Glenoleon aurora Tillyard, 1916

Machado, Renato Jose Pires & Oswald, John David, 2020, Morphological phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the former antlion subtribe Periclystina (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Dendroleontinae), Zootaxa 4796 (1), pp. 1-322 : 158-163

Glenoleon aurora Tillyard, 1916

( Figs. 76–78 )

Glenoleon aurora Tillyard, 1916:56 (OD); Esben-Petersen 1923:586 (cit); Stange 1976:305 (cat); New 1985b:52 (key, rd, ill); New 1996:81 (cat); Stange 2004:103 (cat); Oswald 2018 (cat).

Glenoleon pictus New 1985b: 56 (OD); New 1996:83 (cat); Stange 2004:105 (cat); Oswald 2018 (cat). new synonym

Glenoleon tergitus New 1985b: 57 (OD); New 1996:84 (cat); Stange 2004:106 (cat); Oswald 2018 (cat). new synonym

Diagnosis. Legs elongate; tibial spurs reaching T2 apex; forewing costal area uniareolate; hind wing with no broad bands on apical half; male genitalia elongate; female pregenital small and rounded; male gonarcus+mediuncus semi-triangular in posterior view.

Description. Lengths: forewing: 23–27 mm; hind wing: 21–25 mm.

Head ( Figs. 76 a–b): Labrum pale; with a line of elongate setae. Clypeus pale to orange; with few elongate black setae. Frons predominantly pale to orange with a large dark brown mark around antennae (in some specimens the mark is smaller and present only on ventral margin of antennal base); set with few short black setae. Gena pale. Vertex raised; in anterior view mostly orange with two small transverse light brown marks laterally, and a small medial line (marks almost imperceptible in some specimens); in dorsal view mostly pale with three dark brown rounded marks, a medial one on posterior margin and other two anterior to that; set with short black setae. Ocular setae absent. Antennae clubbed; elongate, about twice longer than pronotum; distance between antennae wider than scape width; scape, pedicel and apical flagellomeres (about eight) black; four to five subapical flagellomeres pale, remaining segments brown; torular membrane pale; flagellomeres almost as long as wide at base, apical ones much wider than long; all segments set with short black setae. Mandibles mostly pale, with tip black. Palpi, maxillary and labial pale with scattered dark brown marks, mainly on apical segments; apical labial palpomere fusiform, palpimacula opening oval-shaped, located medially.

Thorax ( Fig. 76b ): Pronotum longer than wide; posterior margin about as wide as anterior; subapical furrow present; mostly pale except for some dark brown marks as follows: a central longitudinal line (discontinuous at furrow in some specimens), two short curved lines on posterior area, anterior margins; beset with short black setae but with some long setae at borders. Mesonotum mostly pale, with some dark brown areas distributed on segments as follows: prescutum with two marks on anterior and posterior margins (connected in some darker specimens), scutum with a large longitudinal central mark and two narrow longitudinal lines on each side, scutellum with two rounded spots on anterior margin and three small lines on posterior margin (central line generally larger); covered with short black setae. Metanotum mostly pale, with some dark brown marks as follows: a large rounded mark on each side of prescutum, a large longitudinal lateral line on each side of scutum, two large marks on anterior margin of scutellum and a central mark on posterior margin. Pterothoracic pleura mostly pale with scattered dark brown areas around some sclerites margins, mainly anterior ones; covered with white setae; Miller’s organ present.

Wings ( Fig. 76d ): Fairly broad; anterior Banksian line present in both wings, posterior absent; veins mostly pale, but some veins intercalated with brown spots, beset with short black setae. Male pilula axillaris present. Forewing membrane hyaline with amber infuscations around some crossveins, inferior margin and tip; pterostigma pale, with a small amber mark at base in some specimens; CuA fork located between RP origin and first fork; two or three presectoral crossveins; subcostal veinlets mostly simple, but in some specimens with some forked veinlets; posterior area narrower than prefork area. Hind wing membrane colour hyaline, with a rounded rhegmal mark, and few amber marks at tip, in some darker specimens all these marks are larger, particularly the rhegmal spot, but in a few paler specimens marks extremely reduced or absent; MP fork located between RP origin and first fork; subcostal veinlets simple; one presectoral crossvein with a medial spur.

