Indophanes sahyadriensis Suryanarayanan, Bijoy & Ábrahám, 2025

Indophanes sahyadriensis Suryanarayanan, Bijoy & Ábrahám sp. nov.

( Figs. 5–8 View FIGURES 5 View FIGURES 6 View FIGURES 7 View FIGURES 8 ).

Type material

Holotype ♂ INDIA, Kerala, Wayanad, Thirunelly ; 11°54′47.97″N, 75°59′38.75″E; 896 m a.s.l.; 2 Apr. 2023; T. B. Suryanarayanan leg.; sweep net; ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV30030. GoogleMaps

Paratypes 3♂♂, INDIA, same collection data as for holotype with ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV30031, SERLNR375, SERLNR376 GoogleMaps . 3♀♀ INDIA, Kerala, Wayanad, Pakshipathalam ; 11°56′16.94″N, 75°57′41.91″E; 1050 m a.s.l.; 22 Mar. 2022; T. B. Suryanarayanan leg.; sweep net; SERLNR272, SERLNR273, SERLNR274 GoogleMaps . 1♂, 2♀♀ INDIA, Kerala, Palakkad, Siruvani ; 10°58′46.85″N, 76°36′33.72″E; 860 m a.s.l.; 29 Mar. 2023; 23 Apr. 2024; T. B. Suryanarayanan & S. Subin leg.; light trap; SERLNR368, SERLNR471, SERLNR472 GoogleMaps . 1♀ INDIA, Kerala, Kasaragod, Ranipuram ; 12°24′58.61″N, 75°21′50.28″E; 774 m a.s.l.; 07 Apr. 2023; T. B. Suryanarayanan leg.; sweep net; SERLNR379 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis

Vertex dominantly brown, distal end with two pale yellow spots sparsely covered with white setae. Pronotum brown with a longitudinal, narrow yellow stripe dorso-medially. Wings generally transparent. Forewing radial area and rhegma with dark brown shading; cubital area basally with an oblique dark brown stripe; 8–9 presectoral cross-veins present.

The new species can be easily distinguished from the morphologically similar species I. barbara based on the pattern of the notum and forewing. It has a broad yellow band and two lateral brown bands visible on the pronotum in dorsal view ( Figs. 5A–B View FIGURES 5 ). More information is included in the key to the species.

Description

Measurements. Holotype ♂: Length of body: 19 mm. Forewing, length 26 mm, width 6 mm; hindwing, length 27 mm, width 4.5 mm.

Paratypes ♂♂ (n=4) Length of body: 19–20 mm. Forewing, length 25–26 mm, width 6 mm; hindwing, length 26–27 mm, width 4.5 mm. ♀♀ (n=6) Length of body: 21–22 mm. Forewing, length 28–29 mm, width 6 mm; hindwing, length 29–30 mm, width 5 mm.

Head ( Figs. 6A–B View FIGURES 6 ). Vertex dominantly brown, sparsely covered with white setae. Frons pale yellow with a dark brown transversal stripe below and a dull dark brown to brown stripe above scapus, inter-antennal marking distinct dark brown. Anterior tentorial pits brown. Gena yellow. Clypeus yellow, covered with small brown setae. Labrum dark brown dorsally and yellow basally. Maxillary and labial palps yellow. Base of mandible yellow with dark brown apices on inner side. Compound eyes larger than half of head width, blackish-grey. Antenna clavate, longer than length of head and prothorax combined; scape and pedicel generally dark brown with yellow annulations; flagellomeres annulated with brown and light-yellow rings. Club thicker at apex than at base, bristle brown on last segment.

Thorax ( Figs. 6B View FIGURES 6 ). Pronotum brown with a longitudinal narrow yellow stripe dorso-medially and two small oval-shaped marks laterally, densely covered with black setae and sparsely covered with white setae except median portion. Mesonotum dominantly dark brown, with yellow markings at lateral margins. Metanotum dark brown, covered with long yellow setae. Traces of narrow, yellow, dorso-medial stripe visible on meso- and metanotum.

