Ameromyia protensa (Gerstaecker, 1893)

Tavares, Leon Gustavo de Miranda, Machado, Renato Jose Pires & Calor, Adolfo Ricardo, 2023, The Neotropical antlion genus Ameromyia Banks, 1913 (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), systematics and redefinition under a phylogenetic approach, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 81, pp. 499-553 : 499

4.12. Ameromyia protensa (Gerstaecker, 1893)

Figs 6B , 8A, B , 38 , 39

Myrmeleon protensis Gerstaecker 1893: 138 [Lectotype female, São Paolo, Brasil, II 27445b [current designation], and 2 paralectotypes females, São Paolo, Brasil, II 27445a, II 27445c (EMAU)]. - Banks 1943: 163 [new combination = Nemotolus protensis ].

Nemotolus protensis (Gerstaecker). - Banks 1943: 163 [new combination = Nemotolus protensis ]. - Stange 1967: 46 [distribution, new combination = Ameromyia protensis ].

Ameromyia protensa (Gerstaecker). - Stange 1967: 46 [distribution, new combination = Ameromyia protensis ]. - Penny 1977: 38 [species list, distribution]. - Stange 1994: 81 [species list]. - Stange 2004: 228 [species catalog]. - Oswald 2021 [species catalog]. - Machado and Martins 2022 [faunal catalog].

= Foya trapezia Navás 1914b: 54, fig. 4 (base hind wing) [Holotype male, Brasil (NHMW)]. - Esben-Petersen 1920: 193 [synonymy = Amazoleon pubiventris ]. - Stange 1967: 47 [synonymy = A. protensis ].

= Ameromyia alterna Navás 1919: 296 [Syntypes male, female, Banda Oriental, Argentina (not located)]. - Navás 1934: 14 [distribution]. - Banks 1943: 163 [synonymy].

= Ameromyia decarloi Navás 1923a: 189 [Holotype male, Corrientes, Argentina, i.1921, De Carlo (not located)]. - Stange 1967: 47 [synonymy].

Distribution.

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay; Uruguay (Fig. 13 ).

Diagnosis.

Forewing RP veins, basal half of CuP and banksian lines black in contrast to other veins which are mostly pale. Forewing mediocubital area cells at basal third at least 1/3 suffused with dark brown. Hind wing RP and banksian lines veins and black in contrast to other hind wing veins which are mostly pale. Clavate setae on male genitalic sac very long.

Description.

Adult. Head: Antennae with 27-29 flagellomeres. Flagellomeres dark brown, except the ones at the club, which are light brown ventrally. Vertex light brown, with dark brown anterior and middle rows, and two brown spots in posterior row. Vertex decumbent setae black. Interantennal area dark brown. Frons light brown, with dark brown patches medially. Frons setae black. Interocular distance less than eye width. Clypeus light brown, with two medial dark brown markings. Labrum light brown, with very faint dark brown patches that connect with clypeus dark brown markings. Mandibles with external face light brown, and internal face dark brown. Palpi light brown, with external face slightly darker. Mandibular and labial distalmost palpomeres with dark brown tip. - Thorax: Thorax light brown, with dark brown markings. Thorax on lateral view dark brown, with an evident longitudinal light brown band under wings. Pronotum as broad as long, light brown with dark brown markings. Pronotum marginal setae white and/or black. Mesonotum light brown, with dark brown patches on prescutum and dark brown laterally on mesoscutum. Metanotum light brown, mesoscutum dark brown laterally. - Wings: Wing tip acute. Forewing RA, MA and A veins pale; RP and Banksian Lines veins dark; CuP dark on basal half and dashed near posterior wing margin; CuA and MP veins with dark and pale sections; remaining veins with dashed pattern. Hind wing veins R and MA pale; RP veinsdark; remaining veins with dashed pattern. Wing membrane hyaline, or sometimes with a faint brown tint. Forewing mediocubital area with dark brown infuscations along CuA vein until at least half of forewing distance, which cover at least 1/3 of the cells. Forewing CuP and hind wing CuA veins extending before forewing CuA and hind wing MP fork respectively, with at least four crossveins connecting them and posterior branch of fork. Pterostigma opaque, dark yellow, encompassing three to four crossveins. Cells delimited by transversal veins on hind wing posterior area longer than high. - Legs: Coxae dark brown anteriorly and light brown posteriorly. Legs light brown and with many dark brown spots on setae insertion. Femur and tibiae with black bristles. Femur light brown, with external face slightly darker than internal face. Femur decumbent setae white and black. Profemural sense hair longer than profemur and mesofemural sense hair much shorter than mesofemur. Tibial spurs slightly shorter than pretarsal claws. Tarsomeres light brown, with distal fourth dark brown. Pretarsal claws at least 1.5 times longer than basitarsus. - Abdomen: Abdomen dark brown ventrally, with brown setae. Tergites I-III light brown, and remaining tergites dark brown. Male paramere plates quadrangular on lateral view. Gonarcus arch positioned not above paramere plates on lateral view. Male genitalia clavate setae very long, with a sickled club. - Larva. Larvae unknown.

