Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh, 1984

Kaur, Simarjit, Pandher, Manpreet Singh & Chandra, Kailash, 2019, Description of the male of Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh, 1984 (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) from India, Zootaxa 4661 (3), pp. 587-593 : 588

Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh, 1984

( Figs. 1–8 )

Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh, 1984: 50 .

Description. Head. Face yellow; interantennal mark black extending above and below scapes; antennae black with yellow rings; vertex with two rows of black spots ( Fig. 1 ).

Thorax. Protonum pattern as in Fig. 1 . Meso, metathorax and pleura black.

Legs. Foreleg: Coxa dark dorsally, yellow ventrally with white setae; femur yellow ventrally with yellow setae; tibia brown dorsally with long black setae intermixed with small yellow setae; tibial spurs brown, curved and as along as 1–4 tarsomeres ( Fig. 2 ). Middle and hind legs: femur with densely dispersed dark spots; tibia with lesser black spots on yellow base and erect black setae; tibial spurs longer than first two tarsomeres ( Fig. 3 ).

Wings. ( Fig. 4 ). Male: Forewing, length 34.84 mm, breadth 4.3 mm; hindwing, length 32.48mm, breadth 4.1 mm (n=4). Female: Forewing, length 35.48 mm, breadth 4.2 mm; hindwing, length 32.78 mm, breadth 3.99 mm (n=7). Acute at tips; some translucent milky white spaces on disc and apex with yellow crossveins. Forewings: Sc, Cu and anals brown, with yellow bands; pterostigma yellow, with a black spot at base; crossveins and forked veinlets mostly with brown clouds; base and apex of hypostigmatic cell and crossveins beyond with smoky brown patches; brown mark at apical portion of M and CuA; large spot at junction of CuP and 1A extending upto middle of cubital area; inner radial field with 9 crossveins; RP with 11 branches. Hindwings: Short and narrower than forewings; smoky brown spot at base of M and CuA, extending obliquely up to 1 st and 2 nd branches of RP. In males, this smoky brown spot faded; inner radial field with one crossvein; RP with 11 branches.

Male genitalia. ( Figs. 5–7 ). Tergite IX and sternite IX separate. Tergum IX almost quadrate in lateral view. Sternum IX elongated ventrolaterally, with long hair like setae in lateral view ( Fig.5 ). Gonocoxites 9 and 11 not fused. Gonocoxite 9 ventro-caudal to gonocoxite 11, Y-shaped, with two upward curved processes in lateral view ( Figs. 6 & 7 ).

Female genitalia. ( Fig. 8 ). Tergum VIII trapezoidal in lateral view. Gonocoxites 8 paired, cone shaped, covered with long, hair like setae. Tergum IX quadrate with depression on posterolateral margin. Gonocoxites 9 paired, club-shaped, distally covered with long hair like setae and robust digging setae. Ectoproct oval, covered with long bristles and digging setae.

Material examined. India: West Bengal, Kalimpong, Neora Valley National Park, Ashaley Camp , 27°00’47.0’’N, 88°45’57.0’’E, 686m, 18.vi.2017, (P. Chatterjee), ( NZC), 4 males, 3 females ; Neora Valley National Park , Bhote Camp Trail, 27°02’17.6’’N, 88°46’29.4’’E, 1501m; 24.vi.2017, (P. Chatterjee), ( NZC), 1 female ; Neora Valley National Park , Chaudaferi, 27°00’37.5’’N, 88°47’23.4’’E, 2348m, 15.xi.2017, (P. Chatterjee), ( NZC), 1 female. Type series of Ghosh, 1984 : Odisha, Sambalpur forest rest house, 21°10’55.3’’N, 83°54’40.2’’E, 29.ix.1972, (S. Khera), ( NZC). 2 females ( Figs. 9 & 10 ) .

Discussion. D. sambalpurensis as described by Ghosh in 1984 on the basis of markings of the wings i.e. some translucent milky white spaces on disc and apex with yellow crossveins; forewing with brown mark at apical portion of M and CuA; large spot at junction of CuP and 1A extending to middle of cubital area; inner radial field with 9 crossveins; RP with 11 branches; hindwing with smoky brown spot at base of M and CuA, extending obliquely up to 1st and 2nd branches of RP. In males, this smoky brown spot faded; inner radial field with one crossvein; RP with 11 branches. The same morphological characteristics have been cited in the description of D. subtentus by Yang (1986) and Wang et al. (2018). Therefore, morphologically these two species are alike, so D. subtentus is considered here as a synonym of D. sambalpurensis . With this, taxonomic change, the distribution range of the species also extends in South East Asia from Indian subcontinent. This species has also been reported from Ganesh Himal, Nepal (unpublished data).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Female genitalia of Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh, lateral view.

FIGURE 9. Distribution of Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh in India.

FIGURE 10. Collection sites of Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh in present study.

FIGURES 1–4. Male of Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh. 1. Head and thorax, dorsal view; 2. Right foreleg, dorsal view; 3. Right hindleg, dorsal view; 4. Right forewing and hindwing.

FIGURES 5–7. Male genitalia of Distoleon sambalpurensis Ghosh. 5. Terminalia, lateral view; 6. genitalia, lateral view; 7. Gonarcus, dorsal view.