part of gonapophysis 9); S8, 9: sternum 8 and 9; T8, 9: tergum 8 and 9. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.