Protohermes sabahensis Liu, Hayashi & Yang, 2008, sp. nov.

Protohermes sabahensis sp. nov.

(Figs. 1–2, 7–14, 32)

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the yellow head and pronotum possessing three pairs of narrow black markings. Additionally, the coloration of the longitudinal veins alternates black and yellow in the middle of the forewings. The male ninth sternum is widely incised and V–shaped posteriorly, and the distal portion of the male tenth tergum is strongly broadened laterally.

Male. Body length 16–23 mm (n=25); forewing length 28–33 mm, hindwing length 26–30 mm.

Head (Fig. 7) yellow, vertex with pair of subquadrate or subtriangular black markings near posterolateral margins; postocular spine almost absent. Compound eyes brown to slightly pale green; ocelli yellow, medially margined black, posterior ocelli touching median ocellus. Antenna black with scape and pedicel yellow. Mouthparts yellow; mandibles with distal half black; maxillary and labial palpi somewhat darkened.

Thorax yellow; pronotum (Fig. 7) with two pairs of elongate black markings near lateral margins, posterior pair widely separated. Thoracic pilosity yellowish, much longer on meso– and metathorax than that on prothorax. Legs yellow, with short, dense, yellowish setae; tarsal claws pale reddish brown. Wings (Fig. 1) almost hyaline, with several whitish markings. Forewings slightly brownish, with several irregular markings on proximal half and a round marking at distal 1/3; markings on proximal half usually expanded and fused with each other, making proximal half of forewing mostly white. Hindwings mostly clear, except for anterior and distal veins, which are light brown. Veins in forewing mostly brownish, except for those in whitish markings, which are colorless, and in some proximal longitudinal veins that alternate black and yellow. Rs 9– to 10–branched, last branch bifurcate; both wings with 7–10 crossveins between R1 and Rs; M1+2 mostly 6– branched, M3+4 2–branched; 1A 3–branched.

Abdomen yellow. Ninth tergum (Fig. 8) subtrapezoidal, with anterior margin nearly straight and posterior margin V–shaped. Ninth sternum (Fig. 9) broad, slightly longer than ninth tergum; posterior margin with wide V–shaped incision, forming pair of broad, triangular posterior processes. Ninth gonostylus (Fig. 11) slenderly unguiform, nearly as long as ninth tergum, with tip slightly curved. Tenth tergum (Figs 8–10) flattened, about 1.5 times as long as ninth tergum, twisted; distal half strongly broadened in lateral view, with inner portion bearing long hair–like setae. Tenth sternum (Fig. 12) arched with dorsomedial process expanded as a plate; lateral lobes digitiform, slightly curved medially.

Female. Body length 23–30 mm (n=13); forewing length 37–41 mm, hindwing length 34–38 mm. Color similar to male. Eighth sternum (Figs. 13–14) subtriangular in lateral view, posterior margin slightly produced without any incision. Ninth gonocoxite subquadrate, with small gonostylus at tip. Tenth tergum short, with posterior margin medially incised, leaving a thick digitiform dorsal and a thin semicircular ventral lobe.

Type materials. Holotype ɗ, Eastern Malaysia: Sabah, near Kinabalu, 6°8N, 116°55E, collected on 8/ 12.III.1994, reared from larva and emerged on 21.IV.1994, F. Hayashi (CAU). Paratypes, Eastern Malaysia: 1 Ψ, same data as holotype, collected on 8/ 12.III.1994, reared from larva and emerged on 8.IV.1995 (CAU); 1 ɗ, Sabah, near Kinabalu, 6.VI.1992, H. Karube (HC); 1 ɗ, Sabah, near Kinabalu, 9.III.1994, F. Hayashi (HC); 1 ɗ, Sabah, near Kinabalu, 5.VIII.1994, S. Suda (HC); 1 Ψ, Sabah, near Kinabalu, 24.III.1989, H. Karube (HC).

Other specimens examined. Eastern Malaysia: 22 ɗ 11 Ψ, Sabah, near Kinabalu, collected on 8/ 12.III.1994, reared from larvae and emerged from 18.V.1994 to 28.I.1996, F. Hayashi (HC).

Distribution. Eastern Malaysia (Sabah).

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ sabahensis ’ refers to the type locality of the new species.

Remarks. The new species appears to be closely related to P. tortuosus sp. nov. in having a similar yellow body coloration and its male tenth tergum distally broadened, but it can be easily separated from P. tortuosus by the male ninth sternum with a V–shaped posterior incision. The posterior incision of the male ninth sternum of P. tortuosus is suboblong.