Two new endemic species of Chrysopodes (Neosuarius) (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) from the Galapagos Islands

By

Tauber, Catherine A.
Tauber, Maurice J.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2010

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

42

Pages

47-78

Subjects

endemic lacewings , Galapagos Islands , geographic variation , new species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.42.359

 

Abstract

Two new species that were previously undistinguished from the Galapagos endemic Chrysopodes (Neosuarius) nigripilosus (Banks), are described. These descriptions double, from two to four, the number of endemic green lacewing species known from the archipelago. The four species include: Chrysoperla galapagoensis (Banks), Chrysopodes (N.) nigricubitus sp. n.; C. (N.) nigripilosus; and C. (N.) pecki sp. n. Three of these species – C. (N.) nigripilosus, C. (N.) nigricubitus and Chrysoperla galapagoensis – each occur on more than one island, whereas C. (N.) pecki is known only from the summits of two craters on Isabela Island. A suite of very distinctive features differentiates the three Galapagos Chrysopodes (N.) species from their congeners on mainland South America. Subtle, but consistent characteristics separate the three Galapagos species from each other. The small degree of morphological divergence among the Galapagos lacewings is in marked contrast to the spectacular radiation of Hawaiian lacewings; the processes of diversification and speciation may differ significantly between the two island archipelagos.