Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa Penny 1998, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Sosa, Francisco
name: Freitas, Sergio De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Neuroptera
Chrysopidae
Titanochrysa
Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa

description: Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa (Penny, 1998) comb. nov.
Ceraeochrysa pseudovaricosa Penny, 1998: 62, Figs. 18–28. Penny, 2002: 216, Figs. 233–238. Freitas et al. 2009: 569, Fig. 41.
FIGURE 6. Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa (Penny, 1998) comb. nov. Wings. bsx = basal subcostal crossvein; c.a = costal area; cx = costal crossveins; ig = inner gradates; im = intramedian cell; og = outer gradates; r-m1 = first radial crossvein; Rs = radial sector. The arrow indicates the dark reticulate network of short crossveins covered by round black spot.
Diagnosis. Adults pale green, with narrow, yellow, longitudinal band medially. Pronotum wider than long, with dark red, longitudinal stripe laterally. Inner gradate series of forewing with dark reticulate network of short veins covered by black medial spot. Microtholi present on A2–8. Mandibles asymmetrical.
Redescription. Head. Vertex with light, transverse striate; occiput with dark red spot laterally (Fig. 5 A); scape and pedicel pale green, with reddish brown longitudinal stripe laterally, extending onto antennal base, with short apical dorsal line; flagellum pale, slightly shorter than forewing, covered by black bristles (Fig. 5 B); frons white with diffuse, red-wine spots beneath antennae; clypeus white, marked laterally with dark red; gena reddish brown; maxillary palp black, labial palp pale, darker at tip (Fig. 5 B–C); mandibles with basal tooth on left mandible, without indication of basal tooth on right mandible (Fig. 17 B).
Thorax. Pro, meso- and metanota pale green, with longitudinal, yellow dorsal band medially; pronotum wider than long, with broad, longitudinal, dark red stripe laterally (Fig. 5 A). Pleura, sternal areas, and legs pale green. Wings (Fig. 6): forewing with longitudinal veins pale green; crossveins pale green, with darkening at intersections with longitudinal veins; gradate veins dark, with some infuscation of surrounding membrane, especially on inner gradates; inner gradates with dark reticulate network of short veins covered by rounded black spot on medial area. First radial crossvein arising after origin of radial sector, reaching Psm before apex of intramedian cell; intramedian cell triangular. Hindwing with all veins pale green, except for intersections of crossveins with subcosta and first radial vein; apex acute; inner and outer gradates in regular, slightly diverging series.
Abdomen. Dorsum with longitudinal yellow median stripe, green laterally, pale yellow ventrally; dark pleural spots on apices of basal segments. Male terminalia: T9+ect elongate, basally tapering to acute anterior margin, covered by scattered, stalked setae; callus cerci ovate, with ca. 25–27 trichobothria; dorsal apodeme simple, elongate, reaching callus cerci (Fig. 7 A); S8+9 covered by numerous setae with thickened bases; S8 as long as wide, with dorsal margin domed, densely covered with microtholi; ventral apodeme short (Fig. 7 A). Male genitalia: gonarcal complex with narrow bridge (Fig. 7 B), lateral apodemes wide posteriorly, tapering anteriorly (Fig. 7 C); arcessus short, broad, decurved, trifurcate apically, lightly striated dorsally (Fig. 7 D); gonosaccus simple, with few, thin, scattered gonosetae, microsetae present (Fig. 7 E); gonapsis elongate with apex lightly serrated apically, with lateral projection anteriorly (Fig. 7 F). Female terminalia (Fig. 8 A): S7 ca. 3.4 times longer than wide, with dorsal margin bilobed, densely covered by thick setae; T9+ect with dorsal margin straight, forming ca. 90o angle with corner of posterior margin; posterior margin with ventral cleft beneath the callus cerci; callus cerci ovate with ca. 24 trichobothria; spermatheca pillbox-shaped, with ventral impression deep; spermathecal duct elongate (Fig. 8 B–C). Subgenitale cordate, longer than wide, with broad medial notch.
Measurements. Allotype. Female. Head: width 1.3 mm. Pronotum: length 0.6 mm, width 1.0 mm. Forewing: length 14.6 mm, width 5.1 mm, length/width ratio = 2.9:1. Five inner, seven outer gradates. Hindwing: length 13.0 mm, width 4.3 mm, length/width ratio = 3.0: 1. Four inner, six outer gradates. Male (n=2): Head: width 1.2–1.3 mm. Pronotum: length 0.5–0.6 mm, width 0.9– 0.9 mm. Forewing: length 11.9–12.7 mm, width 4.1–4.4 mm, length/width ratio = 2.9–2.9: 1. Four to five inner, five to six outer gradates. Hindwing: length 10.5 mm, width 3.8 mm, length/width ratio = 2.8: 1. 5 inner, six outer gradates. Female (n=1): Head: width 1.2 mm. Pronotum: length 0.5 mm, width 0.9 mm. Forewing: length 12.8 mm, width 4.4 mm, length/width ratio = 2.9:1. Five inner, six outer gradates. Hindwing: length 11.2 mm, width 3.5 mm, length/width ratio = 3.2:1. Four inner, five outer gradates.
Material examined. Allotype: COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, La Amistad National Park (8º57’N / 82º50’W, 1500 m), 18.ii.1991, Norman D. Penny Leg (MZC). Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, La Amistad National Park (8º57’N / 82º50’W, 1500 m), 18.ii.1991, 23, Norman D. Penny Leg (MZC); Same, 18.ii.1991, exemplar without abdomen; Same, 18.ii.1991, 1 exemplar without abdomen, clear head; Same, 19.ii.1991; 13 not dissected; Same, 1600 m, 21.ii.1991, 1Ƥ, not dissected, Same, 1.iii.1991, 13, not dissected.
Remarks. Penny (1998) described symmetrical mandibles; however on the paratype we examined the mandibles are clearly asymmetrical, with a basal tooth on the left mandible and without indication of a basal tooth on the right mandible.
Species relationships. Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa comb. nov. is similar to Titanochrysa ferreirai sp. nov. Both species share similar forewing venation, S8+9 shape, male gonarcal complex, and gonapsis. However, the Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa comb. nov. forewing has a network of short, dark, reticulate veins with shadows in the middle of the inner gradate series, whereas in Titanochrysa ferreirai sp. nov. all of the inner gradates are shaded, but no reticulate veins are present. Sometimes, the Titanochrysa ferreirai forewing has a third series of gradates, which is not present on Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa comb. nov. The most important difference is observed in the female terminalia: S 7 in Titanochrysa pseudovaricosa comb. nov. is almost 3.4 times longer than wide, and it is covered with intermediate-sized setae; in Titanochrysa ferreirai sp. nov. S7 is 2.5 times longer than wide and densely covered by long, thickened setae.
Geographical distribution. Costa Rica.
description: Published as part of Sosa, Francisco & Freitas, Sergio De, 2012, A new genus of Neotropical Chrysopini (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), pp. 1-14 in Zootaxa 3351 on pages 7-10, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.210667