Eremoleon Banks, 1901

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2011, Antlions of Hispaniola (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2011 (182), pp. 1-28 : 11

Eremoleon Banks

Eremoleon Banks 1901: 366 . Type species: Myrmeleon macer Hagen , by original designation.

= Glenopsis Banks 1913: 229 (after Stange 1967: 57). Type species: Myrmeleon anomalus Rambur , by original designation

= Segura Navás 1914: 18 (after Banks 1927: 71). Type species: Segura vitreus Navás , by original designation and monotypy

= Sosa Navás 1914a: 218 (after Stange 1970b: 10). Type species: Sosa conspicuus Navás , by original designation and monotypy

= Belen Navás 1921 a: 119 (after Adams 1957b: 6). Type species: Belen cerverinus Navás , by original designation and monotypy.

= Cortesius Navás 1924 b: 107 (after Stange 1970b: 20). Type species: Cortesius genini Navás , by original designation and monotypy.

= Novulga Navás 1925 a: 189 (after Adams 1957a: 87). Type species: Novulga mexicana Navás , by original designation and monotypy

= Dobla Navás 1927: 428 (after Stange 1970b: 20). Type species: Dobla arcuata Navás , by original designation and monotypy

= Joergenia Esben-Petersen 1933: 118 (after Stange 1970b: 20). Type species: Joergenia pulchra Esben- Petersen, by monotypy.

= Antilloleon 1943: 168 (after Stange 1970b: 20). Type species: Glenurus cerverai Navás , by original designation.

Taxonomy. Navás 1916 a: 232 ( Incamoleon Banks = Formicaleo Leach ; Glenopsis Banks = Glenurus Hagen ); Adams 1957a: 85 ( Belen = Eremoleon ); Stange 1967: 57 ( Incamoleon good genus).

Key to species. Banks 1927: 70, 1942: 144; Adams 1957a: 85-86; Stange 1970b:17-18; 2002: 284 ( Costa Rica).

Further description. Banks 1927: 69; Stange 1970b: 8; 2002: 283.

Distribution. Caribbean; North America; South America.

Diagnosis. Adult: length of body 15-33 mm, forewing 12-28 mm. Antenna long and slender, fossa separated from ocular rim by less than greatest diameter of pedicel; pronotum variable, usually longer than wide; legs about equal in length except usually hind legs longer; tibia spurs variable in length, usually shorter than forecoxal length; pretarsal claws not capable of closing again distal tarsomere; forewing with anterior margin evenly curved toward apex, costal area at point of coalescing of subcostal and radial veins usually lower than at middle of wing; forewing radial sector originates somewhat before forking of CuA or well beyond; posterior fork of forewing vein CuA at an oblique angle to hind margin; forewing vein 2A widely separated from 3A before strong angle toward posterior margin; hindwing vein CuA extends nearly to forking of MP2 or somewhat beyond male ectoproct simple without postventral lobe; male paramere in form of rigid plate; female ectoproct usually with weak digging setae; posterior gonapophysis longer than wide, digitiform.

Larva. Mandible with three teeth, length between basal tooth and distal tooth shorter than that between base of mandible and basal tooth; dorsal surface of head without dolichasters; labial palpus with three segments; abdomen without scoli (except Eremoleon petrophila ).

Discussion. This genus contains about 34 species. Twenty-three species have been reared from larvae. Nearly all of the known larvae live under rock overhangs or in caves. However, E. nigribasis lives in animal holes. E. pallens Banks is one of the few truly cave species of the family with the entire life cycle lived out in the inner, dark recesses of caves. One species from the Dominican Republic lives on bare rock similar to larvae of Navasoleon Banks and, like Navasoleon , has abdominal scoli. Recognition characters of this genus in the New World are the elongate legs and simple tarsal claws. The only other New World genus of this tribe with these characters is Glenurus Hagen , which has very distinctive larvae with two mandibular teeth (three teeth in Eremoleon ). Adults of Glenurus have much more wing suffusion and the female posterior gonapophysis is very short. Nearly all the species of Eremoleon have banded abdomens, which is probably an adaptation for resting on the rock surface where the larvae live.