Ungla grandispiracula Tauber

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 : 37-43

Ungla grandispiracula Tauber sp. n. Figs 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 144b

Holotype

(Figs 43a, c, e, 44b, d, e, 45a, 144b). USNM, male. Colombia, Antioquia, 12 km. NW Medellín, rd to San Pedro, 15 Feb. 1983, O. S. Flint, Jr.

Etymology.

The species name " grandispiracula " (Latin, neuter, plural) refers to the large spiracles that distinguish males of this species from those of U. favrei , another Andean species of Ungla with which it shares many features. The word is a compound noun in apposition to the genus name (grandis, meaning “large”; spiracula, meaning “spiracles”).

Diagnosis.

The Andean species U. grandispiracula and U. favrei are very similar externally and in many of their male abdominal features. Both have a brown or red, inverted U-shaped mark that is broken mesally, a white to cream-colored face, cream-colored antenna with longitudinal brown mark on the distal, upper surface of the scape that extends onto the pedicel, and wings with pale longitudinal veins and numerous brown crossveins. They also have enlarged abdominal spiracles and similar genitalia. However, there are subtle differences in the male abdomen that distiguish the two species: the U. grandispiracula spiracles are larger (A7: 0.25x length of S7 versus 0.15x in U. favrei ), its gonosetae are more robust, and its gonarcal bridge is narrow, uniformly rounded, and it lacks the mesal ledge that occurs in U. favrei . Females of the two species are difficult to separate; in U. grandispiracula the frons is unmarked (variable in U. favrei ) and the stripe on the dorsal surface of the scape does not extend onto the pedicel as it does in U. favrei .

Externally, this species also resembles the Argentinian U. elbergi , sp. n. However, the U. grandispiracula spiracles are larger than those of U. elbergi ; and, unlike on U. elbergi , the two lobes of the gonosaccus are well separated mesally, and the gonosetae are borne laterally, on somewhat flattened plates.

Description.

Head white to cream-colored with dark brown to black markings; vertex smooth, often shiny; inverted U-shaped marking dark brown, prominent but small, dot-like, narrowing and separated mesally, not extending anteriorly to area be tween scapes; antennal fossa, area between eyes and posterior half of vertex unmarked; frons unmarked, slightly swollen laterally in males; gena with dark brown to black stripe extending from near base of eye along lateral margin of gena, most of clypeus; tentorial pits amber-colored. Antenna pale, dorsum of scape with short, brown longitudinal stripe distally, not extending onto dorsal surface of pedicel; maxillary palp with basal two segments pale, three distal segments dark brown; labial palp with basal segment pale, middle segment light brown, distal segment dark brown.

Prothorax yellowish mesally, with broad, diffuse, reddish brown, longitudinal, lateral stripes, extending to lateral margin; transverse furrow in mesal region, almost reaching lateral margins; dorsal surface with thin, pale setae, sparse mesally, denser laterally. Mesothorax, metathorax marked with reddish brown laterally, yellow mesally; both with pair of brown spots on margin between prescutum and scutum (smaller on metathorax), pair of small brownish spots laterally. Measurements: head width: 1.5 mm; ratio head width: eye width: 2.3: 1; prothorax width: 1.0 mm; length: 0.5 mm.

Forewing with apex rounded, hindwing acute; membrane clear, hyaline, without fumose areas, with venation slender (female) to very slightly crassate (male); stigma lightly opaque to clear, with three to four light brown subcostal crossveins below stigma, area surrounding crossveins unmarked; longitudinal veins light green, all costal, radial crossveins brown to brownish; transverse veins in posterior sector of wing brown to pale; gradates dark brown without suffusion. First gradate vein meeting Psm. Forewing 12.6-13.7 mm long, 4.3-4.8 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 2.9: 1); height of tallest costal cell 0.7-0.8 mm (cell number 5-6); length of first intramedian cell 0.9-1.0 mm; 10 -11 radial cells (closed cells between R and Rs); 4 Banksian cells (b cells), 4 b’ cells; 4-6 inner gradates, 6 outer gradates. Hindwing 11.4-12.3 mm long, 3.5-4.0 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 3.1-3.2: 1), 10-11 radial cells, 3 Banksian (b) cells, 4 b’ cells, 3-4 inner gradates, 6 outer gradates.

Male. T9+ect relatively long (~0.5 length of T7), with dorsal invagination moderately deep (~0.5 × dorsal length of T9+ect), margins of invagination almost straight, base rounded; dorsal margin of T9+ect straight basally, rounded distally, posterior margin of ectoproct convex, posteriorly with dorsal apodeme prominent, but without knob or extension. Abdomen with setae more or less of a single size (no short setae), relatively sparse on A7-A9; spiracles greatly enlarged (e.g., A7: spiracle diameter ~0.25 × length of sternite). T9+ect fairly well rounded throughout, terminating distoventrally at small distal extension of dorsal apodeme, with dorsal invagination rounded, not shallow (deeper than one half distance to anterior margin of T9); area anterior to, below, and around callus cerci diffusely sclerotized, with sclerotization melding with dorsal apodeme along ventral and posteroventral margin of ectoproct; callus cerci large, ovate, circumference sclerotized throughout, but lightly dorsally; subrectal plate narrow longitudinally, bearing field of ~10 medium length setae. S8+9 fused, with line of fusion not demarcated, with distal 2/3rds of segment well sclerotized, ter minus rounded, extending distally well beyond the tip of T9+ect; terminal setae dense, not enlarged, only few (~4) on each side with small flanges. Gonarcus (posterior view) rounded, with slight angle mesally; apodemes, bridge slender (all views), without mesal enlargement; mesal process digitiform, bending mesally (dorsal view). Mediuncus elongate, narrow, slightly bent dorsally (lateral view), with quadrate base, rounded distally, terminus without knob. Gonosaccus large, robust, with two large pouches each bearing a lateral plate with large field of robust, elongate, slightly curved gonosetae arising from large sockets (bases). Hypandrium internum not found.

Known distribution.

COLOMBIA: States of Antioquia, Valle del Cauca.

Specimens examined

(in addition to holotype). 1F, same data as holotype (paratype, USNM). Colombia, Dept. of Valle [Valle del Cauca], Carretera a Biventura, Km 18, 5-10/IX/1978, M. D. Tidwell (1M, paratype, FSCA).