Rapisma chikuni, Liu, Xingyue, 2018

Liu, Xingyue, 2018, A review of the montane lacewing genus Rapisma McLachlan (Neuroptera, Ithonidae) from China, with description of two new species, Zoosystematics and Evolution 94 (1), pp. 57-71 : 59

Rapisma chikuni sp. n. Figs 1, 3, 4, 10

Diagnosis.

Body and forewings generally greenish. Forewing with sparse small grayish brown spots. Male head medially with dark markings on vertex and frons. Antenna subserrate, ~1/3 × forewing length. Male gonocoxites 9 paired, covered with many short spines; each with a robust lobe, which laterally bears a digitiform projection and dorsally bears a flat accessory lobe, and with a short, arcuately curved lateral arm; fused gonocoxites 11 generally arched, in dorsal view nearly semicircular, anteromedially strongly concaved, leaving a pair of broadly shell-shaped lobes, which bear a pair of acutely tapering accessory lobes on their laterodistal ends; gonostyli 11 fused, subtrapezoidal, bearing short setae, ventrally with a pair of obtuse processes and with a feebly sclerotized median bar.

Description.

Male. Body length 14.5 mm; forewing length 26.6 mm, hindwing length 23.0 mm.

Head nearly semiglobular, slightly retracted under prothorax, visible in dorsal view. Head yellowish; a transverse blackish brown band present on anterior portion of vertex; frons also with a transverse blackish brown band. Compound eyes blackish brown; EI ratio 0.84. Antenna subserrate, 8.5 mm long, with 62 flagellomeres; yellowish, but proximal two flagellomeres and those on distal 1/4 of flagellum slightly darker. Mandibles with tips black.

Pro- and mesothorax greenish, but metathorax yellowish; pronotum anteriorly with a pair of subtriangular blackish brown markings, and posterolaterally with a pair of ovoid blackish brown markings; meso- and metanotum each laterally with a pair of large and a pair of punctiform blackish brown markings. Legs yellowish; pretarsal claws reddish brown, proximally slightly produced.

Forewing greenish, with sparse small grayish brown spots. Trichosors present only along costal margin. A proximal nygma present between RP+MA and MP, blackish, covered with a blackish spot. RP with 7 pectinate branches. Hindwing much paler than forewing, immaculate. A proximal nygma present between RP+MA and MP, yellowish. RP with 4 pectinate branches.

Abdomen brown, with terga and genitalia greenish yellow. Tergum 9 subtrapezoidal, moderately setose. Sternum 9 nearly as long as but narrower than tergum 9, subtrapezoidal, posteriorly slightly concaved. Ectoprocts slightly shorter and much narrower than tergum 9; callus cerci present, slightly prominent. Gonocoxites 9 paired, covered with many short spines; each with a robust lobe, which laterally bears a digitiform projection and dorsally bears a flat accessory lobe, and with a short, arcuately curved lateral arm. Fused gonocoxites 11 generally arched, in dorsal view nearly semicircular, anteromedially strongly concaved, leaving a pair of broadly shell-like lobes, which bear a pair of acutely tapering accessory lobes on their laterodistal ends. Gonostyli 11 fused, subtrapezoidal, bearing short setae, ventrally with a pair of obtuse processes and with a feebly sclerotized median bar. Hypandrium internum relatively large, arrow-shaped, with slenderly foliate lateral lobes.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined.

Holotype male, China, Yunnan, Yingjiang, Nabang, Rongshuwang [24°40.48'N, 97°35.33'E], 850 m, 30.VI.2017, Yutang Wang (CAU).

Etymology.

The new species is dedicated to Prof. Chikun Yang who made outstanding contributions to the taxonomy of Rapisma from China.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan).

Remarks.

The new species probably belongs to a monophyletic group including Rapisma corundum Barnard, 1981 from eastern Myanmar, Rapisma tamilanum Barnard, 1981 from southern India, and R. daianum from southern Yunnan, China, because these species share some apomorphic characters, e.g. the subserrate male antennae and the posteriorly bilobed male gonocoxites 9. The new species can be distinguished from the related species by the head medially with dark markings, the male gonocoxites 9 with median lobes not curved anteriad, and the male fused gonocoxites 11 broadly shell-like laterally.