Dilar Rambur

Zhang, Wei, Liu, Xingyue, Aspöck, Horst & Aspöck, Ulrike, 2015, Revision of Chinese Dilaridae (Insecta: Neuroptera) (Part III): Species of the genus Dilar Rambur from the southern part of mainland China, Zootaxa 3974 (4), pp. 451-494 : 452-453

Genus Dilar Rambur

Dilar Rambur, 1838: 445 . Type species: Dilar nevadensis Rambur, 1838 : pl. 9 (monotypy).

Cladocera Hagen, 1860: 56 . Nomen nudum.

Lidar Navás, 1909: 153 . Type species: Dilar meridionalis Hagen, 1866: 295 , original designation. Fuentenus Navás, 1909: 154 . Type species: Dilar campestris Navás, 1903: 380 , original designation. Nepal Navás, 1909: 661. Type species: Nepal harmandi Navás, 1909: 661 , original designation. Rexavius Navás, 1909: 664 . Type species: Dilar nietneri Hagen, 1858: 482 , subsequent designation by Navás, 1914: 10. Didar Navás, 1913: 6. An incorrect subsequent spelling of Dilar .

Lider Kuwayama, 1962: 376. An incorrect subsequent spelling of Lidar .

Diagnosis. Male antennae pectinate, except 2 proximal and more than 3 distal simple antennomeres, branch of 1st flagellomere short, with only one dentate process. Wings broad, generally with numerous dark markings; costal area broad with crossveins simple except several ones forked; subcostal area narrower than costal area, having several crossveins; more than 5 crossveins between R and Rs; MA fused with R at wing base, proximally with no crossvein connecting to MP, and arising from R prior to separation between R and Rs; MP with 2 main branches; nygmata present; trichosors present along wing margin. Male ninth tergite in dorsal view with a truncate or arcuate anterior incision, sometimes dorsally having a posteromedial projection (dorsoprocessus) in several species, and with a deeply V- or U-shaped posterior incision, leaving a pair of broad hemitergites, which are obtuse distally and densely haired. Male ninth sternite generally much shorter than ninth tergite. Male ectoproct highly specialized, largely covered by ninth tergite, without callus cerci and any macrosetae. Male gonocoxite complexes 9, 10 and 11 comprising two pairs of sclerites (i.e. ninth and tenth gonocoxites) and a transverse sclerite (representing the fused eleventh gonocoxites, the former gonarcus); gonarcus laterally connecting to bases of ninth gonocoxites. Hypandrium internum generally trapezoidal, with lateral margins slightly arcuate. Female ninth tergite generally narrow and strongly extending ventrad in lateral view. Eighth abdominal segment generally with no sclerotized subgenitale in most species. Bursa copulatrix with a tubular colleterial gland, a specialized basal part of bursa copulatrix which is usually variously shaped among species, and a pair of bursal accessory glands. Ectoprocts rather small, ovoid.

Distribution. This genus ranges from northern Africa, through Europe, to Asia, and is recorded in the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Bulgaria, China, France, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, and all countries of former Yugoslavia.

Remarks. Despite the relatively small number of species of Dilaridae , Dilar is one of the large genera in Neuroptera with more than 60 species. Based on the male genital structures, we preliminarily divide the Chinese species of Dilar into five species-groups:

1) The Dilar hastatus species-group includes D. bifurcatus , D. chebalingensis , D. hastatus , D. longidens , D. maoershanensis , D. septentrionalis , D. sinicus , D. stenopterus , D. tianmuanus , D. wuyianus , D. taibaishanus , D. taiwanensis and D. pallidus .

2) The Dilar guangxiensis species-group includes D. dulongjiangensis , D. guangxiensis , D. yangi , D. geometroides , D. harmandi , D. tibetanus and D. insularis .

3) The Dilar yunnanus species-group includes D. dongchuanus , D. megalopterus and D. yunnanus .

4) The Dilar lijiangensis species-group includes D. lijiangensis and D. nobilis .

5) The Dilar spectabilis species-group includes D. spectabilis and D. montanus .

However, the remaining five species so far known from China: D. formosanus , D. subdolus , D. cornutus , D. lii , and D. maculosus cannot be assigned to any of these species-groups characterized above.

Division of these species-groups could facilitate the identification of this species-rich genus, with recognition of certain group and comparison among fewer species. The genital structures of Dilar undoubtedly have rich information of phylogenesis. Although it is still premature to reconstruct the phylogeny of Dilar , some speciesgroups herein proposed could be verified to be monophyletic in the future.