Myrmeleon punctinervis Banks, 1937

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 : 42-46

Myrmeleon punctinervis Banks, 1937

Figs 1H , 23–25

Myrmeleon punctinervis Banks, 1937: 287 . Type locality: Taiwan (Nantou).

Myrmeleon punctinervis – Stange et al. 2003: 121. — Wang et al. 2018: 107.

Myrmeleon (Myrmeleon) punctinervis – Stange 2004: 335. — Lin et al. 2019: 140.

Material examined

Holotype TAIWAN • ♂ (photos examined); Nantou County, Puli Township, “ Hori ” [now Puli ]; 15 Jun. 1934; L. Gressitt leg.; MCZC MCZ-ENT 00020200 .

Additional material

TAIWAN – Kaohsiung City • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Liugui District, Liugui (Liukuei) River Basin ; 23°00′3.6″ N, 120°38′11.3″ E; 23 Apr. 1998; Robert A. Miller, Lionel A. Stange and Hsiau-Yue Wang leg.; TAMU X0405710, X0068838 • 1 ♀; Taoyuan District, Tengjhih ; 21 Sep. 1995; W.I. Chou leg.; NMNS . – Kinmen County • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Jinsha Township, Kinmen County Forest Affair Place ; 2 Sep. 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Jinhu Township, Qingnian Farm ; 2 Sep. 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Jinsha Township, Tianpu Reservoir ; 3 Apr. 2021; Bin-Hong Ho and Yun Ho leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂ (larva reared to adult); Jinhu Township, Xibian Seawater Bathing Pool ; 4 Apr. 2021; Bin-Hong Ho and Yun Ho leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU . – Miaoli County • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Zhunan Township, Qiding Beach ; 8 Nov. 2019; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 4 May 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂; Taian Township, Taian ; 19–23 Sep. 1988; C.S. Lin leg.; by UV light-trap; NMNS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); Tongxiao Township, Tongxiao Beach ; 4 May 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; 1 spec. preserved in alcohol; NTU . – New Taipei City • 2 ♀♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); Linkou District, Linkou Canyon ; 8 Nov. 2019; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; 1 spec. preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); Tamsui District, Shalun Seaside Resort ; 30 Jan. 2019; Kai-Wei Chan leg.; NTU . – Taichung City • 1 ♂; Beitun District, Dakeng Trail ; 10 May 1991; C.H. Tung leg.; NCHU • 1 ♀; South District, National Chung-Hsing University ; 16 May 2003; W.T. Wu leg.; by hand; NMNS . – Tainan City • 1 ♂ (larva reared to adult); Anping District, Yuguangdao ; 25 Jan. 2021; Bin-Hong Ho and Yun Ho leg.; NTU . – Taoyuan City • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); Dayuan District, Zhuwei Beach ; 14 Jun. 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; 1 spec. preserved in alcohol; NTU . – Yilan County • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Datong Township, Yingshi (Yinshih) Bridge ; 320 m a.s.l.; 24°36′32.1″ N, 121°31′36.3″ E; Robert A. Miller, Lionel A. Stange and Hsiau-Yue Wang leg.; TAMU X0068844, X0404947 .

Re-description of the adult

MEASUREMENTS (♂ n =5, ♀ n = 7). Body length: ♂ 22.9–26.6 mm, ♀ 23.6–27.5 mm; forewing: length ♂ 24.3–27.5 mm, ♀ 26.7–29.5 mm; width ♂ 5.1–5.6 mm, ♀ 5.3–6.0 mm; width/length ratio ♂ 0.2070, ♀ 0.2012; hindwing: length ♂ 22.6–26.2 mm, ♀ 24.6–27.1 mm; width ♂ 4.5–5.0 mm, ♀ 4.4–5.0 mm; width/length ratio ♂ 0.1924, ♀ 0.1834.

HEAD ( Fig. 23A–B ). Vertex strongly raised, rounded, yellow, 4 shiny black spots along anterior margin and 4 shiny black spots along posterior margins, with sparse short black hairs; occiput dark brown, pale yellow in middle. Frons shiny brown, covered with sparse short hyaline hairs; gena whitish-yellow, with a nearly complete white line along ocular rim; clypeus whitish-yellow, with sparse hyaline hairs.Antenna brown, short, with slightly defined club, covered with short dark hairs; scape brown with rings of white bands at base and apex; pedicel dark brown; flagellum comprising approximately 30 flagellomeres. Mouthparts yellow, labrum yellow, with several hyaline hairs; maxillary palps dark brown, whitish-yellow between each palpomere, labial palps yellow, 3 rd palpomere black, fusiform, tapering to acute apex, with black round palpimacula on apical ⅓; submentum with long dark hairs.

