Soa papanasam, Ramesh & Babu & Subramanian, 2020

Ramesh, Gurusamy, Babu, Rajappa & Subramanian, Kumarapuram A., 2020, New species of Soa Enderlein, 1904 (Psocodea: ‘ Psocoptera’: Lepidopsocidae) from the Western Ghats of India, Zootaxa 4881 (2), pp. 383-392 : 384-391

Soa papanasam sp. nov.

( Figs 1–23 )

Female. Colour. Head brown without markings, eyes black, antennae pale, ocelli are hyaline with pigmented centripetal crescents ( Fig. 3 ). First segment of maxillary palps pale brown, with segments two to four progressively darker and the last segment almost brownish black. Forewing membrane uniformly brown, hairs of outer margin brown, scales metallic purple, vein dark ferruginous brown except bases of R1 and Rs, pedicel of the radial forks, bases of R4+5 and M1, the base of R, the region between the points of origin of M2 and M3 which are light brown, distal part of Cu1b lighter; hindwing hyaline, veins ferruginous brown. Thorax brown, legs dark yellowish brown, abdomen blackish brown.

Morphology. Head: Almost triangular ( Fig. 3 ) with rounded posterior angles, bearing long hairs; eyes large, three ocelli, two on the vertex laterally and one in the middle at the end of frons forming a triangular arrangement, middle ocellus smaller than lateral ones; antennae with 14 flagellomeres, scape and pedicel short and stout, cylindrical flagellar segments long and slender; anterior margin of labrum smoothly rounded. Outer cusp of lacinal apex bilobed, uneven, inner cusp shorter ( Fig. 9 ). Clypeus strongly bulged; first palpomere short, third palpomere a little longer than the first, second and fourth palpomeres longer than third ( Fig. 4 ); second palpomere with single acuminate sensory spine ( Fig. 5 , arrow mark), P4 boat shaped with 3-4 thin-walled sensilla ( Fig. 6 ). Thorax: Prothorax narrow, collar-like, mesothorax with long hairs. Forewing: Well developed, large, broad, apex rounded, covered with different sizes of scales ( Fig. 10 ). Vein 2Sc present and distinct, sub costa (Sc) vague, further along it joins vein R and branches off in the distal half of the wing as the first in the series Sc’ (base of the pterostigma), R1, R2+3, and R4+5 reaching the wing margin before the wing apex. Base of R present but vague. R1 and Rs fused with short distance, pedicel of the radial cells shorter than R4+5; Rs and M fused over a length; vein M3 arising from where Rs branches off from Rs +M; M2 and M3 broadly away from each other, the distance between their points of origin only slightly shorter than the length of M1; pedicel of the cubital fork short; the branches of Cu1a and Cu1b moderately long, distal part of vein Cu1b indistinct, Cu2 indistinctly demarcated, IA indistinct or absent ( Fig. 12 ). Hindwing: Narrow closed basal cell; anterior margin moderately depressed in middle, distally rounded, Sc basally distinct, but distally faded in to the wing membrane; R and M+Cu not completely joined at the wing base, R1 arising between the origin of Ml and M2 (well proximal to M1); Cu1 arising from the hind margin of the basal cell ( Fig. 13 ). Legs: Coxae of mesothoracic legs interlocked ( Figs 7–8 ). Femora flattened, tibiae long and cylindrical, tarsi three segmented bearing two strong end-spurs, one short and the another one long. Claws with two preapical teeth; pulvillus setiform ( Fig. 11 ). Abdomen: Fusiform, whole abdomen bearing narrow, obtuse and apically rounded scales of different sizes. Genitalia: Gonapophyses external valve rounded, setose, moderately sclerotized ( Fig. 17 ); subgenital plate ( Fig. 16 ) broad, transverse, central margin sclerotised with patch of setose, posterior margin with two pair of long setae; epiproct semi-circular, setose; paraproct with field of six trichobothria, median margin bears long and slender spine ( Fig. 18 ). Spermathecal sac: Spongiform gland complex, spongiform stalk arising lateral side from the duct entrance; appendix invisible, oval, opposite to spongiform gland; duct stalk sclerotised ( Fig. 19 ); spermathecal sheath long and cylindrical ( Fig. 20 ).

