Capicua nigra, Michel, Bruno & Akoudjin, Massouroudini, 2011

Michel, Bruno & Akoudjin, Massouroudini, 2011, Reinstatement of the genus Capicua Navás with descriptions of two new species (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae), Zootaxa 3032, pp. 40-46 : 42-44

Capicua nigra sp. nov.

( Figs. 4–14 )

Diagnosis. General body coloration black ( Fig. 4 ). Base of legs yellow contrasting with the black coloration of the thoracic sternites ( Fig. 6 ). Tibial spurs clearly shorter than first tarsomere ( Fig. 9 ). No tuft of long white setae on fore femora. Wings narrow. Male ectoprocts with postventral lobe well developed, black proximally then yellow with four or five stout black setae inserted in the apical two-thirds.

Description. Head. Vertex raised. Face yellow with a black chevron-shaped mark under the scapes. A thin yellow line between bases of antennae and grey above. Vertex grey delimited anteriorly by a black line ( Fig. 5 ). Occiput with black and yellow markings. Palpi yellow. Last segment of labial palp slightly enlarged ( Fig. 7 ). Antennae: scape brown; pedicel brown, finely bordered with yellow apically; flagellomeres brown; ventral face of club yellow.

Thorax. Pronotum black, wider than long, with 3 to 5 long white setae forwardly curved. Mesothorax and metathorax black, brown at base of wings.

Legs. Foreleg. Coxa, trochanter, femur and tibia brown, yellow ventrally ( Fig. 6 ). Coxa with 2 or 3 long white setae. Tarsomeres I–IV yellow with the apical half brown. Tarsomere V yellow, brown apically. Tibial spurs brown, shorter than first tarsomere. Middle leg. Black with yellow marking along the internal side. Trochanter brown, yellow ventrally. Femur brown, yellow basally and apically. Tibia yellowish with brown marking on dorsal face. Tibial spurs shorter than first tarsomere. Hind leg. Similar to middle leg but with a tuft of long erect setae on dorsal face ( Fig. 8 ). Dimensions of a male paratype. Foreleg: femur 1.17 mm, tibia 0.95 mm, tarsomere I 0.22 mm, II 0.13 mm, III 0.13 mm, IV 0.13 mm, V 0.51 mm, tibial spur 0.19 mm. Middle leg: f emur 1.17 mm, tibia 0.98 mm, tarsomere I 0.22 mm, II 0.13 mm, III 0.13 mm, IV 0.13 mm, V 0.51 mm, tibial spur 0.19 mm. Hind leg: femur 1.13 mm, tibia 1.52 mm, tarsomere I 0.32 mm, II 0.16 mm, III 0.13 mm, IV 0.13 mm, V 0.51 mm, tibial spur 0.16 mm ( Fig. 9 ).

Wings. Narrow. Forewing 20–23 mm, hind wing 19–22 mm. Vein density low (in fore wing 8–11 crossveins between origin of Rs and stigma). Coloration of veins uniform. C, SC, R and Rs light brown, other longitudinal veins darker. Forewing with A2 simple, A3 forked. Membrane hyaline with dark markings at base of the 4 or 5 last crossveins between A1 and hind margin of wing (sometimes absent), at the extremity of A1 and posterior branch of CuA, and a small dot before extremity of M. Variable light dark markings along some gradates. Hind wing. Membrane hyaline with a smoky area in the apical fourth along the posterior margin. Membrane of both wings sometimes slightly smoky.

Abdomen. Black. Postventral lobe of ectoprocts of male yellowish with 4 or 5 erect stout black setae located in the apical two-thirds, increasing in length towards apex ( Figs 10, 11 ). Subgenital plate rounded at apex. Parameres hook-shaped with one long seta at base (one individual with two on one side) ( Figs 12, 13 ). Hypandrium internum rounded ( Fig. 14 ). Female ectoprocts and lateral gonapophyses with stout black setae.

Type material. Holotype ♀, MALI: Natiékoura (11°20’N 05°51’W) 04.iii.1998, around 5 p. m. (coll. CIRAD). Paratypes. MALI: Natiékoura 13 02.ii.1998 between 4– 5 p.m.;13 22.ii.1997; 13 27.ii.1997, 5 p. m. Farako (11°12’N 05°29’W) 1♀ 04.iii.1997, 9 p. m. light-trap. Around 8 km from Sikasso (11°21’N 05°41’W), savanna along the road to Farako 1♀ 14.iii.1998, 11 a.m. Zégoua (10°30’N 05°39’W) 1♀ 23.ii.1998, at the frontier post in the morning on a wall under a lamp. All collected by B. Michel. Additional material. BURKINA FASO: Forest of the Mou (11°06’N 03°39’W), region of Koumbia, 13 12.iii.2010, 0 9: 16 p. m. light-trap, 2♀♀ 12.iii.2010, between 8:00 and 8: 30 p. m. All collected by M. Akoudjin.

Etymology: nigra , referring to the black coloration of the body.

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.