Ameromyia pleuralis Navas , 1926

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

4.11. Ameromyia pleuralis Navas, 1926

Fig. 37

Ameromyia pleuralis Navás 1926b: 61, Fig. 13 (base forewing) [Holotype female, Minas Geraes, Brasil V.24, Le Moulth (SDEI)]. - 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].

Distribution.

Brazil (Fig. 12 ).

Diagnosis.

Forewing veins C, Sc, and RA all pale, in contrast to MA which has a dashed pale brown and dark brown pattern, and CuP which are dark brown.

Description.

Adult. Head: Antennae with 31 flagellomeres. Flagellomeres dark brown, with ventral face of the club light brown. Vertex light brown with dark brown spots on setae insertion, and dark brown spots and patches on anterior and posterior rows. Vertex decumbent setae black. Interantennal area dark brown. Frons light brown, usually with dark brown medially and under scape. Frons setae black. Interocular distance less than eye width. Clypeus light brown, slightly darker medially. Labrum light brown, slightly darker on ventral margin. Mandibles dark brown. Palpi light brown, with exterior face slightly darker. - Thorax: Thorax on lateral view darker ventrally, with an evident longitudinal pale brown band under wings. Pronotum as broad as long, light brown, with two longitudinal dark brown markings medially. Pronotum marginal setae white. Mesonotum dark, with longitudinal light brown streaks on each side of mesoscutum, and one medially on mesoscutellum. Metanotum light brown, with metascutum laterally dark. - Wings: Wing tip acute. Forewing veins Sc and RA vein pale; CuA, anterior branch of CuA fork and MP with a dashed dark and light brown pattern, and remaining veins are dark brown. Hind wing veins C, Sc and RA vein pale, and remaining veins are dark brown. Wing membrane hyaline, except on Costal and Radial areas, which have a brown tint. Forewing mediocubital area with dark infuscations around vertical crossveins, in a continuous pattern or apparently dotted but with connecting suffusions pattern, at least until apical third. Forewing CuP vein and hind wing CuA extending well before forewing CuA fork and hind wing MP fork respectively, with nine or more crossveins connecting them and posterior branch of fork. Pterostigma opaque, light brown, encompassing five to six crossveins. Cells delimited by transversal veins in hind wing posterior area higher than long. - Legs: Coxae light brown on posterior face and slightly darker on anterior face. Femur and tibiae with black bristles. Legs light brown, dark brown on exterior face. Femur decumbent setae white and black. Profemural sense hair longer than profemur, and mesofemural sense hair much shorter than mesofemur. Tibiae with dark brown spots on bristle insertion. Tibial spurs slightly shorter than pretarsal claws. Tarsomeres light brown, with posterior tip dark brown. Pretarsal claws at least 1.5 times longer than basitarsus. - Abdomen: Abdomen dark brown with many dark brown setae. - Larva. Larvae unknown.

Remarks.

Ameromia pleuralis holotype is labelled as “syntypus” (Fig. 37A ), but is stated as holotype in the original description, as it is the only specimen being described. A. pleuralis was by far the less sampled species by the current work. Specimens analyzed were restricted to central Brazil. All sampled male specimens have lost their terminalia. It is possible that the analyzed specimens of A. pleuralis are simply decoloured or badly preserved specimens of A. tendinosa , but without a larger sampling or without analysing the male genitalia, it is difficult to ascertain if A. pleuralis is in fact a valid species or if it’s a synonym of A. tendinosa . Through photographs of the type specimen (Figs 37A, C ), the forewing CuP is clearly dark, but, while the RA vein appears to be pale, distalmost sections appears to be dashed and thus it is difficult to discern. Analyzed specimens had fully pale RA veins (Fig. 37B ). Nonetheless, based on the analysis of the type specimen photographs and the differences in the wing coloration, we decided to keep A. pleuralis as a valid species.

This species is very similar to A. tendinosa and A. dimidiata , but the latter has a southern distribution and has a pale forewing CuP vein, while A. tendinosa has a forewing R vein with a dashed coloration distally.

Examined material.

(3♀ 3♂) BRAZIL - GOIÁS • 1♀ 1♂; Jataí, Faz. Nova Orlandia ; i.1964; Martins, Morgante and Silva; MZUSP . - MATO GROSSO • 1♂ ; C[hapada]. dos Guimarães; 01.x.2016; Ativa; B. Martins; CEMT • 1♀; Chapada dos Guimarães; xi.1963; M. Alvarenga; FSCA • 1♀; Buriti, Chapada dos Guimarães; x.1978; G.R.Kloss and F. Val; MZUSP . - PARANÁ • 1♂ ; P[onta]. Grossa; xii.49; á luz [sic]; DZUP.

Figures

Figure 12. South America map showing the current distributional records for Ameromyia species in the Ameromyia nigriventris species group.

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

Figure 37. Ameromyia pleuralis: A holotype, dorsal view, with type labels. B Forewing of A. pleuralis. C Holotype, ventral view. Holotype photographs by Mandy Schroeter, Senckenberg.