Measurements (in µm). BL: 1898, FWL: 1821, HWL: 1587, F: 535.82, T: 916.82, t1: 369.94, t2: 80.23, t3: 72.09, ctt1: 14, Mx4: 186.02, f1: 156.60, f2: 143.17, f3: 128.23, f4: 120.36, f5: 63.57, f6: 69.87, f7: 66.06, f8: 67.07, f9: 77.87, f10: 76.06, f11: 83.72, f12: 78.21, f13: 61.91, f14: 12.07, IO: 357.60, D: 264.0, d: 195.0, IO/d: 1.833, PO: 0.738, ioc: 111.83, IO/ioc: 3.19.

Male. Colour. Same as the female.

Morphology. Similar to female except genitalia. Hypandrium heavily setose, margin gradually narrowed, distally rounded ( Fig. 21 ). Phallosome basal struts tips inwardly curved, internal parameres strongly sclerotised, goblet apodemes arising from the posterior margins of the external rami ( Fig. 22 ). Epiproct semicircular, scattered setose; paraproct with field of six trichobothria, median margin bearing a long and slender spine ( Fig. 23 ).

Measurements (in µm). BL: 1791, FWL: 1928, HWL: 1679, F: 538.48, T: 868.57, t1: 347.47, t2: 70.66, t3: 60.98, ctt1: 14, Mx4: 188.65, f1: 139.04, f2: 109.65, f3: 96.00, f4: 89.76, f5: 60.70, f6: 63.96, f7: 49.75, f8: 63.08, f9: 82.31, f10: 90.32, f11: 81.36, f12: 85.60, f13: 79.59, f14: 13.12, IO: 415.30, D: 249.0, d: 142.0, PO: 0.570, ioc: 108.67, IO/ioc: 3.82.

Material studied. HOLOTYPE. Female. INDIA. Gouthalaiaru, Karaiyar Beat, Mundanthurai Range , Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve , Tirunelveli District , Tamil Nadu, 8°40’3.576” N, 77°16’ 39.251” E. Altitude 288.8 m, 18.viii.2019, R. Babu. Habitat: Riparian semi evergreen forest.

Paratypes: 5 males, 7 females. Same data as the holotype ; 4 males, 3 females. Venniyar , riparian semi evergreen forest upstream of Suruli waterfalls, Cumbam East Range , Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary , Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India, 9°39’16.704” N, 77°18’ 20.412” E, Altitude 483.4 m, 27.ii.2019, R. Babu (for distribution see Fig. 24 ) .

Holotype (Reg. No. I /PSO/37), 7 male paratypes, and 8 female paratypes (Reg. No. I /PSO/38-45) deposited at the Southern Regional Centre , Zoological Survey of India, Chennai . Paratypes of both sexes will be deposited at the Central Entomological Laboratory , Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata .

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the Papanasam dam located close to the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Distribution of Soa papanasam sp. nov.

FIGURES 1–6. Soa papanasam sp. nov. 1. Female habitus; 2. Male habitus; 3–6 Female. 3. Front view of head; 4. Maxillary palp; 5. Second maxillary palp showing sensory spine; 6. Fourth maxillary palp with thin walled sensilla.

FIGURES 7–11. Soa papanasam sp. nov. Female. 7–8. Left and right meso-coxae; 9. Lacinia; 10. Forewing scales; 11. Claw.

FIGURES 12–15. Soa papanasam sp. nov. 12–13. Female forewing and hindwing; 14–15. Male forewing and hindwing.

FIGURES 16–20. Soa papanasam sp. nov. Female. 16. Subgenital plate; 17. Gonopophyses; 18. Paraproct, epiproct and clunium; 19. Spermathecal sac; 20. Spermathecal sheath.

FIGURES 21–23. Soa papanasam sp. nov. Male. 21. Hypandrium; 22. Phallosome; 23. Paraproct, epiproct and clunium.