Legs ( Figs. 76 a–b): All pairs of legs, femur elongate (> 3.5x length of coxa); tibia slightly longer than femur, and about twice longer than tarsi; tibial spurs extending over T2 apex; T2, T3 and T4 about same size, T1 slightly longer than T2, T5 twice longer than T1; claws about half of T5 length; coxa and trochanter set with short white setae; femur, tibia and tarsi set whit short black setae and scattered long black setae (some specimens with few short white setae on femur internal surface); T5 ventrally with two rows of thick, long, black setae. Proleg sense hair absent; tibia with antennal cleaning setae ventroapically; coxa pale with some dark brown marks on external surface, trochanter pale, femur pale with tip dark brown and a subapical brown mark on internal surface of some specimens, tibia pale with three dark brown rings, tarsi pale with T3, T4 and tip of T5 dark brown. Mesoleg with same colour pattern of proleg. Metaleg with femur and tibia slightly longer than in other legs; colour similar to other legs except for tibia with only tip dark brown, and tarsi entirely pale in some specimens.

Abdomen ( Fig. 76c ): Tergites with posterior area brown with scattered irregular pale marks, but anterior area mostly pale with few dark brown marks. Sternites in general entirely pale, but some specimens with few dark brown marks in some sternites. Tergites and distal sternites set with short black setae, remaining sternites covered with short white setae.

Male Terminalia ( Figs. 77 a–d): Ectoproct posterior margin rounded in lateral view, covered with elongate black setae. 9 th sternite posterior margin with a medial excavation in ventral view, but rounded in lateral view; set with elongate black setae. Gonarcus broad, arched, with anterior margin elongate. Mediuncus fused with gonarcus forming a semi triangular structure. Paramere elongate in lateral view and with tip acute and more sclerotized.

Female Terminalia ( Figs. 76c , 77 e–f): Ectoproct posterior margin rounded covered with thin elongate setae. Lateral gonapophyses rounded, smaller than ectoproct, set with cavisetae. 7 th t ergite with the posterior ventral corner elongate and acute in lateral view. 7 th sternite distal margin with a medial short invagination in ventral view; covered with long black setae. Pregenital plate small, curved in lateral view, but rounded in ventral view. Posterior gonapophyses broad and elongate; covered with long black setae, and many cavisetae on the apex. 9 th tergite with a small membranous digitiform process, ventral margin covered with many elongate pale setae. Anterior gonapophyses a small lobe, beset with very short sclerotized setae. Ventral membrane, gonapophyseal plates absent.

Distribution ( Fig. 78 ). Australia: NSW, NT, SA, WA. Known from scattered records across mainland Australia; most records in southern half.

Adult activity period. Records for October to April.

Biology. Unknown, larva unknown.

Name-bearing types. Glenoleon aurora : Lectotype (by subsequent designation by New (1985b) [as “ Holotype ”]), male, BMNH, high-resolution image examined. Type locality: Australia, New South Wales, Broken Hill (town). From original description: “Hab.---Broken Hill, N.S.W. Several specimens taken by Mr. O. Lower, in 1900 and 1902. Types, ♂ ♀, in Coll. Tillyard; (♂, December 4th, 1900; ♀, November 10th, 1902; Broken Hill; O. Low- er)”. From New (1985b): “ Holotype, ♂ (end of abdomen missing), New South Wales, Broken Hill, 4.xii.1900, O. Lower (BMNH). [Paratype, ♀, same locality, 10.xi.1902 (BMNH); another ♀ labeled as paratype, same data (ANIC); neither ♀ is truly aurora (see below); they are likely to represent G. tillyardi , sp. nov.]”. From Stange (2004): “ Holotype male, Broken Hill, New South Wales, 4.xii.1900, Lower (BMNH!)”.

