Neopanorpa exaggerata Wang 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Wang, Ji-Shen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mecoptera
Panorpidae
Neopanorpa
Neopanorpa exaggerata

description: Neopanorpa exaggerata sp. n.
Chinese vernacular name: KDḿffiẘ
(Figs 1, 2)
Etymology. The specific epithet, “ exaggerata ” (exaggerate) pertains to the EEAS of the male. Participle.
Diagnosis. This new species superficially resembles Leptopanorpa spp. by the EEAS. However, it can be readily differentiated from the latter by the following characters: in males, 1) epandrium lacking a median projection at apex (Fig. 2F, cf. present); 2) epandrial lobe greatly developed (Fig. 2J, cf. small); 3) parameres slender (Fig. 2K, cf. usually enlarged and thick); 4) ventral aedeagal valves conspicuous (Fig. 2K, cf. greatly reduced); 5) lateral processes of piston of sperm pump short, not reaching lateral processes (Fig. 2L, cf. elongated and reaching lateral processes); and in females, 6) axis of medigynium straight (Fig. 2N, cf. usually curved dorsad). This new species also closely resembles some congeners in the Neopanorpa pielina group sensu Wang & Hua 2021, e.g., N. diancangshanensis Wang & Hua, 2018, N. tenuis Zhou, 2000, and N. tibetensis Hua & Chou, 1999, etc., but can be readily differentiated by the unmatched length of the male abdomen. The female superficially resembles that of N. diancangshanensis and N. tibetensis in the general appearance, especially the branched pterostigmal band in fore- and hindwings, but can be differentiated from the latter by the axis of medigynium longer than posterior arms (Fig. 2N, cf. shorter).
Type series. CHINA: Yunnan Province: Holotype ♁ (DALU-CN22 Pa 00800), riverbank of Bajiang River, 24.666°N, 103.1950°E, 1600 m, Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Kunming Prefecture, 30.vi.2022, leg. Zhi-Wei Dong, Yan-Dong Chen. Paratypes 2♁♁ (DALU-CN22 Pa 00801, -802) 1♀ (DALU-CN22 Pa 00803), same data; 2♀♀ (DALU-CN22 Pa 00804, -805), same data except 1.vii.2022, leg. Ji-Shen Wang, Zhi-Wei Dong, Yan-Dong Chen.
Measurements (mm). Male: Holotype (DALU-CN22Pa00800): FL 15.5, FW 3.2, HL 14.3, HW 3.1; BL 65.0, AbL 59.8, A1–5L 6.8, A6L 6.0, A7L 18.5, A8L 18.2, A9L 11.0; Paratype (DALU-CN22Pa00801): FL 15.0, FW 3.0, HL 14.0, HW 2.9, BL 60.0, AbL 54.5, A1–A5L 6.2, A6L 5.5, A7L 16.5, A8L 16.0, A9L 9.0; Paratype (DALUCN22Pa00802): FL 14.8, FW 3.0, HL 13.7, HW 2.9, BL 39.0, AbL 34.8, A1–A5L 5.0, A6L 3.5, A7L 10.5, A8L 9.8, A9L 6.0. Female: Paratypes (DALU-CN22Pa00803–805, three individuals): FL 14.5–15.0, FW 2.9–3.1, HL 13.2–14.0, HW 2.8–3.0, BL 13.0–15.5, AbL 9.0–11.0.
Description-male. Head (Fig. 2A). Head yellowish brown with black pattern elongated from hind border of antennal sockets through ocellar triangle to occiput. Rostrum yellowish brown without any conspicuous stripes. Antennae with 46–49 blackish flagellomeres.
Thorax (Fig. 2A, C). Pronotum black with nominally eight stout setae along anterior margin. Meso- and metanotum yellowish brown without conspicuous stripes. Legs yellowish brown and darkening toward apex, with second preapical tooth of pretarsal claws distinctly enlarged (Fig. 2C, red arrow denoted).
Wings (Fig. 2A). Wing membrane hyaline and slightly tinged with yellowish brown, markings dark brown. Pterostigma brown and inconspicuous. Apical band broad with concaved inner margin; pterostigmal band broad with well-developed apical and basal branches; other markings absent. R six-branched, R 2 bifurcated. 1A ending basal to ORs.
Abdomen (Fig. 2A, D, E). Yellowish brown except dark brown at posterior margins of T1–T5, and most of T6. Notal organ (no in Fig. 2D, E) on posterior margin of T3 well-developed, rod-like, extending approximately to basal 1/3 of T4, and bearing several long setae at ventral apex. Postnotal organ (pno in Fig. 2E) on T4 slightly protuberated and bearing dense setae. A6 long cylindrical, as long as or slightly longer than A1–A5; A7 slender, approximately three times as long as A6, and trumpet-shaped at apex; A8 similar to A7 with approximate length; A9 approximately 3/5 as long as A8 with greatly elongated basal stalk proximal to genital bulb. Cerci (ce in Fig. 2F) long clavate.
