Navasoleon Banks, 1943

Stange, Lionel A. & Miller, Robert B., 2018, A revision of the genus Navasoleon Banks (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Nemoleontini), Insecta Mundi 619, pp. 1-25 : 2-3

Navasoleon Banks

Navasoleon Banks 1943: 168 .

Type species. Gymnocnemia boliviana Banks , by original designation. Gender is masculine.

Taxonomy. Miller and Stange 1985: 122.

Further description. Stange 1963: 810; 1970: 11.

Biology. Miller and Stange 1985: 120-126, 6 figures (larva, pupa, habitat).

Catalog. Stange 1970: 231; 2004: 191.

Distribution. South America.

Description. Adult. Antenna long and slender, weakly clavate or filamentous; legs elongate, foreleg, in six species much longer than hindleg; tibial spurs absent; pretarsal claws capable of closing against ventral surface of distal tarsomere; black setae on ventral surface of distal tarsomere hooked apically on foreleg (except brasiliensis group) but usually not hooked on other legs; tarsomeres 1-4 with hair mat ventrally; femoral sense hair short, sometimes not distinguishable from other setae; foreleg tarsomere 1 and 2 combined length usually longer than distal tarsomere; forewing with anterior margin evenly curved toward apex, forewing radial sector arising at or beyond cubital fork; posterior fork of vein CuA at an oblique angle to hind margin; vein 2A widely separated from normal 3A before strong angle toward posterior margin; posterior fork of vein CuA reaches posterior border near or well beyond origin of radial sector; hindwing shorter than forewing, in repose apices of wings coincide; abdomen shorter than wings; male ectoproct without postventral lobe; male genitalia a gonarcus and two parameres with an oval sclerite structure sometimes present between parameres; female ectoproct with inconspicuous scraping setae; posterior gonapophysis variably swollen and thumb-like, beset with many fine hair-like setae; lateral gonapophyses fused or not, with scraping setae; pregenital plate usually present.

Larva ( Fig. 65–69 ). Mandible with three teeth, which arise well anterior to midpoint of mandible; tooth 2 closer to 3 than to 1; head capsule with long, fine white hair laterally; body flattened with metathorax with 2 pairs of scolus-like processes that are much longer than wide; abdomen with scolus-like process on segments 1–7; hindpretarsal claws less than twice as long as mesothoracic pretarsal claws; spiracles not borne on tubercles; sternite 8 without odontoid process; sternite 9 with small stout setae posteriorly.

Biology (after Miller and Stange 1985). The larvae of two species have been found and reared: Navasoleon lithophilus Miller in Peru and N. venezolanus Stange in Venezuela. Both live on smooth, clean rock surfaces where they are oriented head downward or are completely horizontal on the ceiling within meters of each other whereas nearby and apparently suitable rocks were devoid of larvae. Navasoleon lithophilus was misidentified as Navasoleon bolivianus (Banks) in Miller and Stange (1985) .

Zoogeography. The species are localized. Five species are known from only one locality whereas N. leptocerus (Navás) is known only from the contiguous states of La Rioja and Catamarca in Argentina and N. tarsalis Miller from the nearby states of Falcon and Guarico in Venezuela. N. brasiliensis Miller occurs in three fairly separated states of Brazil. The leptocerus group is widespread in South America occurring in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Venezuela. Two species occur in Argentina, one in arid areas ( N. leptocerus ) and the other in cloud forests ( N. lotti Stange ). Two species occur in Venezuela, N. tarsalis and N. venezolanus Stange.

Discussion. Species of Navasoleon are known only from South America where nine uncommon species are recognized. They are sorted into three species group based on adult morphology. The leptocerus group consists of five morphologically similar species. Two species of this group are known from larvae. The brasiliensis group differs notably from the leptocerus group in the relatively shorter foreleg, wing venation and female terminalia. The male genitalia of N. brasiliensis are unique in structure. These species are tentatively referred to Navasoleon but future discoveries of the larvae and genome analysis may not support this classification. The tarsalis group consists of one species with strange female terminalia and with different leg modifications. The midtibia is swollen and the tarsomeres of both the midleg and hindleg are weakly flattened.

Figures

Figures 65–71. Immatures of Navasoleon spp. 65) Navasoleon lithophilus, dorsal view. 66) third instar Navasoleon lithophilus, ventral view. 67) Navasoleon lithophilus, cleared slide. 68) third instar Navasoleon venezolanus, dorsal view. 69) Third instar Navasoleon venezolanus, ventral view. 70) Cocoon of Navasoleon venezolanus. 71) Pupal skin of Navasoleon venezolanus.