Baliga asakurae ( Okamoto, 1910 )

Lin, Yu-Hsiu Hugh, Ko, Chiun-Cheng & Tseng, Hui-Yun, 2024, Taxonomic revision of the antlion tribe Myrmeleontini (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) of Taiwan, European Journal of Taxonomy 969, pp. 1-61 : 6-11

Baliga asakurae ( Okamoto, 1910)

Figs 1A , 2–4

Myrmeleon asakurae Okamoto, 1910: 297 . Type locality: Taiwan (Nantou).

Myrmeleon ochraceopennis Nakahara, 1913: 299 . Type locality: Taiwan (Nantou).

Baliga asakurae – Navás 1912a: 110. — Stange et al. 2003: 106. — Stange 2004: 296. — Lin et al. 2019: 138. — Hayashi et al. 2020: 244.

Hagenomyia asakurae – Esben-Petersen 1913: 223. — Markl 1954: 233. — Wang et al. 2018: 85.

Myrmeleon asakurae – Nakahara 1913: 96.

Baliga eurystictus – Stange & Wang 1997: 52; 1998: 239 (misidentification).

Baliga ochraceopennis – Stange et al. 2003: 106.

Material examined

Syntypes TAIWAN • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (photos examined); Nantou County, “ Horisha ” [now Puli ]; Jul. 1909; H. Kawamura leg.; SEHU .

Additional material

TAIWAN • 1 ♀; “ Formosa ” [now Taiwan], no further locality; no date; Poldanski leg.; MFN. – Hualien County • 1 ♀; Fuli Township, Cilamitay Tribe ; 19 Dec. 2016; Tein Hsieh leg.; THC • 1 ♀; Jian Township, Maple Tree Trail ; 5 Nov. 2017; Tien-Chen Chao leg.; by hand; NCHU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Xiulin Township, Wenlan ; 29 May–24 Jul. 2012; W.T. Yang leg.; Malaise trap; NMNS. – Kaohsiung City • 1 ♀; “ Kosempo ” [now Jiaxian District ]; Jan. 1910; H. Sauter leg.; USNM • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 1911; H. Sauter leg.; USNM. – Miaoli County • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Shitan Township, Mingfeng Historic Trail ; 16 Jan. 2021; Kai-Wei Chan leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU. – Nantou County • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Renai Township, Huisun Forest Area ; 4 Apr. 2021; Kai-Wei Chan et al. leg.; NTU. – New Taipei City • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Xindian District, An Kang High School ; 12 Jul. 2018; Jhih-Rong Liao leg.; NTU • 1 ♂; Sanzhi District, Erzhiping ; 29 Jul. 2019; Po-Cheng Huang leg.; NTU • 2 ♀♀; Zhonghe District, Hongludi ; 24 Jun. 2020; Po-Cheng Huang leg.; 1 preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂; Shiding District, Huangdidian ; 22 Jun. 2016; Tein Hsieh leg.; THC • 1 ♀; Tamsui District; Miantian Mountain ; 30 Oct. 1983; Shu-Ling Yu leg.; NTU • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Sanxia District; The Great Roots Forestry Spa Resort ; 13 Feb. 2021; Sheng-Hong Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♀; Tucheng District, Tonghua Park ; 1 Sep. 2021; Chian-Yu Huang leg.; NTU • 1 ♀; Tamsui District. Xingfuliao ( Hsing-Fu-Liao ); 4 Jun. 1976; F.S. Santana leg.; TAMU ENTO X0863917 . – Pingtung County • 1 pupa; Hengchun Township, Kenting National Forest Recreation Area ; 14 Nov. 2021; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; molting failed, preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); Chunri Township, Tahan Forest Road Km 16.5 ; 28 Jan. 2021; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU. – Taichung City • 1 ♀; Heping District, Basianshan ( Pahsienshan ); 9 Sep. 1993; W.T. Yang and M.L. Chan leg.; NMNS • 1 ♂; Heping District, Wushiken Workstation ; 30 Aug. 2014; Mei-Ling Chan leg.; NMNS. – Taipei City • 1 ♂; Beitou District, Guiziken Trail ; 22 Sep. 2021; You-Sheng Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂; Neihu District, Jinrui Zhishui Park ; 29 Jul. 2020; Pin-Chun Chou leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Shilin District, Neishuangxi ; 8 Sep. 1985; unknown collector; NCHU • 1 ♀; Beitou District, Qingtian Temple ; 6 Jul. 2020; Chun-Yu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♀; Beitou District, Shamaoshan ; 3 Jun. 2016; Tsung-Hsueh Wu leg.; THC • 1 ♂; Shilin District, Shanzihou ; 5 Aug. 1973; P.P. Lien leg.; NCHU • 1 ♀; Wulai District, Wulai ; 16 Sep. 1958; S.C. Chiu leg.; TARI • 1 ♀; Wenshan District, Xianjiyan ; 24°59′31.1″ N, 121°32′49.0″ E; 18 Sep. 2017; Tein Hsieh leg.; THC • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Beitou District, Yangminshan ( Tsaoshan ); 9 Jul. 1958; S.C. Chiu leg.; TARI • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 11 Aug. 1973; P.P. Lien leg.; NCHU • 1 ♀; Beitou District, Yangtou Road ; 1 Jul. 1991; Chiung-Fang Lin leg.; NTU. – Taitung County • 1 ♀; Lanyu Township, Chungaichiao ; 30 Apr. 1997; Mei-Ling Chan leg.; NMNS • 1 ♀; Guanshan Township, Dianguang ; 8 Jul. 2021; Po-Cheng Huang leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 10 Sep. 2021; Po-Cheng Huang leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♀; Lanyu Township, Hongtou Forest Trail ; 4 Apr. 2021; Ching-Ya Chang leg.; molting failed, preserved in alcohol; NTU • 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Haiduan Township, Lidao ; 6 Oct. 2012; Yu-Tang Wang leg.; NMNS • 1 ♂; Beinan Township, Lijia Forest Road ; 10 Oct. 2015; Tein Hsieh leg.; THC. – Yilan County • 1 ♂; Yuanshan Township, Fushan Botanical Garden ; 5 Jul. 1991; Yi-Bin Fan leg.; TFRI • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 15 Aug. 2013; Yu-Tang Wang leg.; NMNS • 1 ♂ (larva reared to adult); same data as for preceding; 6 Apr. 2021; Yu-Hsiu Lin et al. leg.; molting failed, preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂; Datong Township, Taipingshan ; 24 Jul. 1940; M. Chûjô leg.; TARI .

