Nemoleon madayiensis, Suryanarayanan & Ábrahám & Bijoy, 2023

Suryanarayanan, Thangalazhi Balakrishnan, Ábrahám, Levente & Bijoy, Chenthamarakshan, 2023, Description of two new species of Nemoleon Navás, 1909 (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae) from India, Zootaxa 5339 (6), pp. 547-561 : 555-559

Nemoleon madayiensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–8 )

Material examined: Holotype ♁ INDIA: Kerala State, Kannur Dist. [rict], Madayippara , 38 m, coordinates: 12°02′05.27″N, 75°15′40.58″E, 27.X.2022, leg. Suryanarayanan. T. B., ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV24572.

Paratypes: the same as holotype 1♁ ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV24573, 1♀ SERLNR323, 1♀ 04.XI.2021, SERLNR221 .

Diagnosis. Pronotum nearly as long as wide, dominantly yellow with thin longitudinal stripe. Forewing slightly larger than hindwing. Wings transparent. With the exception of C and Sc, the longitudinal veins have alternating yellow and brown stripes on forewing. Forewing membrane with brown shadows at confluence of Cua 2 and A 1 and at rhegmal area. ( Fig 6 ). Male ectoproct only with post-ventral protrusion. Terminalia and genitalia as in Figs. 8A–E .

Description.

Measurements. Holotype male: Length 38 mm; Forewing, length 23 mm, width 5 mm; hindwing, length 22 mm, width 4 mm.

Head ( Figs. 7A–B ). Vertex anteriorly with dull dark-brown transversal band, dorsally with two interrupted dark-brown transverse bands, distally with two dark-brown spots. Frons yellow with brown spots below scapus, inter-antennal brown mark connected with cross band above scapus. Thin distinct brown line runs in middle of frons. Short white setae directed centrally. Anterior tentorial pits brown. Gena yellowish brown. Compound eyes large, dark-brown with silvery striations, nearly as wide as head width. Clypeus yellow, covered with long sparse black and yellow hairs. Labrum dark-brown dorsally and yellow basally. Maxillary and labial palps yellow. Base of mandible yellow, and with dark-brown apices and inner side. Antenna longer than length of head and prothorax combined; scape and pedicel yellow with light-brown annulations; flagellomeres annulated with brown and whitish rings. Club thicker at apex than at base, last segment bristle-like dominantly dark-brown.

Thorax ( Fig. 7B ). Pronotum dominantly yellow, dorsal side with small longitudinal and dark-brown marks; lateral margins with wide brown bands; lateral and hind margins with long white hairs. Mesonotum and metanotum generally dark-brown, medially with yellowish stripe, sparsely covered with white setae; hind margins with long white hairs directed caudally.

Wings ( Fig. 7C ). Forewing, slightly longer than hindwing. Wing tips acute and below nearly straight, wing tapering basally, anal area very obtuse, anal margin slightly concave, venation dense. Venation covered with short sparse dark-brown setae. C, Sc, and R yellow with short dark dense brown setae. Costal area with single row of cells, cells longer than wide. Cross-veins simple in front of pterostigma, both ends brownish. Pterostigma with 8–9 veins, 5 veins bifurcated basally and simple distally. 10 branches in radial sector, 6 cross-veins in front of origin of radial sector. Cua 2 short not parallel with hind margin. Mp, Mp 1 and Cua, Cua 1 also pale-yellow alternating dark-brown at cross-veins. Cross-veins dominantly brown and slightly pale-yellow in basal medio-cubital area. Cubital fork ca. 30°, acute enough. Posterior Banksian line visible, light-brownish. A 1, A 2 and A 3 yellow basally and brown distally, A 1, A 2 simple, A 3 bifurcated distally. Membrane almost completely transparent, but with light-brown shading at confluence of Cua 2 and A 1, and at rhegma area. Also, light-brown shading on radial veins at terminal bifurcation before reaching Av.

Hindwing narrower than forewing. C yellow with short dense dark-brown setae. Cross-veins simple in front of pterostigma. Pterostigma with 7–8 veins, 4–5 veins simple others bifurcated veins. Sc and R pale-brown with short dark-brown setae. 9 branches in radial sector, 1 cross-vein infront of origin of Rs. Mp 1, Mp 2 and Cua dominantly pale-yellow but small dark-brown section at meeting points with cross-veins. Cross-veins dominantly brown basally, pale-yellow distally in medio-cubital area. Membrane almost completely transparent.

Legs ( Figs. 7D–E ). Short. Yellow with dark-brown marks, hairy; coxae yellowish-brown densely covered with small yellowish white setae; trochanters light-brown; femora yellow with dark-brown marks on dorsal side, covered with long black and white bristles in two rows laterally; tibiae generally brown, with dark-brown marks on distal ends, covered with long and small black setae; hind tibia yellowish-white, with disperse black dots at setal bases, covered with long black bristles and short black setae, tibial spurs reddish-brown, as long as tarsomere 1; tarsi yellow covered with black setae only distal end of last segments dark-brown; tarsal claws slightly curved, reddish-brown, 3/4 as long as distal tarsomere.

Abdomen. Slim, longer than hindwing, yellowish-brown, covered with short black setae; posterior margin of each tergum with dark-brown longitudinal stripe medially. Sternites brown, with long black setae.

Male terminalia and genitalia ( Figs. 8A–C ). T9 quadrate in lateral view; S9 nearly quadrate in ventral view, caudal margin straight, covered with long black hairs; ectoproct ovoid plate, covered with black setae, white setae along caudal margins. Small post-ventral protrusion of ectoproct with long stiff bristles. Inner genitalia complex as in Fig. 8C in ventral view.

Paratype female. Length 33 mm; Forewing, length 25 mm, width 5 mm; hindwing, length 24 mm, width 4 mm. Abdomen longer than hindwing. Terminalia and genitalia ( Figs. 8D–E ). T8 quadrate in lateral view; gonocoxite 8 short, covered with long black setae; T9 nearly quadrate shape; gonocoxite 9 club-shaped, posteriorly covered with some black stout setae; ectoproct ovoid, covered with black stout setae .

Etymology. The specific epithet madayiensis is derived from the name of the type locality (Madayippara) from where the species was collected. Madayippara is an adjacent place near Madayi Kavu in Kannur district of Kerala state.

Comments. The size of the wing pattern of the new Indian species is similar to that of Nemoleon notatus ( Rambur, 1842) , which has a wide distribution in Africa, and extends to Madagascar and SE Spain ( Stange 2004). Characteristic differences between them are the male of new species without ectoproct processus. The caudal margins of pronotum, mesoscutellum and metascutellum are characterized by sparse long white hairs. The pattern on the leg is dominantly dark while that of N. notatus yellow.

Distribution. India: Kerala: Kannur (Madayippara) ( Fig. 9 ).

Biology. Adults are active at night, attracted by artificial light. In daytime, it sits on grass blades and bushes at rest ( Fig. 5A ). The habitat surrounded by semi-closed grassland in laterite soil (sand soil structure) is typical habitat for members of this genus in India ( Fig. 5B ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Nemoleon madayiensis sp. nov. A—Adult male in natural habitat; B—Habitat of species in Madayippara, Kerala.

FIGURE 6. Nemoleon madayiensis sp. nov. A—Male habitus; B—Female habitus. Scale: 10 mm.

FIGURE 7. Nemoleon madayiensis sp. nov. A—Head in frontal view; B—Head and thorax in dorsal view, C—Male wing venation, D—Foreleg; E—Hindleg in lateral view.

FIGURE 8. Nemoleon madayiensis sp. nov. A—Male terminalia and genitalia, in lateral view; B—The same, in ventral view; C—Male inner genitalia, in dorsal view; D—Female terminalia and genitalia, in lateral view; E—The same, in ventral view.

FIGURE 9. Distribution map of the Nemoleon species from India.