Xantholeon lineatus, New, 1985

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 33

Xantholeon lineatus New

Xantholeon lineatus New 1985c:12 , figures 1113-1120 (abdominal tergite III; wings; male, female terminalia; male genitalia). Holotype female, Carnarvon Range , Queensland, Australia, XI.1944, Geary (AMSA).

Description. Adult: length of body 20 to 24 mm; forewing 28-32 mm, hindwing 26 to 31 mm. Coloration: pale yellow; face nearly all pale brown except for dark brown mandibles; frons with broad dark brown band; vertex with two medially interrupted transverse brown bands, these obsolete laterally; antennal flagellum pale yellow, club brown; pronotum pale with two sinuous narrow dorsolateral dark brown streaks diverging to dark posterior angles; longitudinal wing veins pale brown except at junctions with dark brown crossveins; forewing with dark mark at fusion of CuA2 and CuP + lA extending along 3 or more cross veins; hindwing with small rhegmal spot; central abdominal tergites with median dark brown mark extending between lateral marks; abdominal sternites partially darkened.. Chaetotaxy: pronotum with pale setae; female ectoproct ventrally with about 7 or 8 thickened short setae; lateral gonapophysis with about eight similar setae. Structure: slender; antenna slender with most flagellomeres longer than wide; pronotum slightly longer than wide; legs long and slender, distal tarsomere longer than basitarsomere; tibial spurs slender, incurved at tip, extending to apex of tarsomere III; claws slen- der, short; male ectoproct large; genitalia with gonarcus rounded, mediuncus a slight median lobe, parameres simple, arched in profile but with distinct dorsal flange; female posterior gonapophysis long, slender, tapered; pregenital plate small, crescentic with median prominence.

Distribution. This species is only known from two females from the Carnarvon Range of Queensland.

Discussion. We did not find the larvae of this species but judging from the adult characters there is a high probability that the larvae live in caves. This species differs from others in the lineatus group by having the forewing with dark mark at fusion of CuA2 and CuP + lA extending along 3 or more cross veins except for X. montanus which has the sternites pale brown in contrast to the partially darkened sternites of X. lineatus .