Speleon cavernicolus 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 : 18-20

Speleon cavernicolus Miller and Stange , new species

( Figures 14, 15, 16, 17)

Holotype female, 40 km. south Coonabarabran Clock Tower , New South Wales, Australia, 3.XII.1989, R. B. Miller collector (reared) ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Adult: tibial spurs about one third length of basitarsus; female anterior gonapophysis weakly developed.

Description. Holotype female: length from head to tip of abdomen about 19 mm; length of forewing 25 mm; length of hindwing 24 mm. Coloration: body coloration dark brown, sternum pale brown; head pale brown except with broad shiny dark brown epicranial mark extending a little above antennae;

vertex dark brown with pale brown sublaterally and medially; tiny dark brown spot above anterior tentorial slit; mouthparts pale brown; antennae with scape dark brown, scape and flagellomeres mostly dark brown except pale brown on apex, pre-club flagellomeres mostly pale brown, club dark brown; pronotum pale brown with broad dark brown medial stripe which has submedial dark brown extensions posteriorly; broad dark brown stripe sublaterally; anterior margin dark brown; mesonotum predominately dark brown with pale brown areas on sublateral area of prescutum, pale brown spot near wing base and near posterior margin, small pale brown spot medially, and pale brown area anterior to and lateral of scutellum; metanotum similar in coloration but somewhat more pale brown; pleura mostly dark brown with some pale brown areas; forecoxa dark brown posteriorly except for pale brown area near middle; femora with broad dark brown apical band. otherwise mostly pale brown except for anterior face, forefemur more extensively marked with dark brown; foretibia and midtibia mostly dark brown with pale brown area basally, longer area subbasally on exterior face and extensive pale brown area subapically; hindtibia mostly pale brown except for abbreviated dark brown apex; tarsi mostly dark brown except basitarsus pale brown basally; setal bases with small dark brown area; tibial spurs and pretarsal claws reddish brown; wings with veins and crossveins alternating dark brown and pale brown; forewing costal area with dark brown areas; small dark brown areas in forewing posterior area; hindwing with small dark brown rhegmal mark and hypostigmatic spot; Miller’s organ on sternite I pale brown; abdomen mostly dark brown except for mostly pale brown first segment and terminalia. Chaetotaxy: vertex with short brown, appressed setae along anterior and posterior scar areas; area between antennae and below antennae with many decumbent white setae, about one-half as long as pedicel length; short white setae on scape and pedicel; clypeus with several white, erect setae; postlabium with several long, white setae; pronotum with moderately long, erect black setae scattered on most of disc; nota with few inconspicuous setae except for mesoprescutal lobe laterally; pleura with many long, mostly white setae; forecoxa with several long, white setae posteriorly, longer than coxal diameter; forefemur with many dark brown or white decumbent setae, two black erect bristles near apex on exterior face; femoral sense hair short, inconspicuous, shorter than femur diameter; foretibia with decumbent short setae with 8 black bristles on exterior face as well as several bristles laterally on closing face; midfemur and midtibia with similar pattern of chaetotaxy but pubescence less dense and setae shorter; hindfemur and hindtibia similar to midlegs in pubescence; tarsi with short setae on ventral surface, shorter than tarsal diameter; setae on wing veins fairly long, mostly longer than subcostal width; abdomen with inconspicuous setae except a few fairly long white setae on sternite I and base of tergite II; terminalia with short setae except fairly long on apex of sternite IX and with several long, black setae on posterior gonapophysis, nearly twice as long as gonapophyseal length. Structure: head with vertex moderately elevated above eyes; interocular distance about l.5 longer than greatest ocular distance; interantennal distance about equal to width of scape; antenna with about 31 flagellomeres, basal flagellomere longer than wide, rest of flagellomeres broader than long becoming broader apically; club moderately well developed, about three times longer than preclub flagellomeres; distal palpomere of labium weakly swollen, oval palpimaculum about in middle; pronotum longer than wide; scutellum relatively flat; forecoxa about twice as long as greatest diameter; legs elongate, forefemur about three times longer than forecoxa; forelegs about equal in length to midleg, hindleg longer; tibial spurs about one-third length of basitarsus; basitarsus about three times longer than greatest diameter, about as long as distal tarsomere; pretarsal claws short, about one-third as long as basitarsus; Miller’s organ well developed on metathorax and sternite I; forewing rather abruptly narrowed at base, a little longer and broader than hindwing; forewing costal area broad, about three times higher than subcostal area at radial sector, costal area highest near middle of wing, decreasing in height toward hypostigmatic cell; forewing with three presectoral crossveins; hindwing with posterior area at highest point slightly higher than greatest presectoral area height, with nine crossveins between CuA and hind margin; abdomen about one-third length of hindwing; female terminalia with posterior gonapophysis about twice as long as middle diameter, directed medially and becoming narrower distally.

Male: unknown.

Discussion. This species was reared from a larva found on a angled rock crack in a rock overhang and was exposed except for a partial covering of dust. The larva was oriented horizontally with the head to the side The time in the cocoon lasted from February 4 to March l, 1990. This species is very similar to S. yallingup in color and structure but is easily distinguished by the conspicuous tibial spurs. It is also similar in appearance to Dendroleon dumigani Tillyard which has the tibial spurs extending to apex of the basitarsus.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the larval habitat of the species.