Ungla demarmelsi Sosa, 2015

Tauber, Catherine A., Sosa, Francisco, Albuquerque, Gilberto S. & Tauber, Maurice J., 2017, Revision of the Neotropical green lacewing genus Ungla (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae), ZooKeys 674, pp. 1-188 : 25-29

Ungla demarmelsi Sosa, 2015 Figs 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 143b

Ungla demarmelsi Sosa, 2015. Zootaxa 4018 (2): 177-180; "VENEZUELA. Mérida state. Mérida city. La Hechicera, [8.627491°N / 71.162393°W)], 1900 m, 19.i.1988, D. Diez Leg. Deposited in the MIZA." Holotype. MIZA, male. For images of the type see Sosa (2015); for labels, see Fig. 143b here.

Diagnosis.

Ungla demarmelsi is the only known Ungla species that has the following set of features: a yellow head with raised vertex bearing diffuse to dark reddish, inverted U-shaped mark, scape with red mark dorsoapically, pronotum with broad, red, lateral stripes, and mesoscutum marked with red laterally. Males have enlarged spiracles, and the dorsal margins of the sternites are clearly concave in both sexes. The subanal plate is small; it bears about ten rather small setae. The tip of the male S8+9 is concave and extends beyond T9+ect; its terminus bears enlarged setae on robust bases; approximately ten pairs of these setae are also flanged basally above the setal base. The gonarcal bridge is round and smoothly arched throughout.

Redescription.

Head cream-colored to yellow, with vertex smooth, shiny; inverted U-shaped marking on vertex, light to dark red, narrow to separated mesally, not extending anteriorly to antennal fossae or scapes, broader posteriorly; area between eyes and vertex unmarked; frons unmarked; gena with long, black stripe extending from base of eyes continuing through lateral margin of clypeus; tentorial pits amber to light brown marginally. Antenna cream-colored to yellow, dorsum of scape with diffuse reddish, longitudinal stripe, flagellum with light brown to amber bristles; maxillary palp with basal two segments pale, distal three segments dark brown to black; labial palp with basal two segments pale, distal one with dark brown.

Thorax mostly green (living specimens) to cream-colored (preserved specimens). Prothorax short, flat, with broad, red to reddish brown, lateral stripes; transverse furrow shallow in middle region, with yellowish spots at lateral margins; setae on dorsal, lateral surfaces long, slender, yellow to reddish, dense laterally. Mesothorax, metathorax with reddish to reddish brown laterally. Legs pale cream-colored, without marks. Measurements: head width: 1.3-1.4 mm; ratio head width: eye width: 2.2: 1; prothorax width: 1.0-1.1 mm, length: 0.4-0.5 mm.

Forewing rounded apically; hindwing broadly acute; membrane clear, without fumose areas. Forewing with veins uninflated, except base of Cu (male and female); stigma transparent, tinged lightly with brown, with five subcostal crossveins below without marks; longitudinal veins mostly light green; transverse veins green with reddish tinge, crossveins red to light reddish brown. Hindwing venation light green. Forewing 11.7-14.4 mm long, 3.9-4.8 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 2.9-3.0: 1), height of tallest costal cell 0.7-0.9 mm (cell number 5); length of first intramedian cell 0.8-1.0 mm; 10-11 radial cells (closed cells between R and Rs); 4 Banksian cells (b cells), 4 b’ cells; 5-7 inner gradates, 6-8 outer gradates. Hindwing 10.5-12.9 mm long, 3.1-4.1 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 3.2-3.3: 1), 10-11 radial cells, 3 Banksian (b) cells, 4 b’ cells, 4-5 inner gradates, 6-7 outer gradates.

Male: Abdomen with large spiracles (e.g., A7: spiracle diameter ~0.24 × length of sternite); subanal plate rectangular, with ~twelve robust setae; T9+ectoproct short, with dorsal invagination shallow, extending approximately one half the distance to anterior margin of T9, lateral margins of invagination fairly straight; dorsal margin of segment slightly rounded, with posteroventral margin extended distally in husky, rounded knob; ventral margin heavily sclerotized well beyond callus cerci; callus cerci large, oblong, with ~ 30 robust microtrichia; circumference lightly sclerotized, sclerotization separate from that on ventral margin of ectoproct, without dorsal extension. S8+9 fused, with no line of demarcation; S9 considerably more heavily sclerotized than S8; dorsal margin sclerotized mesally, lightly so basally; terminus rounded, blunt, not up-turned posteriorly, extending distally well beyond T9+ect, with distal setae enlarged, those along dorsodistal margin flanged. Gonarcus broad, smooth, U-shaped (posterior view), bridge thin, apodemes robust (lateral view), turned (thus appearing narrow in posterior view); apodemes rounded to slightly quadrate distally, with process, slender digitiform, rounded distally, extending outward from frontal margin of apodeme, sometimes bending slightly inward; mediuncus elongate, very slightly curved downward, narrow throughout (dorsal view), slightly rounded dorsally (lateral view); bilobed gonosaccus, each lobe with single, large patch of robust gonosetae; gonosetae arising from bulbous setal bases, dorsal setae approximately same size as ventral ones; hypandrium internum robust, broadly U-shaped, with outward-bent arms, very lightly sclerotized, curved comes.

Female. See Fig. 30 here, and Sosa (2015).

Variation.

The darkness and size of the head markings on the vertex vary among specimens.

Known distribution.

VENEZUELA (northeastern): States of Aragua, Mérida, Trujillo.

Specimens examined

[in addition to those listed by Sosa (2015)]. Venezuela. Aragua: 14km. N. Colonia Tovar 1750 m, 21-25/I/1983, O. S. Flint, Jr. (1M, 3F, USNM). Mérida: Libertador, 3/VII/1979, R. W. Brooks, A. A. Grigarick, J. McLauchlin, R. O. Schuster (2M, 1F, UCDC); Mérida, 17-21/V/1996, W. C. Pitt (1M, EMUS). Trujillo: La Mesa, 11/IX/1973, B. Villegas (5F, UCDC).