Nolima Navas , 1914

Reynoso-Velasco, Daniel & Contreras-Ramos, Atilano, 2019, Taxonomic review of the mantidfly genus Nolima Navas (Neuroptera, Mantispidae, Calomantispinae), ZooKeys 853, pp. 131-158 : 131

Genus Nolima Navas, 1914

Nolima Navás, 1914: 100-101 (original description, gender: feminine, etymology: anagram of Molina, type species by original designation: Nolima victor ); Rehn 1939: 238, 256 (key, description); Acker 1960: 29, 92-93 (species list, illustrations); Penny 1977: 36 (species list); MacLeod and Redborg 1982: 39 (biology); Penny 1982: 212-213 (synonymy); Lambkin 1986a: 3, 9, 15-20, 28, 30, 84 (species list, systematics); Willman 1990: 261 (systematics); Oswald and Penny 1991: 45 (genera list); Henry et al. 1992: 439, 449 (key, species list); Hoffman 2002: 251-252 (key, species list); Ohl 2004: 157-158 (species list); Ohl 2005: 80 (distribution); Reynoso-Velasco and Contreras-Ramos 2008: 704-705, 708 (key, species list); Reynoso-Velasco and Contreras-Ramos 2009: 710 (species list); Reynoso-Velasco and Contreras-Ramos 2010: 270 (distribution); Cancino-López et al. 2015: 201-202, 205 (genera list, species list, systematics); Liu et al. 2015: 184, 194, 201, 204 (genera list, systematics, distribution).

Bellarminus Navás, 1914: 102-103 (original description, gender: masculine, etymology: after the Italian cardinal Roberto Bellarmino, type species by original designation: Bellarminus pugnax ); Penny 1977: 34 (species list); Penny 1982: 212-213 (synonymy); Oswald and Penny 1991: 11, 45 (synonymy); Ohl 2004: 157 (synonymy).

Diagnosis.

The genus Nolima can be distinguished by the following combination of characters (character states in parentheses are generally exhibited by other mantispid genera): a) Sc comes in contact with C near the middle of costal margin and distal to the base of pterostigma on the forewing (at apex of 2/3 of costal margin and proximal to pterostigma), b) M diverging from R distal to 1m-cu on the forewing (proximal to 1m-cu), c) abdominal terga and sterna or only terga of the male with circular or polygonal structures, respectively, d) male mediuncus apex strongly projecting posteriorly and deeply bifid (shallowly indented), and e) female spermatheca with accessory gland (generally without accessory gland, but if present then associated to copulatory bursa, e.g., species of Calomantispa ).

Description.

General. Coloration pale yellow, with dark brown pigmentation as stripes or marks in specific areas (detailed in the text below).

Head. Hypognathous. Vertex with a rhomboid protuberance covering nearly its entire area; vertex marking M-shaped, extending behind antennal sockets, where can be bifurcated, if bifurcated then one branch extends posteriorly, parallel to anterior ocular margin, additional branch generally extends anteriorly on frontogenal furrow, or extends on frontogenal and epistomal furrows; vertex with a pair of irregular marks originating posteromedially, extending anteriorly along the coronal suture, then angled at 45° toward anterior ocular margin, reaching the rhomboid protuberance, sometimes converging with upper part of M-shaped mark. Frons generally with pair of semicircular marks. Clypeus and labrum, each sometimes with a medial semicircular mark. Antennal flagellomeres dark brown, as long as wide in basal third of flagellum, twice as long as wide in distal two thirds in frontal view. Mandibles with pigmentation on inner and outer edges.

