Vermiophis cangshanensis Li, Zhao & Wang 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Li, Jia-Ling
name: Zhao, Can-Jun
name: Wang, Ji-Shen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Vermileonidae
Vermiophis
Vermiophis cangshanensis

description: Vermiophis cangshanensis Li, Zhao & Wang, sp. nov.
(Figs 1–5)
Diagnosis. By characters such as the short proboscis, the eight-segmented antennae without arista, the gradually tapering flagellomeres (Nagatomi et al. 1999), and the general morphology of genitalia, we are confident in assigning this species into the genus Vermiophis. From its general appearance, V. cangshanensis sp. nov. resembles V. tibetensis mostly among its congeners. However, V. cangshanensis can be differentiated from the latter by the following characters: 1) antennae with last flagellomere longer than the preceding two combined (vs. shorter); 2) wings with R 5 nearly straight (vs. greatly curved); cell m 3 open (vs. closed); M 1+2 furcating at m-m (vs. before mm); M 3+4 furcating before m-cu (vs. at m-cu); 3) dorsomedial-posterior projection of fused gonocoxites absent (vs. present); and 4) stout gonostylus approximately 1.4 times as long as its width (vs. slender and about 1.8 times as long as width).
Type material. China: Yunnan: Holotype: ♂ (DALUVer001), Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Dali City, eastern slope of the Cangshan Mountain 100.139413°N, 25.661618°E, collected as larva, 1.xi.2022, adult emerged 7.iv.2023, collected and reared by Jia-Ling Li. Paratypes: 11♂ 12♀ (DALUVer002–024), same data except collected during vi.2021 – v.2023.
Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality, Cangshan Mountain.
Measurements. Male. Body length: 12.0– 14.5 mm, wing length: 8.0– 13.6 mm, wing width: 2.5–3.3 mm (n =12). Female. Body length: 12.1–14.6 mm, wing length: 9.4–14.6 mm, wing width: 2.8–5 mm (n =12).
Description-male. Head (Figs 1, 2A–E). Antennae with scape and pedicel yellowish brown. Scape nearly three times as long as pedicel. Flagellum eight-segmented, gradually darkening from second flagellomere towards last two. Proboscis and maxillary palps yellow. Vertex and frons dark brown and glabrous. Ocellar tubercle black with dense and short setae. Occiput and genae black and covered with yellowish long setae. Thorax (Figs 1, 2A). Mesoand metanotum mostly shining black. Mesonotum with two yellowish brown stripes ending before scutellum. Legs: Fore- and midlegs mostly yellowish brown. Hindleg with femur dark brown except yellowish brown middle and apical portions; tibia dark brown except yellowish brown base and apex; tarsus light brown. Wing (Figs 1, 2A, F). Wing membrane hyaline with pale yellowish tinge in basal portion and grayish in distal portion; veins dark brown. Dark brown patterns in distal portion of cell br, base of cell d, and along CuA. R 2+3 curved anteriorly at end; R 5 nearly straight; M 1+2 furcated at m-m; M 3+4 furcated before m-cu; cell m 3 slightly open (closed in a few individuals), cell cua open. Halteres club-shaped. Abdomen (Figs 1, 2A). Yellowish to dark brown, usually lighter in proximate segments. Segment III narrowest. Terminalia (Fig. 3). T9 (epandrium) subtrapezoidal with terminal emargination and a pair of postro-lateral processes. Ventral plane subtrapezoidal, and wider than long. Cercus short and broad, expanded basally. S10 (sternum X) subsemicircular and concealed by T 9 in dorsal view. Fused gonocoxites lacking dorsomedial-posterior projection; posterolateral ventral part long and tapering towards apex. Gonostylus broad, approximately 1.4 times as long as its width, with distal-inner potion slightly elongated and pointed. Aedeagus with apex greatly bending ventrad in lateral view.
Description-female. Habitus (Fig. 1B) similar to males, but yellow parts in hindlegs longer than those in males.
description: Published as part of Li, Jia-Ling, Zhao, Can-Jun & Wang, Ji-Shen, 2024, Vermiophis cangshanensis sp. nov., a new wormlion fly from Yunnan, China, with notes on its immature stages and biology (Diptera: Vermileonidae), pp. 400-408 in Zootaxa 5497 (3) on pages 401-404, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5497.3.5, http://zenodo.org/record/13618558