Panorpodes kuandianensis Zhong, Zhang & Hua, 2011, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhong, Wen
name: Zhang, Jun-Xia
name: Hua, Bao-Zhen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mecoptera
Panorpodidae
Panorpodes
Panorpodes kuandianensis

description: Panorpodes kuandianensis, sp. nov.
(Figs. 1–6)
Holotype. Male, CHINA: LIAONING: Mt. Huabo (41°06ʹN, 125°00ʹE), 565 m, Kuandian County, 28.VI. 2010, leg. J. Chen.
Paratypes. CHINA: LIAONING: 10335ƤƤ, same data as the holotype; 10336ƤƤ, Mt. Huabo, 600–650 m, Kuandian Co., 28–30.VI.2010, leg. Y. Wei; 6333ƤƤ, Baipuxia, 565 m, Kuandian Co., 29.VI.2010, leg. J. Chen; 9333ƤƤ, Quanshan Forest Farm (41°01ʹN, 124°58ʹE), 650 m, Kuandian Co., 3–7.VII.2009, leg. J.C. Wang.
Diagnosis. This new species closely resembles P. brevicaudatus (Hua, 1998) from the Changbai Mountains, Jilin Province, in general appearance, but is distinguished from the latter by having wings with blackish brown markings; vein R4+5 much shorter than half the length of R2+3; hypovalve expanded apically with an almost truncated apex. The new species is also similar to P. komaensis Okamoto, 1925 from Korea, but can be separated by: having pleura of abdominal segment VII strongly sclerotized and indicated by longitudinal fissures; and hypovalves nearly parallel, shorter than the stalk, with more than 10 black spines along the apical inner margin.
Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality, Kuandian.
Description. Male (Fig. 1 A): Vertex pale tan, whitish yellow around lateral ocelli. Ocellar triangle blackish brown (Fig. 2 C), with two pairs of ocellar bristles (Fig. 2 G). Frons whitish yellow below eyes and around antennal sockets. Rostrum short, pale tan, with two brown longitudinal stripes; labrum and labium yellowish brown. Maxillary palps 5-segmented, yellowish, darkening gradually toward apex. Mandibles reddish brown, rounded at tip, with inner margin appreciably curved and minutely serrate (Fig. 2 E) and inner side of the apical part with three teeth, the middle tooth pointed and the other two blunt (Fig. 2 F). Antennal scape yellowish brown, pedicel blackish brown, flagellum black with 34–38 segments.
Thorax yellowish brown dorsally, with uneven dark stripes, especially on the latero-posterior margins of meso- and metathorax. Pronotum with 6–8 black setae along anterior margin, and 6 setae along posterior margin. Mesonotum with two pairs of setae laterally on mesoscutum; 2–4 setae along posterior margin of mesoscutellum (Fig. 2 H). Metanotum smaller than mesonotum, without setae. Pleura pale yellow. Legs brown with yellowish tint. Coxae bearing setae on anterior surface; tibiae with several spines along two lateral sides and with two apical spurs; tarsomeres blackish brown, with numerous ventral setae and several thick, black apical spines; apical tarsomere with three long setae at apex (Fig. 2 I). Claws strongly curved, with 3–5 conical teeth along basal inner margin (Fig. 2 J).
Forewing length 12.4–14.3 mm, width 4.0– 4.4 mm; hindwing length 11.2–12.4 mm, width 3.8–4.1 mm. Wings (Fig. 2 A) tinged with yellowish brown, with blackish brown apical and pterostigmal bands. Markings variable, even between left and right wings of a single specimen. In forewing, apical band broad, often enclosing a large hyaline window (Fig. 2 A), which is sometimes divided into one large and 1–2 small spots (Fig. 3 B). In some males, apical band reduced to irregular spots (Figs. 3 A, C, D). Pterostigmal band incomplete, usually reduced to a small irregular spot just below pterostigma. Numerous microtrichia present on all longitudinal veins and on the upper surface of most cells, extraordinarily dense on stigma, but scarce in basal area of hindwings. In forewings, vein Sc extending into pterostigma; R2 usually 2-branched; R4+5 much shorter than half the length of R2+3; origin of R4+5 beyond first fork of median vein (position of the thyridium); M1 usually unbranched. Cross-veins hyaline in apical band, pale yellow elsewhere. Hindwings similar to forewings, but Sc shorter; R1 two-branched; M coalescing basally with CuA for a short distance. Venation varying, even between the left and right wings of a single individual (Figs. 3 C, D). Forewing with 5–6 jugal bristles, hindwing with two frenular bristles.
