[PaleoEntomology • 2021] Jurassic Scorpionflies (Mecoptera) with swollen first metatarsal segments suggesting Sexual Dimorphism

  

Comparison of non-swollen versus swollen first metatarsal segments. 
 a, b Non-swollen, Mesopanorpa densa. c, d Heavily swollen, Mesopanorpa luanpingensis. e, f Slightly swollen, Orthophlebia elenae. g, h Moderately swollen, Mesopanorpa densa. 
i Artist’s reconstruction of orthophlebiids with the first metatarsal segment slightly swollen (male at left) or extremely swollen (male at center).

in Zhang, P.J.M. Shih, Wang, McNamara, C. Shih, Ren et Gao, 2021.

DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s12862-021-01771-3

 (artwork by Dr. Chen Wang)

Abstract

Background: Sexual dimorphism is widespread in insects. The certain specialized structures may be used as weapons in male–male combats or as ornaments to enhance mating opportunities.

Results: We report striking swollen first tarsal segments in two families, four genera and six species of scorpionflies from the Middle Jurassic Yanliao Biota of Northeastern China. Swollen tarsal segments are restricted to male specimens and to hind leg tarsi. The geometric morphometric analyses reveal that the degree of swelling within the orthophlebiid species possessing swollen first metatarsal segments is species-specific, which can be used as a diagnostic character for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies.

Conclusions: The new findings indicate that swollen first metatarsal segments are relatively common in the family Orthophlebiidae during the Middle Jurassic. The tarsal swellings are considered to be sexually dimorphic, potentially associated with sexually display by males and/or camouflage of a “nuptial gift” in the mating process.

Keywords: Fossil insect, Holcorpidae, Mesozoic, Orthophlebiidae, Tarsal swelling, Nuptial gift, Yanliao Biota

Comparison of non-swollen versus swollen first metatarsal segments.
 a, b Non-swollen, Mesopanorpa densa (CNU-MEC-NN2016270). c, d Heavily swollen, Mesopanorpa luanpingensis (CNU-MEC-NN2016229). e, f Slightly swollen, Orthophlebia elenae (CNU-MEC-NN2014020). g, h Moderately swollen, Mesopanorpa densa (CNU-MEC-NN2016253).
i Artist’s reconstruction of orthophlebiids with the first metatarsal segment slightly swollen (male at left) or extremely swollen (male at center) (credit: Dr. Chen Wang).

b, d, f, h Habitus, first metatarsal segments of (a, c, e, g). Scale bars represent: 4 mm for (a, c, e, g); 0.5 mm for (b, d, f, h)

Yan-jie Zhang, Peter J. M. Shih, Jun-you Wang, Maria E. McNamara, Chungkun Shih, Dong Ren and Tai-ping Gao. 2021. Jurassic Scorpionflies (Mecoptera) with swollen first metatarsal segments suggesting Sexual Dimorphism. BMC Ecology and Evolution. 21: 47. DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s12862-021-01771-3 [20 March 2021]

[Entomology • 2024] Panorpa dimaluo, P. maershana, P. sicaura, P. vajra, ... • Taxonomy of the Panorpa issikiana Species Group (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), with Descriptions of Twenty New Species

  

Panorpa sp.

in Wang et Zhao, 2024. 