In the original description Tillyard (1916) explicity states “several specimens” and “Types, ♂ ♀ ”; thus, the type series consisted of multiple specimens, but no holotype was fixed. We interpret New’s (1985b:52) citation of the male specimen as the “ holotype, ♂ ”, and two additional female specimens of the type series as paratypes, to be sufficiently explicit as to constitute a valid designation of the male specimen as a lectotype under Art. 74.5; consequently, the female specimens are paralectotypes. The lectotype specimen was illustrated in the original description and bears a “ holotype ” label. The lectotype and two paralectotype females are not conspecific; the paralectotypes are specimens of Megagonoleon banksi (not Glenoleon tillyardi , as tentatively cited by New). Lectotype condition: good; left antennae and foreleg missing.

Glenoleon pictus : Holotype (by original designation), female, ANIC, examined. Type locality: Western Australia. From original description: “ Holotype, ♀, ‘W. Australia, 12.x.1915 ’ ‘229’ ( ANIC)”. Condition: relatively good, left antenna, right meso and metalegs, and left metatarsi broken; left wings damaged, mainly at the apex dorsally; right hind wing with tip missing; terminalia dissected.

Glenoleon tergitus : Holotype (by original designation), female, ANIC, examined. Type Locality: Australia, Western Australia, 19 km N of Norseman. From original description: “ Holotype, ♀, Western Australia, 12 [miles] N. Norseman , 25.xi.1958, E. F. Riek ( ANIC)”. Condition: good; terminalia dissected.

Additional material examined (36♂, 47♀). AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 13m E of Broken Hill , 13.iii.1963, K. Dansie (1♀, SAMA) ; Tibooburra : 27 mi, 1.xi.1967, R. McInnes (1♂, ANIC) ; 2.xi.1949, EF Riek (1♂, ANIC) ; Northern Territory: Alice Springs : 17 km NE of Yambah, xi.1965 (1♂, FSCA) ; 1mi E of Alice Springs , 23.iv.1966, N. McFarland (1♂, SAMA) ; 4 mi SW of Alice Springs , 18.ii.1966, Britton, Upton & McInnes (1♂, ANIC) ; Emily Gap : 6 mi SE of Alice Springs, 17.ii.1966, Britton, Upton & McInnes (1♂, 2♀, ANIC) ; Standley Chasm : 42 km W of Alice Springs, 11.x.1972, MS Upton (1♂, 1♀, ANIC) ; ii.1966 (1♀, ANIC) ; Trephina Gorge : 70 km ENE of Alice Springs, 29.i.1984, M.S & B.J. Moulds (1♂, AMSA) ; South Australia: Aroona Dam : 3.xi.1969 (1♂, SAMA) ; Blackwood : 850ft., 8.ii.1966, N. McFarland (1♀, AMSA) ; 27.ii.1966 (1♀, SAMA) ; 29.i.1969 (1♂, MVM) ; ii.1969 (1♂, 1♀, SAMA) ; iii.1969 (1♀, SAMA) ; i.1969 (2♀, SAMA) ; Bucharinga Gorge : 30 km NNW Quorn, 18.xii.1985, C. Reid (2♀, ANIC) ; Coober Pedy : 25.xi.1989, R.B. Miller (1♂, 1♀, FSCA) ; Kurlge : 850ft, M.V.L., N.B. Tindale (1♀, SAMA) ; i.1966 (1♂, SAMA) ; ii.1962 (4♂, 3♀, SAMA) ; Ediacara : iii.1958 (1♂, SAMA) ; Everard Park : xi.1970 (1♀, SAMA) ; Gauler Ranges : xii.1989 (1♂, 1♀, SAMA) ; Innamincka : xi.1996 (1♂, SAMA) ; 7.2 km SW of Table Hill , 27 o 37’57’’S– 140 o 49’46’’E, 04–09.xi.1996, Stony Des. Sur. IN camp (1♀, SAMA) ; Leigh Creek : x.1964 – iii.1965, G.C. Gregory (1♀, ANIC) ; x.1968 (1♀, SAMA) ; Maree Picnic Ground : 2.xi.1955, at light, E.T. Giles (1♂, SAMA) ; Mount Aroona : 29.xi.1951 (1♂, MVM) ; Mount Davies : xi.1963 (1♀, SAMA) ; Mount Painter : Flinders Range, H.G. Stokes (5♀, 6♂, SAMA) ; Mount Serle : 16.i.1965 (1♂, 1♀, SAMA) ; Mudla Bore : xii.1974 (2♀, SAMA) ; Musgrave Range : ii.1966 (1♂, 1♀, SAMA) ; 8 km NE Mount Woodroole, 26 o 17’10’’S– 131 o 48’20’’E, Pitjantjatjara Lands survey, 15.x.1994 (2♂, 3♀, SAMA) ; Port Augusta: Pichi Richi Pass , 17.i.1976, M.S. & B.J. Moulds (1♂, AMSA) ; Rev. A.P. Burgess: (1♂, SAMA) ; Uno Station : ii.2009 (1♀, SAMA) ; iii.2010 (1♀, SAMA) ; Yunta : xii.1942 (1♂, 5♀, MVM) ; Wirreandah Creek Crossing: 30 km S. Hawker, 26.xi.1975, at light, G.F. Gross & V. Potezny (1♀, SAMA) ; Western Australia: Blackstone Range : iii.1956 (2♀, 1♂, SAMA) ; Dampi- er: 20.iv.1971, MS Upton (1♀, ANIC) ; Duri : 31.i.1976, K.E. Carbany (1♂, AMSA) ; NO LABEL: (1♀, SAMA) .

