Diamphipsocus striatum ( Thornton, 1984 ) Ramesh, Gurusamy, Babu, Rajappa & Subramanian, Kumarapuram A., 2023

Ramesh, Gurusamy, Babu, Rajappa & Subramanian, Kumarapuram A., 2023, First record of genus Diamphipsocus Li, 1997 (Psocodea: Amphientomidae) from India and new generic combinations of Asian psocids, Zootaxa 5296 (1), pp. 96-100 : 96-100

Diamphipsocus striatum ( Thornton, 1984) comb. nov.

= Paramphientomum striatum Thornton, 1984

( Figs 1–9 )

The specimens were collected from the lichens on tree trunks in the forests of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India ( Fig. 1 ) and preserved in vials with 70% ethanol. Specimens were dissected and mounted in Canada Balsam. The external morphology and colour pattern of the specimens were studied before dissection by placing the entire specimen under a stereo zoom microscope (Leica M205A) and photographed using the Leica Application Suite. The mounted body parts (head, legs, wings and genitalia) were observed, measured and photographed under a compound microscope (Leica DM3000).

Abbreviations used in the descriptions and measurements are as follows: FW and HW: lengths of right fore- and hind-wings; F, T, t1, t2: lengths of femur, tibia, and tarsomeres 1 and 2 of the right hind leg, respectively, Mx4: length of the fourth segment of right maxillary palpus; ctt1: number of ctenidobothria on t1; f1...fn: lengths of flagellomeres 1...n of the right antenna; IO, D, d: respectively, the minimum distance between compound eyes, anteroposterior diameter, and transverse diameter of right compound eye, all in dorsal view of head; PO: d/D. All measurements are in μm.

Material studied: 2 females. INDIA. Gettavadi East, Jeeragahalli Forest Range , Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve , Erode District, Tamil Nadu, 11.65229° N; 76.92773° E. Altitude 898 m, 31.viii.2022, R. Aengals .

Depository: Southern Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Chennai (slide mounted, Reg. No. ZSI/SRC/I/ PSO-145-146).

Measurements (in μm.): FW-3008/3018; HW-2419/2421; F-585/591; T-1100/1103; t1-660/663; t2-63/78; t3-72/82; Mx4-151/153; ctt1-23; f1-180/208; f2-190/255; f3-191/213; f4-168/187; f5-139/151; f6-121/127; f7-92/98; f8-101/109; f9-71/73; f10-44/52; f11-34/38; f12-35/37; IO-411/505; D-327/381; d-150/190; PO:0.45/0.50

Diagnosis: D. striatum is distinguished from other species of the genus by the shape of a spur on the gonopore, an apically pointed subgenital plate with a small inner sclerite in females, and a nearly rounded phallosome base in males.

Description of female: (after 2 months in alcohol): Postclypeus with opaque striae; ocelli reddish brown, eyes black with 6 greenish horizontal lines; head with uniform buff brown; antennae, leg and thorax brown; forewing membrane brown, the veins 1A, 2A, Cu1 and Cu1b faint, vein M 2+3 and M 4+5 dark brown and rest of vein light brown. Hindwing membrane brown, vein dark brown except for distal Cu 2 and R 1. Head: the lateral margin of the vertex is somewhat depressed and bulged medially to some degree ( Fig. 2 ), the maxillary palp is without a sensory cone, and the distal end of the fourth segment is rounded; the distal end of femur and tibia in the hind legs terminate with 2 and 6 strong spines, respectively. Lacinial apex with broad outer cusp, bearing three denticles ( Fig. 3 ). Claw with double teeth ( Fig. 4 ). Wings: forewing with Sc in the distal portion and apically rounded, hind wing vein R 1 not reaching the wing margin ( Figs. 5, 6 ). Subgenital plate ( Fig. 7 ): apically pointed, setose with small inner sclerite. Gonapophyses ( Fig. 8 ): ventral valve ¾ length of dorsal valve, dorsal valve long and slender, external valve somewhat oval in shape, gonopores covered with spur-shaped sclerotization. Paraproct with a field of 9 weak trichobothria; epiproct rounded and setose ( Fig. 9 ).

Male description: kindly refer to Thornton (1984).

Using published descriptions and based on the generic classification of the Amphientomidae developed by Li (2002) and Taylor (2013), we here transfer the Paramphientomum species with distal section of Sc vein to the genus Diamphipsocus .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Diamphipsocus striatum (Thornton, 1984) comb. nov. in India.

FIGURES 2–6. Diamphipsocus striatum (Thornton, 1984) comb. nov. Female. 2. Front view of head. 3. Right lacinia. 4. Claw. 5. Forewing. 6. Hindwing.

FIGURES 7–9. Diamphipsocus striatum (Thornton, 1984) comb. nov. 7. Subgenital plate. 8. Gonapophyses and ninth sternum. 9. Clunium, paraprocts and epiproct.