THORAX ( Fig. 23B ). Pronotum broad, shorter than wide, brown, anterior margin with yellow bands on side, membrane whitish-yellow, with a pair of brown markings in middle, with hyaline hairs and long dark hairs. Cervical sclerites brown. Mesonotum brown, with a pale brown band on posterior margin. Metanotum brown, covered with sparse hyaline hairs. Meso- and metapleuron brown, moderately covered with long hyaline hairs.

LEGS. Whitish-yellow, short. Coxae moderately covered with long hyaline hairs; fore coxae whitish-yellow, with brown marking on dorsal surface; mid- and hind coxae dark brown. Femora moderately covered with short dark hairs, mixed with sparse long black setae; fore femur whitish-yellow, with dark brown marking on apex on dorsal surface and dark brown on ventral surface; mid femora whitish-yellow, dark brown on ventral surface; hind femora whitish-yellow with brown marking at apex; femoral sense hair length about ⅓ to ½ of femur length on fore and mid legs, absent on hind leg. Tibiae moderately covered with short dark hairs, mixed with sparse long black setae; fore- and mid tibia whitish-yellow, dark brown at apex, dorsal surface with a dark brown marking interpreted with a whitish-yellow line, ventral surface reddish-brown; hind tibia whitish-yellow, dark brown on ventral surface and apex. Tibial spurs red, short, slender, almost straight, longer than tarsomere 1 (approximately as long on hind leg). Tarsi whitish-yellow, dark brown at apex of each tarsomere, sparsely covered with short dark hairs dorsally, short black setae ventrally; tarsomere 1 shorter than combined length of tarsomeres 2–4; tarsomere 5 approximately as long as combined length of tarsomeres 1–4. Pretarsal claws red, slightly black at base, short, simple, curved, shorter than tibial spurs.

WINGS ( Fig. 23C ). Without markings, hyaline. Forewings narrow, acute at apex; veins and crossveins mostly pale brown, Sc, RA and CuA finely alternating brown and pale yellow; costal area without interconnected crossveins, distal crossveins often branched; presectoral area with 7–8 crossveins and 0–1 irregular cells; RP arising slightly beyond CuA fork, with 13–18 crossveins from origin of RP to hypostigmatic cell; CuP supporting 1 cell before fusing with 1A; 3A mostly fused with 2A; hypostigmatic cell long; pterostigma pale white; anterior Banksian line absent, posterior Banksian line distinct. Hindwings slightly shorter and narrower than forewings; acute at apex; presectoral area with 5 crossveins and 0 irregular cells; RP arising beyond MP fork, at origin runs closer to MA, with 9–13 crossveins from origin of Rs to hypostigmatic cell; hypostigmatic cell longer than forewing; pterostigma pale white; anterior Banksian line absent, posterior Banksian line slightly distinct, directly below CuA1; male with large pilula axillaris.

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

FEMALE TERMINALIA ( Fig. 24A–B ). Tergite VIII at least 2 times as wide as tergite IX. Tergite IX narrow, rectangular in lateral view. Ectoproct trapezoid in lateral view, with long, black fossorial bristles on ventral half. Lateral gonapophyses semicircular in lateral view, smaller than ectoproct, with long, black fossorial bristles on posterior side and long, thin, black setae on ventral side. Posterior gonapophyses long, slender, with long, black setae. Anterior gonapophyses slightly lobed, slightly separated, with long, thick, black setae. Pregenital plate distinct, oval, presented on posterior margin of sternite VII.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 24C–D , 25 ). Ectoproct trapezoid in lateral view, slightly curved toward posterior, dorsal margin shorter than ventral margin, ventral margin slightly curved upward, covered with short pale brown hair, ventral half with long black setae. Sternite IX shorter than combined length of tergite IX and ectoproct, tapered in ventral view, with long black setae posteriorly. Gonarcus arched, crescent-shaped in lateral view, arms curved inward. Mediuncus well sclerotized, large, black, rectangular in caudal view. Parameres well sclerotized, large, black, triangular in lateral view, rectangular in caudal view, separated, with short black setae.

Distribution

Taiwan (Kaohsiung, Miaoli, Nantou, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taoyuan, Yilan, also on the associated island of Kinmen) ( Fig. 31H ).

Biology

From the collecting and emergence date of the examined specimens, the adults appear from May to October, with one specimen emerging in February. The larvae prefer open environments and can be found on beaches or riverbank sand deposits ( Lin et al. 2021).

Remarks

This medium-sized species is relatively easy to identify by the ring of yellow marking on the vertex ( Fig. 23B ), the overall morphology of the adult resembles M. heppneri , M. persimilis , and M. taiwanensis , but with narrower wings than M. heppneri and M. persimilis .

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. 23. Myrmeleon punctinervis Banks, 1937 (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. 24. Myrmeleon punctinervis Banks, 1937 (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. 25. Myrmeleon punctinervis Banks, 1937, 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.