Cymothales manselli, Zheng & Aspöck & Aspöck & Liu, 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5642.4.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E6253F87-9132-4317-B88F-B71C9320585A |
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https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039987FF-D923-7D2A-FF2B-FF45FDD9FF1D |
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Plazi |
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scientific name |
Cymothales manselli |
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sp. nov. |
Cymothales manselli sp. nov.
( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 , 4 View FIGURE 4 , 5A–C View FIGURE 5 , 6A–C View FIGURE 6 , 7A–C View FIGURE 7 , 8A–B View FIGURE 8 , 9 View FIGURE 9 )
Diagnosis. Body dark brown with some pale stripes. Vertex as wide inverse trapezoid in frontal view; posterior side of vertical ridge with a transversal pale band and a few indistinct lateral markings. Clypeus generally dark brown. Forewing with long oblique dark brown bands on basal 1/4 and half parts, the band on half part wider; short band on distal radial area slender; posterior margin concaved distally. Hindwing rhegma as a dark brown arched marking; poststigmal area slender and nearly twice as long as width of the base. Male gonocoxites 9 as a pair of longitudinal trapezoid structures; gonostyli 11 narrow, narrower than the total width of the gonocoxites 9.
Description of adult. Size. Head width: Size. Head width: 3.22–3.64 mm; forewing length: 35.36–41.32 mm; hindwing length: 38.01–44.27 mm.
Head. Vertex prominently raised, compressed into a transverse ridge, the part of ridge with many short dark setae; wide inverse trapezoid in frontal view; anterior side of vertical ridge with two transversal pale bands ( Figs. 4B View FIGURE 4 , 5A–C View FIGURE 5 ); posterior side of vertical ridge with a transversal pale band and a few indistinct lateral markings ( Figs. 4C View FIGURE 4 , 6A–C View FIGURE 6 ). Scape and pedicel generally dark brown; flagellum basally dark brown, medially and distally pale yellow and ventrally with dark brown markings. Frons generally dark brown. Clypeus dark brown, posterior margin pale, with some pale setae ( Figs. 4B View FIGURE 4 , 5A–C View FIGURE 5 ). Labrum yellowish-brown. Maxillary palpus dark brown on basal segment, other segments pale. Labial palpus generally pale, distal segment fusiform. Mandibles dark brown with distal half dark reddish brown.
Thorax. Dark brown with some pale stripes. Pronotum nearly 1.5 times as long as wide, laterally with a pair of longitudinal stripes and a pair of short slender stripes, lateral margin pale; covered with some dark and pale setae. Mesonotum with a pair of longitudinal long stripes extend across mesoprescutum and mesoscutellum, and a pair of short stripes. Metanotum with a pair of longitudinal stripes; metascutellum dark brown, laterally pale. Pleurae dark brown with some pale stripes ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ).
Legs. Covered with many dark setae. All coxae dark brown with a few pale yellowish markings; tibiae pale, distally brown; tibial spurs slender and slightly curved; tarsi generally pale brown; pretarsal claws slightly curved. Foreleg: femur dark brown; tibial spur reaching base of tarsomere 3. Midleg: femur yellowish brown; tibial spur reaching base of tarsomere 3. Hind leg: femur yellowish brown; tibial spur reaching tip of tarsomere 2; tarsomere 1 longer than that of fore- and midleg ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ).
Wings. Nearly falcated, with intricate patterns. Hindwing longer than forewing. Pterostigma pale. Forewing with long oblique dark brown bands on basal 1/4 and half parts, the band on half part wider; some short dark brown bands suffused on crossveins on basal part; distal forewing mostly brown; short band on distal radial area slender; posterior margin distally concaved; costal crossveins mostly simple; three to seven presectoral crossveins present, then presectoral area with many biarolate cells before RP origin; RP with 9 to 10 branches; RP origin distantly proximad MP fork; prefork area long triangular. Hindwing mostly hyaline on basal half, distal part with some irregular dark brown markings; subcostal area with some discontinuous brownish dots; rhegma as a dark brown arched marking; poststigmal area slender, nearly twice as long as width of the base ( Figs. 2B View FIGURE 2 , 4A View FIGURE 4 , 7A–C View FIGURE 7 ).
Abdomen. Dark brown, terga 1–8 each with a pair of pale yellowish stripes. Male genitalia. Sternum 9 short, nearly as wide as ectoproct, laterally with a pair of dark brown markings ( Figs. 4D–E View FIGURE 4 ). Gonocoxites 9 as a pair of longitudinal trapezoid structures, distally with a small projection. Gonocoxites 11 wide arched; gonostyli 11 strongly sclerotized, broad, equal to the total width of the gonocoxites 9 in ventral view ( Figs. 4H–L View FIGURE 4 , 8A–B View FIGURE 8 ). Ectoproct nearly truncate on distal margin, covered with many setae ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). Female genitalia. Pregenital plate coniform; anterior branches of gonocoxites 8 tuberculated, with some short setae; posterior branches of gonocoxites 8 small digitiform, with some long setae. Gonocoxites 9 with many short acicular setae. Ectoproct truncate on distal margin, with some slender setae, ventral part with some short acicular setae ( Figs. 4F–G View FIGURE 4 ).
