Ungla chacranella (Banks, 1915) Banks, 1915

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 : 85-92

Ungla chacranella (Banks, 1915) comb. n. Figs 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119

Chrysopa chacranella Banks, 1915. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia ( “1914-1915”) 66: 626; "Chacra di Coria, Argentine, 26 February (Jensen-Haarup)". Penny 1977: 17 (list); Brooks and Barnard 1990: 279 [list, as " ' Chrysopa ' incertae sedis (? Ungla ")]; Oswald 2015 (catalog). Holotype (Figs 107, 108). MCZ, female (examined). Banks did not mention more than one specimen, and the single specimen in the collection is labeled as the type in Banks’ hand. We consider it to be the holotype by original designation. The type locality, Chacras de Coria, is in the northeastern region of Argentina: Province of Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo (~900 m). Support for generic placement. The C. chacranella type specimen expresses the external and internal generic level features that characterize Ungla .

Chrysopa mendocensis Navás, 1918. Physis, Rev. Soc. Argentina Cienc. nat. 4: 85-86; "Mendoza, BRUCH (Mus. de La Plata)". Stange 1967: 36 (catalog); Penny 1977: 19 (list); Brooks and Barnard (1990: 280, list, as " ' Chrysopa ' incertae sedis"); González Olazo 1996: 380 (catalog, as Ungla sp.); Oswald (2015, as Chrysopa ). syn. n. Lectotype (Fig. 109). MLPA, sex unknown (examined). Navás did not mention how many specimens he used to make the original description. Both Stange (1967: 36) and González Olazo 1996: 380) reported that the type was in the MLPA, and González Olazo noted that the abdomen was missing. Also, González Olazo (1996: 380) identified the specimen as a species of Ungla . To help stabilize the nomenclature of the genus, this specimen, with labels as in Fig. 109 and abdomen missing, is designated as the lectotype (des. CAT). Support for synonymy. We base our synonymy of C. mendocensis with U. chacranella on the shape and venation of the wings and the overall external features of the type. First, although Navás (1918) in his description of C. mendocensis stated that three veins in the subcostal area are black, we and Adams (unpublished notes) found that all the veins, including the subcostals, are green. Totally green venation is typical of U. chacranella . Second, the head and facial coloration, markings, size, etc. of the C. mendocensis type are indistinguishable from those of U. chacranella . Similarly, because of the above features, we disregarded González Olazo’s label of " Ungla argentina ( Navás)” on the type specimen.

Chrysopa plesia Navás, 1918. Rev. Soc. Arg. Cienc. nat., 4: 86-87; "Mendoza, BRUCH (Mus. de La Plata)". Stange 1967: 36 (catalog); Penny 1977: 20 (list); Brooks and Barnard 1990: 280 (list, as " ' Chrysopa ' incertae sedis"); González Olazo 1996: 380 (catalog, synonymy with U. argentina ); Oswald 2015 (catalog). syn n. Lectotype (Fig. 110). MLPA, male (examined). Head missing, genitalia in a vial with glycerine. Stange (1967: 36) reported a male, and González Olazo (1996: 380) reported a single specimen (sex unspecified). We examined the external features briefly and the abdomen in detail. The locality data are as reported in the original description, and the identification label is in Navás’ hand. The specimen carries an additional identification label ( Ungla argentina ) by González Olazo (Fig. 110a). Here, this specimen is designated as the lectotype of C. plesia (des. CAT). Support for synonymy. Adams’ (unpublished notes) stated that this specimen resembles " C. binaria " (now a synonym of U. confraterna ). However, he noted several differences; for example, he considered the venation to be paler than that of " C. binaria ", and he noted that the vertex of the C. plesia type has a pair of reddish marks posterolaterally, which are not present on the C. binaria type. It is surprising that he made no mention of the enlarged abdominal spiracles, which are prominent on the C. plesia type. All of the above features [pale wing venation, reddish marks on vertex, and large abdominal spiracles (males)] are typical of U. chacranella .

