Deleproctophylla dusmeti Navás, 1914

(Fig. 9)

Navás (1915) attributed a freshly hatched larva, a not diagnostic instar, to this species. Few years later, Escribano (1921) described and illustrated the larva and life-history of this ascalaphid.

Examined specimens. France. Hérault, 1 L3 laboratory-reared from a female collected at Saint Paul et Valmalle, VII.2011 (D. Badano). Alpes Maritimes, 3 L3 laboratory-reared from a female collected at Villeneuve Loubet, VII.2011 (D. Badano) .

Description of 3 rd instar larva. Size (based on 4 specimens): BL 10.42 mm; HL 2.52 mm (2.44–2.68), HW 2.83 mm (2.44–2.94), ML 3.16 mm (2.96–3.34), HW/HL 1.12, ML/HL 1.25. General colouring pale brown with darker shades, ventral side whitish with dark brown markings; head capsule dark brown, dorsal side of the head with paler markings, ventral side dark brown with paler posterior stripes, mandibles brown; legs brown; setae of the body black. Head slightly longer than wide (Fig. 9b); mandibles longer than the head capsule (Fig. 9a); interdental spiniform setae: (~5)(2–3)(1–0); external margin of the mandible covered by short setae. Pronotum brown with a pale median stripe; first pair of mesothoracic scolus-like processes with a dark spot at the base (Fig. 9c). Abdominal spiracles brown; VIII sternite with a pair of lateral brown spots (Fig. 9d).

Bio-ecology. Ecology of this species is similar to the congener D. australis, living in open arid Mediterranean environments with herbaceous vegetation.

Distribution. D. dusmeti is reported from the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.

Remarks. See D. australis .