  www.biotaxa.org/AEMNP/article/view/85774 

Abstract

Twenty undescribed species of Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758 from southwestern China share some morphological similarities such as basally constricted male abdominal segment VII, loss of median process in male gonostyli, and greatly developed female laterotergites IX with the little-known species Panorpa issikiana Byers, 1970. Therefore, the P. issikiana species group is established to include these species, with descriptions of the new species, a checklist, keys to the species, and a distributional map provided. These new species are: P. chenyandongi Wang sp. nov., P. dalangba Wang sp. nov., P. dimaluo Wang sp. nov., P. huadianba Wang & Zhao sp. nov., P. jinfo Wang sp. nov., P. jizushana Wang sp. nov., P. leiqilongi Wang sp. nov., P. luojishana Wang sp. nov., P. maershana Wang sp. nov., P. meihuashana Wang sp. nov., P. niaodiaoshana Wang sp. nov., P. shengyingfeng Wang & Zhao sp. nov., P. shimianensis Wang sp. nov., P. sicaura Wang sp. nov., P. vajra Wang sp. nov., P. vajroides Wang & Zhao sp. nov., P. weixiensis Wang sp. nov., P. wenhai Wang sp. nov., P. wolongensis Wang sp. nov., and P. yucheni Wang sp. nov. All of them are distributed in southwestern China, including Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan. In addition, their systematic positions are briefly discussed. The historical problems of P. issikiana, the systematic position of this group in the genus Panorpa, and the relationships among its members are also discussed.

P. vajroides Wang & Zhao sp. nov., male

 P. shengyingfeng Wang & Zhao sp. nov., male

Panorpa huadianba Wang & Zhao sp. nov., male

 Panorpa issikiana

Ji-Shen Wang, Can-Jun Zhao. 2024. Taxonomy of the Panorpa issikiana Species Group, with Descriptions of Twenty New Species (Mecoptera: Panorpidae). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae. 64(1); 79-106.   www.biotaxa.org/AEMNP/article/view/85774 

[Entomology • 2022] Panorpa fengyanga & P. zhuohengi • Review of the Panorpa wormaldi group (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), with Descriptions of Two New Species

 

 Panorpa fengyanga 

Wang & Suzuki, 2022

DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2022.794.1651

ABSTRACT

Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758 is the largest genus in the scorpionfly family Panorpidae. In this paper, a taxonomic review of the Panorpa wormaldi group is provided, with two new species described from China: Panorpa fengyanga Wang & Suzuki, sp. nov. from Zhejiang, and Panorpa zhuohengi Wang & Suzuki, sp. nov. from Guangdong. The male of Panorpa implicata Cheng, 1957 is discovered and described for the first time. A distributional map and keys to species are also provided for this group. Species number in this group is updated from 17 to 19. In addition, their biogeographical and evolutionary implications are briefly discussed.

 

Keywords: biodiversity, fauna, Oriental Region, scorpionflies, new species

 

Ji-Shen Wang and Tomoya Suzuki. 2022. Review of the Panorpa wormaldi group (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), with Descriptions of Two New Species. European Journal of Taxonomy. 794(1), 18–39. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2022.794.1651

[Entomology • 2021] Taxonomy of the Panorpa guttata Group (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), with Descriptions of Fourteen New Species from China

Panorpa nanzhao Wang, 

in Wang & Gong, 2021. 

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4981.2.3

Abstract

Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758 is the largest genus in the scorpionfly family Panorpidae. It is considered a paraphyletic taxon and needs further revisions. In this paper, we present a taxonomic study of the Panorpa guttata group, including 23 closely related species, with fourteen species new to science: Panorpa caoweii Wang, sp. n., Panorpa dali Wang, sp. n., Panorpa duanyu Wang & Gong, sp. n., Panorpa hani Wang, sp. n., Panorpa hirundo Wang, sp. n., Panorpa huangguiqiangi Wang, sp. n., Panorpa jiangrixini Wang, sp. n., Panorpa jinfoshana Wang, sp. n., Panorpa latiloba Wang, sp. n., Panorpa nanzhao Wang, sp. n., Panorpa stella Wang, sp. n., Panorpa substricta Wang, sp. n., Panorpa xiaofeng Wang & Gong, sp. n., and Panorpa xuzhu Wang & Gong, sp. n. We also provide a distributional map, keys to species, and discussions regarding the taxonomic implications and biological information of the P. guttata group.

