Australeon illustris (Gerstaecker) 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 : 41

Australeon illustris (Gerstaecker) , new combination

( Figures 66, 67, 68, 97, 98)

Myrmeleon illustris Gerstaecker 1885: 92 . Holotype, Sydney (EMAU).

Taxonomy: Esben-Petersen 1915: 6 2 (in Callistoleon ). Further description: Gerstaecker 1888: 111; New 1985a: 9, figures 42-50 (wings; male, female terminalia, male genitalia); New and Matsura 1993: 95, figures 10-19 (wings; male, female terminalia; male genitalia; spermatheca).

Description. Adult: body length 30 to 33 mm, forewing length 30 to 33 mm, hindwing length 26 to 30 mm. Coloration: general coloration dark brown; palpi, labrum and clypeus tawny; clypeus sometimes slightly darkened posteriorly; frons dark brown to black; vertex dark brown, unmarked; antennae black, dorsal side of scape partly tawny; pronotum tawny orange, sometimes darkened medially; pterothorax and abdomen black; wing venation generally pale brown except where shaded, but with anterior longitudinal veins brown; markings variable, mostly grayish brown; apical hind margin fumose; forefemur tawny except apex, midfemur and hindfemur dark brown; tibia and tarsomere dark brown. Chaetotaxy: pronotum with mostly black setae; femur and tibia with few black bristles; female ectoproct with about 6 to 10 long thickened setae; lateral gonapophysis with dense thickened setae toward apex, shorter than gonapophysis; anterior gonapophysis with black setae. Structure: antenna slender, club gradually broadened; vertex domed; pronotum broader than long; wings slender and tapered; distal tarsomere longer than basitarsus; tibial spurs somewhat curved, extending almost to apex of tarsomere II; pretarsal claws about equal to tibial spurs; female ectoproct with distinct ventral lobe; lateral gonapophysis very broad; posterior gonapophysis long and slender; anterior gonapophysis broad; spermatheca small, coiled; male ectoproct broad, sternite IX tapered to narrow apex; gonarcus very broad and shallow, mediuncus broad and deep; parameres parallel, heavily sclerotized along inner edge and at apex, with strong dorsal flange anteriorly.

Distribution. New South Wales.

New record. AUSTRALIA. New South Wales: Pilliga Nature Reserve, 34 km. north Coonobarabran, New South Wales, 3.XII.1989, R. Miller (reared) (1m, 1f, l larva, FSCA).

Discussion. Australeon illustris is very close morphologically to A. manselli but has more slender wings which are more infumate posteriorly and also has genitalic differences. It differs notably in coloration having the anterior margin of the frons dark brown in contrast to the pale yellow anterior margin of the frons in A. manselli .