Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842

Lin, Yu-Hsiu Hugh, Ko, Chiun-Cheng & Tseng, Hui-Yun, 2024, Taxonomic revision of the antlion tribe Myrmeleontini (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) of Taiwan, European Journal of Taxonomy 969, pp. 1-61 : 17-21

Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842

Figs 1C , 8–10

Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842: 405 . Type locality: India (Maharashtra, Mumbai).

Myrmeleon fryeri Navás, 1914b: 135 . Type locality: Sri Lanka.

Myrmeleon bimaculatus Yang, 1999: 149 . Type locality: China (Fujian: Nanping).

Myrmeleon (Myrmeleon) bimaculatus – Stange 2004: 320.

Material examined

Paratype of Myrmeleon bimaculatus CHINA • 1 ♀ (photos examined); Fujian Province, Sha County ( Shaxian ), Sanming City ; 27 Aug. 1978; Bangkan Huang leg.; CAU .

Additional material

TAIWAN – Hsinchu County • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); Hengshan Township, Hengshan Street Wood Factory ; 26 Nov. 2019; Jia-Wei Chuang leg.; collected in wood dust; molting failed, preserved in alcohol; NTU . – Kinmen County • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); Lieyu Township, Qilinshan Forest Park ; 3 Sep. 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Jinchen Township, Zhaishan ; 3 Sep. 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU . – Miaoli County • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Zaoqiao Township, Shangrila Paradise Amusement Park ; 6 Aug. 2017; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 23 Sep. 2017; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 2 ♀♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 1 Apr. 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 2 ♀♀ (2 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 5 May 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (5 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 7 Jul. 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 5 ♀♀ (5 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 4 Aug. 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 3 ♀♀ (3 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 1 Sep. 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ (4 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 6 Oct. 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ (10 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 4 Nov. 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; 3 specs preserved in alcohol; NTU • 5 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀ (14 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 1 Dec. 2018; Yu-Jen Tsao and Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; 3 specs preserved in alcohol; NTU • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (4 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 12 Jan. 2019; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; NTU • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); same data as for preceding; 17 Mar. 2019; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; NTU • 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀ (6 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 6 Jul. 2019; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; 3 specs preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂ (larva reared to adult); Tongxiao Township; 21 Dec. 2019; Yu-Jen Tsao leg.; preserved in alcohol; NTU . – New Taipei City • 4 ♀♀ (4 larvae reared to adults); Bali District, Bali District 3 rd Cemetery ; 30 Oct. 2018; Chien-Yu Chiang leg.; 1 spec. preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); same data as for preceding; 6 Nov. 2018; Chien-Yu Chiang leg.; NTU • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (5 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 29 Aug. 2019; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; 4 specs preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ (3 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 4 Sep. 2019; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; 1 spec. preserved in alcohol; NTU • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ (4 larvae reared to adults); same data as for preceding; 24 Feb. 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; 3 specs preserved in alcohol; NTU . – Taichung City • 1 ♀ (larva reared to adult); Beitun District; Dakeng Trail ; 24 Jun. 2020; Yu-Hsiu Lin leg.; NTU .

Re-description of the adult

MEASUREMENTS (♂ n = 7, ♀ n = 13). Body length: ♂ 23.1–28.3 mm, ♀ 23.6–28.1 mm; forewing: length ♂ 23.3–29.7 mm, ♀ 25.8–31.1 mm; width ♂ 5.9–7.0 mm, ♀ 6.4–7.7 mm; width/length ratio ♂ 0.2481, ♀ 0.2502; hindwing: length ♂ 23.1–29.6 mm, ♀ 25.5–31.0 mm; width ♂ 4.9–5.9 mm, ♀ 5.5–6.6 mm; width/length ratio ♂ 0.2058, ♀ 0.2123.

