Cueta lineosa (Rambur, 1842)

Badano, Davide & Pantaleoni, Roberto Antonio, 2014, The larvae of European Myrmeleontidae (Neuroptera), Zootaxa 3762 (1), pp. 1-71 : 44-47

Cueta lineosa (Rambur, 1842)

( Figs. 2D , 23 )

The larvae are insufficiently known. Lackinger (1973) simply compared the proportions of head of this species with M. trigrammus , while the description of Mirmoayedi (2002) is excessively concise, even insufficient to discriminate it from other antlions.

Examined specimens. Greece. Rhodos , Vati, grassland, VII.2009 (D. Badano), 1 L3. Rhodos, Tsambika, back dune, VII.2009 (D. Badano), 1 L3 .

Description of 3 rd instar larva. Size (based on 2 specimens): BL 8.75 mm; HL 1.85 mm (1.82–1.87), HW (1.37–1.45), ML 1.70 mm (1.67–1.72), HW/HL 0.76, ML/HL 0.92. General colouring light brown with brown pattern, ventral side pale ochre with contrasting dark markings; head capsule dark brown with a paler V-shaped anterior marking and a median pale stripe, lateral side with extensive markings, ventral side of the head paler with a distinctive median pair of elongated markings ( Fig. 23c ); mandibles pale brown, darker toward the tip; legs pale; setae of the body black. Head longer than wide, relatively small in comparison to the body; mandibles almost as long as the head capsule; median and apical teeth spaced by setae ( Fig. 23a ); interdental mandibular setae (~8)(2– 3)(1)(1very small); dorsal side of the mandibles covered by few short setae, ventral side with sparse and short setae, lateral side with a fringe of setae ( Fig. 23b ). Mesothoracic spiracles dark brown. VIII sternite provided with very small odontoid processes, posterior margin equipped with large and stout digging setae, the internal pairs are the largest and grouped on protuberances; IX sternite with two pairs of stout digging setae and two rastra each bearing 4 digging setae with a large seta at their base ( Figs. 2D , 23d ).

Bio-ecology. C. lineosa is associated with open and arid environments such as scrublands, steppes or even deserts. The larvae were collected in back dunes with sparse vegetation and in dry grasslands.

Distribution. Widespread in arid areas of North Africa and Eurasia.

Remarks. The larva of C. lineosa is notable for the presence in the mandibles of 1 seta, though very short and easily overlooked, after the apical tooth; this character is normally typical of the tribe Myrmeleontini .

Figures

FIGURE 2. IX and VIII abdominal sternite of 3rd instar larvae of Palparini, Myrmecaelurini, Nesoleontini and Acanthaclisini. A, Palpares libelluloides; B, Myrmecaelurus trigrammus; C, Cueta beieri; D, Cueta lineosa; E, Acanthaclisis occitanica; F, Synclisis baetica. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 23. Cueta lineosa (Rambur, 1842), 3rd instar larva (Greece: Rhodos, Tsambika). Dorsal (above), ventral (middle) and lateral (below) view; a–d: diagnostic characters, see species description.