Monobazus longulus, VIRAKTAMATH & WEBB & YESHWANTH, 2025

Monobazus longulus sp. nov.

Figs 4 View FIGURES 4 MN, 9M, 38A–F

Diagnosis. Coloration similar to Mavromoustaca oppressa , but slightly paler less bold. Aedeagus similar to that in M. brunnescens but ventral process on shaft arising more proximally, divergent from shaft and much longer.

Description. Coloration similar to M. oppressa , but slightly paler and dark spots less bold. Face ventrad of antennal bases brown.

Head as wide as pronotum. Crown 0.6× as long as interocular width. Pronotum 2.2× as wide as long and shorter than exposed mesonotum.

Male genitalia. Pygofer narrowed posteriorly, more than 2.5× as long as wide in lateral view; posterodorsal angle conically rounded; ventral process very short, arising at midlength on ventral margin, finger-like. Subgenital plate with macrosetae in distal half and also with hair-like setae, almost 7x as long as wide at base. Style with apophysis stout, almost straight, with rounded apex. Connective with stem as long as arms. Aedeagus with shaft of uniform width in lateral view, curved anterodorsally, with basal process arising from atrium, divergent from shaft at basal 0.33, forked almost at midlength and much longer than shaft; gonopore apical.

Measurements. Male 4.3 mm long, 1.1 mm across eyes and also across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂, INDIA: H. P. [Himachal Pradesh]: 5 Km N. Kalka, 2.x.1980, C.A. Viraktamath ( UASB).

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin adjective longulus, a-, -um (= rather long) referring to the long basal process of the aedeagal shaft.

Remarks. M. longulus , M. biligiriensis , and M. sudindicus have the ventral process of the aedeagal shaft arising very close to the base. M. longulus differs from the other two species in having the ventral process of the aedeagal shaft with long stem before it forks ( Fig. 38D View FIGURES 38 ) as in the case of M. himalayensis and the male pygofer has very short digitate ventral process arising almost at midlength of ventral margin ( Fig. 38A View FIGURES 38 ). It differs from M. himalayensis in having the ventral process of aedeagus arising from midventral margin of pygofer, the posterodorsal lobe of pygofer not produced into a hook-like process and the subgenital plate with macrosetae in addition to hair-like setae.