Purenleon fernandezi Miller and Stange, 2014

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2014, A revision of the genus Purenleon Stange (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Nemoleontini), Insecta Mundi 2014 (384), pp. 1-67 : 20-22

Purenleon fernandezi Miller and Stange , new species

Figures 32–36

Holotype male, Bolivar, Venezuela, 450 m., 27.II.1983 ( FSCA).

Diagnosis. Pronotum without elongate white bristles at lateral margin; paramere a broad plate, serrate medially, with strongly sclerotized medial margin with is narrowly recurved posteriorly and narrowly produced laterally; female sternite VIII with long lobe (about twice as long as wide) laterally on posterior margin.

Holotype male. Length of body 24 mm, forewing and hindwing 29 mm. Coloration: mostly brown ( Fig. 32 ); forefemur mostly dark brown, other femora mostly pale brown; foretibia and midtibia pale brown with large dark brown subbasal and subapical dark brown areas, hindtibia mostly pale brown ( Fig. 33 ); tarsi mostly pale brown; wings with limited markings ( Fig. 34 ); abdomen mostly dark brown dorsally with light brown spots near middle on most tergites, light brown ventrally. Chaetotaxy: pronotum ( Fig. 32 ) without elongate white bristles at lateral margin; midfemoral sense about as long as femur, equal in length to forefemoral sense hair. Structure: pronotum broader than long; legs short, hindleg longer than others; tibial spurs extending to apex of tarsomere IV; forewing and hindwing same length, forewing costal area gradually broadened basally, costal cells at middle higher than wide, not interconnected; forewing vein CuP+1A runing to hind margin at level of origin of radial sector. male genitalia ( Fig. 35 ) with broad, arched gonarcus with broad mediuncus that is broader than long; paramere a broad plate, serrate medially, with strongly sclerotized medial margin, which is narrowly recurved posteriorly and narrowly produced laterally.

Female. Fig. 36 . About as described for male except for female terminalia. Posterior margin of sternite VIII with gonapophysis like structure about twice as long as wide originating laterally; posterior gonapophyses widely separated, about four times longer than broad, strongly curved at middle with many elongate setae; gonapophyseal plate broad, about twice as long as wide; lateral gonapophyses widely separated, about twice as long as median diameter, with stout black setae nearly as long as gonapophysis; pregenitale longer than broad, median process broader than long and broadest apically; spermatheca elongate, tubular (at least 20 times longer than diameter), abruptly bent downward apically, apical end about six times longer than wide.

Types: 2 males, 2 females. February to April.

TRINIDAD. Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, 14.III.1994 (1m, FSCA).

VENEZUELA. Bolivar: 450 m., 27.II.1983 (1m, 1f, FSCA). Sucre: San Bonfacio, 12.IV.1964, Ronderos (1f, FSCA)

Discussion. Purenleon fernandezi shares with P. tibialis the greatly swollen midtibia. The lack of elongate white bristles at the lateral margin of the pronotum is one distinguishing character from P. tibialis . The lateral lobe from the posterior margin of sternite VIII is about twice as long as broad in P. fernandezi appearing like a gonapophysis whereas it is broader than long in P. tibialis .

Etymology. This species is named for the distinguished Venezuelan entomologist, Fernández Yépez.

Figures

Figures 32–36. Purenleon fernandezi Miller and Stange, adult. 32) head and thorax; 33) lateral view; 34) wings; 35) male genitalia; 36) female terminalia, ventral view.