Chrysopa metanotalis Navás, 1924. Rev. Chil. Hist. nat. 27: 114 ( “1923”); “República Argentina: Hualfín (Catamarca), 20 de Diciembre de 1921 (col. Bruch)". Stange 1967: 36 (catalog); Penny 1977: 19 (list); Brooks and Barnard 1990: 280 (list, as " ' Chrysopa ' incertae sedis"); González Olazo 1996: 380 (catalog, as Ungla sp.); Oswald (2015, as Chrysopa ). syn n. Lectotype (Figs 111, 112). MACN, male (examined). González Olazo (1996: 380) recognized the type as a species of Ungla , and he attached an " Ungla argentina " identification label to the specimen, but he did not formalize the synonymy. To help stabilize the nomenclature of the genus, here this specimen is designated as the lectotype of C. metanotalis (des. CAT). The type locality, Hualfín, is in northeastern Argentina: Belén, Catamarca (~1850 m). Support for synonymy. Unlike Navás (1923) in his original description, we did not observe dark cross veins on the wings; they were pale as in U. chacranella . We base the synonymy on the shared head and metanotal markings, similarities in the wings (size, shape, venation, and pale veins), the enlarged abdominal spiracles, and the male genitalia.

Chrysopa villica Navás, 1929. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Arg. 2: 222; “República Argentina; La Granja, Alta Gracia, 30 de febrero de 1924. Col. Bruch". Stange 1967: 38 (catalog); Penny 1977: 21 (list); Brooks and Barnard 1990: 280 (list, as " ' Chrysopa ' incertae sedis"); Oswald (2015, as Chrysopa ). syn n. Lectotype (Figs 113, 114). MACN, male (examined). Stange (1967: 38) and Adams (unpublished notes) reported that a type, from the province of Córdoba, is in the MACN; to stabilize the nomenclature of the genus, here this specimen is designated as the lectotype of C. villica (des. CAT). When we examined the specimen (a male), parts of the abdomen were cleared and in a vial of glycerine; unfortunately, the genitalia had been lost sometime after Adams examined the specimen. [Apparently Stange’s (1967: 38) note of the type as a female is in error.] The original description mentions both La Granja and Alta Gracia as the type locality, and the type bears a label with these same two localities. Both places are in the Province of Córdoba, within ~73 km of each other: La Granja is a town in the Department of Columbus (~730 m), and Alta Gracia is a city in the Department of Santa Maria (~550 m). Support for synonymy. We based the synonymy on our examination of the external features of the type and the structures that are present on what remains of the abdomen, supplemented with Adams’ unpublished notes on the genitalia.

Diagnosis.

Adults of U. chacranella are distinguished by the following external features: dark brown to black genal marks; antenna, including pedicel, pale, without dark ring; wing veins, including crossveins and gradates, light green (an occasional anal vein may appear light brown to brown); wings relatively wide, with rounded to subacute tips.

Several series of specimens in the CAS and FSCA allowed us to associate males and females of this species. Males have abdominal spiracles greatly enlarged; S8+9 elongate, broad (ventral view), shallow, protruding well beyond T9+ect (lateral view); tip of S8+9 with flanged terminal setae; gonarcus with narrow bridge (dorsal view), slender apodemes with long, digitiform mesal process, elongate, narrow mediuncus, gonosaccus bilobed, each lobe with field of robust, widely spaced, terminally bent, gonosetae with large chalazae. The female has spermatheca with a large velum, small invagination; spermathecal duct elongate, curved without tight coils; and subgenitale (ventral view) short, stubby, and with well rounded, separated lobes.

This species resembles U. confraterna . However, U. confraterna has at least some dark crossveins and slightly acute wing tips. Males of U. confraterna also lack the enlarged spiracles, and the dorsal (mesal) portion of the gonarcal bridge is robust and relatively straight, whereas in U. chacranella males the spiracles are greatly enlarged and the gonarcal bridge is slender and more rounded dorsally.

Redescription.

Head: vertex smooth, slightly depressed mesally, inverted U-shaped marking on vertex reddish brown, usually prominent, often separated mesally but with pigmented marking joining mesally, extending anteriorly toward but not reaching area between scapes; anteromesal margin of dorsal antennal fossa also with dark reddish brown mark; area between eyes and posterior half of vertex cream-colored, unmarked; frons cream-colored with elongate, narrow, linear marking from between antennae to center of frons, anterior margin of frons with or without reddish brown, transverse stripe; clypeus cream-colored to tan; gena, posterolateral margin of the clypeus with dark brown stripe; tentorial pits with brown margins. Antenna with scape cream-colored to light tan, unmarked; pedicel cream-colored to tan, with distal ring of brown; flagellum cream-colored to light tan basally, becoming darker distally; maxillary palp with basal two segments pale, distal segments brown; labial palp with basal segment pale, distal two segments brown.