Abdomen usually yellowish brown (Fig. 1 A). Terga II–VI with wide W-shaped blackish stripe, which gradually narrows from tergum III to VI; the corresponding sterna slightly paler; intersegmental membranes yellowish white. Pleural membrane of segments I–VI distinct, cream-coloured (Fig. 4 A). Segment VI slightly tapering caudally. Segments VII and VIII shortened and completely sclerotized into a ring, with the pleuron as a longitudinal fissure on either side; spiracle visible on the fissure on each segment (Fig. 4 A).
Male genital bulb elliptic, yellowish brown (Figs. 4 B–E). Epandrium (tergum IX) broad at base, nearly parallel-sided for most of its length, rounded at apex (Fig. 4 C). Hypandrium (sternum IX) broad, with conspicuously long stalk about twice as long as wide (Fig. 4 B). Hypovalves short, convergent distally and truncated at apex (Fig. 4 B), trapezoid in lateral aspect (Fig. 4 D); each hypovalve with a rounded pendulous expansion along the basal half of mesal side (Fig. 4 B), with 10–16 black strongly-sclerotized spines along apical mesal margin; a blunt projection at the basal mesal part, and densely covered with short microscopic spinules and terminating in a thick conical spine directed caudally (Fig. 4 G). Gonostylus much shorter than gonocoxite, with median blunt triangular process on inner margin, elongate basal process, broad basal tooth, and a tuft of minute setae basally (Fig. 4 F); basal process bearing numerous thick basiconic sensilla; basal tooth thickened and glabrous except the most basal portion, which appears somewhat rectangular in dorsal view (Fig. 4 F); basal tooth often concealed under the basal process and aedeagus in ventral aspect (Fig. 4 E). Paired parameres and the median aedeagus associated intimately, appressed to each other near mid-length (Fig. 5). Parameres Y-shaped in lateral view, consisting of a single weaklysclerotized long basal stalk and a ventral and a dorsal paramere. Ventral paramere weakly sclerotized, flattened, touching the opposing paramere mesially at base, with a truncated apex (Figs. 5 A, D). Dorsal paramere strongly sclerotized, with short lateral process arising from the middle part (Fig. 5 A–C) and large, protruding dorsal process extending from the base (Figs. 5 B, E); dorsal process anteriorly connected with a complicated sclerotized structure (Figs. 5 B, C). Caudal elongation with slender distal lobe extending beyond apex of aedeagus (Figs. 5 C, F). Aedeagus strongly sclerotized distally and consisting of paired ventral and dorsal valves. Ventral valves mostly concealed by ventral parameres, with only the apices exposed. Dorsal valves short, concealed by other structures in natural condition.
