Lachesilla peckorum, García, Alfonso N., 2009

García, Alfonso N., 2009, New species and records of Psocoptera (Insecta) from Argentina, Zootaxa 2219, pp. 1-17 : 10-11

Lachesilla peckorum n. sp.

( Figs. 22–25 )

Diagnosis. Belonging in species group pedicularia, close to L. aethiopica (Enderlein) and L. nuptialis Badonnel & García Aldrete. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 24 ), projected posteriorly, concave, with a setal field on each postero-lateral lobe, pigmented area deeply concave anteriorly. Gonapophyses long, slender anteriorly dilated posteriorly, with setae as illustrated ( Fig. 25 ).

Color. Body pale brown. Compound eyes black, ocelli hyaline, without pigmented centripetal crescents. Wings hyaline, veins brown. Abdomen creamy white, with faint brown subcuticular rings, less pigmented ventrally.

Morphology. Forewing pterostigma long, wider posteriorly, Rs-M veins joined by a short crossvein or diverging from a point; areola postica wide, almost triangular, rounded apically ( Fig. 22 ). Hindwing with Rs- M veins joined by a short crossvein or fused for a distance ( Fig. 22 ). Ninth sternum wide, narrow, with pigmented area as illustrated ( Fig. 25 ). Paraprocts ( Fig. 23 ), almost semi-circular, with field of setae mesally, sensory field almost circular, with 10–11 trichobothria on basal rosettes and a marginal one, without basal rosette. Epiproct trapeziform ( Fig. 23 ), with field of setae on distal half.

Measurements. FW: 2129, HW: 1617, F: 397, T: 769, t1: 259, t2: 105, ctt1: 18, IO: 341, D: 213, d: 135, IO/D: 1.60, PO: 0.63.

Material studied. Holotype female, 1 paratype female. ARGENTINA. Salta Province. El Rey National Park. 900m., Río La Sala, 5–15.XII.1987, Malaise FIT. Humid mossy Chaco forest, 950m, S. & J. Peck ( MHNG). Paratype female, Pozo Verde Trail, 10–13.XII.1987, Sweeping in Yungas forest, S. & J. Peck ( MHNG).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to its collectors, Drs. Steward B. Peck, and Jasmila Kukalova-Peck, of Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in recognition of the outstanding work of the former in neotropical coleopterology, and in recognition of the seminal work of the latter in palaeoentomology, particularly on the origin of insect wings.

Remarks. L. peckorum constitutes, together with L. aethiopica (Enderlein) , and L. nuptialis Badonnel & García Aldrete , a group of related species (see Badonnel & García Aldrete 1980) in species group pedicularia (diagnosis in Mockford 1993). It differs from them in that the subgenital plate is decidedly projected posteriorly, and in that the gonapophyses are quite different than in the pair aethiopica-nuptialis, being reminiscent of those in Nadleria mockfordi Badonnel & García Aldrete (1980) , which also has the subgenital plate projected posteriorly. In this context, it is pertinent to remember that Nadleria-Lachesilla are close genera, and that species group pedicularia, of the latter shows great affinities with Nadleria (see Mockford 1985), which explains the similarities of L. peckorum and N. mockfordi .

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 25. Lachesilla peckorum n. sp. (female). 22. Fore- and hindwing. 23. Epiproct and left paraproct. 24. Subgenital plate. 25. Gonapophyses and ninth sternum. Scales in mm. Figures 23 and 24 to scale of Figure 25.