Glyptobasis dentifera ( Westwood, 1847 )

Hassan, Muhammad Asghar & Liu, Xingyue, 2021, Taxonomic notes on owlflies from Pakistan (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae Ascalaphinae), Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 401-452 : 416-421

Glyptobasis dentifera ( Westwood, 1847)

Ascalaphus (Ogcogaster) dentifer Westwood, 1847: 69 . Type locality: India.

Diagnosis. It is a medium sized species (forewing length: 31.6 mm) with dark brown thorax and pleuron, covered with long black setae. It is also characterized by the presence of a broad median longitudinal yellow stripe across pro-, meso- and metanota, a short yellow stripe on the posterolateral margins of mesonotum, and a median yellow stripe on pleuron.

Measurement (♀ n=1). Forewing length: 31.6 mm, width 9.6 mm; hind wing length: 28.4 mm, width 7.5 mm; abdominal length 19.0 mm; body length: 25.3 mm.

Re-description. Female ( Fig. 8 ). Head ( Fig. 9F ). Postorbital sclerite and occiput greyish yellow ( Fig. 9A ). Vertex flat at distal half, yellow, with brownish setae. Lateral plates greyish yellow. Mesal plate yellow. Frons reddish brown, medially with long greyish yellow setae, mixed brownish and greyish yellow setae at lateral margins. Anterior orbital sclerite indistinct. Paraocular band greyish yellow, anterolateral margins slightly reddish brown. Clypeus reddish brown, slightly greyish yellow at median and anterolateral margins, with mixed dark brown and greyish yellow setae. Labrum greyish yellow, slightly reddish brown at lateral margins, with stiff dark brown setae. Mandibles reddish brown, greyish yellow at base, with long dark brownish setae at proximal 1/3. Maxillary and labial palpi brownish yellow, with short black setae. Posterior genal triangle greyish yellow. Eyes divided by a transverse furrow. Antennal toruli brownish, arise more or less dorsally from the longitudinal transverse furrows of eyes ( Fig. 9B ). Antennae as long as distance between base of forewing to pterostigma, dark brown; scape and pedicel brownish with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae; flagellomere brownish, with verticils at each joint. Club pyriform, dark, with verticils ( Fig. 9E ).

Thorax ( Fig. 9A ). Dorsal cervical plates yellow, with mixed long brown and greyish yellow setae; cervical sclerite greyish yellow. Pronotum narrow, both margins flexed upward, dark brown, medially with a broad yellow stripe, covered with brown setae. Mesonotum dark brown, medially with a broad yellow stripe, covered with long dark brown setae; posterolateral margins of mesoscutum with an unevenly rounded yellow marking; posterior margin of mesoscutellum with a lateral yellow stripe. Metanotum dark brown, with a distinct median yellow stripe. Pleuron dark brown, with a median yellow stripe, covered with long dark brown setae ( Fig. 9B ).

Legs dark brown ( Fig. 9B ). Foreleg. Coxae with long greyish yellow setae, and the posterior margin with a few dark brown setae. Trochanter with short black setae. Femur with mixed short and long black setae. Tibia with mixed short and long black setae; tibial spurs equal to the length of Ta1–Ta3. Tarsomeres with short black setae; Ta1–Ta4 subequal in length; Ta5 equal to combined length of Ta1–Ta4. Mid leg similar to foreleg. Hind leg. Coxae, trochanter, femur and tibia similar to foreleg. Tibial spurs equal to the length of Ta1–Ta2. Tarsomeres with short black setae; Ta1 slightly longer than Ta2; Ta2–Ta4 subequal in length; Ta5 shorter than combined length of Ta1–Ta4.

Wings ( Fig. 8 ). Membrane transparent, veins brownish with sparse short black setae, moderately wide at middle and rounded at apex. Pterostigma wider than long, sub-rhomboid, light brownish, with 5–6 crossveins; apical area beyond Sc+R with three rows of cells. Forewing longer than hind wing. Anal area of forewing with distinct triangular projection. Presectoral area with seven crossveins. Rs with six major forks. Hind wing. Presectoral area with seven crossveins. Rs with six major forks.

Abdomen shorter than hind wing ( Fig. 8 ). Abdominal terga dark to brownish, with rounded yellowish orange spots, hind margin with narrowly greyish yellow stripe. Female. T1 split dorsally, lateral margins brownish, with long mixed greyish yellow and brownish setae. Acrotergite not distinctive. T2 short, dark brown, without distinct setae. T3 short, longer than T2, covered with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae. T4–T7 covered with short black setae. Sternum dark brown. S1 greyish yellow, with greyish yellow setae at lateral margins. S2 proximal half greyish yellow, an inverted V-shaped suture, with long greyish yellow setae. S3 with longitudinal brownish stripe at lateral margins at medially, covered with dark brown setae except the proximal 1/5 with greyish yellow setae. S4–S8 slightly brownish at anterolateral margins, covered with short black setae.

Female genitalia ( Figs 9G–H ). Brownish, covered with black setae. Tergum 8 (T8) subtrapezoidal; tergum 9 (T9) quadrate; ectoprocts (epr) rectangular; anterior gonapophyses (ga) acuminated medially; lateral gonapophyses (gl) rounded in lateral view; linguella slightly chitinized with rather short brown setae.

Material examined. PAKISTAN. Islamabad Capital Territory: 1♀, Quaid-e-Azam University, Shahdarah , [33°45’5.1474”N, 73°9’40.1754”E], 555 m, 30.viii.2019, leg. M.A. Hassan ( CAU) .

Distribution. Pakistan (New country record); India (Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal) ( Kimmins 1949; Ghosh 1988; Sziráki 1998).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Glyptobasis dentifera (Westwood). Female, habitus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 9. Glyptobasis dentifera (Westwood). Female. A. Head and thorax, dorsal view; B. Lateral view; C–D. Pterostigma of right fore- and hind wing; E. Antenna; F. Head, anterior view; G. Female genitalia, lateral view; H. Same, ventral view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (B); 2.0 mm (A); 1.0 mm (G–H); 0.5 mm.