Purenleon abruptus Stange

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2014, A revision of the genus Purenleon Stange (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Nemoleontini), Insecta Mundi 2014 (384), pp. 1-67 : 9-12

Purenleon abruptus Stange

Figures 1–7 , 132–133

Purenleon abruptus Stange 2002: 287 , Fig. 638, 642 (wings; dorsal view head, thorax). Holotype male, 23 miles south Matías Romero , Oaxaca, Mexico, IV.5.1962, L. Stange (FSCA).

Distribution. Mexico; Honduras; Guatemala; Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. Length of body about 17–23 mm, length of forewing and hindwing from about 18 to 25 mm. Coloration: general coloration ligh brown; face pale brown with broad dark brown band above, between and below antennae, emarginate ventrally at middle; vertex mostly gray, pruinose with nearly black scars; mouthparts pale brown except for dark brown mandibles, stipes and distal palpomere of labium; antenna brown with pale brown at apices of scape and flagellomeres, pedicel nearly all brown; pronotum pale brown ( Fig. 3 ) with extensive dark brown medially, laterally and anteriorly; mesoscutum mostly dark brown with pale spot on prescutum, irregularly on each side of mesoscutellum which is paler posteriorly, small round pale spot laterally near wing base; metascutum darker with pale brown anteriorly and on posterior margin of metascutellum; thoracic pleura ( Fig. 2 ) mostly darker brown dorsally, lighter brown ventrally with ventral area mostly dark brown; coxae and trochanters mostly pale except small basal darkening on coxae; femora mostly pale on closing face, dark brown on exterior face; foretibia mostly dark brown on closing face, mostly pale brown on exterior face with dark brown bands basally, distally and at middle; midtibia and hindtibia mostly pale brown on closing face except apically, mostly dark brown on exterior face; tarsi dark brown except pale brown basitarsus which is darker apically; wing membranes ( Fig. 4 ) nearly without suffusion, white stigma and minor dark brown suffusion on crossveins near posterior margin where the posterior branch of cubital fork ends, and at rhegma; wing veins and crossveins mostly pale brown but with extensive dark brown coloring producing mostly an alternating pattern of light brown and dark brown; abdominal tergites mostly dark brown with pale distal ends, sternites with more pale brown, especially sternites VI to VIII; ectoproct and sternite IX nearly all light brown; female posterior gonapophysis with some dark brown coloration ventrally. Chaetotaxy: clypeus, labrum and postmentum with some outstanding, mostly white setae, elsewhere on head inconspicuous; setae very short on antennae and mouthparts except distal palpomere of labium with brown setae about as long as width of distal part of palpomere; pronotum with erect black setae, especially submedially and at posterior margin and three to four elongate white setae sublaterally which are slightly thickened toward apex; rest of notum with few inconspicuous black setae; thoracic pleura with numerous elongate, white setae, some which are slightly thickened toward apex; forecoxa with many elongate setae posteriorly that are longer than greatest coxal width and with many smaller white setae on lateral surface that are shorter than coxal width; forefemur without elongate white setae on closing surface, shorter decumbent ones on exterior surface and several elongate erect black setae on closing surface, and several subapically on exterior surface; midfemur with elongate white setae, basal half forming a comb with the setae thickened; hindfemur with elongate white setae on most of femur with a few erect ones on closing face; foretibia with many black erect white setae on exterior face and with mostly decumbent white setae, especially on base of exterior face but with few erect white setae on closing face; midfemur with scattered elongate, erect black setae, some of which are longer than midfemoral sense hair; midfemoral sense hair about one half as long as that of forefemur; hindfemur with fewest setae, all black, some short but with many very long black setae; wings with short setae, some exceeding twice the vein diameter abdomen with predominately short, white setae., semi-decumbent setae except for ectoproct which as elongate, mostly brown setae; male abdomen with small, rounded scale-like sculpture on tergites II–VIII. Structure: head with vertex slightly raised above eyes; greatest ocular width slightly greater than interocular distance at middle; antenna moderately long and clavate with about 36 flagellomeres; basal flagellomeres about twice as long as wide, others broader than long; distal palpomere of labium moderately swollen with long narrow apex, palpomacula oval, situated about midway; pronotum a little longer than wide measured along midline; legs similar in length, foreleg shorter than midleg which is shorter than hindleg; forefemur swollen, foretibia and midtibia swollen irregularly, slightly narrower at middle; basitarsus of foreleg about 3.5 times longer than middle diameter, shorter than distal tarsomere; basitarsus of midleg about four times longer than middle diameter, and that of hindleg about six times longer tha middle diameter, longer than distal tarsomere; tibial spurs of foreleg and midleg reaching to about apex of second tarsomere, that of hindleg to apex of basitarsus; pretarsal claws short, about as long as tarsomere II of hindleg; forewing ( Fig. 4 ) the same length as hind wing; forewing costal area abruptly broadened at base, costal cells not interconnected by crossveins, those above radial sector about 1.5 times as high as wide; abdomen much shorter than forewing length; male ectoproct simple, not produced; male genitalia ( Fig. 5 ) with moderately arched and broad gonarcus, sub-truncate apically, without evident mediuncus; paramere a broad plate about twice as long as broad with prominent sclerotized lip along medial margin which twists underneath near middle; female terminalia ( Fig. 6, 7 ) with ectoproct strongly produced ventrally with row of about four elongate black setae ventrally, elsewhere many other setae which are finer; posterior gonapophysis about six times longer than middle diameter, not bowed, with many elongate setae, some of which are subequal in length to gonapophysis; gonapophyseal plate narrow, at least ten times longer than wide, abruptly bending posteriorly at middle; lateral gonapophysis without stout digging setae, usually well concealed in genital complex; pregenitale well developed; spermatheca shaped as a broad C.