Re-description of the adult

MEASUREMENTS (♂ n = 5, ♀ n = 8). Body length: ♂ 29.1–37.7 mm, ♀ 28.8–39.4 mm; forewing: length ♂ 31.4–41.8 mm, ♀ 34.6–47.9 mm; width ♂ 10.0– 12.7 mm, ♀ 10.2–14.5 mm; width/length ratio ♂ 0.3053, ♀ 0.2956; hindwing: length ♂ 32.4–43.1 mm, ♀ 35.5–49.4 mm; width ♂ 8.6–10.5 mm, ♀ 8.8– 12.1 mm; width/length ratio ♂ 0.2458, ♀ 0.2400.

HEAD ( Fig. 2A–B ). Vertex strongly raised, rounded, black, 4 dark brown spots along anterior margin and 4 dark brown spots along posterior margins, with sparse short black hairs; occiput dark brown. Frons shiny black, covered with sparse short hyaline hairs; gena black, ventral margin yellow, with a whitish-yellow line along ocular rim; clypeus whitish-yellow, with sparse hyaline hairs. Antenna black, short, with slightly defined club, covered with short dark hairs; scape dark brown with a ring of white band at base; pedicel reddish-orange; flagellum comprising approximately 45 flagellomeres, 1 st flagellomere reddish-orange. Mouthparts reddish-yellow, labrum reddish-yellow, with several hyaline hairs; maxillary palps yellow, labial palps yellow, 3 rd palpomere fusiform, tapering to acute apex, with yellow round palpimacula on apical ⅓; submentum with long dark hairs.

THORAX ( Fig. 2B ). Pronotum broad, shorter than wide, dark brown, anterior margin with whitish-yellow bands on the side, membrane dark brown, with white markings on lateral side, with hyaline hairs and long dark hairs. Cervical sclerites dark brown. Mesonotum dark brown. Metanotum dark brown, covered with sparse hyaline hairs. Meso- and metapleuron dark brown, moderately covered with long hyaline hairs. Sternum whitish-yellow.

LEGS. Whitish-yellow, short. Coxae moderately covered with long hyaline hairs, whitish-yellow; hind coxae with a small dark brown spot. Femora moderately covered with short dark hairs, mixed with sparse long black setae; fore femur whitish-yellow; mid femora whitish-yellow on the basal half and dark brown on distal half; hind femora whitish-yellow, with brown markings near apex; femoral sense hair length about ½ as long as femur on fore and mid legs, absent on hind leg. Tibiae moderately covered with short dark hairs, mixed with sparse long black setae, brown. Tibial spurs reddish-brown, short, slender, almost straight, longer than tarsomere 1. Tarsi reddish-brown, sparsely covered with short dark hairs dorsally, short black setae ventrally; tarsomere 1 shorter than combined length of tarsomeres 2–4; tarsomere 5 longer than combined length of tarsomeres 1–4. Pretarsal claws reddish-brown, short, simple, curved, shorter than tibial spurs.

