Ungla pseudomeleoma Tauber, 2019

Tauber, Catherine A., 2019, A new species of Ungla (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) that exhibits remarkable homoplasy in male secondary sexual characters, Zootaxa 4700 (1), pp. 87-101 : 88-96

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4700.1.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:622016E8-D658-4AC6-971F-8C5D9BEFC666
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6C62879C-6624-0229-55A0-FD33300C5990
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Ungla pseudomeleoma Tauber
status

Treatment

Ungla pseudomeleoma Tauber

Holotype. The holotype, a male, is in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods ( FSCA), Gainesville, FL ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 3 View FIGURE 3 , 5 View FIGURE 5 , 6 View FIGURE 6 ) . Its labels read: [1] “ PERU: Samme, ca. / 40 km NE Trujillo / Prov. La Libertad / 7°59’S, 78°41’W / elev. ca. 1500 m. / 12–17 July 1975 / C. Porter, L. Stange ” GoogleMaps ; [2] “ HOLOTYPE / Ungla pseudomeleoma / des. C. A. Tauber 2019”. The specimen is in good condition; the right labial palpus is partially covered with a white, frothy material.

Etymology. The species name pseudomeleoma recognizes the elaborate Meleoma -like antennal and frontal modifications expressed by this species. It is a noun in apposition with the generic name.

Support for generic placement. In addition to the crucial genital characters described below, this species expresses several externally visible features that support its placement in the genus Ungla (c.f., Tauber et al. 2017). For both males and females, the wing venation—especially the insertion of the basal inner gradate on a radial vein and not on the Psm—is more typical of Ungla species than those in most other chrysopine genera, including Meleoma . In addition, males have enlarged abdominal spiracles; T9+ect is truncated so that it and the dorsal apodeme do not extend proximally below T8; T9+ect has a deep anal invagination; sternites 8 and 9 are fully fused, and S8+9 is elongate, plate-like, and terminates broadly with distal margin upturned. All of the above features characterize males of Ungla species. Internally, the structure and composition of the male genitalia is typical of all Ungla species: simple gonarcus without gonocornua, with an unarticulated frontal process on the lateral apodeme; mediuncus narrow, elongate, attached to gonarcal bridge via a flexible hinge; gonosaccus with two patches of robust setae on opposing robust plates; and the absence of a tignum, gonapsis, pseudopenis, gonocristae, and parameres. Female genital characters also are consistent with the genus Ungla : spermatheca round, pillbox-shaped, with tall vellum opening directly to the bursa copulatrix via a dorsal slit; spermathecal duct with two to three curves, extending posteriorly, with a distal filamentous section; subgenitale bilobed distally, with simple pocket or lobe below; and the absence of a praegenitale.

Diagnosis. Both males and females of U. pseudomeleoma are distinguished from other Ungla species by their elongate scapes with longitudinal red marks on the dorsum and by the distinctive red lines around their antennal fossae ( Figs 1B, 1D, 1E, 1F View FIGURE 1 , 2A, 2B, 2C View FIGURE 2 ). Males also are easily recognized by the unique shapes and setal patterns of the scape and basal flagellar segments ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 3 View FIGURE 3 ), the deeply ridged interantennal surface ( Figs 1C, 1E, 1F View FIGURE 1 ), and the highly ornamented frons ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 3 View FIGURE 3 , 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Females of U. pseudomeleoma do not exhibit the extreme male modifications; however, their elongated scapes and the paired ridges between the scapes are distinctive features ( Figs 2A, 2B View FIGURE 2 ).

Description. Head: Width 1.4 mm (female), 1.3-1.4 mm (male); ratio of head width: eye width, 2.4-2.6: 1 (female), 1.8–1.9: 1 (male). Male vertex, frons, antennal base (scape, pedicel, basal flagellar segments) with elaborate modification. Vertex with scape surrounded by large, delineated fossae, bases of scapes located close to each other, within much less than width of scape; surface of vertex between toruli, scapes longitudinally furrowed; upper surface of frons also furrowed anteriorly, bending forward, forming interantennal horn consisting of connected longitudinal ridges that merge into a medial, bifid ledge with setose lower surface. Frons invaginated below inter- antennal horn and scapes, forming distinct, rounded, shallow cavity; lateral edges of cavity extending towards eyes; lower part of frons with two elevated, rounded ridges, each bearing pair of triangular patches of dense, elongate, dark brown setae curved upward, appearing to be a lower horn. Female face only lightly sculptured, mostly smooth, without elaborate modifications, except vertex with pair of distinct, longitudinal ridges between scapes, extending to upper part of frons.