Thorax. Prothorax straight in lateral view, with pigmentation, bristle-bearing chalazae on pronotum and anterolateral and anteroventral areas, a pair of pale spots anterolaterally in dorsal view. Mesothorax with conspicuous mesoscutal and scutoscutellar sutures; scutum generally with two longitudinal stripes anterior to suture and four posterior to suture, two medial and two lateral; scutellum with color pattern variable; pleural area generally with pigmentation. Metathorax with mesoscutal suture obsolete, scutoscutellar suture conspicuous; scutum generally with an M-shaped mark medially, a longitudinal stripe on each side of medial mark. Forecoxa with bristle-bearing chalazae. Forefemur with dorsal margin slightly convex, midsection in dorsal view approximately twice as wide as apex; longitudinal row of spines on ventral side weakly compressed laterally; tibia arched, two thirds as long as femur, with ventral carina; first tarsomere more than twice as long as second. Middle and hindleg not modified, finely and evenly setose. Forewing (Fig. 4A) with costal margin convex above costal cells, almost straight to distal margin of pterostigma; Sc fusing with C distally, above Rs stem; pterostigma semicircular, reddish-brown, no hyaline space between pterostigma and R1; M free basally, diverging from R distal to 1m-cu; 1m-cu slightly inclined; Cu branching reduced. Hindwing (Fig. 4B) with costal margin concave proximally and convex distally above costal cell, almost straight to distal margin of pterostigma; Sc fusing with C posterior to Rs stem; M not fused with R; CuP absent.

Abdomen, male (Fig. 5A, B). Smaller than wing length at rest; terga and sterna I–VIII with circular structures barely touching each other (specially along midline) or terga I–VIII with polygonal structures in close contact to each other; terga and sterna I–VIII unfused laterally; tergum IX inconspicuous, narrow, almost reaching base of sternum IX; sternum IX elongate, posteriorly projected, scoop-like, with apodeme along basal margin. Ectoprocts with dorsal margin straight to strongly convex in lateral view, arched apodeme along basal margin, in dorsal view; ectoprocts fused dorsally, apex bilobed in dorsal view; apex of ectoprocts with microsetose membranous area between lobes, variably sclerotized; callus cerci not protuberant, obsolete. Gonarcus broadly or narrowly rounded in dorsal view, strongly sclerotized, apical process extending posterodorsally; gonarcal membrane with small tubercles dorsolaterally; gonarcus and gonocoxite IX associated basally, generally with laterally compressed apodemes extending anteriorly. Gonocoxite IX with posteroventrally inclined T-shape, small spines on apical and posteroapical surfaces. Mediuncus with obsolete to well-developed oval-shaped base, bifid apically; mediuncus apical processes strongly produced posteriorly, flanking pseudopenis. Pseudopenis sclerotized, lanceolate, produced further posteriorly than mediuncus processes. Hypandrium internum triangular in ventral view, longitudinal keel along midline.

Abdomen, female (Fig. 5C, D). Size similar to male; terga and sterna I–VIII without circular or polygonal structures; terga and sterna I–VII unfused laterally; tergum VIII narrow, ventrally produced, in contact with sternum VIII forming a ring; sternum VIII posteriorly produced, covering gonapophyses IX; tergum IX narrow, ventrally produced, not fused ventrally; sternum IX absent. Ectoprocts with margin convex in lateral view, apodeme along basal margin; ectoprocts fused dorsally, apex bilobed in dorsal view; apex of ectoprocts with membranous area between lobes; callus cerci not protuberant, conspicuous. Gonapophyses IX sclerotized, concave. Gonocoxite IX ovoid in lateral view, smaller than ectoproct. Genital chamber a membranous sac with several folds, located from posterior edge of sternum VIII to medial part of gonocoxite IX. Colleterial gland emerging from dorsal part of genital chamber, extending anterodorsally. Copulatory bursa dorsoventrally flattened, strongly sclerotized, narrowing anteriorly. Spermatheca lightly sclerotized, diverticulum in first third, with ovoid accessory gland. Fertilization canal long, narrow, apex bulbous.

Distribution.

This genus is endemic to the New World, ranging from southwestern United States to Costa Rica ( Ohl 2004), including Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Based on material examined, the species N. pinal and N. victor inhabit mountainous regions above 1500 m, primarily in areas with oak ( Quercus ) and pine ( Pinus ) vegetation. Nolima infensa and Nolima costaricensis sp. nov. occur in more tropical latitudes, from lowlands to mid-elevations.

Biology and natural history.

Little is known about this topic; the available information is related to the cytogenetics and larval diet of Nolima pinal .

Etymology.

The word Nolima is an anagram of Molina, in honor of Luis de Molina (1535-1600), a Jesuit priest who was born in the city of Cuenca, Spain ( Navás 1914). The gender of this genus is considered feminine ( Ohl 2004, JD Oswald, Texas A&M University, pers. comm.).