Palpares

Akoudjin, Massouroudini & Michel, Bruno, 2011, A new species of Palpares Rambur (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) with an identification key to the species of West Africa, Zootaxa 2792, pp. 33-40 : 38-39

Key to species of Palpares recorded from West Africa

This key is based on morphological characters to identify specimens of both sexes. Additional characters of the gonarcus-parameres complex are provided to confirm the identification when males are available. For two very close species, P. digitatus and P. umbrosus , we provide the description of the hypandrium internum which is a better differential character than the shape of the male ectoprocts ( Prost, 1995).

1. Dorsal surface of thorax yellow with a conspicuous dark longitudinal stripe....................................... 2

- Dorsal surface of thorax uniformly or mainly dark, without a longitudinal median dark stripe......................... 6

2. Distal palpomere of labium rounded at apex with palpimacula slit-like, reaching the apex ( Fig. 19 ). Gonarcal bulla large, almost conical. A tuft of long setae present between the parameres ( Fig. 31)......................... cephalotes (Fig. 8)

- Distal palpomere of labium pointed or truncated at apex....................................................... 3

3. Distal palpomere truncated at apex with the part beyond the palpimacula representing a fifth of its length. Palpimacula small and rounded ( Fig. 20 ). No gonarcal bulla. A row of setae of decreasing length between the parameres ( Fig. 32)................................................................................................... obsoletus (Fig. 9)

- Distal palpomere pointed at apex with the part beyond the palpimacula short, clearly shorter than the fifth of its length. Palpimacula slit-like. Gonarcal bulla variously developed..........................................................4

4. No pseudo-fringe along the posterior margin of the wings. Distal palpomere of labium enlarged at apex ( Fig. 18 ). Gonarcal bulla ovoid with a backward developed process on each side ( Fig. 30)........................... .. incommodus (Fig. 7)

- A conspicuous pseudo-fringe along the posterior margin of the wings............................................ 5

5. Hind wing with apical stripe short, not reaching the level of the pterostigma and separate from the precedent marking by more than three rows of cells. Forewing with the extremity of some longitudinal veins brown, forming a series of curved lines reaching the posterior margin. Distal palpomere of labium with a third of its length enlarged ( Fig.17 ). Gonarcal bulla small and triangular ( Fig. 29)....................................................................... radiatus ( Figs 4, 5 )

- Hind wing with apical stripe long, reaching the level of pterostigma and separate from the precedent marking by one or two rows of cells only. Forewing without a series of curved lines along posterior margin. Distal palpomere only very slightly enlarged at apex. ( Fig. 15 ). Gonarcal bulla large, regularly rounded ( Figs 26, 27)............... longimaculatus ( Figs 1, 2 )

6. Dorsal surface of thorax uniformly dark....................................................................7

- Dorsal surface of thorax dark with pale markings............................................................ 9

7. Hind wing with a large marking at the origin of recurrent vein reaching anteriorly from R to hind margin or nearly so. Distal palpomere of labium rounded at apex with the palpimacula long, reaching the apex ( Fig. 23 ). Male unknown................................................................................................... zebroides (Fig. 10)

- Hind wing with only some small dots at the origin of the recurrent vein. Distal palpomere of labium with the part beyond the palpimacula long and truncated ( Figs 21, 22 )................................................................8

8. Dorsal surfaces of thorax and legs black. Palpimacula round or slightly elongate ( Fig. 21 ). Gonarcal bulla smooth ( Fig. 33). Hypandrium internum hook-shaped with the dorsal process shorter than the lateral expansions ( Figs 38, 39, 40 ).................................................................................................. digitatus (Fig. 11)

- Dorsal surface of thorax and legs brown. Palpimacula oblong, somewhat slender and slit-like ( Fig. 22 ). Gonarcal bulla slightly rounded ( Fig. 34). Hypandrium internum trapezoidal with the dorsal process thin and longer than the lateral expansions ( Figs 41, 42, 43 )............................................................................. umbrosus (Fig. 12)

9. Thorax brown with posterior half of mesonotum mainly pale yellow. Femora and tibiae yellow. Abdomen yellow. Distal palpomere of labium sharply pointed ( Fig. 24 ). Gonarcus flat with the posterior margin indented. Parameres absent ( Figs 35, 36).................................................................................... percheronii (Fig. 13)

- Thorax black with yellow markings. Legs black. Abdomen black with dorsal yellow stripe. Distal palpomere of labium rounded at apex ( Fig. 25 ). Parameres tooth-like ( Fig. 37)...................................... nigrescens (Fig. 14)

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 25. Distal palpomere of labium. 15 — P. longimaculatus; 16 — P. kalahariensis; 17 — P. radiatus; 18 — P. i n c o m - modus; 19 — P. cephalotes; 20 — P. obsoletus; 21 — P. digitatus; 22 — P. umbrosus; 23 — P. zebroides; 24 — P. percheronii; 25 — P. nigrescens.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Palpares spp. 1 a— P. longimaculatus, holotype 3; 1 b— P. longimaculatus, right ectoproct, inner face; 2 — P. longimaculatus, paratype Ƥ (as = apical stripe); 3 — P. kalahariensis Ƥ (from South Africa); 4 — P. radiatus 3; 5 — P. radiatus Ƥ (coll. MNHN).

FIGURES 38 – 43. Hypandrium internum. 38 — P. digitatus, lateral view; 39 — P. digitatus, dorsal view; 40 — P. digitatus, anterior view; 41 — P. umbrosus, lateral view; 42 — P. umbrosus, dorsal view; 43 — P. umbrosus, anterior view.