Megagonoleon sarahae (New, 1985)

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 : 252-255

Megagonoleon sarahae (New, 1985) , new combination

( Figs. 128 , 131–132 )

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 78354AC2-C0FB-4B67-9337-03C643DF692C

Austrogymnocnemia sarahae New, 1985:23 (OD); New 1996:68 (cat); Stange 2004:100 (cat); Oswald 2018 (cat).

Diagnosis. Forewing and hind wing each with one longitudinal line apically; frons entirely dark; tibial spurs absent; female lateral gonapophysis about same size as ectoproct; female posterior gonapophysis without cavisetae; male paramere acute posteromedially in lateral view.

Description. Lengths: forewing: 20–21 mm; hind wing: 18–19 mm.

Head ( Figs. 131 a–b): Labrum pale, set with a line of elongate setae. Clypeus pale, with few elongate black setae. Frons black, except for pale ventral margin; covered with few short black setae. Gena pale. Vertex raised; in anterior view pale, with a medial, transverse, and dark brown line; in dorsal view mostly pale with three rounded dark brown marks on posterior margin, and some irregular dark brown marks on central area; covered with short black setae. Ocular setae absent. Antennae clubbed; elongate,> 4x length of pronotum; distance between width; scape and pedicel mostly dark brown with irregular brown areas; flagellomeres brown with distal margin pale, except for few subapical segments entirely pale and apical ones slightly darker; 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 pale, with tip black. Palpi, maxillary and labial pale; apical labial palpomere fusiform, palpimacula opening oval-shaped, located medially.

Thorax ( Fig. 131b ): Pronotum about as long as wide; posterior margin as wide as anterior; subapical furrow present; mostly pale with dark grey areas as follows: a broad longitudinal medial line “Y” shaped, two lateral longitudinal lines and two curved marks around midline on posterior margin; beset with short pale setae. Mesonotum with prescutum mostly grey with two rounded pale spots and some irregular dark brown areas around midline; scutum mostly grey with irregular dark brown spots and a small longitudinal pale line around midline; scutellum mostly pale with a broad longitudinal medial dark brown line; all segments covered with short pale setae. Metanotum mostly grey with some small rounded dark brown spots at scutum, and some irregular pale areas as follows: a large rounded mark on medial area, two small marks at wings base, and posterior margin of scutellum; set with short pale setae. Pterothoracic pleura grey; covered with white setae; Miller’s organ present.

Wings ( Fig. 131c ): Rather narrow with tip acute; 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 mostly hyaline with a longitudinal line surrounding gradate crossveins on apical area; and some small brown infuscations on vein forks near posterior and apical margins; pterostigma white; CuA fork located near RP origin; three presectoral crossveins; subcostal veinlets simple; prefork area slightly larger than posterior area. Hind wing membrane mostly hyaline except for a longitudinal line surrounding gradate crossveins on apical area; MP fork located near RP origin; subcostal veinlets simple; one presectoral crossvein.

Legs ( Figs. 131 a–b): All pairs of legs, femur elongate (about twice longer than coxa); tibia slightly shorter than femur; but about same size of tarsi; tibial spurs absent; T3 and T4 about same size, T2 slightly longer than T3, T1 longer than T2 and T5 longer than T1; claws about half of T5 length; coxa set with white setae; all other segments set with short black setae, and scattered long ones at tibia. Proleg sense hair absent; tibia with antennal cleaning setae ventroapically; coxa predominantly pale but external surface mostly brown, all other segments light brown except for apex of tibia and tarsomeres, dark. Mesoleg with colour pattern similar of proleg, except for coxa external surface, grey. Metaleg with femur and tibia slightly longer than in other legs; colour pattern equal to mesoleg.

Abdomen: Mostly dark grey except for sclerites distal margins, pleura, and ectoproct pale; covered with short white setae.

Male Terminalia ( Figs. 132 a–d): Ectoproct posterior margin rounded in lateral view, set with elongate black setae. 9 th sternite short, with posterior margin straight in ventral view; set with elongate black setae. Gonarcus broad, arched, with anterior margin very broad and marginally rounded in lateral view; in posterior view with medial region narrow and lateral regions broad. Mediuncus large, less sclerotized and with tip acute. Paramere large, in lateral view with medial region acute; in dorsal view as two acute semi triangles; with medial region fused in posterior view.

Female Terminalia ( Figs. 132 e–f): Ectoproct posterior margin rounded, set with thin elongate setae and some cavisetae ventrally. Lateral gonapophyses rounded, about same size as ectoproct, beset with cavisetae. 9 th tergite with few thickened setae on ventral area in lateral view. 7 th sternite elongate, with distal margin straight in ventral view; covered with short black setae. Pregenital plate concave in lateral view, but rounded with distal margin curved in ventral view. Posterior gonapophyses thin, slender, covered with long black setae. Anterior gonapophyses absent. Ventral membrane gonapophyseal plates present.

Distribution ( Fig. 128 ). Australia: WA. Known from sparse records in northern Western Australia.

Adult activity period. Records for December, March, and April.

Biology. Unknown, larva unknown.

Name-bearing type. Austrogymnocnemia sarahae : Holotype (by original designation), female, SAMA, examined. Type locality: Australia, Western Australia, 112 km ESE Kununurra (town). From original description: “ Holotype, ♀, Western Australia, 70 miles ESE. Kununurra (N.T.), 17.iv.1966, N. McFarland ( SAM)”. Condition: good, terminalia dissected.

Additional material examined (3♂, 1♀). AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 5 km SE of Millstream Homestead , 21.37S– 117.06E, 17.iv.1971, Upton & Mitchell (1♂, ANIC) ; 1 km NE of Millstream Homestead , 21.35S– 117.04E, 8.iv.1971 (1♀, ANIC) ; Highway 138, 9 air km EENE of Newman , 520m, 23.34699 oS– 119.82137 oE ± 80m, 25.xii.2012, M.V., Oswald, Diehl & Machado, Oswald #616 (1♂, TAMU) ; 25 o 51’17’’S– 119 o 04’39.4’’E, 2.iii.1994, L. Stange (1♂, FSCA) .

Comments. See Comments for Megagonoleon cardaleae .

Figures

FIGURE 128. Distribution of Megagonoleon species (part).

FIGURE 131. Megagonoleon sarahae: a) head, anterior; b) head and thorax, dorsal; c) wings, dorsal.

FIGURE 132. Megagonoleon sarahae: male: a) terminalia, lateral; b) genitalia, posterior; c) genitalia, lateral; d) genitalia, dorsal; female: e) terminalia, lateral; f) 7th sternite and pregenital plate, ventral. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.