Epacanthaclisis wuchaoi Zheng, Badano & Liu, 2025

Zheng, Yuchen, Badano, Davide, Aspöck, Ulrike, Aspöck, Horst, Hayashi, Fumio & Liu, Xingyue, 2025, Revision of the antlion genus Epacanthaclisis Okamoto, 1910 (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Dendroleontinae), Zootaxa 5657 (1), pp. 1-100 : 62-64

Epacanthaclisis wuchaoi Zheng, Badano & Liu sp. nov.

( Figs. 1A , 24A , 36 )

Diagnosis. Adult: Vertex and antenna entirely black. Pronotum generally dark brown, laterally with a pair of oblique pale yellowish stripes. Legs generally black, all femora basally yellowish-brown and distally dark brown. Wings with dense stripe-like spots. Forewing costal space with two rows of spots on basal half; radial area with six relatively large spots; rhegma as a dark brown stripe; cubital area basally with a distinct dark brown spot. Hindwing radial area with six stripe-like brown spots. Female posterior branches of gonocoxites 8 widely and long digitiform; gonapophyses 8 as a pair of wide plates.

Description of adult. Size. Head width: 3.58 mm; forewing length: 45.24 mm; hindwing length: 45.08 mm.

Head. Vertex and antenna entirely black ( Fig. 36A ). Frons yellow, anteriorly black, dark part medially concave, posteriorly with a pair of dark brown spots ( Fig. 36C ). Clypeus yellow with a few setae. Labrum yellow. Maxillary palpus dark brown. Labial palpus pale yellow on basal segment, medial and distal segments generally dark brown, distal segment fusiform. Mandibles yellowish-brown with distal half dark reddish brown.

Thorax. Pronotum generally dark brown, laterally with a pair of oblique pale yellowish stripes. Mesoprescutum, mesonotum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, and metascutellum generally dark brown, each medially with a slender pale yellowish line ( Fig. 36C ). Pleurae dark brown.

Legs. Generally black, covered with many dark setae. All coxae and femora distally yellow; femora basally yellowish-brown, distally dark brown; tibiae black; tibial spurs dark brown, barely curved; tarsi black; pretarsal claws slightly curved, protruded basally. Fore and mid tibial spur reaching base of tarsomere 4; hind tibial spur reaching tip of tarsomere 2, tarsomere 1 longer than that of fore- and midleg ( Fig. 36A ).

Wings. Long ovoid, hyaline with dense stripe-like dark brown spots. Forewing as long as hindwing. Pterostigma pale. Forewing costal space with two rows of spots on basal half, distal half with two to three rows of spots and dots; radial area with six relatively large spots; rhegma as a dark brown stripe; cubital area basally with a distinct dark brown spot; costal, distal half of prefork and basal half of posterior crossveins mostly connected by oblique veinlets; five presectoral crossveins present, distal presectoral cells sometimes biloculate; RP with 9–10 branches; RP origin basal to MP fork, nearly align at CuA fork. Hindwing costal space hyaline; radial area with six stripe-like brown spots; rhegma as an oblique dark brown spot; two presectoral crossveins present ( Fig. 24A , 36A ).

Abdomen. Female abdomen generally dark brown. Male genitalia. Unknown. Female genitalia. Pregenital plate tapered. Anterior branches of gonocoxites 8 tuberculate, covered with setae; posterior branches of gonocoxites 8 widely and long digitiform; gonapophyses 8 as a pair of wide plates. Gonocoxites 9 with slender slightly stout setae. Ectoproct nearly trapezoid in lateral view (Figs. D–E).

Type material. Holotype ♀, CHINA: Yunnan, Honghe, Lvchun County [ṅƌ县], Mt. Huanglianshan [Wĭ Ɯ], Bamawudu [Âṽȃů], 1750 m, 26.VIII.2019, Chao Wu ( IZCAS).

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to the mantis (Mantodea) researcher Mr. Chao Wu (ȃú), who collected the holotype of this new species and donated many precious neuropterid specimens to us. The first author also desires to remember the good times Mr. Wu spent with him during field work.

Remarks. This new species is similar to E. maculata , both of them have stripe-like wing spots. However, the pronotum of E. wuchaoi sp. nov. is generally dark brown with a pair of lateral oblique pale yellowish stripes; while in E. maculata , the pronotum is generally pale yellow, anteriorly has a pair of dark brown spots, laterally has two pairs of short dark brown stripes. Moreover, the wing spots of E. wuchaoi sp. nov. are more dense, larger, and distinct compared to those of E. maculata .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Living adults of species of Epacanthaclisis Okamoto, 1905, from China. A. E. wuchaoi Zheng, Badano & Liu sp. nov., female, Lvchun (Yunnan) (photo by Chao Wu); B. E. jiazhii sp. nov., female, Baoshan (Yunnan) (photo by Yuchen Zheng); C. E. maculosa (Yang, 1986), female, Lvchun (Yunnan) (photo by Yuchen Zheng); D. E. xiaohongae Zheng & Liu sp. nov., male, Pianma (Yunnan) (photo by Yuchen Zheng); E. E. minana (Yang, 1999), male, Dehua (Fujian) (photo by Yuchen); F. E. ningshana Wan & Wang, 2010, male, Beijing (photo by Chao Wu); G. E. darman Zheng, Badano, U. Aspöck, H. Aspöck & Liu sp. nov., male, Gyirong (Xizang) (photo by Chao Wu); H. E. zuqii Zheng, Badano, U. Aspöck, H. Aspöck & Liu sp. nov., Pianma (Yunnan) (photo by Yuchen Zheng).

FIGURE 24. Habitus of the Epacanthaclisis maculosa group. A. E. wuchaoi Zheng, Badano & Liu sp. nov., female, Lvchun (Yunnan); B. holotype male of Botuleon maculata Yang, 1986, Huaning (Yunnan); C. holotype male of B. minana Yang, 1999, Nanping (Fujian); D. holotype male of B. maculosa Yang, 1986, Tengchong (Yunnan).

FIGURE 36. Epacanthaclisis wuchaoi Zheng, Badano & Liu sp. nov., adult, holotype female, Lvchun (Yunnan, China). A. Habitus; B. head, frontal view; C. head and thorax, dorsal view; female terminalia: D. lateral view; E. ventral view.