Male: Frons, vertex, occiput and postgena brownish-black (Fig. 2C and D). Rostrum uniformly yellowish-brown, mandibles brown. Antennae black with 38–42 flagellomeres. Pro-, meso- and metanotum black, bearing black stout setae anteriorly (Fig. 2E). Pleura and legs yellowish-brown. Forewing length 13.87–15.49 mm, width 3.34–3.62 mm. Wing broad and membrane hyaline; apical band only with dark grey trace at apical region (Figs. 2A and 4A). Hindwing length 12.30–13.85 mm, width 3.10–3.45 mm, similar to forewing in shape and venation. Terga I–V entirely black. Notal organ on the posterior margin of tergum III semicircular, not prominent; postnotal organ on tergum IV small and hook-shaped. Tergum VI with a very short finger-like anal horn on posterior margin (Fig. 2F). Segments VII and VIII elongate, constricted basally and thicker gradually toward apex.

Figure 2.  

Adults of Cerapanorpa alpina sp. nov. A, B. Male and female habitus in dorsal views; C, D. male head in frontal and posterior views; E. male dorsum of head and thorax; F. male abdomen in lateral view. Abbreviations: ah, anal horn; ms, mesonotum; mt, metanotum; no, notal organ; pr, pronotum. Abdominal segments are indicated by Roman numerals. Scale bars: A, B = 5 mm; C, D = 0.5 mm; E, F = 1 mm.

Male genitalia: Genital bulb elliptical, yellowish-brown (Fig. 3A). Epandrium (tergum IX) broad at base, gradually narrowing towards apex, with deep U-shaped emargination terminally (Fig. 3B). Hypovalve slender, bearing several short stout setae along inner margin (Fig. 3A). Gonocoxite with two subtriangular protuberances on ventral submedian margin (Fig. 3A). Gonostylus bearing indistinct median tooth and prominent basal process on inner margin. Paramere elongate, extending beyond median tooth of gonostylus, curved laterally at basal half and bearing numerous dense spines along inner margin (Fig. 3A). Aedeagus almost straight; dorsal valves short and inflated apically; ventral valves elongate and membranous; lateral process prominent and curved ventrally (Fig. 3C and E).

Figure 3.  

Genitalia of Cerapanorpa alpina sp. nov. A, B. Male genital bulb in ventral and dorsal views; C, E. aedeagus in ventral and lateral views; D. female terminalia in ventral view; F, G. medigynium in ventral and dorsal views. Abbreviations: ax, axis; ce, cercus; dp, dorsal process; dv, dorsal valve; ep, epandrium; gcx, gonocoxite; gs, gonostylus; hv, hypovalve; lp, lateral process; mp, main plate; pa, posterior arm; pm, paramere; sgp, subgenital plate; vbp, ventral basal plate; vv, ventral valve. Scale bars: A, B, D = 0.5 mm; C, E–G = 0.2 mm.

Female: Head, thorax and abdomen similar to those of males in colouration and pattern (Figs. 2B and 4B). Head length 3.85–4.26 mm. Forewing length 14.59–16.22 mm, width 3.54–3.96 mm. Hindwing length 13.28–14.85 mm, width 3.10–3.45 mm.

Female genitalia: Subgenital plate nearly trapezoidal, shallowly emarginate terminally, with long bristles on lateral distal part (Fig. 3D). Medigynium with main plate twice as long as wide and slightly constricted medially (Fig. 3G). Paired posterior arms forming subquadrate emargination (Fig. 3F and G). Ventral basal plate translucent, covering approximately two-thirds of the main plate; dorsal basal plate lacking (Fig. 3G). Axis bifurcate, elongate, extending anteriorly over half its length beyond main plate (Fig. 3F and G).

The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: postgena brownish-black; male tergum VI with an extra-short anal horn on posterior margin; paramere exceeding beyond the median tooth of gonostylus and curved laterally in basal half; female subgenital plate nearly trapezoidal; medigynium lacking dorsal basal plate.

The specific epithet ‘alpina’ is derived from the Latin adjective ‘alpinus’, referring to the high elevation habitats in the eastern Bashan Mountains.

China (Chongqing, Shaanxi and Hubei provinces).

The new species was found exclusively in the eastern Bashan Mountains with an altitude of above 1800 m and was especially rich on the alpine shrub meadows of mountaintops (Fig. 4C).

Figure 4.  

Adult habitus and habitat of Cerapanorpa alpina sp. nov. A. Male; B. female; C. habitat in the Shentian Alpine Meadow, Langao County, Shaanxi, China.

The new species is closely allied to C. brevicornis (Hua & Li, 2007), but differs from the latter by the following characters: postgena brownish-black (cf. yellowish-brown); male paramere elongate, exceeding beyond the median tooth of gonostylus and curved laterally in basal half (cf. shorter and not curved in basal half); female subgenital plate nearly trapezoidal (cf. elliptical); main plate of female medigynium slightly constricted medially (cf. narrower at base and gradually broadened towards the apex).