Subgulina Krivokhatsky, 1996

Zheng, Yuchen, Liu, Zijun, Zhang, Dong & Liu, Xingyue, 2024, Taxonomic notes on two antlion genera Holzezus Krivokhatsky, 1992 and Subgulina Krivokhatsky, 1996 (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Myrmecaelurini) from China, Zootaxa 5403 (2), pp. 256-268 : 263

Subgulina Krivokhatsky, 1996 ḡdzḇx

Subgulina Krivokhatsky, 1996: 315 . Type species: Subgulina kerzhneri Krivokhatsky, 1996 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Adult: Small sized. Body pale yellow to pale brown, with many dark brown markings. Vertex slightly raised, covered with some short pale and black setae. Ocular rim setae present, pale and needle-like. Terminal segment of labial palpus swollen fusiform. Male bears a sac-like structure (“goitre”) from the gula. Pronotum laterally with pale hairy setae. Mesoscutellum with some short setae. Tibial spurs slightly curved, not longer than tarsomere 1; tarsomere 5 longer than entire length of tarsomeres 2–4 but shorter than length of tarsomeres 1–4. Forewing RP origin slightly distad MP and CuA fork; four to five presectoral crossveins present. Hindwing slightly shorter than forewing; two to four (usually two) presectoral crossveins present; pilula axillaris absent. Abdomen shorter than hindwing length; male hairy pencil-like structures absent; female sternum 7 truncated on posterior margin or with a pair of weakly developed projections. Male gonocoxites 9 small, shaped as a pair of thick hook-like structure; gonocoxites 11 sagittal arched in ventral view; gonapophyses 11 long wedge-shape. Female gonocoxites 8 short, slender digitiform, gonocoxites 9 protruded with a few strong curved long digging setae.

Distribution. Algeria, China, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan.

Remarks. Subgulina is a unique genus, in which the males have an extremely specialized structure, i.e., a sac-like structure (“goitre”) from the gula ( Fig. 5A ). However, the function of this structure is still unknown, and may function during courtship.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Subgulina kerzhneri Krivokhatsky, 1996, head, ventral view.A. Male, with a sac-like structure (“goitre”) from the gula; B. female, without goitre.