Myrmeleon pallidus (Esben-Petersen)

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 43

Myrmeleon pallidus (Esben-Petersen)

( Figures 69, 70, 71, 99, 100)

Myrmeleonellus pallidus Esben-Petersen 1918: 17 . Holotype female, Kimberley District, Western Australia, II, Mjöberg (NHRS)

Taxonomy: New 1985a: 26 (in Myrmeleon ). Further description: New 1985a: 26, figures 208-214 (wings, male, female terminalia, male genitalia, spermatheca).

Description. Adult: length of body 17-20 mm, forewing 18-21 mm, hindwing 16-19 mm. Coloration: body pale brownish with reddish brown markings; face and palpi not darkened; frons and lower vertex slightly darker brown; antenna beyond scape dark tawny brown, apex paler; pronotum with two broad reddish brown stripes narrowly separated medially, together pale yellow; vertex with posteriolateral polished brown spot; abdomen with tergites I, II rarely III with narrow pale median stripe, otherwise dark tawny brown; wings unmarked except for weakly indicated cream pterostigma; longitudinal veins pale; legs pale; apex of tibia and distal tarsomere narrowly darkened. Chaetotaxy: clypeus with few long black hairs; pronotum with white hairs; femur and tibia with sparse lack bristles; female ectoproct with about eight short thickened black setae; lateral gonapophysis with about 15 thickened setae, membrane with few hairs. Structure: slender; antenna slender, club moderately developed; pronotum slightly longer than broad; legs slender, relatively short; tibial spurs slender extending beyond apex of distal tarsomere; pretarsal claws about equal in length to tibial spurs; male pilula axillaris absent; female ectoproct broad; posterior gonapophysis short and very slender; anterior gonapophysis small, below tergite VIII which has sclerotized bars; male ectoproct slender; gonarcus arms slender, apex rounded; mediuncus a small apical hook; parameres deep, narrow, tapered and convergent posteriorly

Distribution. Western Australia.

New records. AUSTRALIA. Northern Territory: Alice Springs , 19.XI. 1989, R. Miller, reared (1m, FSCA) ; 12 km. north Alice Springs , 19.XI.1989, Miller reared (1f, FSCA) ; 146 km. north Alice Springs , 17.XI.1989, Miller, reared (1m, 1f, FSCA) ; Devil’s Marbles , 4.XI.2005, L. Stange , reared (2f, FSCA; TAMU) ; 16 km. east Renner Springs , 19.XI.1989, Miller, reared (1m, FSCA) ; 20 km. north Renner Springs , 17.XI.1989, Miller, reared (3m, 2f, FSCA) . Western Australia: Hackett Creek, 38 km. north Mullewa , 24. II.1994, Miller and Stange , reared (1f, FSCA) ; 37 km. east P. Hedland, S20 o 23' 34.6", E118 o, 54' 27.5", 1. III.1994, Miller and Stange (1f, FSCA); 20 km. north Laverton, 7. III.1994, Miller and Stange (1f, FSCA); 20 km. north Meekatharra , S26 o 25', 22.7" E118 o 35’25.6", 9. III.1994, Miller & Stange , reared (2f, FSCA) .

Discussion. This pale species is separable from most other Myrmeleon by the two nearly complete submedian pronotal stripes ( Figure 69). Also, the male pilula axillaris is absent but usually present in other species of Myrmeleon .