Keywords: Mecoptera, biodiversity, fauna, new species, scorpionflies, taxonomy, Oriental Region

Ji-Shen Wang and You-Jing Gong. 2021. Taxonomy of the Panorpa guttata Group (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), with Descriptions of Fourteen New Species from China. Zootaxa. 4981(2); 241–274. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4981.2.3

[Entomology • 2018] Panorpa bashanicola • An Enigmatic New Species of Panorpa Linneaus (Mecoptera, Panorpidae) from the Bashan Mountains

Panorpa bashanicola

Hua, Tao & Hua, 2018

 DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.777.26056 

Abstract

A new species of Panorpidae, Panorpa bashanicola sp. n., is described and illustrated from the Bashan Mountains in central China. The new species is characterized by the following characters: vertex black, with two pale longitudinal stripes and four pale rounded spots; vein 1A ending before the origin of Rs; meso- and metanotum pale, and the pale color extending to tergum III in V-shape; male epandrium emarginate distally in deep U-shape; hypovalves without basal stalk, completely represented by a pair of short hypovalves, extending to distal third of gonocoxite, with five black stout setae in distal portion; paramere simple, S-shaped; a bundle of long hairs between dorsal and ventral valves of aedeagus; dorsal valves of aedeagus much longer than ventral valves and curved ventrally, with distal portion foot-shaped; female medigynium twice as long as wide, with stout axis extending over one-third its length beyond main plate.

Keywords: China, Hubei, Oriental Region, Mecoptera, Panorpa, Panorpidae, Shaanxi

Figure 2. Panorpa bashanicola sp. n., adults in dorsal view.
A Male B Female.

Panorpa bashanicola sp. n.

Diagnosis: The new species can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: vertex black, with two pale longitudinal stripes and four pale rounded spots; vein 1A ending before the origin of Rs; one cross-vein between veins 1A and 2A; meso- and metanotum pale, and the pale color extending to tergum III in a V-shape; male epandrium emarginate distally in a deep U-shape; hypovalves extending to the distal third of gonocoxite, with five stout black setae on the distal portion; paramere simple, S-shaped; a bundle of long hairs between the dorsal and ventral valves of aedeagus; dorsal valves of aedeagus much longer than ventral valves and curved ventrally, with distal portion foot-shaped; female medigynium twice as long as wide, with stout axis extending over one-third its length beyond main plate.

Etymology: The specific epithet, bashanicola, refers to its type locality, Bashan Mountains.

Distribution: China (Shaanxi and Hubei).

 Yuan Hua, Shi-Heng Tao and Bao-Zhen Hua. 2018. An Enigmatic New Species of Panorpa Linneaus from the Bashan Mountains (Mecoptera, Panorpidae). ZooKeys. 777: 109-118. DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.777.26056

[Entomology • 2016] Cerapanorpa, A New Genus of Panorpidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) from China, with Descriptions of Three New Species

Cerapanorpa obtusa  

(Cheng, 1949)  

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4158.1.5

Abstract

A new genus of Panorpidae (Mecoptera), Cerapanorpa gen. nov., is erected with Panorpa obtusa Cheng, 1949 as its type species. The new genus can be readily recognized by having a single digitate anal horn on the posterior edge of tergum VI in males, and a broad main plate bearing two pairs of basal plates at the genital plate and a well-developed elongate axis in females. Nineteen described species are transferred from Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758 to the new genus. In addition, three new species, Cerapanorpa liupanshana sp. nov., Cerapanorpa protrudens sp. nov. and Cerapanorpa sinuata sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Panorpa alticola Zhou, 2000 syn. nov. is regarded as a junior synonym of P. obtusa Cheng, 1949. A key to genera of Panorpidae is updated to include the new genus. A key to species of Cerapanorpa is also presented.

Keywords: Mecoptera, Insecta, Panorpidae, Panorpa, Oriental Region, Palearctic Region, East Asia, China

Chao Gao and Bao-Zhen Hua. 2016. Cerapanorpa, A New Genus of Panorpidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) with Descriptions of Three New Species.
Zootaxa. 4158(1); 93–104. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4158.1.5