Suphalomitus brevis Kimmins, 1949

Hassan, Muhammad Asghar & Liu, Xingyue, 2021, Taxonomic notes on owlflies from Pakistan (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae Ascalaphinae), Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 401-452 : 434-435

Suphalomitus brevis Kimmins, 1949

Suphalomitus brevis Kimmins, 1949: 15 . Type locality: India (Nilgiris, Kalar).

Diagnosis. Suphalomitus brevis is characterized by the presence of distinct black setae at the base of abdominal tergum 2 ( Fig. 20C ); male sternum 9 is quadrate with a triangular apex ( Fig. 21D ); parameres finely granulose ( Figs 21E–G ); pterostigma longer than wide ( Figs 20E–H ); width of hind wing slightly shorter or as long as forewing; hind wing short, not extending beyond pterostigma of forewing ( Figs 19A–B ).

Measurement (♂ n=2, ♀ n=2). Forewing length: ♂ 25.0–27.0 mm, ♀ 30.7–31.0 mm, width ♂ 6.1–7.0 mm, ♀ 7.6–7.7 mm; hind wing length: ♂ 19.8–22.0 mm, ♀ 25.2–25.3 mm, width ♂ 5.0–6.0 mm, ♀ 6.4–6.5 mm; abdominal length: ♂ 23.5–24.5 mm, ♀ 16.0 mm; body length: ♂ 30.0– 31.3 mm, ♀ 24.0 mm.

Re-description. Male ( Fig. 19A ) and female ( Fig. 19B ). Head ( Fig. 20I ). Postorbital sclerite greyish. Occiput brownish. Vertex flat, dark brown, covered with dense long bicolored setae, proximal half brownish yellow, distal margin dark brown. Frons dark brown, with greyish yellow setae. Lateral margins of paraocular band yellow. Clypeus brownish yellow, with long greyish yellow setae. Labrum brownish yellow, with stiff brown setae. Mandibles brownish yellow, with apical margin reddish brown. Maxillary and labial palpi brownish yellow, with short black setae. Posterior genal triangle greyish yellow. Occiput brown. Eyes divided by a transverse furrow. Antennal toruli slightly above from the transverse furrows of eyes, brownish. Antenna shorter than distance between base of forewing to pterostigma, light brown; scape and pedicel brownish with setae concolorous to frons. Club pyriform, brownish yellow, except slightly brownish at base, with verticils ( Fig. 20B ).

Thorax ( Fig. 20A ). Dorsal cervical plates with long brownish yellow setae; cervical sclerite dark brown. Pronotum narrow, dark brown, slightly brownish marking in the middle, with long brownish yellow setae, posterolateral margins with black setae. Mesonotum dark brown, anterolateral margins of mesoscutum and posterior margin of mesoscutellum slightly brownish, with dark brown setae, posterior margin of mesoscutellum with yellowish brown setae. Metanotum dark with an indistinct median dark brownish marking, with brown setae. Pleuron yellow and dark brown, with yellow setae, except mesoanepisternum with brownish setae ( Fig. 20D ).

Legs dark brown except femora brownish yellow ( Fig. 20D ). Coxae with pale yellow setae. Trochanter with short pale yellow setae. Femur with long yellow setae, except anterolateral margin in fore- and mid femora with mixed black and yellow setae. Tibia dark brown, except dorsolateral margin of fore leg brownish yellow, with mixed short and long black setae. Antennal comb on fore tibia with short brownish setae. Tibial spurs reddish brown, equal to length of Ta1. Tarsomeres dark, covered with short black setae; Ta5 nearly equal to combined length of Ta1–Ta3. Pretarsal claws reddish brown.

Wings ( Figs 19A–B ). Membrane transparent, light brown shades in some specimens, veins dark brown, with sparse short black setae. Pterostigma longer than wide, rhomboid-shaped, ochre yellow with 3–5 crossveins; apical area beyond Sc+R has two rows of cells ( Figs 21E–H ). Forewing longer than hind wing. Presectoral area with four crossveins. Rs with six major forks. Hind wing not extending beyond the pterostigma of forewing. Presectoral area with two crossveins. Rs with six major forks.

Abdomen longer than hind wing in male ( Fig. 19A ), shorter in female ( Fig. 19B ). Tergum evenly dark brown. T1 split dorsally, with long dark brown setae. Acrotergite yellowish brown. T2 yellowish brown, hind and lateral margins dark brown, proximal margin with long black setae. T3–T8 dark brown, with short black setae. Sternum. S1–S2 yellow, with a median black stripe, lateral margins with long yellow setae. S3 brownish, with a median black stripe, lateral margins with short yellow setae. S4–S8, dark, slightly brownish at lateral margins, with sparse short yellow setae. Female. Sternum. S1–S3 concolorous with male, S4–S8 brownish yellow with short black setae, lateral margins with yellow spots.

Male genitalia ( Figs 21C–G ). Brownish yellow. Tergum 9 (T9) oblong, posterolateral margin slightly produced, with short black setae; sternum 9 (S9) quadrate, with triangular apex, distal 1/3 with brownish setae, apical margin with mixed short and long black setae; ectoprocts (epr) subquadrate, covered with short yellow setae, medially with long black setae; gonarcus (gs) mesally notched, slightly divergent at lateral margins; parameres (pa) in lateral margin with finely granulose; pulvini (pv) yellow, with several long yellow gonosetae.

Female genitalia ( Figs 21A–B ). Brownish yellow. Tergum 9 (T9) subquadrate, posterolateral margin slightly produced backward, with short black setae; ectoprocts (epr) oblong shape, covered with short yellow setae, median with long black setae; anterior gonapophyses (ga) long, thumb-liked, with black setae; lateral gonapophyses (gl) rounded in lateral view, with black setae.

Material examined. PAKISTAN. Azad Kashmir Territory: 1♂, 1♀, District Bagh , [33°58’18.29”N, 73°47’37.45”E], 1150 m, 18.viii.2019, leg. M.A. Hassan ( NIM) , 19.viii.2019, leg. A. Mateen ( NIM) , 1♀, District Poonch, Rawalakot Valley, Nergola Waterfall , [33°50’44.5554”N, 73°48’15.0114”E], 1580 m, 02.viii.2019, leg. S. Hussain ( CAU) ; Islamabad Capital Territory: 1♂, Margalla Hills, Faisal Mosque , [33°43’54.012”N, 73°2’10.1754”E], 562 m, 13.viii.2019, leg. M.A. Hassan ( CAU) .

Distribution. Pakistan (New country record); India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal), Sri Lanka (Horowupotana, Trincomalee) ( Kimmins 1949; Ghosh 2000; Oswald 2020).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Suphalomitus brevis Kimmins. A. Male habitus; B. Female habitus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 20. Suphalomitus brevis Kimmins. Male. A. Head and thorax, dorsal view; B. Antenna. C. Proximal margin of abdomen, lateral view; D. Lateral view; E–H; Pterostigma of right wing: E–F. Male,, pterostigma of fore- and hind wing; G–H. Same, female; I. Head, anterior view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (D); 2.0 mm (A); 1.0 mm (I).

FIGURE 21. Suphalomitus brevis Kimmins. A. Female genitalia, lateral view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Male genitalia, lateral view; D. Same, ventral view; E–G. Gonarcus, parameres and pulvinus: E. Dorsal view; F. Same, ventral view; G. Same, lateral view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.