Dilar caesarulus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1967

Li, Di, Aspöck, Horst, Aspöck, Ulrike & Liu, Xingyue, 2019, A review of the pleasing lacewing genus Dilar Rambur (Neuroptera, Dilaridae) from Central Asia, Zootaxa 4671 (1), pp. 35-54 : 37

Dilar caesarulus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1967

( Figs 1–2 , 24–27 , 44–47 )

Dilar caesarulus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1967: 57 . Type locality: Afghanistan (Ghazni).

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the forewing with numerous brown spots which are distinctly darker proximally; the male tergum 9 with cone-shaped dorsoprocessus, tapering and convex on posterior margin; the male gonocoxite 9 distally with an acutely pointed apex; the male gonocoxite 10 distally and subdistally with two short, subtriangular projections.

Description. Male. Forewing length 7.6 mm, hindwing length 6.9 mm.

Head brown, with pale yellow setose tubercles. Compound eyes blackish brown. Antennal socket dark brown. Antenna brown, scape pale brown but slightly darker distally, pedicel yellow, flagellum pectinate on most flagellomeres, medial branches much longer than those on both ends, longest branch nearly 3.0 times as long as corresponding flagellomere, distal seven flagellomeres simple.

Prothorax brown, pronotum brown, medially with a pair of pale yellow rounded markings; meso- and metathorax pale yellow, mesonotum brown and metanotum yellow. Legs yellow with yellowish brown setae. Wings hyaline, slightly smoky brown, with numerous brown spots. Forewing 2.8 times as long as wide, densely spotted, proximal spots slightly darker, arranging irregularly; veins pale yellow. Hindwing 3.0 times as long as wide, almost immaculate.

Abdomen dark brown, each pregenital segment paler on posterior margin. Tergum 9 in dorsal view with an arcuate anterior incision, a nearly U-shaped posterior incision, and a dorsoprocessus, leaving a pair of broad hemitergites, which are obtuse distally and densely setose. Dorsoprocessus cone-shaped, tapering and convex on posterior margin ( Fig. 24 ). Sternum 9 shorter than tergum 9, arcuately convex posteriad and bearing long setae in ventral view. Ectoproct in dorsal view subtrapezoidal, posterodorsally with a pair of short tubercle-shaped projections, posteroventrally with a pair of curved bifid unguiform projections (visible in ventral view) ( Fig. 24 ) and a short feebly sclerotized digitiform process (visible in caudal view) ( Fig. 26 ). Gonocoxite 9 ( Fig. 27 ) in ventral view slightly shorter than gonocoxite 10, distally with an acutely pointed apex. Gonocoxite 10 in ventral view incurved, forming a short and subtriangular projection distally, subdistally with an anteromedially directed additional projection, which is similar in shape to distal projection, short, and subtriangular. Gonocoxite 11 forming an arcuate sclerite, connecting to bases of gonocoxites 9 and 10. Hypandrium internum nearly trapezoidal.

Materials examined. Paratype 1♂, Afghanistan: 125 km SW v. Ghazni, 1800 m, 16.V.1965, leg. E. & A. Var- tian & F. Kasy ( HUAC). 1♂, same data as paratype ( HUAC). 1♂ , Afghanistan: Kadaghan, Salang Paβ, Nordseite , 2100 m, 13. VI .1971, leg. E. & A. Vartian ( HUAC) .

Distribution. Afghanistan (Ghazni).

Remarks. This species appears to be closely related to D. kirgisus in having similar male gonocoxite 10 with acutely pointed apex and subdistal projection ( Figs 27 , 37 ), but it can be distinguished from the latter species by the cone-shaped dorsoprocessus which is tapering on posterior margin ( Fig. 24 ), and the apex and subdistal projection of male gonocoxite 10 short and subtriangular ( Fig. 27 ). In D. kirgisus the dorsoprocessus is rectangular, slightly narrowed medially and widen on posterior margin ( Fig. 36 ), the apex and subdistal projection of male gonocoxite 10 are much longer than those in D. caesarulus ( Fig. 37 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Dilar caesarulus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, male, habitus. Fig. 1: holotype, Afghanistan: 125 km SW Ghazni; Fig. 2: paratype, Afghanistan: 125 km SW Ghazni.

FIGURES 24–27. Dilar caesarulus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, holotype male. 24. Tergum 9, dorsal view, arrow indicating dorsoprocessus; 25. genitalia, lateral view; 26. ectoproct, dorsal view; 27. gonocoxites complex, ventral view. Afghanistan: 125 km SW Ghazni (after H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck 1967 and unpublished).

FIGURES 44–47. Dilar caesarulus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, male. 44. holotype, tergum 9, dorsal view (see habitus photo in Fig.1); 45. holotype, ectoproct, dorsal view (see habitus photo in Fig.1); 46. holotype, gonocoxites complex, ventral view (see habitus photo in Fig.1); 47. paratype, gonocoxites complex, ventral view (see habitus photo in Fig. 2).

FIGURES 36–39. Dilar kirgisus H. Aspöck & U.Aspöck, male. 36. genitalia, dorsal view, arrow indicating dorsoprocessus; 37. genitalia, ventral view; 38. genitalia, lateral view; 39. ectoproct, caudal view. e: ectoproct; gx9: gonocoxite 9; gx10: gonocoxite 10; gx11: gonocoxite 11; hi: hypandrium internum. S7–9: sternum 7–9; T7–9: tergum 7–9. Turkmenia, Eroyulandus.