Larva. Fig. 132–133 . Coloration: mandible pale brown; ventral head capsule with six dark brown spots, largest submedial behind lateral tentorial suture, two close marks near middle, two submedial marks in posterior one-fifth. Chaetotaxy: dorsal surface of head capsule with prominent sublateral row of large dolichasters posterior to lateral tentorial suture (as in Fig. 150 ); dorsal abdominal segments IV–VII with bead-like setae; ventral head capsule with bead-like setae. Structure: mandible at least as long as length of ventral head capsule measured at center, distance between tooth 1 and 3 a little longer than that between tooth 1 and base of mandible; abdominal spiracles easily visible, but shorter than or equal to basal width.

Biology. Larvae were found living in loose soil under bark and other debris, in a shaded area, at the base of a large tree. Larvae do not favor well lighted habitats. The duration of pupation varied from 35 to 50 days under laboratory conditions.

Material studied. 10 males, 4 females. 5 larvae. February to May.

COSTA RICA. Guanacaste: 14 km. south Cañas , 23.II.1990, Parker (1f, BLCU) ; Santa Rosa National Park , 300 m., III.1984, D. Janzen, W. Hallwachs (1f, INBIO) .

GUATEMALA. Baja Verapaz: Rabinal , 7.II.1965, G. O’Neal (1m, FSCA) ; 40 km. east Guatemala City (on train), 7.IV.1926, J. Aldrich (1f, USNM) .

HONDURAS. Francisco Morazan: Talanga Hacinda, 28.IV.1993, Miller and Stange (1 larva, FSCA). Olancho: 8 km. northeast Catacamas, Sierra de Agalta, 3000’, 26. IV. 1993, L. Stange & R. Miller (2m, 1f, FSCA).

MEXICO Jalisco: Chamela , 15.IV.1986 (3m, FSCA). Oaxaca: 7 mi. northeast Tepanatepec, 4.III.1985, L. Stange & R. Miller (1m, FSCA) ; 23 miles south Matías Romero , 5.V.1962, reared, L. Stange (1 larva, 1m, 1f, FSCA) .

Discussion. This species is distinctive in the group by having the forewing costal area abruptly broadened near the base ( Fig. 4 ). The midfemoral sense hair is about one-half as long as that of the forefemur, about one-fourth length of femur. The larva differs from others in the inscriptus group in having a prominent row of dolichasters posterior to the lateral tentorial suture which is duplicated in the bistictus group by P. apache , P. aztecus , P. cavei , P. debilis , and P. toltecus .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the costal area of forewing which is abruptly narrowed near the base.

Figures

Figures 1–7. Purenleon abruptus Stange, adult. 1) head and thorax; 2) lateral view; 3) vertex; 4) wings; 5) male genitalia; 6) female terminalia, ventral view; 7) female terminalia, lateral view.

Figures 132–133. Purenleon abruptus Stange, larva. 132) dorsal view; 133) ventral view. Figures 134–135. Purenleon albovaria (Banks), larva. 134) dorsal view; 135) ventral view. Figures 136–139. Purenleon connexus (Banks), larva. 136) dorsal view, California, USA; 137) dorsal view, Colima, Mexico; 138) ventral view, California, USA; 139) ventral view of head, Colima, Mexico.

Figures 148–151. Purenleon cavei Miller and Stange, larva. 148) dorsal view; 149) ventral view; 150) dorsal view of head; 151) ventral view of head. Figures 152–155. Purenleon clavatus (Navás), larva. 152) dorsal view; 153) ventral view; 154) dorsal view of head; 155) ventral view of head.