Ungla curimaguensis Sosa, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Sosa, Francisco
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Neuroptera
Chrysopidae
Ungla
Ungla curimaguensis

description: Ungla curimaguensis sp. nov.
(Figures 8–10)
Holotype. Male: VENEZUELA. Falcón state: Curimagua, 11º11’ N / 69º38’ W, 1040 m, 24–26.i.2014, F. Sosa, D. Díaz & R. Paz Leg. Collected with light trap. Deposited in the MJMO.
Diagnosis. This species is pale green with adorsal yellow stripe that extends from the head through the abdomen, distinctive head markings: black markings on the genae and lateral margins of the clypeus, red marks on and around the vertex, and a pale green scape with a red dorsolateral stripe extending from the tip to the base or almost to the base. The forewing has pale green longitudinal veins and crossveins; however, the gradates are shaded with black. In males most of the veins of the forewing are crassate and the spiracles on A1–8 are enlarged.
Description. Head. Creamy, vertex smooth, with pair of thin red marks anteriorly, pair of thicker marks posterolaterally, usually with red bars laterally (Figs. 8 A–B); antennal fossa red marked medially; frons creamy or pale yellow, unmarked; gena, basal margin of clypeus black; gena usually with red mark between eye and occipital region. Maxillary palpus creamy, marked with black laterally, apex pale; labial palpus creamy, unmarked (Fig. 8 C– D). Antenna: scape, pedicellus creamy, with wide, dorsolateral red line (Fig. 8 A–B, E); flagellum pale yellow, with yellow bristles (Fig. 8 D).
Thorax. Pale green, with longitudinal yellow stripe dorsally; pronotum with diffuse, red-brown stripe laterally (Fig. 8 A–B); meso- and metathorax unmarked; pleural, sternal areas pale green; legs pale green, unmarked. Wings (Fig. 8 E): forewing with longitudinal veins, crossveins pale green; most of the veins crassate (males, not females) (Fig. 8 E–F); gradate series lightly shaded; hindwing with longitudinal veins, crossveins pale green.
Abdomen. Pale green, with longitudinal yellow stripe dorsally (Fig. 8 A). Male terminalia: Abdominal segments A1–8 with large, ovate spiracles; T9+ect one-shaped, acute at posteroventral corner, with dense, black, thick bristles (Fig. 9 A); callus cerci ovate, with 34 trichobothria. S8+9 with ventral margin ca. four times longer than height of anterior margin. Gonarcus with bridge transverse, lateral apodemes rounded in dorsal view, rectangular in lateral view, with prominent lateral horn projecting laterally (Fig. 9 B–C). Hypandrium internum triangular with large comes (Fig. 9 D). Female terminalia (Fig. 10): Abdominal segments A1–8 with small, round spiracles. T9+ect rectangular, dorsal margin raised mesally; callus cerci round, with ca. 26 trichobothria (Fig. 10 A– B). S7 rectangular, with dorsal margin tapering slightly towards apex; ratio of ventral margin length: anterior margin height ~ 2.4: 1 (Fig. 10 A). Spermatheca pillbox-shaped, ventral impression deep, spermathecal duct elongate, ca. 2 times longer than spermathecal height (Fig. 10 C–D). Subgenitale quadrate, with dorsal lobes short, ventral extension prominent (Fig. 10 E).
Remarks. Although the holotype is the only male specimen available, I suggest that this species may exhibit a relatively high degree of sexual dimorphism. Most noticable is the forewing venation (crassate in the male specimen, vs simple in the females). In addition, the longitudinal, yellow, dorsal stripe and the pronotal reddishbrown, lateral stripes are more pronounced on the female than on the male.
Measurements (n=1). Head: width = 1.30 mm, scape: height = 0.34 mm. Pronotum: length = 0.77 mm, width = 0.97 mm. Forewings: length = 10.42 mm, width = 3.50 mm, length/width ratio = 3.97: 1; intramedian cell length = 0.77 mm, maximum height of costal area = 0.64 mm, four inner, six outer gradates. Hindwing length = 9.67 mm, width = 2.91 mm, length/width ratio = 3.32: 1, three inner, five outer gradates.
Other material examined. Paratypes. VENEZUELA. Aragua state: P. N. Henri Pittier (Rancho Grande), 1100 m, 15.vi.1973, 1♀, J. L. Garcia & V. Vargas Leg. (MIZA); Idem, 7.xii.1965, 1♀, A. Fernández. Y. & J. Salcedo leg. (MIZA); Villa de Cura, Est. [Estación] exp. [experimental] Cataurito, 2–3.iii.1981, 1♀, J. L. Garcia Leg.(MIZA); Falcón state: Curimagua, 11º11’ N / 69º38’ W, 1040 m, 24–26.i.2014, F. Sosa, D. Díaz & R. Paz Leg. (MJMO). Collected with light trap. Táchira state: Las Delicias, 1500 m, 27.ix.1966, 1♀, C. J. Rosales & J. Salcedo Leg. (MIZA) Collected with light trap.
Known geographical distribution. Venezuela (Aragua, Falcón and Táchira states).
Species relationship. U. curimaguensis sp. nov. is externally similar to U. laufferi. Both species have pale green coloration with a dorsal yellow stripe that extends from the head through the thorax and abdomen. However, on Ungla curimaguensis sp. nov. the frons is creamy or pale yellow, and unmarked, the scape is marked with red laterally, and the forewing gradate series parallel and lightly shaded. Whereas, in contrast, U. laufferi have lateral facial markings, a little dark spot on the frons, a scape without lateral marks, and a forewing gradate series that is unmarked and converging apically.
Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality Curimagua, a little town in the Sierra de San Luis, Falcón state, Venezuela.
description: Published as part of Sosa, Francisco, 2015, First records of Ungla Navás (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from Venezuela, with descriptions of seven new species, pp. 176-200 in Zootaxa 4018 (2) on pages 183-186, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4018.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/254146