Capicua Navás, 1921

Michel, Bruno & Akoudjin, Massouroudini, 2011, Reinstatement of the genus Capicua Navás with descriptions of two new species (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae), Zootaxa 3032, pp. 40-46 : 41

Capicua Navás, 1921 stat. rev.

Type species Capicua fulvicauda Navás, 1921 by monotypy.

The genus Capicua , synonymised with the genus Geyria by Stange (2004), is reinstated here as a valid taxon.

Redescription. Capicua exhibits synapomorphies that characterize the tribe Nemoleontini . In the forewing the posterior cubital vein CuP originates at the basal crossvein and the anal vein A2 runs close to A1 for short distance, then bends at sharp angle toward A3. In the hind wing the anterior cubital vein CuA is connected to the posterior fork of posterior median MP2 by crossveins and there is only one presectoral crossvein. Moreover, the tarsal claws are not toothed or angled and the ventral surface of the distal tarsomeres has stout black setae placing Capicua in the sub-tribe Neuroleontina as defined by Stange (2004).

Diagnosis of the genus Capicua , including the two new species described below can be expressed as follows. Small species. Body coloration brown or black. Wings narrow, lacking pillula axillaris. Fore coxa and fore femora without a tuft of long white setae. Hind femora of male with a tuft of long erect setae on dorsal surface ( Fig. 8 ). Tibial spurs absent or at most as long as first tarsomere in fore legs and middle legs, shorter than first tarsomere in hind legs. Postventral lobe of male ectoprocts clearly more than 4 times longer than wide, with a few erect stout setae (this character must be verified for C. fulvicauda ). In his description Navás mentions “his [ectoprocts] in parte horizontali cylindricis, tenuibus, longiter pilosis ( Fig. 3 a). Parameres hook shaped. Gonarcus U shaped. Female anterior gonapophyses absent ( Fig. 25 ).

Capicua can be differentiated from the genus Geyria by its larger size, the absence of a tuft of long white setae on the fore coxae and fore femora, the clearly shorter tibial spurs at most as long as first tarsomere, the narrow wings and dark coloration of the body. The absence of tibial spurs or at most as long as first tarsomere distinguishes Capicua from Macronemurus Costa, 1855 and Mesonemurus Navás, 1920 . The length of the postventral lobe of the male ectoprocts which is clearly more than 4 times longer than wide and the basitarsus of the hind legs being shorter than distal tarsomere differentiate Capicua from Delfimeus Navás, 1912 .

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 14. Capicua nigra. Fig. 4. Holotype with labels; Fig. 5. Face; Fig. 6. Thorax, ventral view; Fig. 7. Right labial palpus (scanning electron picture); Fig. 8. Right hind leg of male; Fig. 9. Tibial spur of hind leg (scanning electron picture); Fig. 10. Ectoprocts of male, dorsal view; Fig. 11. Left ectoproct of male, lateral view; Fig. 12. Gonarcus-paramere complexe, right lateral view; Fig. 13. Gonarcus-paramere complexe, ventral view; Fig. 14. Hypandrium internum, lateral view.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Capicua fulvicauda. Fig. 1. Lectotype with labels; Fig. 2. Left middle leg of lectotype; Fig. 3. Extremity of male abdomen (a) and tarsus (b) (after Navás, 1921).

FIGURES 15 – 25. Capicua acalcarata. Fig. 15. Holotype with labels; Fig. 16. Face; Fig. 17. Thorax, ventral view; Fig. 18. Right labial palpus (scanning electron picture); Fig. 19. Extremity of tibia and first tarsomere of right hind leg (scanning electron picture); Fig. 20. Ectoprocts of male, dorsal view; Fig. 21. Left ectoproct of male, lateral view; Fig. 22. Gonarcus-paramere complexe, right lateral view; Fig. 23. Gonarcus-paramere complexe, ventral view; Fig. 24. Hypandrium internum, lateral view; Fig. 25. Female terminalia, left lateral view.