HEAD ( Fig. 8A–B ). Vertex strongly raised, rounded, black, with a pair of shiny yellow markings, 4 shiny black spots along anterior margin and 4 shiny black spots along posterior margins, with sparse short black hairs; occiput pale brown. Frons shiny black, covered with sparse short hyaline hairs; gena whitish-yellow, with a whitish-yellow line along ocular rim; clypeus whitish-yellow, sometimes dark brown on dorsal half, with sparse hyaline hairs. Antenna brown, short, with slightly defined club, covered with short dark hairs; scape dark brown with a ring of white band at base and apex; pedicel dark brown; flagellum comprising approximately 50 flagellomeres. Mouthparts yellow, labrum yellow, with several hyaline hairs; maxillary palps yellow, labial palps whitish-yellow, 3 rd palpomere darker, fusiform, tapering to acute apex, with brown round palpimacula on apical ⅓; submentum with long dark hairs.

THORAX ( Fig. 8B ). Pronotum broad, approximately as long as wide, mostly whitish-yellow, anterior margin with a pair of dark brown spots, posterior half with a pair of broad, dark brown markings (markings on pronotum sometimes paler or smaller), membrane mostly brown, with hyaline hairs and long dark hairs. Cervical sclerites dark brown. Mesonotum dark brown, with sparse hyaline hairs; mesoscutum dark brown, with a whitish-yellow band on posterior margin. Metanotum dark brown, covered with sparse hyaline hairs; metascutum dark brown, with a whitish-yellow band on posterior margin. Meso- and metapleuron dark brown, moderately covered with long hyaline hairs.

LEGS. Whitish-yellow, short. Coxae whitish-yellow, moderately covered with long hyaline hairs. Femora moderately covered with short dark hairs, mixed with sparse long black setae; fore femur whitish-yellow; mid femur yellow, darker on apex; hind femur whitish-yellow with a dark brown spot on distal half; femoral sense hair length about ½ of femur length on fore and mid legs, absent on hind leg. Tibiae moderately covered with short dark hairs, mixed with sparse long black setae; fore tibia yellow; mid tibia yellow, dark brown on anterior surface; hind tibia whitish-yellow, dark brown on ventral surface. Tibial spurs reddish-yellow, short, slender, almost straight, slightly shorter than tarsomere 1. Tarsi brownish-yellow, sparsely covered with short dark hairs dorsally, short black setae ventrally; tarsomere 1 approximately as long as combined length of tarsomeres 2–4; tarsomere 5 approximately as long as combined length of tarsomeres 1–4. Pretarsal claws reddish-yellow, short, simple, curved, longer than tibial spurs.

WINGS ( Fig. 8C ). Without markings, hyaline. Forewings subacute at apex; veins and crossveins pale brown, Sc finely alternating brown and pale yellow; costal area without interconnected crossveins, distal crossveins often branched; presectoral area with 7–8 crossveins and 0–4 irregular cells; RP arising almost opposite to CuA fork, with 19–28 crossveins from origin of RP to hypostigmatic cell; CuP supporting 1 cell before fusing with 1A; 3A mostly fused with 2A; hypostigmatic cell long; pterostigma absent; anterior Banksian line absent, posterior Banksian line distinct. Hindwings approximately as long and narrower than forewings; acute at apex; presectoral area with 4 crossveins and 0 irregular cells; RP arising beyond MP fork, at origin runs closer to MA, with 16–20 crossveins from origin of RP to hypostigmatic cell; hypostigmatic cell as long as forewing; pterostigma absent; anterior Banksian line absent, posterior Banksian line distinct; male with brown pilula axillaris.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 1C ). Shorter than hindwing, tergites dark brown, sternite dark brown, densely covered with short dark hairs dorsally and laterally, hyaline hairs ventrally.

