Stenoleon xanthopus 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 : 28-29

Stenoleon xanthopus Miller and Stange , new species

( Figures 38, 39, 40)

Holotype female, 30 km. west Pentland , Queensland, Australia, ll. XII. 1989, R. Miller. ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Antenna shorter than one-half length of forewing with a small but distinct club.

Description. Holotype female: length from head to tip of abdomen 24 mm, forewing and hindwing 25 mm long Coloration: dark brown; vertex nearly all dark brown with paler brown scars; face pale brown except for dark brown interantennal area; mouthparts pale brown with some dark brown on stipes; scape, pedicel and most flagellomeres dark brown with pale apex; pronotum dark brown with narrow median pale stripe and submedian pale stripe; nota and pleura mostly dark brown, limited pale brown on transcutal carina, scutellum posteriorly, metanotum anteriorly; forecoxa brown posteriorly, pale brown mesally; other coxae mostly dark brown; trochanter pale brown; femora dark brown except for base; foretibia mostly dark brown with some pale brown areas near middle; midtibia and hindtibia mostly pale brown with dark brown band subbasally and broad dark brown apex, setal bases with large dark brown areas around base; tarsus dark brown except for basal half of basitarsus and distal tarsomere; wings unmarked except some distal spots on forewing, marginal dark streak near apex of hindwing; stigma dark brown; wing veins mostly dark brown with pale brown areas, subcostal vein with nearly equal alternating dark brown and pale brown areas; middle field of venation toward apex mostly pale brown; abdomen dark brown with narrow pale brown posterior margins on tergites. Chaetotaxy: head and antennae with short setae except frons with many long, erect pale brown setae; mesonotum with five outstanding white setae submedially near middle, mesoscutellum with several white, erect setae; abdomen with short setae, those on sternites longer; forecoxa with mat of porrect white setae mesally, longer and more erect white setae posteriorly; femora and tibiae with many long black and white bristles; female terminalia without evident digging setae. Structure: vertex weakly elevated; antenna elongate, about one-fifth length of wing, with about 45 flagellomeres; basal flagellomeres longer than wide, more distal ones about as long as broad until club which is about twice as broad as flagellum; distal palpomere of labium weakly swollen, oval palpimaculum near center; interantennal distance less than width of scape; interocular distance about twice the greatest diameter of eye; ocular rim with few short setae projecting over eye; pronotal shield about as long as greatest width; scutellum flat, not raised; forefemur subcylindrical, swollen near basal one-third, about seven times longer than greatest diameter, about equal in length to foretibia; midfemur cylindrical, about seven times longer than greatest diameter, a little shorter than forefemur, hindfemur and midtibia; tibial spurs of foreleg reaches to apex of tarsomere II, those of midleg and hindleg extend to about middle of tarsomere II; basitarsus of foreleg about three times longer than greatest diameter, that of hindleg about five times longer than greatest diameter; distal tarsomere of foreleg about as long as other tarsomeres together; distal tarsomere of other legs shorter than other tarsomeres together; pretarsal claws about one-half length of tibia spurs and about one-third length of distal tarsomere; forefemoral sense hair about five times longer than femur diameter at point of attachment, longer than midfemoral sense hair; abdomen shorter than wing length, third tergite about three times longer than tergite II and about twice as long as width.

Male: unknown.

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA. Queensland: 30 km. west Pentland, ll. XII. 1989, reared, R. Miller (2f, ANIC, FSCA).

Discussion. Larvae were found in white dust in a cave mouth. The adult looks like S. cingulatus New in size, color, structure, the form and markings of the wings and in other particulars but differs from that species by the much shorter antenna with a small but evident club. Also, the femoral sense hair is longer in S. xanthopus .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the fact that the larva looks like those of Xantholeon and lives in the same type of habitat.