Antenna: Length 12.0– 12.4 mm. Scape slender, elongate (ratio of length: width, 1.7–1.8: 1 (female), 2.3–2.5:

1 (male); few short setae dorsally, more numerous, long setae ventrally; sides straight (male), slightly curved later- ally (female). Pedicel (male, female), basal flagellar segment (female) without distinct modification; basal flagellar segment (male, Fig. 8A View FIGURE 8 ) enlarged, bulbous, highly setose frontally, extending posteriorly from pedicel; second to fourth flagellar segments tapering, with setae of decreasing lengths.

Coloration of head: Head cream-colored (probably green in life) with dark to light red markings; vertex with pair of distinct red spots behind anterior ridge, red margin around base of torulus, dorsal fossa; female with thin red line along anterior fossa, frons with red mark along frontoclypeal margin; male without frontal or clypeal marks; gena with bright red to dark reddish black lateral stripe almost reaching eye posteriorly, extending distally to clypeal margin; clypeus with small or large black stripe laterally. Antenna with scape cream-colored, with irregular, longitudinal red stripe; pedicel, flagellum cream-colored; maxillary palpus with distal two segments dark brown, middle segment light brown, two basal segments pale, articulations pale; labial palpus with basal two segments pale, distal segment dark brown, articulation pale. Corner of cervix with small, dark brown to black mark.

Thorax: Prothorax length 0.6-0.8 mm, width 0.9-1.1 mm; pronotum with furrow down midline, longitudinal furrows across midsection and near posterior margin; diffused markings in irregular pattern along lateral surface, broad cream-colored band mesally; surface with numerous elongate, cream setae. Mesothorax, metathorax without distinct markings.

Wings: Forewing ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ) slender, apex broadly subacute to rounded, membrane clear, hyaline, with light to very light suffusion of brown surrounding gradate veins; stigma very slightly opaque; longitudinal veins green, marked brown at intersections with other veins; transverse veins brown or marked brown at ends; forewing with veins robust to slender, not crassate; RP straight; first intramedian cell ovate; basal inner gradate vein not meeting Psm; gradate veins dark brown, costal crossveins, ra-rp crossveins, intracubital crossveins brown or marked brown basally. Hindwing ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ) narrow, apex subacute, membrane clear, hyaline, without markings; venation green, except ra-rp crossveins, intersections with RP brown at least basally. Forewing length 11.6-13.4 mm, height 3.7-4.4; ratio of length to height, 3.0-3.1: 1; height of tallest costal cell 0.8-0.9 mm (cell number 5); width of first intramedian cell 0.7-0.8 mm; 9-10 rarp cells (closed cells between RA and RP); third gradate cell (third cell from wing base with inner and outer gradate veins at either end) 0.8-1.3 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm wide, ratio of length: width, 2.0-2.7: 1); fourth gradate cell 1.0 mm long, 0.4 mm wide (ratio of length: width, 2.4: 1); 4 b cells (closed cells beneath RP that do not include a gradate vein), 4 b’ cells (closed cells between Psm and Psc); 3-4 inner gradates, 4-5 outer gradates. Hindwing length 12.2 mm, height 3.2-3.9 mm (ratio of length: height, 3.1: 1), 9-11 rarp cells, 3 b cells, 4 b’ cells, 2-3 inner gradates, 4-5 outer gradates.

