Alena (Aztekoraphidia) alanae Martins, H. Aspoeck , U. Aspoeck , and Contreras-Ramos, 2022

Martins, Caleb Califre, Aspoeck, Horst, Aspoeck, Ulrike & Contreras-Ramos, Atilano, 2022, Phylogeny and biogeography of the unique snakefly genus Alena Navas, 1916 (Raphidioptera: Raphidiidae), Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 80, pp. 39-58 : 39

Alena (Aztekoraphidia) alanae Martins, H. Aspoeck, U. Aspoeck, and Contreras-Ramos sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2 , 3

Material examined.

Holotype. ♂ (pinned), “México: Estado de México: Nanchititla, Parque Sierra de Nanchititla, 18°51 ’42.5” N, 100°25 ’38.1” W, 1758 m, 14.VIII.2018, trampa de Luz, F. Villagomez " (CNIN) . Allotype. ♀ (pinned), same data as holotype . Paratypes. 3♂♂ (1 pinned and 2 in alcohol), same data as holotype .

Diagnosis.

Habitus mostly blackish-brown, with some pale yellow elements (pedicel, scape, clypeus, pterostigma) and abdominal apex amber (Fig. 2A ); abdomen with lateral yellow stripe, which possesses a blackish-brown stripe in its median region (Fig. 2A ); pterostigma in both pairs of wings with one apical vein; hind wing with base of MA as crossvein (Fig. 2B ). Male (Figs 3A-C ) with gx IX apex as digitiform projection above the origin of gst IX; gst IX large, subquadrangular, and strongly curved dorsad and inward; apex of gph IX surrounded by a semi-membranous structure with apical tooth and tiny setae arranged in rows. Female (Figs 3D-F ) median region of tergite VIII anterior margin possessing a triangular projection; glandulae receptaculi elongated, and club-like apically.

Description.

Male measurements (n=4). Body length: 8.6-8.9 mm; forewing length: 7.4-7.7 mm; hind wing length: 6.3-6.7 mm. Female measurements (n=1): Body length: 10.3 mm; forewing length: 9.1 mm; hind wing length: 7.3 mm. - Head (Fig. 2C ): Subtriangular; blackish-brown with yellow elements; with fine sculpture. Vertex rugose, blackish-brown. Ocelli black, without peripheral mark; internal region of ocellar triangle asetose. Antennae filiform, scapus pale yellow, cylindrical, with fine, pale setae; pedicellus pale yellow, cylindrical, with fine, pale setae; flagellum with base pale yellow, darkening towards apex with a blackish-brown color, with 36-37 segments twice as long as wide, all possessing apices with long pale setae and pale microtrichia. Compound eyes blackish, sub-spherical, as wide as 0.3 of the interocular distance at antenna insertion level. Frons blackish-brown, with short pale setae. Clypeus pale yellow, with short pale setae. Labrum rectangular, dark brown, with long, pale setae. Gena dark brown to pale yellow, postgena blackish-brown. Maxilla dark brown to pale yellow color, maxillary palpus dark brown. Labium and labial palpus dark brown. Occiput blackish brown with a median dark brown stripe. - Thorax (Figs 2A, C ): Prothorax elongate, pronotum sub-rectangular, ca. 3.2 times as long as wide, blackish brown, laterally with broad yellow margins, covered with small thin setae. Ventral region of prothorax blackish-brown, with anterior margin yellow. Meso- and metanotum subrectangular, blackish-brown. Pteropleura blackish-brown, yellow colored on some sutures and on insertion of coxae. Legs with coxae and trochanter blackish-brown; femora and tibiae amber; with short spinous brown setae; basal tarsomeres amber; apical tarsomeres brown; pretarsal claws dark brown. - Wings (Fig. 2B ): Elongate, ovoid, with posterodistal margin convex; membrane hyaline, venation predominantly ochre brown. Forewing: costal area short; costal crossveins simple. Subcosta short, entering at anterior wing margin on 2/3 of its length; basal subcostal vein present at 1/3 of wing length. Pterostigma yellow, with a straight vein running through it; apical vein present. RA running until wing apex, weakly curved at base. RP+MA originating from R at 1/2 length of wing; MA with apex three-branched; RP four-branched. MP1+2 and MP3+4 bifurcated at apex. CuA 2-branched; CuP simple. Anal veins short and simple. Hind wing. Similar venation to that of forewing, but RP three-branched; base of MA as crossvein. - Abdomen (Fig. 2A ): Tergites blackish-brown, surface with some fine and brown setae. Pleural membrane yellow with a median blackish-brown inner stripe. Sternites blackish-brown, with some fine and brown setae; intersternites region yellow. - Male genitalia (Figs 3A-C ): Sternite of segment VIII subtriangular in ventral view; only slightly shorter than tergite in lateral view. Tergite IX trapezoidal in lateral view, sharply elongated in the lateroanterior margin, with several short brown setae; trapezoidal in dorsal view, with median suture at basal 2/3; basal and apical margins with incisions. Sternite IX subtriangular, plate-like. Basal sclerite of gx IX large, broadly fused with the gx IX, but clearly delimited by a suture. Gx IX forming huge reddish plates with a digitiform brownish apex located above the origin of gst IX; surface covered with several long brown setae. Gst IX large, possessing several long, thick brown setae; subquadrangular in lateral view, especially in its broad base; strongly curved dorsad and inward; acute apex. Gph IX paired, with two broad basal sclerotized rods, connected to basal sclerites of gx IX by a membrane; apices parallel and slightly curved dorsally; terminally the gph IX is surrounded by a semi-membranous structure containing small teeth apically, and tiny setae arranged in rows. Complex of gx X and gx XI absent. Hypandrium internum small. Ectoproct lacking distinct trichobothria, nevertheless possessing several thick, long, and brown setae; consisting in a plate subtriangular in lateral view; subquadrangular in dorsal view, with weak incision on anterior margin, and strong incision on posterior margin generating two subtriangular lateroposterior processes. - Female genitalia (Figs 3D-F ): Sternite VII subrectangular in lateral view, with posterior margin convex; subrectangular in ventral view, with anterior margin straight and posterior margin slightly convex. Spiracle VII free. Area between segments VII and VIII small, membranous. Tergite VIII subrectangular in lateral view, reaching the ventral part of segment, with anterior margin possessing a subtriangular projection in the median region. Subgenitale absent. Atrium bursae with wide base, a medial and apical region elongated, tube-like. Ductus sacculi narrow, short. Sacculus bursae large, membranous. Receptaculum seminis membranous, closely adhered with atrium bursae, hard to see. Ductus receptaculi inconspicuous. Glandulae receptaculi elongate, apically club-like enlarged.