Comments. Synonymy of Glenoleon tergitus : New’s (1985b) original description noted that G. tergitus was very similar to G. aurora , but New tentatively differentiated the two species based on terminalic traits and body coloration patterns. He further noted that, because intraspecific variation was poorly understood, the two species might be divergent forms of the same species. Work for the current revision supports the latter view. The body markings of G. tergitus are only slightly darker than those of G. aurora and are now known to fall within the range of variation of the latter species. Similarly, the medial emargination of the female 7 th sternite (noted by New as diagnostic for G. tergitus ) has now been found to be intraspecifically variable in prominence in specimens of G. aurora that possess both paler “ aurora - type ” body markings and darker “ tergitus - type ” markings. Based on these observations, Glenoleon tergitus is here synonymized with Glenoleon aurora .

Synonymy of Glenoleon pictus : New (1985b) described G. pictus from a single female specimen. In the original description it was contrasted with aurora and tergitus , and differentiated from them primarily based on its darker body and wing coloration and an uncertain reference to “ventral ornamentation” of the terminalia. We have ex- amined the holotype and find that it represents only a specimen on the dark end of the range of variation found in aurora . The terminalia of the holotype do not fall outside the range of variation expected in aurora . Based on these observations, Glenoleon pictus is here synonymized with Glenoleon aurora .

Phylogenetic relationships: Glenoleon aurora is very similar and closely related to G. froggatti , G. minutillus and G. osmyloides ( Fig. 4 ), based on general body colour pattern. However, all of these species are easily separated based on the shape of structures of both the male and female terminalia.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Strict consensus tree of morphology-based parsimony analysis of species belonging to the former subtribe Periclystina (ingroup, names in black), and outgroups (names in red). Former Glenoleon species are shown on blue branches, former Austrogymnocnemia species on green branches. Numbers above branches are Bremer support values; numbers below branches are bootstrap values (shown where>50%).

FIGURE 76. Glenoleon aurora: a) head, anterior; b) head and thorax, dorsal; c) female abdomen apex, lateral; d) wings, dorsal.

FIGURE 77. Glenoleon aurora: male: a) terminalia, lateral; b) genitalia, lateral; c) genitalia, posterior; d) 9th sternite, ventral; female: e) terminalia, lateral; f) terminalia, ventral (note pregenital plate hidden beneath sternite). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 78. Distribution of Glenoleon species (part).