Epacanthaclisis jiazhii Zheng, U. Aspöck, H. Aspöck, Hayashi & 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 : 42-48

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5657.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:01A734E6-8A47-4856-A7C2-734CC78E51B6
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EB87D8-FFD1-9C5B-56FF-FC2DFDEAF936
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Epacanthaclisis jiazhii Zheng, U. Aspöck, H. Aspöck, Hayashi & Liu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Epacanthaclisis jiazhii Zheng, U. Aspöck, H. Aspöck, Hayashi & Liu sp. nov.

( Figs. 1B View FIGURE 1 , 2J View FIGURE 2 , 23A–B View FIGURE 23 , 25 View FIGURE 25 , 26 View FIGURE 26 , 27 View FIGURE 27 , 53C–D View FIGURE 53 , 54 C–D View FIGURE 54 , 55B View FIGURE 55 , 57A View FIGURE57 )

Diagnosis. Adult: Vertex entirely black. Scape and pedicel dark brown, flagellum entirely black. Pronotum generally dark brown, medially and posterior margin indistinct yellow or orange. Legs generally black. Wings long ovoid. Forewing costal space with two rows of spots on basal half, distal half with one row of spots; marking on basal cubital area large and distinct. Hindwing medially with dense indistinct dark brown spots. Male tergum 4 without dark spot. Male sternum 9 linguiform, distal margin not constricted; external gonocoxites 9 curved in ventral view; membrane tubercles on external gonocoxites 9 smaller than internal gonocoxites 9; internal gonocoxites 9 as long trapezoidal in ventral view; gonostyli 11 thick in ventral view; lateral ectoproct slightly expanded transversally, lateral margin with a longitudinal dark brown stripe. 3rd instar larva. Head clypeo-labrum medially yellowish-brown, laterally dark brown; dorsal head anteriorly with a pair of dark brown oblique spots, posteriorly with a pair of subtriangular dark brown markings; lateral head with a pair of dark brown markings; ventral head with a few indistinct dark brown dots. Anterior mesothoracic setiferous processes slightly longer than the posterior pair. Ventral abdominal segment 9 with a pair of dark brown stripes.

Description of adult. Size. Head width: 3.24–3.61 mm; forewing length: 36.62–46.54 mm; hindwing length: 36.56–46.46 mm.

Head. Vertex entirely black ( Fig. 25C View FIGURE 25 ). Scape and pedicel dark brown, flagellum entirely black. Frons yellow, anteriorly black, dark part medially concave, posterolaterally with a pair of dark brown dots ( Fig. 25B View FIGURE 25 ). Clypeus yellow with a few setae. Labrum yellow. Maxillary palpus brown, distal segment pale brown. Labial palpus pale yellow, distal segment fusiform and dark brown, distally pale yellow. Mandibles yellowish-brown with distal half dark reddish brown.

Thorax. Pronotum generally dark brown, medially and posterior margin indistinct yellow or orange. Intersegmental membrane between pronotum and mesonotum luminous yellow. Mesoprescutum dark brown; mesonotum dark brown; mesoscutellum dark brown, medially with a yellowish line. Metanotum dark brown; metascutellum yellow, laterally dark brown ( Fig. 25C View FIGURE 25 ). Pleurae dark brown.

Legs. Generally black, covered with many dark setae. All coxae and femora distally yellow or orange; tibial spurs dark brown to reddish brown, barely curved; pretarsal claws slightly curved, protruded basally. Fore and mid tibial spur reaching tip of tarsomere 4; hind tibial spur reaching tip of tarsomere 2, tarsomere 1 longer than that of fore- and midleg ( Fig. 25A View FIGURE 25 ).

Wings. Long ovoid, hyaline with dense dark brown spots. Forewing as long as hindwing. Pterostigma pale. Forewing costal space with two rows of spots on basal half, distal half with a row of spots; spots on basal and distal parts relatively distinct, spots on medial part mostly indistinct; rhegma as an oblique spot or stripe; marking on basal cubital area large and distinct; costal and basal half of posterior crossveins mostly connected by oblique veinlets; five to six 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 with a row of indistinct spots; spots on basal and medial parts dense; rhegma as a dark brown spot; two presectoral crossveins present ( Figs. 23A–B View FIGURE 23 , 25A View FIGURE 25 ).

Abdomen. Male terga 1–2 generally dark brown; tergum 3 generally brown; tergum 4 pale, swollen, medially sunk, sunk part with dense relatively long setae, without marking; tergum 5 pale, swollen, anterior margin medially with stout setae; tergum 6 pale; terga 7–8 generally dark brown ( Figs. 2J View FIGURE 2 , 38A View FIGURE 38 ). Male genitalia. Sternum 9 linguiform, distal margin not constricted ( Fig. 25E View FIGURE 25 ). External gonocoxites 9 strongly sclerotized externally, encased internal gonocoxites 9; external gonocoxites 9 curved in ventral view; membrane tubercles on external gonocoxites 9 smaller than internal gonocoxites 9; internal gonocoxites 9 as long trapezoidal in ventral view. Gonocoxites 11 long subtriangular in caudal view, external arms wide; gonostyli 11 thick in ventral view ( Figs. 25H–L View FIGURE 25 ). Lateral ectoproct slightly expanded transversally, lateral margin with a longitudinal dark brown stripe, distal margin with stout curved setae ( Figs. 25D–E View FIGURE 25 ). Female genitalia. Pregenital plate widely sclerotized, medially tapered. Anterior branches of gonocoxites 8 weakly developed, tuberculate, covered with setae; posterior branches of gonocoxites 8 thumblike, slightly curved, covered with long setae; gonapophyses 8 as a pair of transversal bands, internally curved and constricted. Gonocoxites 9 with slender slightly stout setae. Ectoproct nearly trapezoid in lateral view ( Figs. 25F–G View FIGURE 25 ).

Description of 3rd instar larva. Size. Body length (excluding mandible): 28.27–30.76 mm; head length: 5.25– 6.43 mm; head width: 5.04–6.24 mm; mandible length: 8.23–9.44 mm.

Head. Yellowish-brown with dark brown markings, longer than wide. Clypeo-labrum medially yellowish-brown, laterally dark brown, covered with many pale dolichasters; dorsal head anteriorly with a pair of dark brown oblique spots, posteriorly with a pair of subtriangular dark brown markings; laterally with a pair of dark brown markings; ventrally with a few indistinct dark brown dots. Ocular tubercle prominent, black. Antennae brown, long and thin. Mandible longer than head, basally with six to seven interdental mandibular setae and a few dolichasters; first tooth shorter than second tooth; second tooth as long as third tooth; two to three short interdental mandibular setae between first and second teeth; one to two short interdental mandibular setae between second and third teeth ( Figs. 27 View FIGURE 27 , 53C–D View FIGURE 53 ).

Thorax. Laterally with long setae, and some clavate at the tip. Pronotum yellowish-brown, laterally with two pairs of dark brown markings; medially covered with tiny setae. Mesothorax with spiracles present on short stout yellowish-brown sclerotized tubercle, dark brown on the tip, basally with a pair of short dark brown stripes. Meso- and metanotum each medially pale yellow and laterally yellowish-brown, with a pair of dark brown markings and a few dark brown dots.Anterior mesothoracic setiferous processes slender digitiform, slightly longer than the posterior pair; metathoracic setiferous processes relatively short, tuberculate, posterior pair wider ( Figs. 27 View FIGURE 27 , 54C–D View FIGURE 54 ).

Legs. Pale yellowish-brown. Foreleg short. Midleg longer than fore- and hind leg. All coxae with a few dark brown spots ( Fig. 27C View FIGURE 27 ).

Abdomen. Lateral abdomen each with a tiny setiferous processes. Dorsal abdomen medially pale yellow, laterally yellowish-brown; segments 1–8 each with a pair of oblique dark brown markings and many dark brown dots ( Fig. 27A View FIGURE 27 ). Ventral segments 1–7 each medially with a dark brown spots, laterally with a pair of longitudinal dark brown stripes, and with many dark brown dots; ventral segment 8 with a pair of dark brown spots ( Fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ). Segment 9 triangular, as long as wide; ventrally with a pair of dark brown stripes; short rastra with four pair of digging setae ( Fig. 55B View FIGURE 55 ).

