Ungla pallescens Penny, 1998

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 : 55-58

Ungla pallescens Penny, 1998 Figs 68, 69, 70, 143h, 143i

Ungla pallescens Penny, 1998. Journal of Neuropterology 1: 69-72; "COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, 18.IX.1990, N. D. Penny". Penny 2002: 227 (tax); Oswald 2015 (catalog). Holotype. INBio, male (not examined); holotype by original designation. Allotype and male paratype in CAS (examined) (Figs 68-70; labels: Fig. 143h, i). Originally, this species was described from a series of specimens collected in Costa Rica by N. D. Penny; these remain the only specimens thus far reported for this species.

Diagnosis.

At this time, U. pallescens is the only Ungla species known to lack a genal mark; all other described Ungla species have a mark (either large or small) on the gena. The U. pallescens adult body is pale green, with large white areas and subtle, pale brown markings; the flagella are cream-colored basally and brownish distally; and the wing venation, including the gradate veins, is entirely light green (Fig. 69; also see Penny 1998, 2002).

Description.

See Penny (1998). Head. Measurements: head width: 1.5 mm; ratio head width: eye width: 0.6: 1; prothorax width: 0.75 mm, length: 1.0 mm.

Forewing, hindwing delicate; forewing rounded apically; hindwing tapered, but rounded apically; membrane entirely clear, without markings or fumose areas; stigma clear; all veins light green, unmarked. Forewing with Rs straight; im1 ovate; first gradate vein meeting Psm; longitudinal veins (especially base of Rs, Psc of the male) slightly thicker than other veins. Forewing 13.1-13.2 mm long, 4.8 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 2.8: 1); height of tallest costal cell 1.0 mm (cell number 8); width of first intramedian cell 1.0 mm; 11-12 radial cells (closed cells between R and Rs); third gradate cell 1.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 4.1: 1); fourth gradate cell 1.4 mm long, 0.4 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 3.5: 1); 4 Banksian cells (b cells), 4 b’ cells; 5-6 inner gradates, 7-8 outer gradates. Hindwing 11.9-12.1 mm long, 3.9 mm wide (ratio, L: W = 3.1: 1), 11 radial cells, 3 Banksian (b) cells, 4 b’ cells, 5 inner gradates, 7 outer gradates.

Male (paratype, slightly teneral). Abdomen with unenlarged spiracles (e.g., A7: spiracle diameter ~0.06 × length of sternite); subanal plate obscured; T9+ectoproct moderately long (~0.5 × length of T7), with dorsal invagination deep (~0.8 × dorsal length of T9+ect), margins of invagination almost straight, base rounded; dorsal margin of T9+ect convex, curving downward, melding into descending distal margin; posterior margin of ectoproct slightly rounded, tip subacute, without protruding knob; ventral margin of T9+ect convex, with distinct, curved apodeme extending along entire length; posterior margin of T9+ect straight; callus cerci large, ovate, margin sclerotized throughout; sclerotization contiguous with that on ventral margin of ectoproct. S8+9 fused, with line of fusion apparent; dorsal margin (lateral view) without apodeme, with very slight taper, small hump, then stronger taper distally; terminus rounded (lateral view), slightly convex (ventral view), not extending much beyond T9+ect; terminal setae long, some along upper lateral edge of S8+9 with small flanges, otherwise simple. Gonarcus (teneral) arcuate, U-shaped, with bridge slender, curved throughout, arms elongate, extending ventrobasally from gonarcal bridge, rounded distally, mesal section with elongate digitiform process extending posteromesally; mediuncus broad basally, tapering to straight, rounded projection, with pair of internal rods extending length of projection; tip of mediuncus rounded, with slight knob; gonosaccus bilobed (mostly unexpanded in the paratype), each lobe with large maleable patch of elongate gonosetae arising from enlarged setal bases, facing medially (not as in Fig. 52 of Penny 1998: 71, but see his description); hypandrium internum V-shaped with rounded apex, arms curved distally.

Known distribution.

COSTA RICA: Province of Puntarenas. PERU: Province of Lambayeque [tentative].

Specimens examined.

Two paratypes with same data as holotype (1M, 1F, CAS). Peru. Lambayeque: 28 km E. Olmos, Marañón Hwy. Rest. El Salvador, Alt. 1150m, 4/I/1964, P. J. Hutchison & J. K. Wright (M, teneral, CAS).

Note 1: The above male specimen from Peru expresses almost all of the characteristics that distinguish U. pallescens (gena unmarked, distal palpomeres dark, abdominal spiracles small, venation pale and genital characteristics). The one exception is that the markings on the vertex are small and spot-like. Unfortunately, the wings are broken at about midlength and the genitalia are teneral (as they are on the male paratype of U. pallescens that we studied). Thus, at this time we consider our identification of this specimen (and the range extension for the species) as tentative.

Note 2: We have seen female specimens from Bolivia that resemble U. pallescens or perhaps U. chacranella in their pale, lightly colored bodies, green venation, size, etc. (see Figs 71, 72). However, the gena has a very distinct dark brown/black stripe, and the pedicel has a brown ring around the circumference - both characteristics lacking from U. pallescens ; the genal mark is present on U. chacranella , but not the ring on the pedicel. Unfortunately, there were no male specimens in the series from Bolivia, and we were unable to identify them. The locality data and depository for these specimens are: Bolivia, Cochabamba, 5.iii.1981, D. Foster, blacklight (11F, FSCA).