Xantholeon newi, Miller & Stange, 2012

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 34-35

Xantholeon newi n. sp.

( Figures 54, 55, 56)

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

Diagnosis. Adult: hind basitarsus more than one-half length of distal tarsomere; forefemoral sense hair about four times as long as femur diameter at point of origin; wings relatively narrow, forewing without extended cubital mark or conspicuous dark brown spots; abdominal tergite III with distinct dark brown band at anterior end and near base.

Description. Holotype male: length of body 24 mm; forewing 23 mm; hindwing 24 mm. Coloration: general coloration light yellowish brown; labrum and clypeus light brown with dark brown areas; palpi pale brown; frons pale yellowish brown; vertex light brown and unmarked; epicranial mark dark brown; antenna yellowish light brown with club becoming darker brown; pronotum pale yellowish brown with submedian dark brown areas posteriorly and lateral dark brown spots at furrow; legs pale yellowish brown except for dark brown spots on central exterior face of midtibia and hindtibia; mesopleuron and metapleuron pale brown; forewing without extended cubital mark ( Figure 56) and without conspicuous dark brown spots ( Figure 56); wing venation pale brown with dark brown areas at junctures of many crossveins; abdomen very pale yellowish brown; tergite I with thin dark brown margin; tergite II darker brown at anterior one-half; abdominal tergite III with distinct dark brown central band and pale brown margins; sternites all pale brown except dark anterior area of sternite VI; ectoproct pale brown.

Chaetotaxy: legs with mostly pale setae but a few black bristles present; short, pale bristles on tergites and sternites. Structure: pronotum about as long as wide ( Figure 54); vertex weakly domed; antennae close together, closer than scape diameter; flagellomeres mostly longer than wide; antennal club weak; legs slender with midleg about as long as foreleg, but shorter than hindleg; tarsus shorter than tibia; basal tarsomere of hindleg about five times longer than diameter; distal tarsomere of hindleg about equal to basal tarsomere; forefemoral sense hair about four times as long as femur diameter at point of origin, longer than that of midleg; tibial spurs nearly straight, extending to beyond apex of tarsomere 3 (foreleg and midleg) or to tarsomere 2 (hindleg); wings relatively narrow.

Female: unknown.

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA. Queensland: 30 km. west Pentland, 11.XII.1989, R. Miller (reared) (2m, FSCA).

Discussion. Similar appearance to X. xadnus but with different abdominal markings and leg structure. Also, it can be separated from X. xadnus and X. cavernicolus by the much weaker development of the antennal club.

Etymology. This species is named for Timothy New who has contributed greatly to our knowledge of Australian antlions.