Monobazus deccanensis, VIRAKTAMATH & WEBB & YESHWANTH, 2025

Monobazus deccanensis sp. nov.

Figs 4 View FIGURES 4 EF, 9HI, 34A–G

Diagnosis. Externally resembling M. fletcheri (Distant) but with an orange stripe running from the crown to the exposed mesonotum on either side of the median line. Male pygofer more or less quadrangular with the ventral process curved dorsally and exceeding the dorsal margin. Aedeagus with ventral process exceeding the shaft which is in line with the curvature of the shaft in lateral view, subgenital plate with macrosetae confined to the membranous appendage (see also remarks).

Description. Ochraceous yellow. Crown, pronotum and exposed mesonotum with orange stripe on either side of median line. Ocelli dark brow. Pronotum with a few spots on anterior submargin brownish. Forewing with apices of claval veins, clavus and apices of veins reaching costal margin with dark brown spots, venation brownish.

Male genitalia. Pygofer more or less quadrangular, 1.5× longer than wide in lateral view, dorsal margin straight, ventral process directed posteriorly in basal half then curved dorsally and far exceeding dorsal margin. Subgenital plate with macrosetae on membranous appendage. Aedeagus with shaft elongate slightly curved at base dorsally, slightly narrowed apically, with ventral processes arising almost at distal 0.25, exceeding shaft apex and tapering distally.

Measurements. Male 4.0– 4.1 mm long, 1.0– 1.1mm wide across eyes and 0.9 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum. Female 4.9 mm long, 1.1–1.3 mm wide across eyes and 1.3 mm wide across eyes and 1.1 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂, INDIA: Karnataka: Raichur , at light, Nov. 1979, C.A. Viraktamath ( UASB) . PARATYPES, INDIA: Karnataka: 1♀ same data as holotype ; 1♀, Chikkaballapura, Foot hills of Nandi , 1007m, 6.vi.2011, Yeshwanth, H.M., sweep net ; Andhra Pradesh: 1♂, Nizamabad, Rudrur , 14.ix.2012, Yeshwanth Light trap ; Kerala: 2♀, Bison Valley, Ratnagiri , 1049m, 23.iv.2013, Light trap, Yeshwanth, H.M. ( NBAIR, UASB) .

Etymology. The specific epithet (deccanensis, -ense) is derived from the Deccan plateau where the species lives.

Remarks. This species forms a group with M. bilineatus , M. nilgalaensis , M. paulus and M. rubrostriatus , all having an orange stripe running from the crown to the exposed mesonotum on either side of the median line; they also have a slightly conically produced crown about as long as the interocular distance (slightly shorter in M. paulus ). To this list, M. confuscus , M. rotundus and M. fletcheri can be added as they have a similar colour pattern except that the stripes are replaced by a spot on the crown, on the anterior half of the pronotum and on the basal triangles of the exposed mesonotum. These eight species appear to form a closely related species assemblage differing from each other in the shape of the pygofer, pygofer process and the aedeagus.. The Chinese species, M. aurantinus (Xing & Li) also belongs to this group.