Speleon yallingup Miller and Stange, 2012

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 21-22

Speleon yallingup Miller and Stange , new species

( Figures 22, 23, 24, 25, 77, 78)

Holotype female, Yallingup , Western Australia, 22.II.1994, R. Miller & L. Stange ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Adult: tibial spurs absent; femoral sense hair absent.

Description. Holotype male: length from head to tip of abdomen 20 mm; length of forewing 26 mm; length of hindwing 25 mm. Coloration: body pale brown; vertex mostly pale brown with most brown anterior to anterior row of pale scars; interantennal area shiny dark brown extending ventrally to dorsal surface of clypeus; antennal scape mostly pale brown posteriorly; pronotum with anterior part completely dark brown extended posteriorly as trifurcate dark brown longitudinal stripes, dark brown stripe also at posterior one-third; forecoxa mostly pale brown posteriorly with small dark brown spot; prescutum dark brown with light brown area laterally; pteronota mostly dark brown with light brown anteriorly and sublaterally of scutellum; metanotum dark brown with pale sublateral area anteriorly; abdomen mostly pale brown with dark brown areas at anterior margin and near middle; sternites mostly pale brown with wide dark brown stripes sublaterally; hindwing without evident rhegmal mark ( Figure 23).

Chaetotaxy: head, pronotum, pteronota with scattered small black setae; forecoxa with many long white setae posteriorly; femur and tibia with short setae (shorter than femur diameter), mostly black except white setae on posterior face of femur; wing setae long on crossveins; abdomen with mostly short black setae, longer setae on segment VIII and ectoproct of male. Structure: vertex much raised; pronotum longer than broad; antenna with basal flagellomere longer than wide, rest of flagellomeres broader than long; foreleg about as long as midleg which is shorter than hindleg; hind basitarsus longer than distal tarsomere which is shorter than tarsomeres II to IV together; tibial spurs absent; femoral sense hair not present; male with pilula axillaris moderately well developed, brush about three times wider than long with many rows; wings moderately broad, hindwing posterior area higher than presectoral area; forewing with 3 presectoral crossveins, hindwing with one presectoral crossvein; Miller’s organ well developed on metathorax, variable (vestigial to well developed) on sternite I; male ectoproct simple; sternite IX with small medial lobe.

Female: As described for the male except without pilula axillaris; female terminalia with posterior gonapophysis about twice as long as middle diameter, directed medially and becoming narrower distally.

Larva: Coloration: mandible dark brown; abdomen with extensive dark brown coloration dorsally and ventral. Chaetotaxy: ventral head capsule with many black setae, no dolichasters. Structure: head capsule wider than long in dorsal view; labial palpus longer than basal width of mandible; antenna shorter than width of head capsule; mandible with distance between teeth longer than distance from base to basal tooth; mesothoracic spiracle not borne on tubercle; mesoscutum without tuft of setae medially; anterior thoracic scolus much longer than wide; legs relatively short; ninth abdominal segment wider than long.

Variation: length 18 to 20 mm, forewing 21 to 26 mm, hindwing 20 to 25 mm; female posterior gonapophysis ( Figure 25) with many long black setae longer than length of gonapophysis which is longer than wide and tapered distally.

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA. Western Australia: Yallingup, Western Australia, 22.II.1994, R. Miller and L. Stange collectors, reared (1m, 5f, 8 larvae, ANIC, FSCA).

Discussion. One female was captured sitting on the ceiling of a cliff overhang. The other specimens were reared from larvae living in the dusty rock shelves. Larvae were covered mostly with dust. Specific rearing data are as follows (time in cocoon): September 20 to October 30, 1994; July 27 to August 20, 1994; October 1 to November 8, 1994; October 15 to November 19, 1994. Parasites were obtained from one cocoon. This parasite was determined by John Noyes as a species of Echthrobacella Girault ( Hymenoptera : Encyrtidae ). This is a polybrionic species since about 20 specimens emerged from one cocoon. This species is very similar to S. cavernicolus in size, coloration and structure. However, the tibial spurs are completely absent in S. yallingup . There are some minor coloration differences such as pale brown posterior area of the scape and the mostly pale brown posterior area of the forecoxa.

Etymology. This species is named for the type locality. It is treated as a noun in apposition.