Male genitalia (Fig. 2F–L). Basal stalk of A9 greatly elongated and ranging from 1.1–1.3 times as long as genital bulb. Epandrium (ep in Fig. 2F) oblong with slightly emarginated apex. Epandrial lobes (epl in Fig. 2J) well-developed, subtrapezoidal, with triangular projections along ventral and caudal margins. Hypovalves (hv in Fig. 2G, J) narrow, slightly exceeding apex of gonocoxites (gcx in Fig. 2F), overlapped distally, and folded along outer margin. Subcircular window enclosed by constricted bases of two hypovalves (Fig. 2G). Hypandrial processes inconspicuous. Gonocoxites slightly widened toward truncated apex. Gonostyli (gs in Fig. 2F) slightly longer than gonocoxites, slender, with large basal process (bp in Fig. 2I) bearing long stout setae; each gonostylus sickleshaped in distal part; median tooth (mt in Fig. 2I) inconspicuous. Parameres (pm in Fig. 2K) slender, greatly curved inward and contacted mesally, and greatly divergent toward pointed apex. Each paramere attached to lateral process of aedeagus through slender dorsal bridge (dbr in Fig. 2K). Ventral and dorsal valves (vv and dv in Fig. 2K, L, respectively) of aedeagus closely aligned, and slightly tapering toward apex; lateral processes (lpr in Fig. 2K) of aedeagus stout with subacute apex. Piston (pst in Fig. 2L) of sperm pump subtriangular with short lateral processes (lpp in Fig. 2L).
Description of female. Habitus (Fig. 2B) similar to males but bearing much shorter abdominal segments.
Female genitalia. Subgenital plate (Fig. 2M) broad, suboval, with V-shaped terminal emargination, and bearing long stout setae marginally. Medigynium (Fig. 2N) slightly longer than subgenital plate; posterior arms (pa in Fig. 2N) slender; axis (ax) longer than posterior arms with divergent apodemes (ap).
Distribution. China: Yunnan Province (Fig. 4).
Biological Information. The new species was collected from a very limited spot (ca. 20 square meters, denoted by a red arrow in Fig. 1B) with dense ground covers along the riverbanks. Although the type locality is only a few kilometers away from densely populated villages and towns, it seemingly provides a relatively undisturbed and primordial sanctuary for this species to persist. However, this locality is surrounded by extensive infrastructure development (Fig. 1A shows a road construction site approximately hundreds of meters away) and agriculture activities (left part of Fig. 1B shows a nearby forest of the Chinese mahogany, Toona sinensis, which is cultivated as a local vegetable). Attempts to search for additional specimens in several adjacent regions were failed, despite their similar microhabitats. The very limited distribution, the scarcity of individuals, and the preference for dense herbaceous vegetation, are the probable reasons why this eye-catching scorpionfly has never been discovered before.
On the site, individuals of N. exaggerata sp. n. often perch on the leaves of herbs or shrubs (Fig. 1C). Bearing a very long abdomen, the males seem bulky, and can only fly one or two meters away when disturbed. When at rest, the males usually hold their A7–A9 backward, forming a distinct triangular posture (Fig. 1C), superficially resembling that of Leptopanorpa spp. from Indonesia (Wang & Hua 2020). The females, however, fly with more agility owing to a much shorter abdomen (measures ca. 1/3 of the smallest male and 1/6 of the largest).
The gonostyli of male N. exaggerata sp. n. appear to be a forceful weapon in the coercive mating, intrasexual disputes, and self-defense. Several wing membrane breakages were found in a female paratype (DALUCN22Pa00803, denoted by red arrows in Fig. 2B), suggesting that the female’s right wings may have been coercively grasped and damaged by a male’s gonostyli during copulation. In addition, three black spots (melanized wounds) have been photographed in a male (not in the type series, Fig. 1C), suggesting that the gonostyli can possibly be used as a combat weapon in the intra-sexual disputes. When a male scorpionfly is captured with fingers, it aggressively attacks the collector’s skin using its gonostyli, the same self-defensive action as other male scorpionflies (Wang & Hua 2022).
description: Published as part of Wang, Ji-Shen, 2023, Evolving longer for a mate: A new scorpionfly (Mecoptera: Panorpoidea: Panorpidae) with exaggeratedly elongated male abdominal segments, pp. 109-118 in Zootaxa 5264 (1) on pages 110-114, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/7836260