Female (Fig. 1 B): Head yellowish brown, rostrum darker than in male or tinged with blackish brown. Ocellar triangle blackish, generally with two pairs of ocellar bristles (Fig. 2 D), but two females with an additional bristle. Forewings 13.6–15.2 mm long, 4.1–4.6 mm wide. Hindwings 12.1–12.6 mm long, 3.8–4.0 mm wide. Forewing with broad apical band enclosing two large hyaline windows (Fig. 2 B). Reduced pterostigmal band more prominent than in males (Fig. 3 E–H), sometimes with distal branch moderately developed between veins M2 and M4, not reaching posterior margin of forewing (Fig. 2 B). Markings varying frequently, even in the same specimen (Fig. 3 – H). Abdomen usually yellowish brown (Fig. 1 B). Segments I–V similar to male. Segment VI blackish brown in posterior third, much longer than segment V, tapering posteriorly; pleural membranes not as wide as those of preceding segments. Segments VII and VIII slender, pale yellowish brown. Terga strongly sclerotized, dark-colored along the lateral edges and midline (Fig. 6 A). Sternum VII slender, sternum VIII separated medially by a membrane for its full length (Fig. 6 B); these two segments frequently concealed within segment VI (Fig. 1 B).
Female genitalia (Figs. 6 C–G): Subgenital plate pale, weakly sclerotized along the midline, with two sub-dorsal, light brown stripes furnished with numerous setae; apex deeply emarginated in a V-shape (Fig. 6 C). Tergum IX with semicircular sclerite, separated from the main part by lateral sulci. Pleural membrane of segment IX almost entirely fused with subgenital plate (Fig. 6 D). Genital plate rather short, subtriangular at ventral aspect (Fig. 6 E), situated at the base in genital chamber formed ventrally by subgenital plate. Main plate of genital plate blackish, strongly sclerotized (Fig. 6 F), bending laterally into a broad ventral lobe, projecting caudally in a broad triangle (Fig. 6 G).
Distribution. China (Liaoning Province).
Habitat. Numerous specimens of P. kuandianensis sp. nov. were collected at the end of June 2010 at the edge of oak woods adjoining a bare trail. More than 60 adults were obtained in an area 4 × 6 m on partially shaded herbs and subshrubs at the forest edge. At the type locality, the general habitat is mixed hardwoods, primarily Quercus wutaishanica and Fraxinus sp. with an herbaceous groundcover of Lespedeza bicolor and Artemisia sp. Adults often hid on plant stems among broad-leafed vegetation in the dense shade. Nearly all the individuals were captured on vegetation less than 60 cm high, but some were on plants less than 20 cm high, and others on bare soil.
Remarks. It is interesting to note that the venation of Panorpodes kuandianensis sp. nov. varies greatly from specimen to specimen, even between the left and right wings of a single individual. In the forewings, vein Sc is simple or two-branched; R1 and R2a may also be simple or bifurcated. In one male, vein R4 and M1 are twobranched, R5 does not reach the outer margin of the wing, and R3+4 is very short.
In a failed rearing trial for P. paradoxa, captured adults show no tendency to consume insects or other animal tissue, and were thus considered doubtfully carnivorous (Miyaké 1913). An attempt to rear P. kuandianensis sp. nov. by the collectors also proved fruitless. The adults refused to feed on living or dead arthropods of various decomposing stages, and therefore, are likely to be neither carnivorous nor saprophagous (Yao Wei, personal communication). The mandibles of P. kuandianensis sp. nov., with rounded tips and serrate inner margins, are quite similar to those of Brachypanorpa spp. Brachypanorpa spp. have short, thick, mesally serrated mandibles (Otanes 1922), and are phytophagous, scraping epidermis from soft herbaceous leaves (Carpenter 1953, Byers 1997). Such mandibles seem not to be suitable for piercing or tearing arthropod exoskeletons. A preliminary anatomical examination of the intestinal content found that the midgut of P. kuandianensis sp. nov. was filled with greyish flocculated contents mixed with dark residues (Wen Zhong, unpublished data), likely being the partially-digested epidermis of plants. If this is the case, Panorpodes spp. may also be phytophagous.
description: Published as part of Zhong, Wen, Zhang, Jun-Xia & Hua, Bao-Zhen, 2011, Panorpodes kuandianensis, a new species of short-faced scorpionflies (Mecoptera, Panorpodidae) from Liaoning, China, pp. 47-55 in Zootaxa 2921 on pages 48-52, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.204907