Capicua acalcarata, 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 : 44-46

Capicua acalcarata sp. nov.

( Figs. 15–25 )

Diagnosis. General body coloration dark brown ( Fig. 15 ). Base of legs yellow contrasting with the dark coloration of the thoracic sternites ( Fig. 17 ). Tibial spurs absent ( Fig. 19 ). No tuft of long white setae on fore femora. Wings narrow. Postventral lobe of male ectoprocts well developed, yellowish with four erect stout black setae inserted in the distal one-third.

Description. Head. Vertex raised. Face yellow with a black chevron-shaped mark under the scapes, grey above without yellow transverse line between bases of antennae ( Fig. 16 ). Vertex grey to dark grey delimited anteriorly by a black line more or less interrupted. Occiput grey with black and yellowish marking variably contrasted. Antennae as in C. nigra . Palpi yellow with the last segment of labial palp darker and clearly enlarged ( Fig 18 ).

Thorax. Pronotum wider than long. Coloration grey and dark grey forming longitudinal lines. 4–5 long white lateral setae forwardly curved. Mesothorax and metathorax grey to dark grey with variably distinct longitudinal markings.

Legs. Foreleg. Coxa dark brown, yellowish ventrally with 2–3 long white setae. Trochanter yellowish. Femur dark brown, yellowish ventrally without long white setae. Tibia brown, yellowish dorsally with a dark transverse line at basal third. Tarsomeres yellowish, dark apically. Middle leg. Coxa brown. Trochanter yellowish. Femur entirely brown. Tibia brown with two large yellow rings. Tarsomeres yellowish, dark apically. Hind leg. Coxa brown. Trochanter yellowish. Femur brown. Tibia pale, darker ventrally, with a transversal dark line at basal third. In male a tuft of long erected setae on dorsal face. Tarsomeres yellowish, dark apically. Dimensions of holotype. Foreleg: femur 0.82 mm, tibia 0.79 mm, tarsomere I 0.10 mm, II 0.10 mm, III 0.10 mm, IV 0.10 mm, V.0 38 mm. Middle leg: femur 0.82 mm, tibia 0.86 mm, tarsomere I 0.16 mm, II 0.08 mm, III 0.08 mm, IV 0.08 mm, V 0.38 mm. Hind leg: femur 1.11 mm, tibia 1.24 mm, tarsomere I 0.22 mm, II 0.13 mm, III 0.10 mm, IV 0.10 mm, V 0.38 mm.

Wings. Narrow. Forewing 15–19 mm, hind wing 14–18 mm. Vein density low (generally 10 crossveins between origin of RS and pterostigma). Veins light brown. A2 simple, A3 forked. Membrane slightly smoky. Dark markings of variable extension at apex of crossveins between A1 and hind margin of wing and along all or only few gradates. Hind wing. No marking. Membrane slightly smoky in the apical fourth along hind margin.

Abdomen. Dark brown. Male ectoprocts with a vertical yellow line on the basal part. Postventral lobe light brown to yellowish with 3–4 erect stout black setae generally inserted in the distal third ( Figs 20, 21 ). Length of these setae increasing towards apex. Subgenital plate rounded at apex. Parameres hook-shaped with one long seta at base ( Figs 22, 23 ). Hypandrium internum rounded ( Fig. 24 ). Female ectoprocts and lateral gonapophyses with stout black setae ( Fig. 25 ).

Type material. Holotype 3, MALI: Natiékoura 24.ii.1997, around 5 p. m. (coll. CIRAD). Paratypes — MALI: Natiékoura 13 08.i.1997; 2 3 16.i.1997; 13 30.i.1997; 13 2♀♀ 02.ii.1998, between 4– 5 p.m.; 2♀♀ 11.ii.1997; 13 16.ii.1996; 1♀ 22.ii.1997; 23 1♀ 25.ii.1997, around 5 p. m.; 13 1♀ 04.iii.1998; 2♀♀ 18.iii.1996; 13 23.iii.1998; 13 03.iv.1996; 1♀ 05.iv.1996; 13 07.iv.1998. Around 11 km from Sikasso, savanna along the track to Longorola (11°26’32’’N- 05°39’11’’W) 13 15.i.1997; 23 1♀ 24.i.1996; 13 27.i.1996; 2♀♀ 29.i.1996; 23 2♀♀ 05.ii.1996; 1♀ 23.ii.1996; 1♀ 28.ii.1996; 13 13.iii.1998; 1♀ 04.iv.1998. All collected by B. Michel. Additional material. BURKINA FASO: Forest of the Mou 13 10.iii.2010, 10:09 p.m. light-trap. Collected by M. Akoudjin.

Etymology. acalcarata , referring to the absence of tibial spurs.

Remarks. C. acalcarata can be distinguished from C. nigra by the smaller size, the absence of tibial spurs and the more distal insertion of the stout setae of the postventral lobe of the male ectoprocts.

Distribution and ecology. The two new species described in this paper are syntopic and occur in savanna or tree savanna with lateritic soil covered by dry grass. Adults emerge during the dry season which goes from November to end of April. C. nigra was collected in February and March and C. acalcarata from January to end of March. After bushfires adults rest on short twigs of grass darkened by smoke where their coloration makes them difficult to see. Disturbed, they fly close to the ground. Recorded from southern Mali and Burkina Faso only. C. fulvicauda is known from Chad only. Larvae unknown.

Figures

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.