Cataphractomimus mirapelta new species

(Figs 3, 22, 36–38, 77, 92)

Oxylipeurus himalayensis burmeisteri (Taschenberg, 1882); Clay 1938: 169 (in partim).

Reticulipeurus himalayensis burmeisteri (Tasch.); Złotorzycka 1966: 112 (in partim).

Oxylipeurus burmeisteri (Taschenberg, 1882); Hopkins & Clay 1952: 256 (in partim).

Oxylipeurus burmeisteri (Taschenberg, 1882); Price et al. 2003: 202 (in partim).

Type host. Lophophorus lhuysii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1866 —Chinese monal.

Type locality. “Upper Minho” [= Upper Min River, Sichuan Province, China].

Diagnosis. Cataphractomimus impervius is most similar to C. mirapelta based on the much larger size of these two species compared to the other species in the genus (Table 1) and their proportionately larger scapes (compare Figs 21–22 with Fig. 23). However, C. impervius and C. mirapelta can be separated by the characters listed under the diagnosis of C. impervius above.

Description.

Male. Head shape, structure, reticulation, and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 3; dorsal preantennal suture present around aperture of ads. Marginal carina narrow. Head sensillus s5 situated about as far from pns as from s3. Antennae as in Fig. 22; rugose area extensive across more than half of flagellomere I, and at distal end of pedicel. Thoracic and abdominal plates, chaetotaxy and approximate reticulation patterns as in Fig. 3. Pronotum divided medianly. Holotype with 5+2 macrosetae on each side on posterior margin of pterothorax, but paratype with 4+1 on one side, and 6+2 on one side. Tergopleurites VI–VII with inter-tergal plates (ITP in Fig. 3); tergopleurites VII–VIII with seemingly internal anterior bulges (IAB in Fig. 3); tergopleurite VIII medianly continuous, but with slightly paler median section which may be extremely narrow suture. Tergopleurite XI medianly continuous. Subgenital plate formed from sternal plate IX+X only, separate from sternal plate VIII (Fig. 77); reticulation of subgenital plate incomplete medianly; stylus broad and blunt (Fig. 77). No lateral sternal plates on abdominal segment XI. Basal apodeme as in Fig. 36, widening slightly distally. Ventral sclerite of mesosome with flat anterior margin, lateral ends diffuse and no pores visible; 1 microseta visible on each side of gonopore, situated internal to the ventral sclerite and mostly hidden by this. Rugose area of mesosome extensive. Antero-lateral extensions of mesosome with angular anterior margins. Parameres comparatively short and stout. Measurements as in Table 1.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is formed by “ mirus ”, Latin for “wonderful”, and “ pelte ”, Greek for “shield”, referring to the intensely decorated tergal and sternal plates. It is a noun in apposition.

Type material. Holotype ♂, “Upper Minho” [= Upper Min River, Sichuan, China], Dec. 1914, R. Meinertz- hagen, 342, NHMUK010682344 (NHML) [specimen with broken stylus, closest to host label]. Paratype ♂, same data as holotype (NHML).

Remarks. Since the holotype has a broken stylus and lacks leg pair I, these characters have been illustrated from the paratype male.