Ungla martinsi 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 : 46-50

Ungla martinsi Sosa, 2015 Figs 57, 58, 59, 60, 143d, 143e

Ungla martinsi Sosa, 2015. Zootaxa 4018 (2): 187-191; "VENEZUELA. Portuguesa state. Ospino, Santa Barbara, [9°28.695'N /69° 33.111W], 1340 m, 10-11.v.2013, F. Sosa & C. Martins Leg. Collected with light trap. Deposited in the MJMO." Holotype.MJMO, male. For images of the type see Sosa (2015); for labels, see Fig. 143d here.

Ungla rubricosa Sosa, 2015. Zootaxa 4018 (2): 194-196; "VENEZUELA. Aragua: P. N. Henri Pittier, 1140 m, 20.ii.2008, F. Sosa, F. Díaz & R. Zuñiga Leg. Collected with trap light. Deposited in the MJMO.". syn. n. Holotype.MJMO, male (teneral). For images of the type see Sosa (2015); for labels, see Fig. 143e here. Support for synonymy. The original description of U. rubricosa was based on a single teneral male and two female specimens from Venezuela ( Sosa 2015). Additional Venezuelan specimens used in the study here, allowed us to reexamine the pattern of variation among a larger group of specimens and to establish that the two species indeed are the same.

Diagnosis

(also see Sosa 2015). This phenotypically variable species is recognized by its green body, marked with deep red; light yellow to cream-colored head; U-shaped marking on vertex either broken mesally or connected via thin mesal line; margins of head adjacent to eyes marked with red band; scape and pedicel with red dorsal stripe; flagellum cream-colored; frons unmarked; palpi marked with black. The wing venation, with dark brown transverse veins and fumose R-Rs crossveins and gradates, and the male genitalia are also distinctive.

Ungla martinsi resembles another Venezuelan species U. curimaguensis , in size, male abdominal and genital characteristics, and perhaps head markings. However, the two species differ notably in that U. curimaguensis has largely green forewing venation and it lacks the dark genal marks and marked maxillary and labial palpi of U. martinsi .

Redescription.

Head cream-colored to yellow with red markings; vertex smooth, shiny, with U-shaped marking reduced to two arms or two prominent spots separated at center; area between antennae unmarked; red stripe between eye and sides of vertex, extending posteriorly; dorsal antennal fossa entirely red or with thin reddish stripe mesally, not extending between antennae. Frons cream-colored, without markings; clypeus cream-colored, with black stripe on lateral margin, contiguous with black genal mark, which reaches almost to eye. Antenna mostly cream-colored, scape, pedicel with broad dorsolateral red stripe; flagellum yellow with black bristles; maxillary palp with two basal segments pale, distal three segments black dorsally, with intersections, tip of distal palpomere pale; labial palp with basal two segments pale, ultimate segment light brown to black shading laterally.

Prothorax green with cream-colored stripe mesally, pair of broad, dark red stripes sublaterally; transverse furrow in posterior region, not deep, reaching lateral margins of segment, long, cream-colored to golden setae throughout. Mesothorax reddish brown centrally, green, marked with red laterally; metathorax green with reddish brown markings. Legs light green, unmarked. Measurements: head width: 1.4-1.5 mm; ratio head width: eye width: 2.7: 1; prothorax width: 0.9-1.2 mm, length: 0.7-0.8 mm.

Forewing, hindwing with moderate width. Forewing with rounded apex, robust, but without heavy venation, with very slight swelling at furcation of Cu; stigma lightly marked with brown or pale, with four to five light brown to pale subcostal crossveins below; longitudinal veins light green, costal, radial crossveins light to dark brown anteriorly, pale or brown posteriorly; gradate veins, distal Psm-Psc crossvein black, surrounded by dense dark brown shading; gradates in parallel series or sometimes with distal one or two inner gradates closer to outer gradates; basal inner gradate meeting Psm. Forewing 11.2-13.7 mm long, 3.6-4.8 mm wide, (ratio, L: W = 2.8-3.1: 1); height of tallest costal cell 0.7-0.9 mm (cell number 6); length of first intramedian cell 0.8-0.9 mm; 10-11 radial cells (closed cells between R and Rs); third gradate cell 1.5-2.0 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 4.0-4.5: 1); fourth gradate cell often missing, when present 1.3-2.0 mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 3.8-4.7: 1); 4 Banksian cells (b cells), 4 b’ cells; 4-6 inner gradates, 5-7 outer gradates. Hindwing with apex subacute, venation light green; 9.9-12.2 mm long, 3.0-3.8 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 3.0-3.3: 1), 10-11 radial cells, 3 Banksian (b) cells, 4 b’ cells, 3-5 inner gradates, 4-6 outer gradates.

Male. Abdomen with large spiracles (e.g., A7: spiracle diameter ~0.2 × length of sternite); A7-A9 with numerous setae extending from robust setal bases; T 9+ectoproct relatively long (~0.6 × length of T7), with dorsal invagination deep (~0.5 × dorsal length of T9+ect), margins of invagination almost straight, base rounded; dorsal margin of T9+ect sloped distally (above anus); posterior margin of ectoproct rounded throughout; ventral margin of T9+ect straight, with lightly sclerotized, straight apodeme, slightly below sclerotization around callus cerci, posterior corner of apodeme bent mesally in small, rounded knob; posteroventral corner of T9+ect appearing angular (lateral view); callus cerci large, ovate, with entire margin lightly sclerotized. S8+9 fused, with line of fusion not readily perceptible; dorsal margin with apodeme extending along basal ~1/2 length of segment; segment extending further without apodeme, then gradually sloping ventrally to tip of segment; terminus extending distally, well beyond tip of T9+ect, heavily sclerotized, upturned distally, concave in posterior view; terminal setae on posterodorsal margin of S8+9 enlarged, with small, flange-like protrusions basally. Gonarcus arcuate (dorsal, ventral views), V-shaped (frontal, caudal views); bridge robust, moderately wide throughout; arms elongate, rounded distally, dorsal section with triangular process extending posteriorly toward gonosaccus; mediuncus with narrow base, paired internal rods adjacent to each other for ~3/4 distance from base, fusing near terminus; dorsal surface of mediuncus fairly straight, with short, rounded (blunt) beak distally; gonosaccus bilobed, each lobe large, bearing dense patch of gonosetae; gonosetae robust, arising from enlarged setal bases; hypandrium internum quadrate, with narrow arms, rounded comes.

Female. See Sosa (2015).

Biology.

Oviposition of stalked, clustered eggs (probably infertile) (see images, Sosa 2015). None underwent embryonic development.

Known distribution.

VENEZUELA: States of Aragua, Portuguesa.

Specimens examined

[in addition to those listed by Sosa (2015)]. Venezuela. Aragua: Rancho Grande, 10-21/II/1969, Duckworth & Dietz (1F, USNM); Rancho Grande, IX-20-1973, B. Villegas (1F, UCDC); Rancho Grande, 18 km NW Maracay, at light, 22.iii.1992, C. Michalski (1F, AMNH); Henri Pittier Nat. Park: Nr Rancho Grande, 1100-1200m, 19-20.i.1996, J. & A. Skevington (1F, DEBU), Rancho Grande Bio Station, white light, 24.i.1996, 1100 m, J. & A. Skevington (1M, DEBU).