Xantholeon pentlandensis 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 : 38-39

Xantholeon pentlandensis Miller and Stange , new species

( Figure 60, 61, 62, 93, 94)

Holotype male, 30 km. west Pentland , Queensland, 11.XII.1989, R. Miller (reared) ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Adult: body pale, vertex with anterior vertex brown row most prominent; forewing without dark brown spots near apex ( Figure 61); forefemoral sense hair more about five times as long as diameter of femur; midfemoral sense hair about twice as long as femur diameter; hind basitarsus shorter than distal tarsomere; female posterior gonapophysis short, about as long as wide, with a few elongate setae.

Description. Holotype male: length of body 22 mm, forewing 26 mm, hindwing 26 mm. Coloration: general color pale brown with sublateral dark brown spots on clypeus; interantennal mark dark band below and above antennae; antenna pale with small dark brown spot at apices, club dark brown laterally; vertex with anterior brown row most prominent, other dark brown spots; pronotum pale brown with complex dark stripes at anterior, submedian sublateral areas ( Figure 60); wings as in Figure 61, forewing without dark brown spots near apex; abdomen pale brown with subanterior, medial and posterior brown bands, tergites VII to VIII with most of posterior margin dark brown. Chaetotaxy: forefemoral sense hair about five times as long as diameter of femur; midfemoral sense hair about twice as long as femur diameter. Structure: antenna long, more than 40 flagellomeres, most flagellomeres longer than wide; labial palpus not inflated; pronotum about as long as wide; scutelli mostly flat; hind basitarsus shorter than distal tarsomere; wings narrow, forewing costal area narrow with cells longer than high.

Female: female posterior gonapophysis short, about as long as wide; sternite VIII with a few elongate setae.

Larva: mandible straw colored, longer than head capsule; dorsal head capsule entirely pale brown; most of body ( Figures 94, 95) pale brown; mesothoracic spiracle not borne on long stalk.

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA. Queensland: 30 km. west Pentland, 11.XII.1989, R. Miller (reared) (2m, 2f, FSCA) ; Burra Ridge, Dura Ridge, White Mountains National Park , 7.IX.2005, R. Miller & L. Stange (reared) (13m,1f, FSCA; QDPC; TAMU) ; 21 km. south Flinders Highway, Slaty Creek , 9.IX.2005, R. Miller & L. Stange (reared) (1f, FSCA) .

Discussion. Within the helmsi group, the short hind basitarsus (shorter than distal tarsomere), length of the midfemoral sense (little more than twice as long as femur diameter), and lack of prominent dark brown spots near apex of forewing are distinctive.

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality.