Ungla curimaguensis 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 : 20-25

Ungla curimaguensis Sosa, 2015 Figs 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 143a

Ungla curimaguensis Sosa, 2015. Zootaxa 4018 (2): 183-186. "VENEZUELA. Falcón state: Curimagua, 11°11'N / 69°38'W, 1040 m, 24-26.i.2014, F. Sosa, F. Díaz & R. Paz Legs. Collected with light trap. Deposited in the MJMO." Holotype.MJMO, male. For images of the holotype (a fresh specimen) see Sosa (2015); for labels, see Fig. 143a here.

Diagnosis.

Adults of this species are pale green, with a dorsal yellow stripe extending from the head through the abdomen; they have the following distinctive head and wing features. The frons is cream-colored or pale yellow; the genae and lateral margins of the clypeus have a black stripe; the scape is pale green with a red dorsolateral stripe extending from the tip to the base or almost to the base. The inverted U-shaped mark on the vertex that typifies most species of Ungla is reduced to small red markings on and around the vertex and fossae. The forewing has pale green veins; however, the gradate veins, which are parallel, are reddish brown to brown, with light suffusion of brown on the surrounding membrane. In males, most of the longitudinal veins of the forewing are crassate, and the abdominal spiracles are enlarged, but the dorsomesal margins of the abdominal sternites are only slightly indented. [Note: On many pinned specimens, the head markings are faded or discolored and the costal and radial crossveins are either partially or completely darkened to light brown (compare Fig. 8 in Sosa 2015 with Figs 21, 22 here.)]

Redescription.

Head cream-colored to yellowish, with vertex smooth, shiny; inverted U-shaped marking on vertex faint, reddish, when visible, separated mesally, not extending anteriorly to antennal fossae or scapes, broader posteriorly than anteriorly; area between eyes and vertex with reddish marks or coloration; frons unmarked, flat in female, broad (frontal view) and raised mesally (lateral view) in male; gena with long, brown stripe extending from near base of eyes continuing through basolateral part of clypeal margin; tentorial pits amber to pale. Antenna cream-colored to yellow, dorsum of scape with diffuse reddish, longitudinal stripe laterally, flagellum with pale bristles; maxillary palp with basal two segments pale, distal three segments dark brown to black laterally; labial palp with basal two segments pale, distal one with light brown at tip.

Thorax mostly green (living specimens) to cream-colored (preserved specimens). Prothorax flat, with broad, red to reddish brown stripes laterally, light cream-colored mesally; transverse furrow relatively deep, in middle region of segment, ending laterally in broad, whitish spot on lateral stripe; setae on dorsal, lateral surfaces long, slender, yellow to reddish, dense laterally. Mesothorax, metathorax with broad band of reddish to reddish brown laterally. Legs pale, cream-colored, without marks. Measurements: head width: 1.3 mm; ratio head width: eye width: 2.4-2.6: 1; prothorax width: 1.0-1.1 mm, length: 0.6-0.7 mm.

Forewing, hindwing slender; forewing rounded apically, hindwing broadly acute; membrane clear, without fumose areas except around gradates. Forewing with veins crassate (male), without thickening (female); stigma transparent to slightly opaque, with 4 (female) to 6 (male) subcostal crossveins below, without marks; longitudinal veins, crossveins mostly light green, pinned specimens (male) with radial crossveins slightly darkened; gradate veins reddish brown, with some suffusion on surrounding membrane. Hindwing venation light green. Forewing 10.4-12.0 mm long, 3.5-3.9 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 2.9-3.1: 1), height of tallest costal cell 0.8 mm (cell number 6-7); length of first intramedian cell 0.7-0.8 mm; 10 radial cells (closed cells between R and Rs); 4 Banksian cells (b cells), 4 b’ cells; 6 inner gradates, 6 outer gradates. Hindwing 9.5-10.7 mm long, 2.9-3.2 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 3.3: 1), 10 radial cells, 3 Banksian (b) cells, 4 b’ cells, 3-4 inner gradates, 5-6 outer gradates.

Male: Abdomen with enlarged spiracles (e.g., A7: spiracle diameter ~0.23 –0.26× length of sternite); abdominal sternites with small to no dorsal depression; subanal plate large, triangular, with ~twelve midsized setae; T9+ectoproct dome-shaped, with dorsal invagination shallow, extending approximately one half distance to anterior margin of T9, lateral margins of invagination slightly convex, base U-shaped; dorsal margin of ectoproct rounded throughout, with posteroventral margin extended distomesally in husky, rounded knob; ventral margin sclerotized posteriorly to base of callus cerci; callus cerci oblong, with ~ 30 robust microtrichia; circumference sclerotized heavily on posterior, anterior, ventral margins, lightly on dorsal margin; sclerotization contiguous with that on ventral margin of ectoproct, with narrow band of light sclerotization extending dorsally for very short distance from posterodorsal margin of callus cerci. S8+9 fused, with line of fusion not demarcated, but with slight fold on teneral specimen; S9 narrowed, considerably more heavily sclerotized than S8; dorsal margin relatively well sclerotized, including basally; terminus up-turned posteriorly, extending distally well beyond T9+ect, with distal setae slightly enlarged, with row of heavy, flanged setae along dorsodistal margin. Gonarcus flattened, narrow in lateral view, thick in frontal, posterior views; bridge straight for short distance mesally, then arms extend ing downward at sharp angle; arms very slender in lateral view, broad, with rounded tips in posterior, frontal views, with digitiform process extending forward, not inward from distal margin of apodeme; process with wide base, tapering to acute tip distally; mediuncus long, narrow, straight dorsally (lateral view), rounded, with broad hook distally; bilobed gonosaccus, each lobe with single, large patch of heavy gonosetae facing mesally when unexpanded; dorsal setae smaller than ventral ones, all arising from bulbous setal bases; hypandrium internum attached closely to base of gonosaccus, robust, broadly V-shaped, with lightly sclerotized, hooked comes.

Female: See Sosa (2015).

Variation.

The coloration of the body, markings, and wing venation deteriorates quickly and substantially after death.

Known distribution.

VENEZUELA: States of Aragua, Falcón, Mérida, Táchira.

Specimens examined

[in addition to those listed by Sosa (2015)]. Venezuela. Aragua: Rancho Grande, 11/VI/1945 (1M, AMNH); Rancho Grande, 1100m, 11-15/I/1966, S. S. & W. D. Duckworth (1M, 2F, USNM), 16-19/I/1966, S. S. & W. D. Duckworth (2F, USNM), 21-25/I/1966, S. S. & W. D. Duckworth (2M, 2F, USNM), 10-21/II/1969, Duckworth & Dietz (1F, USNM). Mérida: Mérida, 1950 m, 13-IX-1973, B. Villegas (1F, UCDC); Mérida, 17-21-V-1996, W. C. Pitt (1M, EMUS).