Escura Navás

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 24

Escura Navás

Escura Navás 1914: 468 . Type species: Escura divergens Navás , monotypy.

= Alloformicaleon Esben-Petersen 1915 . Type species: Formicaleon australis Esben-Petersen , by original designation. (after New 1985c: 20.

Further description: New 1985c: 20.

Diagnosis. Adult: forewing vein CuP+1A runs to hind margin well distad of origin of radial sector.

Description. Adult: medium size to rather large species. Structure: antenna with well developed club; abdomen shorter than wings which are rather narrow; forewing widest at apex of CuA2, sometimes then noticeably tapered towards apex; no Banksian lines; forewing vein CuP+1A runs to hind margin well distad of origin of radial sector; legs moderately slender; tibial spurs variable, sometimes reaching to tarsomere III in hindleg; male without postventral lobe; male gonarcus usually broad and short; parameres plate-like, not hooked; female terminalia without anterior gonapophysis; posterior gonapophysis present, variable ranging from not much longer than greatest width to much longer than greatest width; pregenital plate small.

Distribution. Only Australia.

Biology. The biology of only one species is known. Escura nigrosignata Tillyard , which has been found in animal burrows in New South Wales by Miller and underneath a cliff overhang at Wanneroo, near Perth. This latter habitat would correspond to Zone 4B which is the zone where the commoner Xantholeon larvae live.

Discussion. This genus contains nine species according to New (1985c). The forewing venation with CuP+1A running to the hind margin well distad of the origin of the radial sector is diagnostic for this genus. The pretarsal claws are large and agree well with those of Eophanes .