Male abdomen ( Figs 5 View FIGURE 5 , 6 View FIGURE 6 ): Tergites, sternites, pleural regions covered with relatively dense covering of moderately long setae; microsetae present; no microtholi. T6 (lateral view) length 0.7 mm, ~7.2x height; T7 (lateral view) length 0.6 mm, ~3.8x height; T8 (lateral view) length 0.6 mm, ~6.9x height; T9+ect (lateral view) length 0.4 mm, 1.5x height, ~0.6 length of T7; S6 (lateral view) length 0.8 mm, ~2.7x height; S7 (lateral view) length 0.7 mm, ~2.5x height. Tergites, sternites roughly rectangular, with pleural margins slightly concave. Segments A4 to A8 with large spiracles, (e.g., A7: spiracle diameter ~0.19-0.21x length of sternite). T9+ect with dorsal invagination prominent (~0.33x dorsal length of T9+ect), margins of invagination almost straight, base rounded; dorsal margin of T9+ect moderately rounded throughout, posterior margin of ectoproct convex, without knob or extension; ventral margin straight, lightly sclerotized; callus cerci large, ovate (diameter: 0.10-0.15 mm), with discrete, well separated trichobothria.

S8+9 fused, with line of fusion not detectible; length (lateral view) 1.0 mm, ~4.8x height; dorsal margin with apodeme lightly sclerotized, mostly noticeable on basal two-thirds; dorsum tapering roughly from area below T9 to beyond callus cerci, then forming small ledge with upturned terminus; terminus blunt (lateral view), extending very slightly beyond distal margin of T9+ect; setae dense, slender, mostly long, simple, those along distolateral margin of similar size to other setae, without flanges. Subanal plate distinct, with ~12 small setae.

Gonarcus broadly arcuate, with bridge stout, rounded dorsally, acute interiorly; apodemes (arms) heavy, relatively straight, expanded distally, with lightly sclerotized unarticulated process on frontal margin extending distally toward gonosaccus. Mediuncus with rounded base closely attached to gonarcal bridge, narrow distally, with terminus narrow, curved downward about 90° (lateral view). Gonosaccus bilobed, with lobes closely aligned, when unexpanded forming a triangular envelope around tip of mediuncus, when expanded consisting of two lobes, rounded dorsally, mesally, laterally, but flat distally; each lobe with large, dense patch of sturdy gonosetae arising from prominent setal bases facing inward when uneverted, outward when everted; gonosetae relatively long (almost as long as length of mediuncus); hypandrium internum quadrate, with dense arms, sturdy, keel-like comes.

Female abdomen ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ): Tergites, sternites with uniform, moderately dense setal covering, setae of moderately long length. T6 (lateral view) length 0.9 mm, ~5.9x height; T7 (lateral view) length 0.8 mm, ~7.3x height; T8 (lateral view) length 0.6 mm, ~4.5x height; T9+ect (lateral view) length 0.4 mm, 0.5x height, ~0.5x length of T7; S6 (lateral view) length 0.9 mm, ~1.6x height; S7 length 1.0 mm, ~1.8x height. Tergites, sternites roughly rectangular, with pleural margins straight. Spiracles located in center of pleural region, roughly oval externally, not enlarged.

Tergite 8 (lateral view) narrower, slightly taller than T7, with pleural region not sclerotized. Tergite 9 with ectoproct fused, extending ventrally full height of segment. Gonapophysis lateralis well sclerotized, elongate, oval (length 0.4 mm, width 0.1 mm), with relatively long, robust setae.

Bursal-spermathecal complex. Spermatheca pillbox-shaped, with vellum; vellum of approximately same height as length of base, open to bursal duct via slit on side. Spermathecal invagination truncate, extending almost full depth of spermathecal bowl. Spermathecal duct well sclerotized, wavy, with smooth surface basally, extending directly toward subgenitale, becoming straight and setose distally at base of subgenitale. Bursa copulatrix small, consisting of light membranous pouch attached to distal section of subgenitale base, with proximal section or duct extending toward spermatheca, probably with two transparent, elongate bursal glands above spermatheca and spermathecal duct.

Subgenitale. Distal section well sclerotized, with two, distinctly separated, round lobes extending from leathery, partially sclerotized, membranous base that extends internally. Lobes with rough surface.

Colleterial complex. Colleterial gland elongate, clear, with relatively broad duct extending to small, colleterial reservoir near gonapophyses laterales; reservoir clear, opening via membranous duct above round, striated transverse sclerite.

Specimens examined. Holotype (♂, FSCA) and three paratypes (all from same locality and date; 1♀, FSCA; 1♂, 1♀, Tauber Research Collection, TRC). Both of the female specimens appear slightly teneral; their structures seem softer and more membranous than those on mature specimens of other Ungla species.

Geographic distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Peru: Department of La Libertad).