Protohermes ishizukai, Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2009

Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2009, Notes on the genus Protohermes van der Weele (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) from Vietnam, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 2146, pp. 22-34 : 25-28

Protohermes ishizukai sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 3–9 , 16 )

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the generally blackish body and by dark wings with several creamy white markings. Males are denoted by their highly modified genitalia with elongate male ninth gonostyli and by the presence of a shortened male tenth tergum. Females are characterized by a prominent, posterior, Y-shaped extension of the eighth sternum.

Male. Body length 26 mm; forewing length 36 mm, hindwing length 32 mm.

Head ( Fig. 3 ) black, with anterior half of clypeus orange; vertex medially reddish brown; post–ocular spine feebly developed. Compound eyes dark brown; ocelli yellow, medially margined black, lateral ocelli widely separated from median ocellus, distance between lateral pair about three times as long as width of median ocellus, but slightly shorter than distance between antennal bases. Antenna dark. Mouthparts dark orange; mandibles black with proximal portions yellowish brown laterally, maxillary and labial palpi with distal three segments brown.

Prothorax black; pronotum anteriorly with subtriangular reddish brown area, and medially with a pair of small brownish markings near lateral margins; prosternum with anterior margin orange. Meso– and meta thorax blackish brown; dorsally much darker laterally. Thoracic pilosity pale yellow, much longer on meso– and meta thorax. Legs brown, with short dense yellowish setae; tibiae and tarsi black; tarsal claws reddish brown. Wings ( Fig. 1 ) near black, with several creamy white markings. Forewing with narrow creamy white stripes beside costal crossveins on proximal half; proximally with a round and two rather small markings, medially with a round, a suboval, and three or four small markings, and with a large round marking at distal 1/ 3. Hindwing similarly patterned with proximal half much paler than distal. Veins dark, except in white markings, here pale yellow. Rs 9 to 10–branched, last branch bifurcate; 8–12 crossveins between R1 and Rs; M1+2 6–branched, M3+4 2–branched.

Abdomen black with venter much paler. Ninth tergum ( Fig. 4 ) subtrapezoidal, laterally more sclerotized, with arched anterior incision and nearly truncate posterior margin; posterolateral corners distinctly produced posteriorly. Ninth sternum ( Fig. 5 ) broad, strongly sclerotized, much shorter than ninth tergum; posterior incision nearly V–shaped, forming a pair of broad and roundly tapered processes. Ninth gonostylus ( Fig. 5 ) unguiform, elongated, directed medially and curved dorsad. Tenth tergum ( Figs 4, 6 ) short, subcylindrical, with tip incised, expanded ventrolaterally, and densely setose. Cercus flattened and rounded, near produced portion of ninth tergum. Tenth sternum ( Fig. 7 ) arched; dorsomedial processes paired, broadly obtuse; lateral lobes thick, densely setose, with apices slightly inflated and medially curved.

Female. Body length 36–37 mm; forewing length 43–44 mm, hindwing length 37–39 mm.

Seventh sternum prominently rounded posterolaterally. Eighth tergum feebly sclerotized; eighth sternum ( Figs 8, 9 ) broad and strongly sclerotized, in lateral view dorsal portion roundly inflated, covering spiracle, ventral portion obtusely produced posteriorly, in ventral view anterior and posterior margin incised, separating sternum into a pair of sclerites with tips roundly produced, a short bifurcated process projecting posteromedially. Ninth segment ( Fig. 9 ) ventrally sclerotized, forming a subtriangular plate. Ninth gonocoxite ( Fig. 8 ) short and broad, posterior portion slightly narrowed and ventrally incised, with a small gonostylus. Tenth tergum ( Fig. 9 ) short with posterior margin incised, leaving a subtriangular dorsal and a semicircular ventral lobes.

Materials examined. Holotype ɗ, VIETNAM: Cao Bang Prov., Mt. Pia Oac, 22°37'N, 105°52'E, 14.V.1998 ( CAU). Paratypes: 1ɗ, 2Ψ, VIETNAM: Cao Bang Prov., Mt. Pia Oac, 22/ 28.V.1998, K. Matsumoto (HC).

Distribution. Vietnam (Cao Bang Prov.).

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Arata Ishizuka for his kind donation of the type specimens of this species to us.

Remarks. The new species appears to be related to the Protohermes guangxiensis group or the Protohermes differentialis group by virtue of having male genitalia with a similar posterolateral extension of the male ninth tergum and an elongate male ninth gonostylus. However, it differs from the members of the P. guangxiensis group by the blackish body coloration, the shape of the male tenth sternum, and the posterolaterally produced female eighth sternum, while the members of the P. guangxiensis group possess pale body coloration, the male tenth sternum with slender lateral lobes, and the female eighth sternum without posterolateral projection. It differs from members of the P. differentialis group by having a shortened male tenth tergum and a laterally inflated female eighth sternum, while the male tenth tergum is much longer and the female eighth sternum is not inflated laterally in the known members of the P. differentialis group.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Distribution map of the Protohermes species from Vietnam. P. assamensis Kimmins (●); P. axillatus Navás (); P. differentialis (Yang & Yang) (□); P. fruhstorferi (van der Weele) (˔); P. i s h i z u ka i sp. nov. (); P. l i i Liu, Hayashi & Yang (); P. piaoacanus Liu, Hayashi & Yang (); P. owadai Liu, Hayashi & Yang (); P. sinuolatus sp. nov. (); P. striatulus Navás (․); P. triangulatus Liu, Hayashi & Yang (); P. v i t a l i s i Navás (?); P. y a n g i Liu, Hayashi & Yang (+).

FIGURES 1 – 2. Habitus images of new Protohermes species from Vietnam. 1. P. i s h i z u k a i sp. nov. (holotype), male; 2. P. sinuolatus sp. nov. (holotype), male.

FIGURES 3 – 9. Protohermes ishizukai sp. nov. 3. Male head and prothorax, dorsal view; 4. Male genitalia, dorsal view; 5. Male genitalia, ventral view; 6. Male tenth tergum, caudal view; 7. Male tenth sternum, ventral view; 8. Female genitalia, lateral view; 9. Female genitalia, ventral view. C: cercus; G 9: ninth gonostylus; Gx 9: ninth gonocoxite; L: lateral lobe; S 7 – 9: seventh to tenth sternum; T 7 – 10: seventh to tenth tergum; Pdm: dorsomedial process. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.