Wings ( Fig. 6C View FIGURES 6 ). Forewing slightly shorter than hindwing. Wing tip acute and straight below, wing tapering basally, anal area obtuse. Venation dense with short, sparse, dark brown setae. Membrane almost completely transparent with an oblique brown stripe in cubital area, and with brown shadows at cross-veins of hypostigmatic cell, at rhegma, and on both sides of gradate veins in radial and postcostal areas. Costa light yellow, covered with short, dense and dark brown setae. Costal area with single rows of cells, cells longer than wide. Cross-veins simple in front of pterostigma, both ends brown. Pterostigma with 9 – 10 veins, 5 veins bifurcated and 4 – 5 simple veins, dominantly dark brown. Subcosta and radius pale yellow alternating dark brown at cross-veins. 9 branches in radial sector, 8 – 9 cross-veins in front of origin of Rs. Cubital fork ca. 30°, acute enough. A 1, A 2 and A 3 yellow basally and brown distally. A 3 simple, A 2 bifurcated distally.

In hindwing, costa yellow with short, dense dark brown setae. Cross-veins simple in front of pterostigma. Pterostigma with 3 – 4 bifurcated veins, poorly pigmented. Subcosta and radius pale yellow, alternating dark brown at cross-veins. 10 branches in radial sector, 1 cross-vein in front of origin of Rs. Mp 1, Mp 2 and Cua dominantly pale yellow, but have small dark brown sections at meeting points with cross-veins. Membrane almost completely transparent, but with barely noticeable light brown shading on both sides of gradate veins in radial area, and at ends of bifurcated radial veins in apical area.

Legs ( Figs. 6D–E View FIGURES 6 ). Long and slender. Foreleg yellow with dark brown dots in setal bases, hairy; coxa light brown, sparsely covered with small white and black setae. Trochanter yellow. Femur covered with dense black hairs and long sensory hairs. Femur longer than tibia. Tibia yellow with brown spots and half rings anteriorly, and a ring on distal ends, covered with long, small, and black setae. Tibial spurs reddish-brown, as long as tarsomeres 1 – 3 together; tarsal segment 1 twice longer than tarsal segment 2, segments 2 – 4 equal. Tarsal segment 5 as long as tarsal segments 1 – 4 together, tarsi pale, covered with dense and black setae; tarsal claws slightly curved, reddish-brown, half as long as distal tarsomere. Midleg similar to foreleg. In hindleg, femur and tibia pale with dark brown longitudinal markings on dorsal side covered with dense and black setose and long, rigid and black bristles. Tibial spurs slightly longer than tarsal segment 1.

Abdomen. Slim, blackish-brown with alternate light-yellow circular marks at middle portion of each segment dorsally, covered with short black and white setae. Posterior margin of each abdominal tergum with a yellow longitudinal stripe medially. Sternites yellow, with long black and small white setae.

Male terminalia and genitalia ( Fig. 7A – C View FIGURES 7 ). Tergum 9 quadrate in lateral view; sternum 9 quadrate in lateral view and covered with long black and a few short white setae; ectoproct ovoid plate, covered with black setae, and white setae along lateral margins. Shape of genitalia complex (gonocoxite 9 and gonocoxite 11 = gonarcus-parameres complex) as in Fig. 7C View FIGURES 7 in ventral view.

Paratype female terminalia ( Figs. 7D – E View FIGURES 7 ). Tergum 8 quadrate in lateral view; gonocoxite 8 long, covered with long, black setae; tergum 9 quadrate in shape; gonocoxite 9 rod-shaped, posteriorly covered with long black setae; ectoprocts ovoid, covered with stout, black setae.

Etymology. The species name sahyadriensis refers to the Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri, a mountain range that stretches 1,600 km ( 990 mi) along the western coast of the Indian peninsula, with native habitats of the antlions.

Flight period and habitat. Thirunelly forest ( holotype locality) is surrounded by evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, as well as shola grasslands at higher altitudes. The adults of I. sahyadriensis Suryanarayanan, Bijoy & Ábrahám sp. nov. are more active at night and are attracted by artificial light. During the day, they rest on the back of leaves or on twigs or branches of trees, which allows them to hide from the environment ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 8 A-B). The habitat is surrounded by dense, undisturbed forest on laterite soil, at an altitude of about 800 m, which covering low and mid-altitude areas in Kerala. Like other Indophanes species, the larvae of this species do not build pits. The adult flight period and seasonality of the new species are mainly observed in March and April, based on the fieldwork done in Kerala.

Distribution. Known only in India: Kerala: Palakkad (Siruvani), Wayanad (Pakshipathalam, Thirunelly), Kasaragod (Ranipuram) ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 9 ).