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Yunnan, Baoshan, Longyang District [Njș区], Mangkuan Township [Ë =乡], Baihualing Village [Ħŗńť], Hanlong Camp [ḄĪḁ], 1450 m, 7.VI.2020, Yuchen Zheng & Jiazhi Zhang ( IZCAS) . Paratypes: Adult: 1♀, same location as holotype, 3.VI.2020, Jiazhi Zhang, Yuchen Zheng & Baozhi Ge ( IZCAS) ; 1♂ 1♀, same location as holotype, 9.V.2021, Zuqi Mai ( CAU) ; 1♀, same location as holotype, 10.V.2021, Baoping Huang ( CAU) ; 1 larva reared to adult (♂), same location as holotype, 14.I.2023, Yuchen Zheng & Wenkai Kou ( CAU) ; 1♂, CHINA: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Menghai County [勐ė县], Mengsong Township [勐*乡], Daan Village [大üť], 1500 m, III.2023 ( CAU) ; 1♂, LAOS: Houaphanh, Mt. Phu Pane , 1200–1900 m, 26.IV– 10.V.2013 ( HFC) ; 1♂, VIETNAM: Cao Bang, SW Pla Ouac National Park, Phia Den , 22°33′46.7″N 105°51′46.6″E, 1000 m, 7–17.2019, Brunke & Schellhammer ( NHMW) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, VIETNAM: Cao Bang, Pla Ouac National Park , 22°35′19″N 105°52′33″E, 1210 m, 14.V.2019, Brunke & Schellhammer ( NHMW) GoogleMaps ; Larvae : two 3rd instar larvae preserved in 95% ethyl alcohol, same location as holotype, 14.I.2023, Yuchen Zheng & Wenkai Kou ( CAU) .

Distribution. China (Yunnan); Laos; Vietnam (Cao Bang).

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to the mantis (Mantodea) researcher Mr. Jiazhi Zhang (张嘉»), who collected the holotype and a paratype of this new species with the first author. The first author hopes to memorialize the happy times Mr. Zhang had with the first author's field work.

Biology. The larvae of E. jiazhii sp. nov. inhabit wet soil under the roots of the tree, and rocky platforms with deep wet soil, completely hidden themselves into those wet soil, ambushing preys ( Fig. 26 View FIGURE 26 ). This new species was found to be sympatric with its related species E. maculosa in Baoshan (Yunnan). Besides, it was found sharing the same habitat with the pit-building myrmeleontina Baliga spp. In the artificial feeding environment at temperatures between 18 and 24°C, larvae pupate in a week after cocooning, and emerge as adults 26 days after pupation ( Figs. 26D–F View FIGURE 26 ).

Remarks. E. jiazhii sp. nov. and E. maculosa are very similar and they share sympatric distributions, but they still have some stabilizing differences. In E. jiazhii sp. nov., the pronotum is mostly dark brown with some yellowish coloration posteriorly, the wings are long, ovoid and not concave on posterior margin, the forewing costal space has two rows of spots on basal half, the forewing marking on basal cubital area is large and distinct, the spots on hindwing are denser, the marking on male abdominal tergum 4 is absent, the sternum 9 is linguiform with unconstricted distal margin, the membrane tubercles on male external gonocoxites 9 are smaller than internal gonocoxites 9, the male internal gonocoxites 9 are long trapezoid in ventral view, the male gonostyli 11 are thick, and the male ectoproct is slightly expanded transversally and its lateral margin has a longitudinal dark brown stripe; while in E. maculosa , the pronotum is mostly yellow with laterally dark brown, the wings posterior margin are slightly concave distally, the forewing costal space has only one row of spots on basal half, the forewing marking on basal cubital area is relatively small and indistinct, the spots on hindwing are fewer and indistinct. In addition, the male of E. jiazhii has the concave part of tergum 4 with a dark brown marking, sternum 9 is linguiform with distal margin constricted, the membrane tubercles on external gonocoxites 9 are as large as internal gonocoxites 9, the internal gonocoxites 9 are long rhomboidal in ventral view, the gonostyli 11 are thin, and the ectoproct is barely expanded and the lateral marking is absent.