FEMALE TERMINALIA ( Fig. 9A–B ). Tergite VIII at least 2 times as wide as tergite IX. Tergite IX narrow, oval in lateral view. Ectoproct semicircular in lateral view, with long, black fossorial bristles on ventral half. Lateral gonapophyses semicircular in lateral view, smaller than ectoproct, with long, black fossorial bristles on posterior side and long, thin, black setae on the ventral side. Posterior gonapophyses long, slender, with long, black setae. Anterior gonapophyses slightly lobed, slightly separated, with long, thick, black setae. Pregenital plate distinct, oval, presented on posterior margin of sternite VII.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 9C–D , 10 ). Ectoproct trapezoid in lateral view, dorsal margin shorter than ventral margin, covered with short pale brown hair, ventral half with long black setae. Sternite IX shorter than combined length of tergite IX and ectoproct, diamond-shaped in ventral view, with long black setae posteriorly. Gonarcus wide, arched, flat, U-shaped in dorsal view, arms producing posteriorly in lateral view. Mediuncus reduced. Parameres well sclerotized, large, dark brown, rectangular in caudal view, separated, with short black setae in between.

Distribution

Pakistan (Punjab Province), India (Maharashtra), Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Zhejiang) and Taiwan (Hsinchu, Miaoli, Nantou, New Taipei, Taichung, also on associated island of Kinmen) ( Fig. 31C ) ( Wang et al. 2018; Hassan et al. 2022).

Biology

The adults appear from April to November based on the collecting and emergence date of the examined specimens. The larvae inhabit low-elevation areas and are usually found beneath rock overhangs or artificial structures ( Lin et al. 2021).

Remarks

A small to medium-sized species, the adults can be distinguished by the markings on the head and pronotum and the pale-colored wing veins( Fig. 8A–C ).Its male genitalia are unique among Myrmeleontini species from Taiwan, with relatively flattened gonarcus and reduced mediuncus ( Fig. 10 ). There is no difference between adult specimens from Taiwan and the M. bimaculatus paratype from China, which we can conclude that the specimens from Taiwan are M. tenuipennis .

Figures

Fig. 1. Adult habitus of species of Myrmeleontini Latreille, 1802 of Taiwan, lateral view. A. Baliga asakurae (Okamoto, 1910), ♀ (NTU). B. B. brunneipennis (Esben-Petersen, 1913), ♀ (NTU). C. Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842, ♀ (NTU). D. M. littoralis Miller & Stange, 1999, ♀ (NTU). E. M. wangi Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). F. M. heppneri Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). G. M. persimilis Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). H. M. punctinervis Banks, 1937, ♀ (NTU). I. M. taiwanensis Miller & Stange, 1999, ♂ (NTU). Scale bars = 10.0 mm.

Fig. 8. Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842 (NTU). A. Head, frontal view. B. Head and thorax, dorsal habitus. C. Wings. Abbreviations: A = anal veins; C = costa; Cu = cubitus; CuA = cubitus anterior; CuP = cubitus posterior; MA = media anterior; MP = media posterior; pB = posterior Banksian line; RA= radius anterior; RP = radius posterior; Sc = subcosta. Scale bars: A–B = 1.0 mm; C = 10.0 mm.

Fig. 9. Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842 (NTU). A. Female terminalia, lateral view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Male terminalia, lateral view. D. Same, ventral view. Abbreviations: ag = anterior gonapophysis; ect = ectoproct; lg = lateral gonapophysis; pg = posterior gonapophysis; pp = pregenital plate; S = sternites; T = tergites. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 10. Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1842, male genitalia (NTU). A. Lateral view. B. Ventral view. C. Caudal view. Abbreviations: gon = gonarcus; med = mediuncus; par = parameres. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 31. Distribution of Myrmeleontini Latreille, 1802 from Taiwan and adjacent islands. A. Baliga asakurae (Okamoto, 1910). B. B. brunneipennis (Esben-Petersen, 1913). C. Myrmeleon tenuipennis Rambur, 1999.D. M. littoralis Miller & Stange, 1999.E. M. wangi Miller & Stange, 1999.F. M. heppneri Miller & Stange, 1999. G. M. persimilis Miller & Stange, 1999. H. M. punctinervis Banks, 1937. I. M. taiwanensis Miller & Stange, 1999.