Ascalorphne Banks, 1915

Schuster, Phillip Alves & Machado, Renato José Pires, 2022, Insights on the evolution of Ululodini (Insecta: Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Ascalaphinae), focusing on the systematics of the genus Ascalorphne Banks, 1915, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (e 20220070) 66, pp. 1-21 : 3-4

Genus Ascalorphne Banks, 1915

Diagnosis. Antennae long (reaching or extending beyond the apex of the forewing), wings long and narrow, petiolate and with a distinct projection (anal lobe) at the anal margin of the forewing, hind wing with CuP vein straight, males with expanded hind wing cubital area. Tibial spurs elongated, larger than the first four tarsomeres combined. Ectoproct oval, not elongated.

Distribution. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay.

Type species. Ascalaphus macrocerca Burmeister, 1839 .

Head: Labrum and clypeus brown, with a tuft of long setae on the dorsolateral region of the clypeus; mandible brown, concave and with inner margin strongly sclerotized, with three teeth; 5-segmented maxillary palp, hairy, except for the last two segments; labium yellowish, quadrangular and with tufts of black, long, falcated and thick setae that are restricted anterolaterally, ventrally labium with white, thin and long setae; labial palp with 3 palpomeres, with black setae on the second one, long, equal to or longer than the third segment, last palpomere brown/yellow with short setae; frons black; eye transversely sulcated, of variable color (yellowish, grayish or dark), in lateral view with a row of long white setae in the paraocular band of the ventral half of the eye; vertex brown and narrow; antennae long, with black rings, as long as/or longer than the forewing; scape and pedicel wider than long, scape covered by long setae (greater than basal four flagellomeres combined); 38-45 flagellomeres, longer than wide and with black and long setae at the apices, flagellomeres 8-23 with longer setae, in males these setae are specialized; fusiform/piriform antennal club composed of 10 flagellomeres, the distal one with a protuberance at the apex.

Thorax. Pleural region brown with yellow spots, mostly with long white setae and some black; pronotum narrow in dorsal view; prescutum frontally emarginated by long and dark setae; scutellum with two rounded and yellowish lateral maculae. Leg. Coxae and trochanter with long white setae; femur yellowish at the base and brown at the apex, with white long setae and some black; tibia brown or yellowish, with black long setae and some white; tibial spur brown, curved and long, larger than the four basal tarsomeres combined, in the fore and mid leg reaching the fourth tarsomere, but reaching the fifth in the hindleg; tarsomeres with short black setae, on the hindleg the tarsomere 1 is about twice as long as the others, except for tarsomere 5, which is about three times longer than tarsomere 1 of all legs, tarsomeres 2-4 with the same length; pretarsus with two claws, brown, curved and long, almost as long as tarsomere 5, planta with two long black setae.

Wings. Petiolate, membrane hyaline or pigmented, veins brown, pterostigma rhomboid, black or brown. Forewing. Presence of a distinct axillary lobe; apical area after fusion of Sc+R with 3-5 cell lines; RP with 4-5 bifurcations; MA long, without bifurcations and extending beyond the third bifurcation of RP; CuA+MP with 9-11 bifurcations; CuP straight and short, extending to the origin of RP; A1 extremely short, curving into the axillary lobe; cubital area with 3-4 cell lines. Hind wing. Shorter and narrower than forewing; males with an expanded cubital area; smaller pterostigma; MA straight and ending at or beyond the third RP fork; CuP straight, extending to the first RP fork; cubital area with 2-3 cell lines.

Abdomen. Shorter than wings, brown/yellowish; T1 yellowish with white short setae, and with a black macula; T2 with some long white setae; each side of the remaining tergites with two elongated black macula that become circular in tergites T7 and T8; S1-2 yellowish, other sternites brown with short black setae.

Terminalia and Genitalia. ♂: Ectoproct oval with black, strong and long setae; T9 not dorsally fused and as two triangular-shaped plates in lateral view; S9, in lateral view, concave and, in ventral view, spatula-shaped, with sclerotization on the edges and presence of black, short and long setae at the apex. Gonarcus-paramere complex. GX9 convergent, fusiform in lateral view, in ventral view oval, concave, and with apex sclerotized; GX11 membranous, concave and subtriangular in lateral view, with apex projecting over the apex of GX9; pelta broad, triangular, membranous, glabrous and located below the GX9; pulvinus not-everted, membranous, with short setae. ♀: Ectoproct oval in lateral view and full of black and long setae; T9 elongated, with anterior projection present, full of long black setae, longer and more abundant in the ventral portion; GX9 (distivalve) trapezoidal, with setae on the ventral margin; GP8 (linguella) membranous, subtriangular and with short setae; interdens sclerotized, small; GX8 (ventrovalvae) paired, membranous, concave, interiorized and glabrous.