Prothorax green mesally, with wide, brown, lateral stripes, thin, brown mesal stripe; transverse furrow in posterior region, not reaching lateral margins; short, dark setae throughout. Mesothorax, metathorax yellowish brown with light brown markings. Measurements: head width, 1.2-1.4 mm; ratio head width: eye width, 2.4-2.6: 1; prothoracic length, 0.5-0.8 mm; prothoracic width, 0.8-1.0 mm.

Forewing, hindwing clear, hyaline, without fumose areas, with slender venation; stigma lightly opaque, with three to six light to dark brown subcostal crossveins below stigma surrounded by dark brown marks; all veins, except anal veins, cream-colored to light green, without suffusion. Forewing 9.8-13.4 mm long, 3.3-4.8 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 2.8-3.1: 1); height of tallest costal cell 0.6-1.0 mm (cell number 6-8); width of first intramedian cell 0.7-0.9 mm; 10-12 radial cells (closed cells between R and Rs); third gradate cell 1.07-1.48 mm long, 0.35-0.52 mm wide (ratio, L: W =2.86-3.50); fourth gradate cell 0.88-1.72 mm long, 0.32-0.48 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 2.55-3.27); 4-5 Banksian cells (b cells), 4-5 b’ cells; 5-6 inner gradates, 5-6 outer gradates. Hindwing 8.9-12.0 mm long, 2.8-4.1 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 2.9-3.3: 1), 9-12 radial cells, 3-4 Banksian (b) cells, 4-5 b’ cells, 4-6 inner gradates, 5-7 outer gradates.

Male. Abdomen with greatly enlarged spiracles having large flaps on opening (e.g., A7: maximum spiracle diameter ~0.23 –0.30× length of sternite); T9+ectoproct short, with dorsal invagination extending almost to anterior margin of T9, lateral margins of invagination straight to convex; dorsal margin rounded distally; posterior half of ventral margin lightly sclerotized - sclerotization, contiguous with and extending distally from sclerotization around circumference of callus cerci, extending posteriorly in small, rounded knob; callus cerci oblong; subanal plate small, with ~ eight setae. Sternite S8, S9 fused, with line of fusion distinct, terminating in sclerotized, elongate, plate-like extension; dorsal margin sclerotized for entire length, heavier throughout terminal ~one third; terminal setae robust, flanged. Gonarcus with bridge slender, lateral apodemes narrow (lateral view), slightly expanded, rounded distally; process on side of lateral apodeme extending dorsally (lateral view), turning inward distally (frontal view) from gonarcal arm; mediuncus long, narrow, with dorsal margin straight, terminus with small knob; bilobed gonosaccus with large patch of well-spaced gonosetae on enlarged bases - anterobasal gonosetae slightly smaller, shorter, on smaller bases than postero distal gonosetae; hypandrium internum U-shaped with arms straight (frontal view), bending upward (lateral view), comes delicate.

Variation.

The species shows large variation in both size and coloration. For example, forewing length ranges from 9.8 to 13.4 mm, and the number of radial cells from 10-12 (forewing) and 9-12 (hindwing). In addition, the enlarged spiracles on the abdomen vary in size from ~0.23 to 0.30. Some of the variation in dorsal and frontal markings on the head is illustrated in Fig. 115.

Known distribution.

ARGENTINA (northwest): Provinces of Catamarca, Córdoba, La Rioja, Mendoza, Salta, Tucumán.

Specimens studied

(in addition to the types above). Argentina. La Rioja: Santa Cruz, 1600 m, 1/XII/2002, L. A. Stange (2M, FSCA). Cuesta de Miranda, "25-11-939 (Sic!)", Biraben-Scott (1M, APTA). Mendoza: Rio Mendoza, 1600 m, 5-6-XII-1983, L. E. Pena (8M, 3F, CAS). Salta: Yacochuya cerca de Cafayate, 15-XII-1973, L. Stange (13M, 6F, 1?, FSCA); N. Cafayate, Yacochuya, 2-XII-1970, C. Porter-L. Stange (1F, FSCA); Cachi, 22-I-1966, L. Stange (1?, FSCA). Tucumán: Tafi de Valle, 7-I-1967 (1M, 1F, USNM).

Note.

A series of 11 unidentified female specimens (Figs 71, 72) from Bolivia that resemble both U. chacranella and U. pallescens remain unidentified. See note under U. pallescens .