Nousera Navás, 1923

Hassan, Muhammad Asghar & Liu, Xingyue, 2021, Taxonomic notes on owlflies from Pakistan (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae Ascalaphinae), Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 401-452 : 421

Genus Nousera Navás, 1923

Nousera Navás, 1923: 5 . Type species: Nousera gibba Navás, 1923: 5 . Monotypy.

Diagnosis. Nousera is similar to Glyptobasis in having the distinct triangular projection on the anal area of forewing and it can be distinguished by the presence of narrow wings with rhomboid-shaped pterostigma ( Figs 10A–B , 11E–H ).

Note. Navás (1923) described Nousera based on a single species, Nousera gibba from India, and latter Sziráki (1998) treated Nousera as a junior synonym of Pseudoptynx van der Weele, 1909 , but the later genus was recognized as a junior homonym of an Aves genus, Pseudoptynx Kaup, 1848 by Oswald and Penny (1991). Consequently, Sziráki (1998) placed Nousera gibba and Pseudoptynx furcifer in Nousera . Ábrahám & Mészáros (2006) reinstated Pseudoptynx and proposed a new name, Ascapseudoptynx for Pseudoptynx furcifer , which is distinguishable from Nousera based on the longer male abdomen in comparision with the hind wing and the presence of long bifurcate projection on tergum 2 ( van der Weele 1909: fig 161 III).

Currently Nousera includes two species, i.e., Nousera gibba Navás, 1923 from China, India, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand, and N. herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros, 2006 , only known from the type locality in Pakistan. A key to species of Nousera is constructed based on present material collected from Pakistan.

Key to Nousera species from Pakistan

1. Antennal length ≤ 20 mm; pterostigma ochre brown, proximal portion light brown, with 2–4 dark brown crossveins ( Figs 11E–H ).................................................................................. N. gibba Navás

_. Antennal length> 20 mm; pterostigma dark brown, proximal portion ochre brown, with four dark brown crossveins ( Figs 13D–E ).................................................................. N. herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros

Figures

FIGURE 10. Nousera gibba Navás. Female. A–B. Dorsal habitus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 11. Nousera gibba Navás. Female. A. Head and thorax, dorsal view; B. Antenna. C. Proximal margin of abdomen, dorsal view; D. Lateral view; E–F. Pterostigma of female right fore and hind wing; G–H. Same, male; I. Head, anterior view; J. Female genitalia, lateral view; K. Same, ventral view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (D); 2.0 mm (A); 1.0 mm (I); 0.5 mm (J–K).

FIGURE 13. Nousera herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros. Female. A. Head and thorax, dorsal view; B. Proximal margin of abdomen, dorsal view; C. Lateral view; D–E. Pterostigma of female right fore- and hind wing; F. Head, anterior view; G. Antenna; H. Female genitalia, lateral view; I. Same, ventral view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (B); 2.0 mm (A); 1.0 mm (F); 0.5 mm (H–I).