Immatures.

Unknown.

Etymology.

This new species is dedicated to the first author’s wife, Alana C. D. Brunini, who has been an unconditional source of support in all his academic and non-academic ventures during these 16 years together.

Distribution.

Mexico (Estado de México) (Fig. 1 ).

Ecology and biology.

The new species was collected at an altitude of 1758 m at light trap. The region where Alena (Az.) alanae sp. nov. was encountered is a large mountainous area, with pine-oak vegetation within an extensive part of low deciduous forest, especially Pinus and Quercus . This region is considered temperate subhumid, with average annual temperature greater than 18 °C - coldest month temperature less than 18 °C, hottest month temperature greater than 22 °C -, and annual precipitation between 500 and 2,500 mm (CONABIO 2021).

Remarks.

Because of the displacement of the gx IX apex above the origin of the gst IX in males, plus females with atrium-bursae tube-like, receptaculum seminis adhered to atrium bursae, and glandulae receptaculi elongated, Alena alanae sp. nov. clearly belongs to the subgenus Alena Aztekoraphidia . This new species has the base of MA on the hind wing as a crossvein, which differentiates it from other Alena species with base of MA as a longitudinal vein, i.e., Al. (Mx.) americana , Al. (Az.) infundibulata , Al. (Az.) caudata , Al. (Az.) horstaspoecki , and Al. (Az.) schremmeri . Alena (Az.) alanae sp. nov. possesses an apical vein on pterostigma, separating it from Al. (Az.) australis , Al. (Az.) michoacana , Al. (Az.) minuta (Banks, 1903), and Al. (Az.) tenochtitlana , species without such vein.

Alena (Az.) alanae sp. nov. has no evident relationship to any of the other Aztekoraphidia species, and may be separated from all other Alena species by the shape of the distinctly male large gst IX, which is subquadrangular in lateral view, especially in its broad base, and curved dorsad and inward. All other species of Aztekoraphidia have gst IX subcylindrically, arm-like, and only in Al. tenochtitlana these structures are weakly curved inward. Alena (Al.) distincta and Al. (Mx.) americana have male gst IX bifurcated apically which clearly separates these species from Al. (Az.) alanae . Females of the new species have the glandulae receptaculi apically club-like, which is not observable in other Aztekoraphidia species; only Al. (Az.) horstaspoecki has the apex of glandulae receptaculi enlarged, but it is smaller when compared with that from the new species.

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution of Alena Navas, 1916 (Raphidioptera: Raphidiidae).

Figure 2. Alena (Aztekoraphidia) alanae sp. nov., holotype male. A: habitus, lateral view; B: wings; C: head, dorsal view. A 1 - A 2, anal veins; av, apical vein; CuA, cubitus anterior; CuP, cubitus posterior; MA, media anterior; MP, media posterior; pt, pterostigma; RA, radius anterior; RP, radius posterior; Sc, subcosta.

Figure 3. Alena (Aztekoraphidia) alanae sp. nov. Male genitalia, A: dorsal view; B: ventral view; C: lateral view. Female genitalia, D: lateral view; E: ventral view; F: complex of bursa copulatrix, lateral view. ab, atrium bursae; bs, basal sclerite of gonocoxite 9; ect, ectoproct; gr, glandulae receptaculi; rs, receptaculum seminis; S 7 - S 9, seventh-ninth sternites; sb, sacculus bursae; T 7 - T 9, seventh-ninth tergites.