Helius (Helius) franckianus Alexander, 1940

Ma, Shuo, Xu, Yuanyuan, Xin, Tongle, Liu, Chang, Yang, Ding & Zhang, Xiao, 2024, Contribution to the knowledge of the crane fly genus Helius (Diptera: Limoniidae) from Sichuan, China, Zoological Systematics 49 (4), pp. 331-342 : 333-336

Helius (Helius) franckianus Alexander, 1940 ( Figs 1–3 )

Helius (Helius) franckianus Alexander, 1940a: 183 . Type locality: China, Sichuan, Mt. Emei .

Diagnosis. Antenna with flagellomeres oval, apically tapering and elongated. Rostrum about 1.2 times as long as remainder of head. Prescutum and presutural scutum dark brown with anterior area darker. Pleuron dark brown to brownish black. Wing with stigma oval, dark brown. Distance between tips of R 4 and R 5 slightly longer than distance between tips of R 1 and R 4. Tip of outer gonostylus bispinous, outer spine small, inner spine large and bent ventrally. Interbase oval; laterally producing into a narrow, apically acute outgrowth, beak-shaped in lateral aspect.

Description. Male. Body length 9.3–9.5 mm (excluding rostrum), wing length 8.0– 8.2 mm, rostrum length 0.7–0.8 mm, antenna length 1.4–1.5 mm.

Head ( Fig. 1B ). Dark brown with brownish black setae. Antenna ( Fig. 1C ) brown with scape and pedicel darker. Scape long cylindrical, three times as long as wide. Pedicel oval. Flagellomeres oval, apically tapering and elongated, with dark brown verticils that subequal in length to or slightly longer than corresponding flagellomere; verticils on basal flagellomeres unilaterally arranged. Rostrum about 1.2 times as long as remainder of head, dark brown with brownish black setae. Palpus dark brown with dark brown setae.

Thorax ( Fig. 1D ). Pronotum black with two sides dark brown. Prescutum and presutural scutum dark brown with anterior area darker. Postsutural scutum dark brown with middle area paler. Scutellum dark brown. Mediotergite brown with two sides dark brown. Pleuron ( Fig. 1A ) dark brown to brownish black. Setae on thorax brownish black. Coxae and trochanters dark yellow; femora and tibiae yellow; tarsi yellow with terminal segments darkened. Setae on legs brown. Wing ( Fig. 1E ) tinged with brownish yellow, base and costal field conspicuously light yellow. Stigma oval, dark brown; a scarcely apparent brown seam on anterior cord; wing tip narrowly darkened; darkened area over basal portions of CuA, CuP and A 1. Veins pale brown, yellow in yellow areas and darker in clouded areas. Venation: Sc ending near fork of Rs, sc-r at its tip; distance between tips of R 4 and R 5 slightly longer than distance between tips of R 1 and R 4; cell dm about 1.5 times as long as wide; m-cu close to or just beyond fork of M. Halter pale yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1A ). Dark brown with tergites slightly paler. Setae on abdomen brown.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 2 ). Brownish yellow. Posterior margin of tergite 9 with a broad U-shaped emargination ( Fig. 2A ). Gonocoxite conical with brown setae, setae on inner side slender and denser ( Figs 2A–B ). Outer gonostylus slightly curved with subtip slightly expanded; tip blackened and bispinous, outer spine small, inner spine large and bent ventrally ( Figs 2A– B, E ). Inner gonostylus curved with basal 1/3 expanded and tip pale ( Figs 2A–B, E ). Aedeagal complex with semen pump spherical ( Figs 2C–D ), ejaculatory apodeme elongated with base widened ( Figs 2C–D ); aedeagus rod-shaped with tip bent dorsally ( Figs 2A–D ). Parameres fused forming flattened transverse plate with short basal and apical parts, tip of apical part bent dorsally ( Figs 2C–D ). Interbase oval; laterally producing into a narrow, apically acute outgrowth, beak-shaped in lateral aspect ( Figs 2C–D, F–G ).

Female. Body length 11.1–12.2 mm (excluding rostrum), wing length 8.0– 8.8 mm, rostrum length 0.7–0.8 mm, antenna length 1.3–1.4 mm. Generally similar to male by body coloration. Ovipositor ( Fig. 3 ): tergite 9 brown with two sides darker, tergite 10 dark brownish yellow with caudal edge darker; sternite 8 dark brownish yellow two lateral edges brownish black; cercus dark brown gradually to brownish yellow, distal part curved dorsally; hypogynial valve dark brown, tip reaching approximately 3/5 of cercus.

Material examined. 2♂ 2♀ ( LHEL002 A01– LHEL002 A04), China: Sichuan Province, Emeishan City, Mt. Emei , Jingshui (29°35′56″N, 103°20′47″E, 710 m), 2015.VIII.20, Xiao Zhang, light trap .

Distribution. Sichuan (Emeishan).

Remarks. Alexander (1940a) firstly described this species based on a male from Sichuan, China and provided figures of the wing and male hypopygium for this species. In this study, the description and illustration for female are provided for the first time. In addition, more detailed description and illustration for male hypopygium are also provided.

Figures

Figure 1. Helius (Helius) franckianus Alexander, 1940.A. Habitus of male, lateral view; B. Head, lateral view; C.Antenna; D. Thorax, dorsal view; E. Wing. Scale bars: A=2.0mm; B, D =0.5mm; C=0.2 mm; E =1.0mm.

Figure 2. Helius (Helius) franckianus Alexander, 1940. A. Male hypopygium, dorsal view; B. Male hypopygium, ventral view; C. Aedeagal complex, dorsal view; D. Aedeagal complex, ventral view; E. Gonostyli, dorsal view; F. Interbase, dorsal view; G. Interbase, lateral view. Scale bars: A–B =0.2 mm; C–E=0.1mm; F–G=0.05mm.

Figure 3. Helius (Helius) franckianus Alexander, 1940. A. Female ovipositor, dorsal view; B. Female ovipositor, lateral view; C. Female ovipositor, ventral view. Scale bars=0.5 mm.