Protohermes decolor Navás

Liu, Xingyue, Hayashi, Fumio & Yang, Ding, 2013, The Protohermes dichrous species group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), with description of two new species from eastern Malaysia, Zootaxa 3620 (4), pp. 501-517 : 507-508

Protohermes decolor Navás

( Figs. 2 , 14–19 )

Protohermes decolor Navás, 1931: 74 . Type locality: Malaysia: (Sabah: Kinabalu).

Diagnosis. In appearance there are one pair of black markings on posterolateral portions of vertex and two pairs of black markings on pronotum, and the forewing has a darkened transverse band, which extends posteriorly to 1A vein, between proximal and median pale markings. Genitalia of this species are characterized by the male ninth sternum with a pair of slender digitiform posterior lobes and the male ectoproct, which widely connects with ninth tergum at base by a broadly subtriangular projection.

Description. Male. Body length 20–26 mm; forewing length 29–30 mm, hindwing length 26–27 mm.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) yellow, vertex posterolaterally with a pair of nearly rectangular black markings; post-ocular spine almost absent. Compound eyes brown; ocelli yellow, medially margined black, lateral ocelli close to median ocellus. Antenna black with scape and pedicle yellow. Mouthparts yellow; mandible with distal half black.

Thorax ( Fig. 2 ) yellow; pronotum with two pairs of black markings near lateral margins. Thoracic pilosity yellowish, much longer on meso- and metathorax. Legs yellow, with short dense yellowish setae; tarsi slightly brownish; tarsal claws pale reddish brown. Wings hyaline, with several yellowish markings. Forewing slightly brownish; proximally with one subtriangular marking, medially with several irregular markings usually fused with each other, and with one round marking at distal 1/3; membrane between basal and median markings distinctly darkened into a wide transverse band, posteriorly narrowed and extending to 1A. Hindwing almost hyaline with marginal area slightly brownish. Veins mostly yellowish; veins in costal area and brownish regions of forewing brown to blackish brown; veins in distal area of hindwing pale brown. Rs 7 to 10-branched; MA bifurcate; 7–9 crossveins between R and Rs; anterior branch of MP 5 to 6-branched, posterior branch of MP 2-branched.

Abdomen yellow. Ninth tergum ( Fig. 15 ) subtrapezoidal, with both anterior and posterior margins nearly truncate. Ninth sternum ( Fig. 16 ) medially short; posterior margin deeply incised trapezoidal, forming a pair of slender digitiform posterior lobes. Ninth gonostylus ( Fig. 16 ) slender unguiform, directed posteriad in lateral view, with tip slightly incurved. Ectoproct ( Figs. 15–17 ) slender band-like, extremely elongate, ~5.0 times as long as ninth tergum, arcuately incurved with apex distinctly flattened and curved outward; base widely connected to ninth tergum, with broadly subtriangular projection produced ventrad and bearing long setae at tip. Tenth gonocoxite ( Fig. 16 ) arcuate, strongly produced dorsomedially; lateral lobes digitiform, straightly directed posteriad.

Female. Body length 26–32 mm; forewing length 37–39 mm, hindwing length 34–36 mm.

Eighth gonocoxite ( Figs. 18–19 ) broad, in lateral view subtrapezoidal, posteriorly moderately produced; in ventral view posterior margin medially with a rather shallow incision. Ninth gonocoxite ( Fig. 18 ) broad, posteriorly rounded, with a small gonostylus. Ectoproct ( Fig. 18 ) short, with posterior margin medially incised, leaving subtriangular dorsal and slightly longer, bowl-shaped ventral lobes in lateral view.

Type material. Neotype 3, MALAYSIA: “E. Malaysia, Sabah, near Keningau [5°47ʹN, 116°24ʹE], 14.IV.1984, S. Nagai” (BAUC).

Additional materials. MALAYSIA: Sabah: 1Ƥ, near Keningau, 20.IV.1984, S. Nagai (BAUC); 3Ƥ, Crockerrange, 16 miles from Northwest of Keningau, 1400 m, 14–20.IV.1984, S. Nagai (HFIC); 13, Crocker Range N[ational]P[ark], 5.45N, 116.19E, lower montane forest, 7–12.VIII.1991, K.R. Tuck (BMNH); 33, 24 km on r[oa]d. Keningau-Kimanis (N[orthern]. side), 1350 m, 5.27N, 116.03E, 19.XI.1987, J. Huisman & R. de Jong (RMNH); 1Ƥ, 10.5 miles from Keningau, 29.III.1989, H. Karube (HFIC); 1Ƥ (paralectotype of P. bellulus ), Mt. Kinabalu, Sobang, 4000 ft [= 1219 m], 5.IV.1929 (BMNH); 1Ƥ, Mt. Kinabalu (RMNH); 13, Kinabalu (BMNH); 131Ƥ, Mt. Trus Madi [5°33ʹN, 116°31ʹE], IV.1992, H. Karube (HFIC); 1Ƥ, Mt. Marapok [5°22ʹN, 116°14ʹE] (RMNH).

Distribution. Malaysia (Sabah).

Remarks. In the original description of this species (Navás 1931) there is no definite type designation, but the measurement was made based on only one female specimen, which is noted to be deposited in the Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, Germany and should presumably be the primary holotype of this species. However, it is confirmed that this type specimen, together with the majority of the holometabolous insect collection was destroyed during World War II. The original illustration of the forewing (Navás 1931) clearly shows a distinct transverse dark band which extends posteriorly to 1A vein in this species. Therefore, we consider the examined specimens which have such distinct dark band to be this species and designate a Neotype which was collected from a locality close to Mt. Kinabalu.

Considering the genitalia, this species distinctly differs from its closely related species, i.e. P. bellulus , P. dichrous , and P. goodgeri sp. nov., by the male ectoproct widely connected with ninth tergum by a broadly subtriangular projection. In the other three species, there is no such subtriangular projection on basal portion of the male ectoproct.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Adults of Protohermes spp. 1. P. bellulus Banks, male lectotype; 2. P. d e c o l o r Navás, male neotype; 3. P. dichrous (Brauer), male neotype; Scale bars: 5.0 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 19. Protohermes decolor Navás. 14. Male head and prothorax, dorsal view; 15. Male genitalia, dorsal view; 16. Male genitalia, ventral view; 17. Male genitalia, lateral view; 18. Female genitalia, lateral view; 19. Female eighth gonocoxite, ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.