Rhopalopsole luzonensis Pelingen, 2025

Rhopalopsole luzonensis Pelingen , sp. nov.

( Fig. 2a View FIGURE 2 , 3a View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 , 7a View FIGURE 7 , 8a View FIGURE 8 )

Holotype: ♂, Philippines, Luzon \ Benguet , 25.XI.1997 \ Adunot-river Untenauf \ leg. Mey, Ebert, Nuss ( PNM) . Paratypes: 2 ♂, Luzon, Quezon \ Infanta , 9.IV.1997 \ leg. Mey ; 1 ♂, Mt. Banahaw \ Kinabuhayan \ 17-19.III.2000 \ leg. Mey & Richter (AdMU)

Diagnosis. The lateral projections of the tergum 10 of males bifurcate, with the top spine appearing longer than the lower one in lateral view. The cercus bears long setations, and in dorsal aspect, the epiproct looks like an elongated oval form.

Description. Male adult habitus. Forewing length: 4.5–4.8 mm (n=3). Head light brown to brown, wider than pronotum; compound eyes black; antennae light brown; mouthparts brown. Pronotum light brown with dark rugosities; wings subhyaline with darker veins; legs brown. Abdomen light brown.

Male terminalia. Tergum 9 strongly sclerotized at anterior margin, weakly sclerotized posteriorly, ornamented throughout. Sternum 9 longer than wide, distal portion with narrow trapezoidal subgenital plate, the plate wider than longer; vesicle in ventral view dark brown, ovoid, covered with long, dense hairs. Tergum 10 from lateral view the upper spine appears longer than the lower spine, with well-sclerotized, bifurcate lateral projections that terminate in two sharp, parallel-sided points in the dorsal aspect. Central plate sclerotized and trilobed, lateral lobes an elongated subtrapezoid, medial lobe darkly pigmented. Cercus twice longer than wide, curved dorsally, with setation, without terminal spine. Epiproct strongly sclerotized and darkly sclerotized laterally, oval in dorsal view, longer than wide. Subanal lobe with prominent basal sclerotization, ambiguous ventral furrows, membranous lateral edges, and apex.

Etymology. The species is named after its current known distribution in the Luzon Island, Philippines.

Distribution. This species is known so far only from Benguet and Quezon provinces in the Philippines.

Remarks. The novel species is a typical of R. malayana group, sensu Sivec et al. (2008). The male appears to be closely connected to R. malayana and more similar with R. meyi having alike bifurcated tergum 10 lateral projections and strongly hooked epiprocts. However, R. luzonensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from R. malayana with the upper spine of bifurcate lateral projections on tergum 10 being longer than the lower one in lateral view; while R. luzonensis sp. nov. differentiated from R. meyi based on a bigger and more ovoid epiproct on its dorsal view. In addition, the posterior margin of sternum 9 is curved smoothly in R. luzonensis sp. nov. while R. meyi projects curving posteriorly. Its subanal lobes are also more elongated than that of R. meyi . Lastly, R. luzonensis sp. nov. lacks a terminal spine on its cerci in contrast to R. malayana .