Ascalaphus prothoracicus ( Kimmins, 1949 )

Hassan, Muhammad Asghar & Liu, Xingyue, 2021, Taxonomic notes on owlflies from Pakistan (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae Ascalaphinae), Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 401-452 : 412-414

Ascalaphus prothoracicus ( Kimmins, 1949)

Helicomitus prothoracicus Kimmins, 1949: 6 . Type locality: India.

Diagnosis. The species is similar to Ascalaphus placidus ( Gerstaecker, 1894) , but it can be distinguished by the presence of a more prominent triangular anteromedial processes on the mesonotum in both sexes (distinct in male, while comperatively smaller in female A. placidus ). Moreover, it differs from A. placidus in having the long black setae on the distal half of terga 3–5 in male ( Figs 4A–C ), contrasting with the black setae which is limited to tergum 4 in A. placidus .

Measurement (♂ n=5, ♀ n=11). Forewing length: ♂ 25.3–28.6 mm, ♀ 30.5–32.0 mm, width ♂ 6.4–7.2 mm, ♀ 8.6–9.5 mm; hind wing length: ♂ 21.3–22.6 mm, ♀ 25.0– 26.6 mm, width ♂ 4.8–5.5 mm, ♀ 6.9–7.8 mm; abdominal length: ♂ 16.5–20.4 mm, ♀ 13.0–16.0 mm; body length: ♂ 26.0– 29.7 mm, ♀ 22.5–26.0 mm.

Re-description. Male ( Figs 4A–C ) and female ( Figs 5A–C ). Head ( Fig. 6F ). Postorbital sclerite and occiput yellow. Vertex flat at distal half, brownish yellow, with mixed dark brown and greyish yellow setae or in some specimens the proximal half with dark brown setae and the distal half with greyish yellow setae. Frons yellow, with greyish yellow setae. Anterior orbital sclerite narrow. Lateral margins of paraocular band brownish yellow. Clypeus yellow, with greyish yellow setae. Labrum yellow, with stiff dark brown setae. Mandibles yellow, reddish brown at tip, covered with greyish yellow setae at proximal 1/3. Maxillary and labial palpi yellow, with short black setae. Posterior genal triangle greyish yellow. Eyes divided by a transverse furrow. Antennal toruli yellow, arise more or less dorsally from the longitudinal transverse furrows of eyes ( Fig. 6F ). Antenna shorter than distance between base of forewing to pterostigma, dark brown; male with proximal 1/3 of flagellomeres distinctly S-shaped ( Fig. 6D ), but straight in female ( Fig. 6E ); scape and pedicel brownish yellow, with long greyish yellow setae or in some specimens with mixed dark and greyish yellow setae; flagellomeres dark brown, but brownish yellow at base. Club pyriform, dark, with verticils.

Thorax ( Figs 6A–B ). Dorsal cervical plates yellow, with greyish yellow setae; cervical sclerite greyish yellow. Pronotum narrow, brownish yellow, medially with a pair of narrow longitudinal brownish stripes, lateral margins brownish, with greyish yellow setae, anterior- and posterior margins flexed upward, lateral margins rounded, posterior and lateral margins covered with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae. Mesonotum brownish yellow, lateral margins slightly dark brown, with dark brown or greyish yellow setae; prescutum with a proximal transverse dark stripe, narrowly separated in the middle, anterolateral margins with dense short black setae in male, but normal dark brown and greyish yellow setae in female; mesonotum with a distinct anteromedian brownish triangular process in male, but smaller in female, covered with brownish yellow setae, except greyish yellow setae at posterolateral margins. Metanotum brownish yellow, lateral margins dark brown, with long greyish yellow setae. Pleuron yellow, with distal 2/3 of mesoanepisternum, the proximal half of mesobasisternite and mesokatepisternum brownish, covered with long greyish yellow and dark brown setae ( Fig. 6C ).

Legs yellow ( Fig. 6C ). Foreleg. Coxae with long greyish yellow setae. Trochanter with short brownish yellow setae. Femur ventrally with mixed short and long greyish yellow setae, proximal 2/3 with a few long dark brown setae. Tibia with mixed short and long black setae; tibial spurs equal in length to Ta1–Ta2. Tarsomeres with short black setae; Ta1–Ta4 subequal in length; Ta5 equal to combined length of Ta1–Ta3. Mid leg. Coxae dark brown, yellow at hind margin, with long greyish yellow setae. Trochanter with short brownish yellow setae, a few black setae at distal margin. Femur with mixed short and long black setae, ventral margin with long greyish yellow setae. Tibia with mixed short and long black setae; tibial spurs equal in length to Ta1–Ta2. Tarsomeres with short black setae; Ta1–Ta4 subequal in length; Ta5 equal to combined length of Ta1–Ta3. Hind leg. Coxae and trochanter similar to mid leg. Femur with long greyish yellow setae, except with a few short and long black setae at proximal and anterolateral margins. Tibia with mixed short and long black setae; tibial spurs equal in length to Ta1. Tarsomeres with short black setae; Ta1 slightly longer than Ta2; Ta2–Ta4 subequal in length; Ta5 slightly shorter than combined length of Ta1–Ta3.