Type material. Holotype ♂, SOUTH AFRICA: Tvl. D’Nyala N. R., Ellisras Dist. , 23.45S 27.49E, 850 m, 8–11.XII.1989, Horst Aspöck, Ulrike Aspöck & Mervyn Mansell (HUAC, now transferred to NHMW) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 1♂, ETHIOPIA: Oromia Region, 5 km N Bitata , 1440 m, 17.IV.2015, P. Schmit, collection of André Prost ( MDC) ; 1♂, KENYA: Makueni County, Kiboko , “Hunters Lodge Kenya. At Night 28.III.78 // OUMNH-2006-077 OX.UNI. MUS.NAT.HIST. Hope Ent. Coll.” ( OUMNH) ; 1♀, MALAWI: Thyolo District, “ Mikolongwe Niassaland Prot. 1923 // Collectie J. H. Jurriaanse Rotterdam // RMNH 1474080” ( RMNH) ; 1♀, NAMIBIA: Kunene Region, Kamanjab , 10.III.2018, Hu Li & Ye Liu ( IZCAS) ; 1♂, NAMIBIA: “D.S.W.-Afrika Okahandya, I.03, L.Schultze S.” ( MfN) ; 1♀, NAMIBIA: Otjozondjupa Region, 20 km N Otjiwarongo , 16.XI.2011, P. Schüle ( CAU) ; 1♀, SOUTH AFRICA: Tvl. Flesta Hotel 20 km S Potgietersrus, 24.17S 28.51E; 1100 m, 16.XI.1992, Herbert Hölzel, Peter Ohm & Mervyn Mansell, collection of Herbert Hölzel ( NHMW) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, TOGO: “ Bismarckburg , 3–10.XII.92. L.Conradt S.” ( MfN) ; 1♀, TOGO: “ Bismarckburg , 17–23.XII.92. L.Conradt S.” ( MfN) .
Distribution. Democratic Republic of the Congo (Haut-Uele); Ethiopia (Oromia); Kenya (Makueni); Malawi (Rumphi, Thyolo); Mozambique (Nhamatanda); Namibia (Kunene, Otjozondjupa); Nigeria (Agbor); South Africa (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo); Togo (Pagala).
Etymology. This new species is named after the famous Neuropterologist Prof.Mervyn Mansell, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the study of Myrmeleontidae . Additionally, the holotype of this new species was collected by him together with the authors Horst Aspöck and Ulrike Aspöck.
Remarks. The new species has long been considered conspecific with C. bouvieri , whose type locality is Madagascar. However, based on our morphological comparisons, the populations of C. bouvieri from Madagascar and the Comoros, and the populations resembling C. bouvieri from the African continent represent two distinct species, i.e., C. bouvieri and C. manselli sp. nov. (see remarks for C. bouvieri ). Additionally, these two species appear also to be similar to C. mirabilis Gerstaecker, 1894 from East Africa. The wing patterns of C. bouvieri , C. manselli sp. nov., and C. mirabilis share a similar arrangement: e.g., two distinct oblique bands are present on basal 1/4 and half parts of forewing, and distal forewing is mostly brown with a triangular hyaline area present on the distal radial area, making them to be easily distinguished from other species. In other species of Cymothales , the markings on the middle part of the forewing are generally as discrete spots (e.g., C. annisancti Navás, 1926 , C. capensis Mansell, 1987 , C. exilis Mansell, 1987 , C. massaronei Badano, 2020 , and C. tjederi Mansell, 1987 ) or patterns composed of a slender stripe and a triangular ring marking (e.g., C. delicatus Banks, 1911 , C. dulcis Gerstaecker, 1894 , and C. marginatus Mansell, 1987 ). Although C. mirabilis closely resembles C. bouvieri and C. manselli sp. nov. in wing markings, it can be distinguished from them by several characters ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ): the head is generally pale yellow, the vertex is more rounded, the antenna is longer and slender, the pronontal pale stripes are broader, the oblique band at the basal 1/4 part of the forewing is wider, and the male gonocoxites 9 are slightly curved, blade-shaped in ventral view ( Mansell 1987: fig. 88).
Based on known records, the new species is more frequently found in semi-arid environments of the
Afrotropical continent ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 ).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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