Pazius gorgonensis Ascuntar-Osnas, Torres-Domínguez & Chacón, 2016

Ascuntar-Osnas, Oscar, Domínguez, Diana Torres, Ulloa, Patricia Chacón De & Machado, Renato Jose Pires, 2016, First record of the order Mecoptera (Insecta) for the Gorgona Island (Colombia), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 4097 (2), pp. 271-279 : 273-277

Pazius gorgonensis Ascuntar-Osnas, Torres-Domínguez & Chacón , n. sp.

Figs.2–4

Description. Occiput, ocellar triangle, and ocelli dark brown, the latter two with surrounding pubescence. Eyes large, occupying most of head, almost touching beneath antennal bases, ( Fig. 3 A). Antennae with scape and pedicel pale yellow, 18 dark brown flagellomeres, distal eight flagellomeres very slender, antennal length 4.37 mm. Gena and rostrum with basal half pale yellow, turning light brown when preserved, apical half dark brown; scattered short setae present. Clypeus oval, labrum enlarged, five times longer than wider, both dark brown. Maxillary palpi dark brown, with four segments, first segment about 1.8 mm long, second (length 0.52 mm) about as long as third (0.25 mm) and fourth (0.23 mm) combined. Mandibular palpi dark brown, with two segments.

Pronotum in dorsal view pale yellow, turning dark brown when preserved; propleura pale yellow. Mesonotum in dorsal view black with a pale yellow median line ending on posterior margin forming a circular area. Mesopleuron with episternum dark brown and epimeron mostly pale yellow but dark yellow around coxa insertion. Metanotum in dorsal view dark brown with a triangular area in posterior margin pale yellow. Metapleuron with episternum pale yellow in distal half and dark brown in remaining, epimeron pale yellow; in general, pleuron with pattern of dark and light bands ( Figs. 2 , 3 B). Fore and middle legs with coxa and trochanter pale yellow. Fore and middle femur length 7.8 mm, light brown, apically darker with a light brown line; tibia (length 9.3 mm) and tarsi light brown. Hind femur (length 7.1 mm) similar to those of other legs, hind tibia (7.6 mm) pale yellow basally and apically with a medial dark brown band. Femora and tibia in all legs with a ringed pattern formed by slender, short, erect setae and by scattered short spines distributed throughout. Tibial apex with two strong spurs of different lengths, one three times longer than the other. Tarsi mostly dark brown, light brown basally; fourth tarsomere with a serrated line in internal margin, fifth tarsomere internal margin crenulated for two-thirds of its length, allowing coupling with fourth tarsomere. Tarsal claws simple, light brown.

Wings petiolate, iridescent with a slight light brown tone ( Fig. 3 C), Sc region and pterostigma dark brown; microtrichiae present at the membrane, costal vein with short and wide spines. Two thyridia at the longitudinal center of the wings. Forewing length 18 mm.

Abdominal segments I to VIII with terga and sterna dark brown and pleura pale yellow. Tergum VIII with dark median line giving appearance of two light spots on each side. Tergum IX (epandrial lobe) with many setae, dorsally with seven short spines (twice longer than wide), and with medial acute projection in ventral margin ( Fig. 4 A, B); in dorsal view, two projections and the ventral bifurcated process medially located, with sclerotized margins ( Fig. 4 C). Longer branch of ventral process oriented towards anterior part of the epandrium, three times longer than wide, narrowed apically and ending in bifurcated apex, shorter branch as long as wide, with apex rounded ( Fig. 4 C). Sternum IX with sclerotized projection on dorsal margin ( Fig. 4 A), basistylus hexagonal ( Fig. 4 A) and aedeagus without ventral projection ( Fig. 4 D).

Etymology. named after the type locality, Gorgona Island.

Comments. Pazius gorgonensis n. sp. seems to be closer to P. obtusus and P. spinosus because of the thoracic color pattern and shape of the epandrial lobe. However, the presence of dorsal spines at the epandrium in P. spinosus and P. gorgonensis n. sp. differentiate them from P. ob t us u s. Pazius gorgonensis n. sp. can be differentiated from P. spinosus by the spine of the ventral process at the epandrial lobe, which is short and apically rounded in P. gorgonensis n. sp. but long and acute in P. spinosus . Furthermore, in dorsal view, the P. gorgonensis n. sp. epandrium posterior parts present the apex converged to the center, touching each other, with discontinuous border ( Fig. 4 B), whereas in P. spinosus the epandrium parts do not touch each other on the posterior part, and the border is continuous. The basistylus has a hexagonal shape in P. gorgonensis n. sp., whereas in P. spinosus it is squared. Finally, P. gorgonensis n. sp. is distinct from the other Colombian record of Pazius (not formally described, García et al. 2009) because the latter has a bifurcated ventral projection on the aedeagus, being more related to the “ furcatus group”.

Although the species description is based on only one specimen, it is justified by its unique characteristics, especially in the male terminalia. Furthermore, the extremely difficult access to the type locality hinders further opportunities to collect more specimens.

Examined material. Holotype male, Colombia. Cauca, Parque Nacional Natural Isla Gorgona, Sendero vía La Azufrada, 2°57'01.6"N, 78°11'15.2"W, 26-IV-2011, direct capture with net, coll. Equipo Gorgona Entomología [MUSENUV: GOR-4751]

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pazius gorgonensis n. sp., habitus.

FIGURE 3. Pazius gorgonensis n. sp., male. A. head frontal view. B. Thorax in lateral view. C. Right forewing.

FIGURE 4. Pazius gorgonensis n. sp., abdomen terminal segments. A) Lateral view. B) Posteral view. C) Dorsal view. D) Aedeagus. Abbreviations, T: Tergite; S: Sternite VIII. Arrows indicate the short spines on the dorsal margin and the medial proccess on the ventral margin of tergite IX. on sternite IX arrow indicates the sclerotized process.