Wings ( Figs 4A–C , 5A–C ). Membrane transparent. Veins brownish yellow to dark brown, with sparse short black setae. Pterostigma wider than long, rhomboid-shaped, dark brown to light brownish, with 4–5 crossveins; apical area beyond Sc+R with two rows of cells. Forewing slightly longer than hind wing. Presectoral area with five crossveins. Rs with six major forks. Hind wing. Presectoral area with two crossveins. Rs with six major forks.

Abdomen as long as or slightly shorter than hind wing in male. Tergum dark brown to brownish yellow, lateral margins dark brown. T1 split dorsally, with mixed long brownish and greyish yellow setae. Acrotergite not distintive. T2 without distinct setae. T3 with long yellow setae at proximal half, distally with mixed long black and greyish yellow setae. T4–T6 with dense long black setae. T7–T8 with short black setae. Sternum greyish yellow, with long greyish yellow setae; S4 and proximal half of S5 with short greyish yellow setae; S6–S8 with short black setae. Abdomen in female shorter than hind wing. Tergum brownish yellow to yellowish orange, lateral margins dark, in plump female the lateral margins dark at medially with alternate greyish and yellow bands. Tergum. T1 concolorous with male, covered with long greyish yellow setae. T2 concolorous with male. T3 with long greyish yellow setae. Proximal half of T4 with greyish yellow setae, distal half with short black setae. T5–T8 with short black setae. Sternum. Brownish yellow with a median black stripe. S2–S7 with short greyish yellow setae.

Male genitalia ( Figs 7C–G ). Brownish yellow. Tergum 9 (T9) quadrate; sternum 9 (S9) subquadrate with triangular apex, covered with black setae; ectoprocts (epr) quadrate, with long black setae; gonarcus/parameres complex gradually wider at proximal margin; gonarcus (gs) widely separated at proximal margin; parameres (pa) orange yellow, dorsoventrally elongated with obliquely striated and a distinctly rounded protuberance (gonarcal bulla; gb) below parameres; pulvini (pv) yellow, with long brownish yellow gonosetae.

Female genitalia ( Figs 7A–B ). Brownish yellow, covered with black setae. Tergum 8 (T8) quadrate; tergum 9 (T9) quadrate; ectoprocts (epr) rounded; anterior gonapophyses (ga) long, slightly wide at apex, thumb-liked; lateral gonapophyses (gl) rounded in lateral view, brownish yellow; linguella chitinized with rather short brown setae.

Material examined. PAKISTAN. Islamabad Capital Territory: 1♀, Quaid-e-Azam University , [33°43’54.012”N, 73°2’10.1754”E], 582 m, 14.viii.2019 , 2♀, Check Shehzad , [33°39’50.2194”N, 73°9’9.8994”E], 446 m, 31.viii.2019 , 2♀, National Institute of Health & Science, [33°41’10.68”N, 73°8’21.8394”E], 465 m, 27.viii.2019 , 1♀, 1♂, Faiz Abad , [33°39’50.6154”N, 73°9’9.36”E], 480 m, 17.viii.2019 ; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province: District Mansehra , 3♀, 2♂, Garhi Habibullah , [34°24’23.0394”N, 73°22’28.1994”E], 770 m, 22.viii.2019 , 3♀, 1♂, Batrasi Gali , [34°24’35.64”N, 73°20’21.12”E], 1208 m, 21.viii.2019, leg. M.A. Hassan ( CAU; PMNH; NIM) .

Distribution. Pakistan (New country record); India (Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal), Thailand (Central Thailand) ( Kimmins 1949; Ghosh & Sen 1977; Ghosh 1988, 2000; Sziráki 1998; Michel 2005).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Ascalaphus prothoracicus (Kimmins). Male. A–C. Dorsal habitus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 5. Ascalaphus prothoracicus (Kimmins). Female. A–C. Dorsal habitus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 6. Ascalaphus prothoracicus (Kimmins). Male. A. Dorsal habitus of head and thorax; B. Same, female; C. Lateral habitus; D–E. Antenna: D. Male; E. Female; E. Head, anterior view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (C); 2.0 mm (A–B); 1.0 mm (E).

FIGURE 7. Ascalaphus prothoracicus (Kimmins). A. Female genitalia, lateral view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Male genitalia, lateral view; D. Same, ventral view; E–G. Gonarcus, parameres and pulvinus: E. Dorsal view; F. Same, ventral view; G. Same, lateral view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: ga = anterior gonapophyses; gb = gonarcal bulla; gl = lateral gonapophyses; ect = ectoproct; gs = gonarcus; pa = parameres; pv = pulvinus; T = tergites; S = sternites.