Neuroleon modestus ( Navás, 1912 ), Navas, 1912

Michel, Bruno & Akoudjin, Massouroudini, 2012, Review of Neuroleon Navás of West Africa with descriptions of four new species (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae), Zootaxa 3519, pp. 32-52 : 39-41

Neuroleon modestus ( Navás, 1912)

( Figs. 22–33 )

Nelees modestus Navás, 1912: 68 .

Neuroleon modestus Navás, 1912 : Krivokhatsky 1996 (new combination)

Neuroleon sociorum Hölzel & Ohm, 1983: 243 , syn. nov.

Diagnosis. Medium sized species ( Fig 22 ). Abdomen with three yellow markings from tergite III, one median basal and two lateral ( Fig. 27 ). Wing markings variable ( Figs 22, 23, 24 ).

Redescription. Head. Face yellow. Two transverse black markings above and below base of antennae. Anterior margin of the latter marking trident-shaped ( Fig. 25 ). Thorax. Pronotum pattern as in figure 26. Foreleg. Coxa yellow with two parallel stripes and an apical dot on posterior surface, more or less distinct. About 12–15 long white setae. Femur with sensory seta long but shorter than femur. Dorsal surface darker, covered by short setae. Posterior surface with five to six stout white setae at extremity. Tibia yellow with dark marking on the dorsal surface. Tibial spurs slender, longer than tarsomeres 1–2. Tarsomeres dark apically. Middle leg. Coxa yellow. Femur with dark dots on the dorsal surface. Tibia and tarsomeres as in foreleg. Hind leg ( Fig. 28 ). Yellow. Femur with about 10 stout setae with black dots at their base. Tibia dark at extremity with about 10 erect black setae. A narrow dark stripe on dorsal surface in the basal 1/3 or 1/2. Tibial spurs as long as T1. Tarsomeres as in other legs. Wings. Forewing 3 17–18 mm, ♀ 18–20 mm. Hind wing 3 16–17 mm, ♀ 17–19 mm. Membrane hyaline, veins white. Longitudinal veins dark at the junction with some crossveins. Forewing. Two to four crossveins in apical field. Black markings very variable ( Figs 22, 23, 24 ). Generally with at least a basal dot on the sixth crossvein between M and CuA, gradates and base of pterostigma dark ( Fig. 22 ). Other variable black markings on some crossveins between R and RS until extremity of hypostigmatic cell, two between M and CuA, and cubital mark small. Hind wing. Markings at most reduced to some crossveins between R and RS. Abdomen. 3 12–13 mm, ♀ 11–13 mm. Brown. Tergite III to VI with three yellow markings, one dorsal at anterior margin and two lateral. Tergite VII with only two large lateral yellow markings ( Fig. 27 ). Sternites yellow. Male. Ectoprocts yellow, largely bordered with brown. Parameres short without seta. Gonosaccus with five to six long black setae. Subgenital plate large, rounded at apex ( Figs 29, 30 ). Gonarcus U-shaped. Female. Gonapophyseal plate narrow, strongly arched ( Fig. 31 ).

Type material examined. Nelees modestus Navás, 1912 . Type ♀, near Porto Novo [06°29’N 02°36’E] BENIN (Coll. MNHN) . Neuroleon sociorum Hölzel & Ohm, 1983 . Paratype 3, Bel Air [14°42’N 17°25’W] SENEGAL (Coll. MNHN).

Additional material examined (33, 9♀♀). MALI Sikasso 1♀ 23.I.1996 attracted to light 22:00 ; 1♀ 15.II. 1996 in morning, attracted to light ; 13 10.III.1997 Wayerma District, light trap 21:00 ; 1♀ 24.V.1995 CMDT factory, attracted to light 21:30. Farako 13 13.II.1997 forest, light trap 20:00. Banamba [13°55’N 07°45’W] 3♀♀ 10–12.IV.1992 at light trap, degraded savannah with trees, fields and mango orchards, ½ km from dry stream, J. Beerlink leg. ( ZMAN). BURKINA FASO Folonzo (= Folenzo) [09°57’N 04°40’W] 1♀ 30.V.2010, M. Akoudjin leg. BENIN Cotonou Calavi station IITA 1♀ 24.II.1998 fallow, light trap ; 1♀ 11.XI.1997 fallow, light trap, G. Goergen leg. IVORY COAST Bouaké [07°41’N 05°01’W] 13?. V.1982.

Ecology. Occurs in grass savannas and in grassy vegetation in cultivated area. In southern Mali adults fly during the dry season from January to May.

Distribution. Recorded from northern Guinean and Sudanian Regions including Cape Verde Islands ( Hölzel & Ohm 1983, 1991) and from Arabian Peninsula ( Hölzel 1988, 1998).

Comments. A male of Neuroleon guttatus ( Navás, 1914c) from Namibia (ISNB) ( Figs 32 ) and females from Mozambique were examined. The morphological characters and the wing markings are similar to N. modestus although more dark and conspicuous. As in N. lepidus , the genitalia of the specimen from Namibia are distinctly larger with longer parameres ( Fig. 33 ). Considering this difference, N. modestus and N. guttatus are retained as separate and valid species. The discontinuity of their area of distribution suggests that both species could be vicariant species

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 31. Neuroleon modestus (Navás). 22 — Male with basal mark on forewing. 23 — Female without wing markings. 24 — Female with wing markings. 25 — Face. 26 — Vertex and pronotum. 27 — Abdomen. 28 — Right hind leg. 29 — Right view of male ectoproct and genitalia. 30 — Ventral view of male subgenital plate and genitalia. 31 — Left view of female terminalia.

FIGURES 32 – 33. Neuroleon guttatus (Navás). 32 — Male from Namibia. 33 — Genitalia of male (left) compared to N. modestus (right).