Indopalpares pardus (Rambur, 1842)

(Figs 1–5)

Palpares pardus Rambur, 1842: 375 . Type locality: India (Maharashtra: Mumbai). Subsequent authors designated a syntype from its type series. Sex undetermined.

Myrmeleon expertus Walker, 1853: 311 . Type locality: India. Sex undetermined. Synonymized by Banks, 1913: 188.

Myrmeleon nepalensis Hagen, 1866: 444 . Type locality: Unknown (probably Nepal). No type designation. Nomen dubium. After Stange, 2004: 40.

Palpares pardus partitus Banks, 1911b: 100 . Type locality: India (Maharashtra: Mumbai). No type designation. After Stange, 2004: 40.

Palpares pardus stellatus Navás, 1912b: 223 . Type locality: Sri Lanka. Holotype male. After Stange, 2004: 40.

Palpares pardus asanai Kuwayama, 1933: 446 . Type locality: India (Maharashtra: Mumbai). Holotype male. After Stange, 2004: 40.

Diagnosis. Hindwing with a single subapical marking, not reaching hind margin. Labial palp short, as long as maxillary palp, clavate, brownish, with short round apex, palpimacula oval and not reaching apex of terminal palpomere (Fig. 3D). Antennal scape with long black setae (Fig. 3F). Thorax brownish black with yellow markings (Fig. 3A).. Legs brownish, tarsi black, tibial spurs slightly greater than proximal three tarsomeres taken together (Ta1–Ta3) (Fig. 3E). Ectoproct in male cylindrical, distinctly curved at base, covered with thick black setae on ventral side (Fig. 4C); base of ectoproct in male with one prominent seta on short tubercle (Fig. 4D); male sternite 9 triangular with acute apex (Fig. 4D); male gonocoxites 9 with a median sensory bulla (Fig. 4F), and gonarcal bulla feebly developed (Fig. 4G).

Measurement (♁n=2, ♀ n=1). Forewing length ♁ 52.7–53.0 mm, ♀ 58.3 mm, width ♁ 16.6–18.5 mm, ♀ 20.7 mm; hindwing length ♁ 52.0– 52.5 mm, ♀ 54.0 mm, width ♁ 15.7–17.1 mm, ♀ 18.7 mm; body length ♁ 45.0–50.0 mm, ♀ 48.0 mm.

Redescription. Head wider than prothorax (Fig. 3B–C). Face yellow, covered with long pale setae (Fig. 3B). Frons brownish. Vertex raised, yellow, with a median longitudinal suture, anterolaterally with short black setae, posteromedian with three brownish markings (Fig. 3C). Antenna longer than head width, black, club-shaped; scape, pedicel and base of flagellum brownish; antennal toruli bright yellow; scape with long black setae, flagellum densely covered with short black setae (Fig. 3F). Clypeus and labrum yellow with rows of black setae. Maxillary and labial palpi brownish yellow. Labial palp with long black setae, but terminal palpomere clavate, brownish with short round tip, palpimacula oval and not reaching apex (Fig. 3D).

Thorax (Fig. 3A). Prothorax short, much broader than long; pronotum yellow with a median blackish brown stripe, greatly widened towards posterior margin; posterolateral margins brownish; anterior and posterior margins slightly raised with mixed brown and pale setae. Meso- and metathorax brown with yellow stripes, densely covered with creamy yellow fine long setae. Mesoprescutum brown, with lateral margins yellow; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum brown with a pair of yellow stripes; metaprescutum and metascutum brown, with a pair of yellow stripes; metascutellum brown with lateral margins yellow.

Wings (Fig. 3A–B). Narrow at base, wider towards apex; distinct brown marking patterns present; veins mainly covered with short black setae.

Forewing. Costal area with 9–11 quadrate markings, except proximal area with 1–4 short markings; five highly variable diffuse pale brown markings present along R; basal marking quadrate; second marking much longer by posterior extension or divided at middle; third marking quadrate; subapical marking longest but variable in shape, not reaching hind margin; hind margin with brown markings, sometimes linear or finger-like; veins mainly yellow, brownish to dark at brown markings; R brown, yellowish proximad basal mark; cubital fork dark brown, veins alternating brown and yellow sections. Rs arises slightly beyond the cubital fork; 5–6 presectoral crossveins and 2–3 crossveins biaereolated proximal to origin of Rs.

Hindwing. Costal area with 9–11 quadrate markings, and proximal area with 1–3 short markings; three highly variable markings present; basal marking nearly quadrate, originated slightly beyond MA, crossing recurrent vein to three cells; middle and subapical markings originated from R to middle of wing; apical large brown marking same as forewing except two circular but not linear stripes at middle; a small brown marking at origin of recurrent vein, which may be indistinct; hind margin with linear or diffused brown markings, except a large brown marking proximal to hind margin of subapical marking. Rs arises slightly proximad cubital fork; 6–7 presectoral crossveins, two crossveins biaereolated proximal to origin of Rs. Pilula axillaris pale to dark with shining golden brown.

Legs (Fig. 3E). Coxa dark brown, basal and apical ring yellow; trochanter, femora and tibia brown; tarsus, pretarsal claws, and tibial spurs black. Coxa with fine white setae; trochanter ventrally with distinct black setae; femora with mixed short white and long black setae; tibia with long black setae. Tibial spurs slightly greater than Ta1–Ta3, covered with thin and thick short black setae.

Abdomen (Fig. 1A–B). Shorter than hindwing, brownish in male with dense white setae on tergites 1–2 and basal 1/3 of tergite 3, remaining with short black setae; dark brown with short yellow setae in female.

Male genitalia (Fig. 4C–G). Tergite 9 subquadrate; sternite 9 with acute apex; ectoprocts yellowish brown, cylindrical, distinctly curved dorsad at base, with long black setae ventrally and fine setae on dorsal surface; base of ectoproct with one prominent seta on short tubercle; gonocoxites 9 with a median sensory bulla; gonarcal bulla feebly developed.

Female genitalia (Fig. 4A–B). Tergite 9 quadrate; ectoprocts rounded bearing stout fossorial spines; gonocoxites 8 rounded; gonocoxites 9 rounded with stout fossorial spines.

Material examined. PAKISTAN. Punjab province: Attock dist., New Islamabad International Airport, 1 ♁, 11.ix.2019, leg. M.A. Aslam (CAU); Islamabad Capital Territory, 1♁, 2.ix.1996, PMNH (C# 22868), leg. Azhar (PMNH), 1♀, 28.viii. 2000, 524 m, PMNH (C# 29738), leg. Faiz (PMNH) .

Bibliography. Iqbal & Yousuf (1990: 55) mentioned the first record of Indopalpares pardus from Faisalabad, Punjab based on the unpublished master thesis of Beg (1960). Later, Iqbal & Yousuf (1990: 58; 1997: 128) formerly published the record of this species from the same locality in Punjab with identification key, redescription and distribution data in Pakistan. Stange (2004: 40) and Hassan et al. (2019: 514) included above record in their catalogue.

Distribution. Pakistan. Punjab province, District Attock, District Faisalabad;—Myanmar, East Indies, India, Sri Lanka (Iqbal & Yousuf 1990, 1997; New 2003; Stange 2004; Ghosh 2000; Hassan et al. 2019; Tauber et al. 2019; Oswald 2021).

Remarks. Due to wide range of variation of the wing markings in this species, subsequent authors have synonymized the previously described subspecies under Indopalpares pardus .