Semachrysa jade
Semachrysa jade, females
Semachrysa jade is a lacewing species that occurs in the Malaysian provinces of Sabah and Selangor. So far, only very few specimens of this species were found that were all females. The species can be easily distinguished from all other species of the genus Semachrysa by their characteristic Flügeladerung, the spot between the bases of the antennae, only two existing spots on the frons, and the seventh Hinterleibssternit, which is pointed posteromedial and bears a tuft of hair. The species is similar due to their black spots on the head and the wings Semachrysa wallacei.
Features
Previously, only the females are known. The animals have a forewing length of 15.0 millimeters, the hind wings are 13.5 to 14.0 millimeters long. They are light green and yellow and have the head, the abdomen and on both wings dark spots. In animals prepared the color faded to pale yellow. The head is yellow and wears at the vertex between the sensors and also a black spot just such a rectangular spot on the frons below the sensor base, and proximal to the edge of the compound eyes. The face plate has side a brown tinge. The labrum is indented center. The antennae are pale green, undecorated and slightly longer than the front wing. Your flagellum contributes at least 50 Flagellomere. The palps are green and also undecorated.
The prothorax is green and has on the front side panels of the pronotum a little brown stain. The Proto thorax is relatively sparsely covered with short green hair. On the sides of the hair is a little thicker and darker. The mesonotum and metanotum are the yellow-green, the Scutum is dark with stuffed animals, the Mesoscutellum is pale yellow. These body parts are sparse pale yellow hairs to white. The legs are bright green in color and covered with white hairs. On the rails ( tibiae ) of the front legs, the setae are distally shorter and yellowish. On all three pairs of legs, the distal Tarsenglieder and the claws are brownish. The wings are quite rounded. The cost Alber calibration of the front wing is broad, basally rounded and straight towards the wing tip. Both pairs of wings are transparent, have predominantly pale green wing veins and each carry a distinctive dark patch which extends along there as well darkened wing veins at its base. The fore wings have the basal four or five cross- veins between R and Rs veins that converge to the rear. Rs approaches to basal vein Psm. Three cross- veins are located between the veins Cu1 and Cu2, the first rear cross vein to the edge is bifurcated, with its rear ( posterior ) arm connects to the vein Cu2 on the wing edge.
The abdomen is yellow green on the back, the belly is white. On the second to fourth tergite is a medial dark stripe. In the third to fifth tergite is located laterally in each case a poorly recognizable dark spot. The eighth sternite bears a medial tuft of short, strong setae. The seventh sternite has a wide pointed posteromedial edge and bears a tuft of short, dark setae.
Discovery history
In May 2011, Hock Ping Guek was a Malaysian amateur photographer, traveling in the Selangor State Park near Kuala Lumpur to shoot close-ups of forest insects. He focused on rather rare lacewings, who settled on twigs and leaves. During this excursion he had a close-up of a yellowish-green insect with black spots on the wings. He had seen the insect previously had, then it flew away but before he could photograph it. After his return he published the picture on Flickr, with the comment that he was happy that he after four years macrophotography finally a respectable entry of such animals has been successful. Shaun Winterton, a senior entomologist at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, saw this photo soon after. He was impressed by the black wing markings, which he had never seen before at a lacewing. Despite his extensive field experience, he was not able to identify this species. Colleagues, to whom he showed the photo, were also at a loss.
Winterton Guek sent an email and asked him if he had a sample, as this is probably an undescribed species. Guek denied this because the photographed specimen was flown away shortly after admission. A year later Guek Winterton sent another e- mail and informed him that he had seen this lacewing again and this time had been able to catch a copy. Winterton Guek recommended to send the sample to Steven J. Brooks from the Natural History Museum in London. Brooks later confirmed that it was indeed an unknown type. At the same time he was on the basis of previously classified and examined copy, which had transferred to the Museum in 1981, found that the kind in the Malaysian province of Sabah on Borneo occurs. Guek, Winterton and Brooks wrote the scientific description together with Google Docs. Winterton named the species after his daughter. In the summary of the article, which was published in August 2012 in the Journal ZooKeys, the authors described their discovery as " a common discovery by a Citizen Scientist and professional taxonomists ".
Pictures
Another female
Wing scheme
Genital attachments of the female
Location: Selangor State Park