Purenleon aztecus 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 : 29-31

Purenleon aztecus Miller and Stange , new species

Figures 58–62 , 142–145

Holotype male, Ixtapontango , Mexico, III.10.1985, reared, R. Miller & L. Stange ( FSCA)

Diagnosis. Hind margin of forewing suffused from near base to well beyond midpoint of wing; pronotum with elongate white bristles laterally; tibial spurs of hindleg reach near apex of tarsomere II.

Holotype male. Length of body 25 mm, forewing and hindwing about 27 mm. Coloration: face mostly pale brown except narrow dark brown band below and between antennal fossae; mouthparts mostly pale brown except distally; antenna with scape mostly pale brown except basally; flagellomeres dark brown except pale brown apices; hind margin of forewing from near base to well beyond midpoint of wing dark brown suffused ( Fig. 60 ); abdomen dark brown with pale brown areas apically and laterally on tergites III–VII; ectoproct and tergite IX pale brown; sternites mostly pale brown in anterior one-half, dark brown posteriorly. Chaetotaxy: pronotum with elongate white, distally swollen setae at lateral margin, sometimes shorter, usually black setae also present; thoracic pleura with many long, white, distally swollen setae; forecoxa with elongate white, distally swollen bristles longer than coxal diameter on lateral face in addition to elongate white setae on posterior margin; forefemur with numerous white, distally swollen long setae on exterior face in addition to a dense group of dark brown setae; midfemoral sense hair shorter than forefemoral sense hair, about three-fourths as long as femur. Structure: antenna with about 45 flagellomeres, weak clavus; flagellomere I longer than broad, rest broader than long; pronotum a little broader than long measured along midline; hindleg longer than others; hind basitarsus about five times longer than median diameter; tibial spur reaching to tarsomere II; foreleg basitarsus about 2.5 times longer than median diameter, spur reaching to tarsomere III; forewing costal area ( Fig. 58 ) expands abruptly from base, without interconnected crossveins, with cells near middle higher than wide; CuP + lA of forewing runs obliquely to hind margin along posterior fork of CuA at a point near origin of radial sector; male genitalia ( Fig. 61 ) with weakly arched gonarcus, mediuncus broad; paramere simple, unsculptured plate about five times longer than wide, slightly curved with sclerotized broad band medially narrowing posteriorly.

Female ( Fig. 62 ): about as described for male except for terminalia with ectoproct with broad postventral lobe; posterior gonapophyses broadly separated, about six times longer than median width, strongly bowed at middle; gonapophyseal plate elongate (more than six times longer than broad), broadest starting at base of gonapophysis, then abruptly narrowing and bending at posterior one-fourth; lateral gonapophyses broadly separated, short, about twice as long as wide, narrowing a little anteriorly, with strong digging setae that are longer than gonapophysis; pregenitale consists of two mostly separated and very broad (about four times broader than long) plates, narrowly joined at base, with very narrow pointed apex; spermatheca about nine times longer than wide, nearly completely straight except strongly recurved at apex.

Larva (Fig. 142–145): Coloration: mandible light brown; head capsule dorsally pale orange-brown; ventral head capsule with four longitudinal dark brown stripes. Chaetotaxy: dorsal surface of head capsule with prominent submedial row of large dolichasters posterior to lateral tentorial suture; ventral surface of head capsule with elongate, unexpanded, flat-ended setae; dorsal surface of abdominal segments IV–VII with many simple setae and some straight-sided dolichasters. Structure: mandible longer than head capsule, distance between teeth 1 and 3 about equal to that between base and tooth 1, without dolichasters but with short setae; head capsule tapers evenly toward posterior of head capsule without flaring out posterior to eye stalk bases; abdominal spiracles visible but shorter than basal width of tubercle.

Variation. Length of body ranges from 23 to 29 mm, forewing and hindwing 27 to 34 mm.

Biology. The larvae of this species inhabit small caves and rock overhang habitats with a mixture of somewhat coarse and fine loose earth and organic matter lying thinly over a hard base. This excludes species requiring a finer material. At Ixtapantango, P. aztecus larvae co-exist with P. toltecus larvae in the same small caves and overhangs. During collecting in the late afternoon it was observed that larvae with paler heads and darker mandibles ( P. aztecus ) occurred only in the dark back of the cave with low ceiling, low light, and lower temperatures. Larvae with darker heads and paler mandibles ( P. toltecus ) occurred only in the rain protected, warmer, and better lighted areas exposed to the late afternooon sun. Purenleon aztecus has less debris strongly attached to their head capsules than does P. toltecus . Most of the specimens came from one small overhang with a horizontal depth of about a meter. The two species were not competing for living space or resources. The P. aztecus larvae were, however, co-existing in the same habitat in the best cave with a single larva of P. abruptus . The habitat preferences of P. aztecus and P. toltecus remained constant in other localities where they did not co-exist. Purenleon aztecus is a leg anchoring species.

Types: 4 males, 4 females. 2 larvae. March, September.

MEXICO. Mexico: Ixtapontango, III.10.1985, reared, R. Miller & L. Stange (1 larva, 4m, 3f, FSCA). Michoacan: 6 km. south Santa Tome, IX.30.1986, reared, R. Miller & L. Stange (1 larva. 1f, FSCA).

Discussion. Purenleon aztecus is related to P. toltecus and P. apache in having the forefemur with numerous long setae on exterior face and the forecoxa has numerous elongate setae on lateral face in addition to elongate white setae on posterior margin P. aztecus differs from both P. toltecus and P. apache in having the hind margin of forewing from near base to well beyond midpoint of wing dark brown suffused ( Fig. 60 ) and the tibial spurs of hindleg reach only a little beyond apex of basitarsus; also the thoracic pleura of P. aztecus and P. toltecus have numerous, distally swollen white setae which is diagnostic in the group The larva agrees with P. apache and P. toltecus in having having a prominent sublateral row of dolichasters posterior to the lateral tentorial suture on the dorsal head capsule. Also, the abdominal spiracles are easily visible, although shorter than or equal to basal width in these three species.

Etymology. This species is named after the Aztec people of Mexico.

Figures

Figures 58–62. Purenleon aztecus Miller and Stange, adult. 58) head and thorax; 59) lateral view; 60) wings; 61) male genitalia; 62) female terminalia, ventral view.