Drepanosticta vietnamica : Asahina 1997

Drepanosticta vietnamica Asahina, 1997

(Figure 8a–f)

Drepanosticta vietnamica: Asahina (1997): Original description from Lai Chau Province, North Vietnam, pp. 107–108, Figs 1–2 (head & thorax and appendages); Dow et al. (2018): pp. 279–280, Figs 17–20 (figures of head, thorax and appendages based on paratype).

Specimens examined. 3 ♂♂, Ta Thom Village (19.0329 N, 103.5950 E, altitude 355 m), Muangngan District, Xiang Khuoang Province, Laos, 29.v.2017, Naoki Yokoi leg. (ZCDTU); 1 ♂, 11km southeast Muang Xay (20.6079 N, 102.0540 E, altitude 1053 m), Oudomxay Province, Laos, 11.v.2004, Naoki Yokoi leg. (ZCDTU).

Notes. Drepanosticta vietnamica is a new addition to the Laotian fauna. This species was originally described from northern Vietnam by Asahina (1997) based on two male specimens with one figure of the head and thorax (in lateral view) and one figure of the anal appendages (Figs 1–2 in Asahina 1997). Recently Dow et al. (2018) provided figures of D. vietnamica based on the paratype male (with the same collection date and location as the holotype). The body coloration and structure of the Laotian specimens match well with the original description of D. vietnamica (Asahina 1997). This species differs from all other species in the D. carmichaeli –group by the yellowish markings dorsally on S9–10 (Fig. 8c), as opposed to these segments black or with blue markings in other members of the group. However this difference may well not be reliable since the yellow marking in dorsal S9–10 of male D. vietnamica might be due to the preservation (for instance, see the case of the paratype males of D. wildermuthi sp. nov.). Within the D. carmichaeli -group the structure of the anal appendages of D. vietnamica is most similar to D. carmichaeli and D. emtrai with a distinct ventral heel on the cerci (compare Figs 3d, 5b) (Fig. 8d). The female of D. vietnamica remains unknown.

Distribution. Vietnam (Lai Chau Province) & Laos (Oudomxay & Xiang Khuoang Provinces) (Fig. 13).