Remarks.

The type specimen of Foya trapezia was not analyzed in this work. Foya trapezia has a controversial taxonomical background as it was synonymized under Amazoleon pubiventris along with Myrmeleon tendinosus by Esben-Petersen (1920), according to the author they were of the same species. However, the hind wing illustration provided by the author in F. trapezia original description, makes it clear that F. trapezia and M. tendinosus type specimens cannot be of the same species as the hind wing posterior area are very different. Thus, the original description for F. trapezia agrees much more with A. protensa than A. pubiventris , as mentioned in the diagnostic black forewing veins RP and both banksian lines (Fig. 39A ), which are absent for A. pubiventris . Therefore, in this work we agree and maintain Stange’s (1967) synonymy of F. trapezia under A. protensa .

The type specimens of A. alterna and A. decarloi were not located, and are still missing as previously mentioned by Stange (2004; 2010) and Oswald (2021). However, the original description for those species also agrees with A. protensa , in the same way as F. trapezia , and therefore we chose to maintain both species as synonyms.

Ameromyia protensa is the only species from the Ameromyia modesta group that occurs in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay (Fig. 13 ). This species is restricted to southern South America, and its northermost distribution record continues to be its type locality, in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Examined material.

(7♀ 9♂) ARGENTINA • 1♂; S of Corrientes, Parana River ; 16.i.2009, M.Snizek; FSCA • 1♂; Entre Rios, 1 º de mayo; 10.iii.1961; FSCA . - BRAZIL - RIO GRANDE DO SUL • 1♀; Quaraí, Cerro do Javali ; 25-27.i.1963; C.S.Carbonell; FSCA . - PARAGUAY - PARAGUARÍ • 1♂; Cerro Hu, vic. Posada Del Cerro ; 05-06.ii.2019; 25°36.087′S 057°705′W; 531ft; J. E. Eger; L. G Bezark; FSCA. - VILLA RICA: 2♀ 1♂; xi; BMNH . - URUGUAY • 2♂; Paysandu, Puerto Pepeaji ; 30.xi.1959; C.S.Carbonell, A. Mesa; FSCA • 2♀ 2♂; Tacuarembó, Tacuarembó enico; 20-25.i.1960; C.S.Carbonell; FSCA) • 1♀; same collection data as for preceding. - ARTIGAS • 1♀; Tres Cruces Chico (ruta 4), Arraya; 23.xi.1961; C.S. Carbonell, FSCA. - TREINTA Y TRES • 1♂; Quebrada de los cuervos; 14-15.xii.1952; C.S. Carbonell; FSCA .

Figures

Figure 6. Ameromyia forewing base: A A. tendinosa. B A. protensa. Photographs by Lara Lopardo (EMAU). Legend indicates Anal veins and its respective color guide. - Abbreviation: bc, basal crossvein.

Figure 8. Ameromyia female terminalia: A A. protensa, lateral view. B A. protensa, posterior view. C A. nigriventris, ventral view. Photographs by Lara Lopardo (EMAU). - Abbreviations: et, ectoproct; ds, digging setae; gp, gonapophyseal plate; lg, lateral gonapophysis; pg, posterior gonapophysis; pp, pregenital plate; st, sternite, tg, tergite.

Figure 13. South America map showing the current distributional records for Ameromyia species in the Ameromyia modesta species group.

Figure 38. Ameromyia protensa, type series, habitus on dorsal view, with respective type labels: A lectotype. B and C paralectotypes. Photographs by Lara Lopardo (EMAU).

Figure 39. Ameromyia protensa: A male specimen, dorsal view. B Lectotype head and forelegs, frontal view. C Lectotype head, thorax and legs, lateral view. D Male terminalia, lateral view. E Illustration of male genitalia, lateral view. Type photographs by Lara Lopardo (EMAU). - Abbreviations: cs, clavate setae; et, ectoproct; etl, ectoproct postventral lobe; go, gonarcus; hs, hinge setae; pah, paramere hinge; pap, paramere plate; pat, paramere tooth; st, sternite; tg, tergite.