WINGS ( Fig. 2C ). Without markings, hyaline, with brownish coloring. Forewings slightly rounded at apex; veins and crossveins mostly brown, Sc and RA finely alternating brown and pale yellow; costal area with interconnected crossveins from apical ⅓ to stigma, distal crossveins often branched; presectoral area with 9–10 crossveins and 0–5 irregular cells; RP arising almost opposite to CuA fork, with 28–32 crossveins from origin of RP to hypostigmatic cell, often with an extra row of cell under hypostigmatic cell; CuP supporting 1 cell before fusing with 1A; 3A mostly fused with 2A; hypostigmatic cell short; pterostigma white, longer than hypostigmatic cell; anterior Banksian line absent, posterior Banksian line distinct. Hindwings slightly longer and narrower than forewings; slightly acute at apex; presectoral area with 5–6 crossveins and 0–2 irregular cells; RP arising slightly beyond MP fork, at origin runs equidistant to RA and MA, with 24–28 crossveins from origin of RP to hypostigmatic cell; hypostigmatic cell as long as forewing; pterostigma white, longer than hypostigmatic cell; anterior Banksian line absent, posterior Banksian line distinct; male with pilula axillaris.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 1A ). Shorter than hindwing, tergites dark brown, sternite whitish-yellow, densely covered with short dark hairs dorsally and laterally, hyaline hairs ventrally.

FEMALE TERMINALIA ( Fig. 3A–B ). Tergite VIII at least 2 times as wide as tergite IX. Tergite IX narrow, triangular in lateral view. Ectoproct semicircular in lateral view, with long, black digging setae on ventral half. Lateral gonapophyses relatively long, rectangular in lateral view, slightly smaller than ectoproct, with long, black digging setae on posterior side and long, thin, black setae on ventral side. Posterior gonapophyses long, stout, with long, black setae. Anterior gonapophyses almost as long as posterior gonapophyses, stout, well separated, with long, thick, black setae. Pregenital plate indistinct, linear, presented on posterior margin of sternite VII.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 3C–D , 4 ). Ectoproct rectangular in lateral view, with an indistinct ventral projection, dorsal margin slightly shorter than ventral margin, covered with short pale brown hair, ventral half with long black setae. Sternite IX almost as long as combined length of tergite IX and ectoproct, tapered in ventral view, with long black setae posteriorly. Gonarcus brown, arched, with short lateral arm produced posteriorly in lateral view, arms long. Mediuncus well sclerotized, dark brown, with two projections in lateral view, ventral one extending toward parameres, caudal view with a three-pronged shape. Parameres well sclerotized, large, dark brown, teardrop-shaped and oblique in caudal view, nearly separated, with a small ventral projection in lateral view.

Distribution

Taiwan (widespread, also on the associated island of Lanyu) ( Fig. 31A ).

Biology

From the collecting and emergence date of the examined specimens, the adults fly from May to December. The larvae inhabit forest environments below 1400 m a.s.l. ( Lin et al. 2021).

Remarks

This is the largest species of Myrmeleontini in Taiwan and can be easily recognized by the large white pterostigma on the wings ( Fig. 2C ). The adults are very similar to those of B. kimurai Hayashi et al., 2020 from Ishigaki Island, Japan, but with a larger pterostigma ( Hayashi et al. 2020) . Stange & Wang (1998) recorded this species as B. eurystictus (Gerstaecker, 1885) , but in later publications, the name B. asakurae was used instead ( Miller et al. 1999; Stange et al. 2003).

Figures

Fig. 1. Adult habitus of species of Myrmeleontini Latreille, 1802 of Taiwan, lateral view. A. Baliga asakurae (Okamoto, 1910), ♀ (NTU). B. B. brunneipennis (Esben-Petersen, 1913), ♀ (NTU). C. Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842, ♀ (NTU). D. M. littoralis Miller & Stange, 1999, ♀ (NTU). E. M. wangi Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). F. M. heppneri Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). G. M. persimilis Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). H. M. punctinervis Banks, 1937, ♀ (NTU). I. M. taiwanensis Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). Scale bars = 10.0 mm.

Fig. 2. Baliga asakurae (Okamoto, 1910) (NTU). A. Head, frontal view. B. Head and thorax, dorsal habitus. C. Wings. Abbreviations: A = anal veins; C = costa; Cu = cubitus; CuA = cubitus anterior; CuP = cubitus posterior; MA = media anterior; MP = media posterior; pB = posterior Banksian line; RA= radius anterior; RP = radius posterior; Sc = subcosta. Scale bars: A–B = 1.0 mm; C = 10.0 mm.

Fig. 3. Baliga asakurae (Okamoto, 1910) (NTU). A. Female terminalia, lateral view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Male terminalia, lateral view.D. Same, ventral view.Abbreviations: ag = anterior gonapophysis; ect = ectoproct; lg = lateral gonapophysis; pg = posterior gonapophysis; pp = pregenital plate; S = sternites; T = tergites. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 4. Baliga asakurae (Okamoto, 1910), male genitalia (NTU). A. Lateral view. B. Ventral view. C. Caudal view. Abbreviations: gon = gonarcus; med = mediuncus; par = parameres. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 31. Distribution of Myrmeleontini Latreille, 1802 from Taiwan and adjacent islands. A. Baliga asakurae (Okamoto, 1910). B. B. brunneipennis (Esben-Petersen, 1913). C. Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1999.D. M. littoralis Miller & Stange, 1999.E. M. wangi Miller & Stange, 1999.F. M. heppneri Miller & Stange, 1999. G. M. persimilis Miller & Stange, 1999. H. M. punctinervis Banks, 1937. I. M. taiwanensis Miller & Stange, 1999.